Electric cars provide a new way to drive, so you will never have to pay for petrol again. While refuelling your electric vehicle (EV) may be less expensive than filling it up with gas, charging it doesn’t necessarily require more time or money. If you look around and plan ahead, you can locate a number of free electric vehicle charging stations in your city.
In fact, there are several convenient ways to recharge without spending any money. For instance, local districts, and shopping centres provide free public chargers.
Charge points come in a variety of designs and can be installed in on- or off-street areas. Many public charge points are integrated into a free-standing column, some are integrated into streetlights, and some, like rapid chargers, look like large parking payment machines.
It can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes or 8 to 10 hours to fully charge an EV, depending on its battery size, capacity, charging behaviour and the power rating of the charger.
An EV’s charge points are primarily classified by their power, measured in kilowatts (kW), which indicates the rate at which they can charge. These are the most common categories:
Since 2020, the number of charging points in the UK has doubled, reaching around 30,000 today.
You can find many free charging points in London and the southeast of England. There isn’t a set scheme for free charging per se, but because of the large population density in certain places, there is a tonne of charging stations, many of which are free.
As anticipated, the UK’s most rural and outlying regions—like Wales and the Channel Islands— have the fewest free charging stations. This might be changing, though, as several local governments in Scotland, Yorkshire, and Manchester work to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Homeowners, or even flat renters, can apply for a UK government grant to help with the cost of installing an electric vehicle charging point in their homes.
They can get as much as £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower. To qualify, applicants must have appropriate off-street parking and either own, lease, or have ordered a qualified vehicle.
Applicants, of course, will notice an increase in their electricity bills as this represents the cost of the energy they have used.
One of the best areas to find free charging stations is in public car parks, particularly those at supermarkets or shopping centres. Retailers like Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Lidl offer free charging points at selected locations.
Tesco has partnered with Volkswagen to provide 2,400 free 7kWh charging points at Tesco Extra stores across the country. With these speeds, you can top up your car’s range by around 25 miles while you shop for an hour.
Other possible locations include some restaurants, parks, hotels, B&Bs, leisure centres and garden centres. It’s important to remember that free car charging probably only applies to paying consumers.
Charging at work is a convenient way for EV users to keep their batteries at full capacity without making a separate trip to recharge. It’s like having your car taken to the petrol station while you’re at work.
Many companies install a charge point by applying for the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme. This voucher-based scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket or 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
Workplace charging benefits both employees and businesses as it is non-taxable and will reduce the carbon impact of their organisation.
Every auto dealership that offers electric vehicles has at least one charging station and may offer clients free charging. However, this is not an ideal proposition since most car dealerships are in out-of-the-way locations.
There are thousands of free electric car charging points in the UK, often in supermarkets, shopping centres, public car parks, and hotels, but some may require a purchase in-store or have time restrictions. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check ahead.
Establishing realistic expectations regarding free charging stations is crucial because, in the UK, most public charging stations charge for use.
Remember that any free charging stations you locate will probably be in high demand, so you shouldn’t rely on them as your only option
There are several ways to charge your electric vehicle for free, but locating these free (functioning and accessible) charging stations can be challenging.
The two most common alternatives are overnight charging at home and work. But EV drivers who don’t have off-street parking at home, don’t have workplace charging, or need to travel long distances, will have to rely on public charge points.
Considering electric vehicles have a much shorter range, public charge points are not as common as fuel stations, and recharging takes an hour instead of minutes, which can cause major inconveniences.
This is where Bonnet comes in! Bonnet is an app that aims to enhance the experience of EV drivers who cannot rely on home charging through an interoperable, reliable and affordable platform. Bonnet gives drivers and businesses access to chargers from over 17 different public charging networks in Europe to drive electric vehicles without worries, and with it's Boosts Membership it guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging,
With the app’s capability to support multiple charging networks, users can locate charge points on a map, use them and track their usage over time.
When looking for charging stations, users can set the search filters manually or select filters based on the make and model of their car to reduce the chances of error.
The app indicates when the charger is in use, and users can stop the charging remotely through the app.
With Boosts Membership , Bonnet guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging,
For just £2 per month, Bonnet will offer a 10% discount for drivers using any of its 80,000+ chargers in the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland under its ‘Light Boost’ payment plan. For a subscription of £8 per month, Bonnet will guarantee drivers a 15% discount on all their charging costs under its ‘Turbo Boost’ package.
The app shows a clear and engaging presentation of your usage regarding kWh used and money spent. It compares the CO2 emissions you’ve prevented to an equivalent number of trees, aeroplane flights, cow farts, and landfilled bin bags.
It is easy to pay for and manage charge sessions via Bonnet’s app, which also offers useful tools like a charge point finder, charge point profiles, and CO2 trackers.
The best things in life might be free, though they sometimes cause an inconvenience. It’s common to see long lines or available chargers at free electric car charging stations.
You’ll also have to put up with slow charging speeds that can take several hours to recharge your car fully, but you might not have that much time to wait in a public place. In most situations, a free EV charger will offer a slower, Level 2 rate of charge, which provides around 20 miles of range when you charge for about an hour.
If you’re fortunate to find DC fast or Level 3 chargers, 30 minutes could be enough for a full charge. However, it might require a little more looking to locate a free one.
Whilst it’s always tempting to want free energy to power your car, there are scenarios where paying for a charger is much better and more valuable.
If you’re travelling without stopping for a long time and need to fill up, and finding a free rapid charger isn’t nearly possible, then it’s best to pay for a rapid charger.
Free charging is a major selling point for many EV buyers, so you might notice that these chargers are much busier than the ones you have to pay. If that is the case, you can wait or pay for a top-up
For many electric car drivers, never stopping at a gas station and having an unlimited supply of “fuel” available at home is now a reality. Whilst electric car charging stations are abundant in high-traffic areas and offer free and paid services, not all charging stations are the same.
Despite the current infrastructure, people will continue to switch to driving electric, and EV sales will continue to soar; indeed, there will also be an increase in charging stations in the future.
For EV owners, using an app like Bonnet to locate these charging stations is an invaluable resource.
The UK has thousands of free electric charge points, commonly found in shopping centres, public car parks, hotels, restaurants, and service stations.
Yes. Many businesses and workplaces offer free electric car charging stations as a perk for customers and employees.
Yes. Tesco and Volkswagen partnered up to provide 2,400 free 7kWh charging points at selected Tesco Extra stores nationwide.
Yes. Many London boroughs offer free or subsidised parking to encourage motorists to switch to EV driving.
Electric cars provide a new way to drive, so you will never have to pay for petrol again. While refuelling your electric vehicle (EV) may be less expensive than filling it up with gas, charging it doesn’t necessarily require more time or money. If you look around and plan ahead, you can locate a number of free electric vehicle charging stations in your city.
In fact, there are several convenient ways to recharge without spending any money. For instance, local districts, and shopping centres provide free public chargers.
Charge points come in a variety of designs and can be installed in on- or off-street areas. Many public charge points are integrated into a free-standing column, some are integrated into streetlights, and some, like rapid chargers, look like large parking payment machines.
It can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes or 8 to 10 hours to fully charge an EV, depending on its battery size, capacity, charging behaviour and the power rating of the charger.
An EV’s charge points are primarily classified by their power, measured in kilowatts (kW), which indicates the rate at which they can charge. These are the most common categories:
Since 2020, the number of charging points in the UK has doubled, reaching around 30,000 today.
You can find many free charging points in London and the southeast of England. There isn’t a set scheme for free charging per se, but because of the large population density in certain places, there is a tonne of charging stations, many of which are free.
As anticipated, the UK’s most rural and outlying regions—like Wales and the Channel Islands— have the fewest free charging stations. This might be changing, though, as several local governments in Scotland, Yorkshire, and Manchester work to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Homeowners, or even flat renters, can apply for a UK government grant to help with the cost of installing an electric vehicle charging point in their homes.
They can get as much as £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower. To qualify, applicants must have appropriate off-street parking and either own, lease, or have ordered a qualified vehicle.
Applicants, of course, will notice an increase in their electricity bills as this represents the cost of the energy they have used.
One of the best areas to find free charging stations is in public car parks, particularly those at supermarkets or shopping centres. Retailers like Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Lidl offer free charging points at selected locations.
Tesco has partnered with Volkswagen to provide 2,400 free 7kWh charging points at Tesco Extra stores across the country. With these speeds, you can top up your car’s range by around 25 miles while you shop for an hour.
Other possible locations include some restaurants, parks, hotels, B&Bs, leisure centres and garden centres. It’s important to remember that free car charging probably only applies to paying consumers.
Charging at work is a convenient way for EV users to keep their batteries at full capacity without making a separate trip to recharge. It’s like having your car taken to the petrol station while you’re at work.
Many companies install a charge point by applying for the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme. This voucher-based scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket or 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
Workplace charging benefits both employees and businesses as it is non-taxable and will reduce the carbon impact of their organisation.
Every auto dealership that offers electric vehicles has at least one charging station and may offer clients free charging. However, this is not an ideal proposition since most car dealerships are in out-of-the-way locations.
There are thousands of free electric car charging points in the UK, often in supermarkets, shopping centres, public car parks, and hotels, but some may require a purchase in-store or have time restrictions. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check ahead.
Establishing realistic expectations regarding free charging stations is crucial because, in the UK, most public charging stations charge for use.
Remember that any free charging stations you locate will probably be in high demand, so you shouldn’t rely on them as your only option
There are several ways to charge your electric vehicle for free, but locating these free (functioning and accessible) charging stations can be challenging.
The two most common alternatives are overnight charging at home and work. But EV drivers who don’t have off-street parking at home, don’t have workplace charging, or need to travel long distances, will have to rely on public charge points.
Considering electric vehicles have a much shorter range, public charge points are not as common as fuel stations, and recharging takes an hour instead of minutes, which can cause major inconveniences.
This is where Bonnet comes in! Bonnet is an app that aims to enhance the experience of EV drivers who cannot rely on home charging through an interoperable, reliable and affordable platform. Bonnet gives drivers and businesses access to chargers from over 17 different public charging networks in Europe to drive electric vehicles without worries, and with it's Boosts Membership it guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging,
With the app’s capability to support multiple charging networks, users can locate charge points on a map, use them and track their usage over time.
When looking for charging stations, users can set the search filters manually or select filters based on the make and model of their car to reduce the chances of error.
The app indicates when the charger is in use, and users can stop the charging remotely through the app.
With Boosts Membership , Bonnet guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging,
For just £2 per month, Bonnet will offer a 10% discount for drivers using any of its 80,000+ chargers in the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland under its ‘Light Boost’ payment plan. For a subscription of £8 per month, Bonnet will guarantee drivers a 15% discount on all their charging costs under its ‘Turbo Boost’ package.
The app shows a clear and engaging presentation of your usage regarding kWh used and money spent. It compares the CO2 emissions you’ve prevented to an equivalent number of trees, aeroplane flights, cow farts, and landfilled bin bags.
It is easy to pay for and manage charge sessions via Bonnet’s app, which also offers useful tools like a charge point finder, charge point profiles, and CO2 trackers.
The best things in life might be free, though they sometimes cause an inconvenience. It’s common to see long lines or available chargers at free electric car charging stations.
You’ll also have to put up with slow charging speeds that can take several hours to recharge your car fully, but you might not have that much time to wait in a public place. In most situations, a free EV charger will offer a slower, Level 2 rate of charge, which provides around 20 miles of range when you charge for about an hour.
If you’re fortunate to find DC fast or Level 3 chargers, 30 minutes could be enough for a full charge. However, it might require a little more looking to locate a free one.
Whilst it’s always tempting to want free energy to power your car, there are scenarios where paying for a charger is much better and more valuable.
If you’re travelling without stopping for a long time and need to fill up, and finding a free rapid charger isn’t nearly possible, then it’s best to pay for a rapid charger.
Free charging is a major selling point for many EV buyers, so you might notice that these chargers are much busier than the ones you have to pay. If that is the case, you can wait or pay for a top-up
For many electric car drivers, never stopping at a gas station and having an unlimited supply of “fuel” available at home is now a reality. Whilst electric car charging stations are abundant in high-traffic areas and offer free and paid services, not all charging stations are the same.
Despite the current infrastructure, people will continue to switch to driving electric, and EV sales will continue to soar; indeed, there will also be an increase in charging stations in the future.
For EV owners, using an app like Bonnet to locate these charging stations is an invaluable resource.
Electric cars provide a new way to drive, so you will never have to pay for petrol again. While refuelling your electric vehicle (EV) may be less expensive than filling it up with gas, charging it doesn’t necessarily require more time or money. If you look around and plan ahead, you can locate a number of free electric vehicle charging stations in your city.
In fact, there are several convenient ways to recharge without spending any money. For instance, local districts, and shopping centres provide free public chargers.
Charge points come in a variety of designs and can be installed in on- or off-street areas. Many public charge points are integrated into a free-standing column, some are integrated into streetlights, and some, like rapid chargers, look like large parking payment machines.
It can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes or 8 to 10 hours to fully charge an EV, depending on its battery size, capacity, charging behaviour and the power rating of the charger.
An EV’s charge points are primarily classified by their power, measured in kilowatts (kW), which indicates the rate at which they can charge. These are the most common categories:
Since 2020, the number of charging points in the UK has doubled, reaching around 30,000 today.
You can find many free charging points in London and the southeast of England. There isn’t a set scheme for free charging per se, but because of the large population density in certain places, there is a tonne of charging stations, many of which are free.
As anticipated, the UK’s most rural and outlying regions—like Wales and the Channel Islands— have the fewest free charging stations. This might be changing, though, as several local governments in Scotland, Yorkshire, and Manchester work to encourage the use of electric vehicles.
Homeowners, or even flat renters, can apply for a UK government grant to help with the cost of installing an electric vehicle charging point in their homes.
They can get as much as £350 or 75% off the cost to buy and install a socket, whichever amount is lower. To qualify, applicants must have appropriate off-street parking and either own, lease, or have ordered a qualified vehicle.
Applicants, of course, will notice an increase in their electricity bills as this represents the cost of the energy they have used.
One of the best areas to find free charging stations is in public car parks, particularly those at supermarkets or shopping centres. Retailers like Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Lidl offer free charging points at selected locations.
Tesco has partnered with Volkswagen to provide 2,400 free 7kWh charging points at Tesco Extra stores across the country. With these speeds, you can top up your car’s range by around 25 miles while you shop for an hour.
Other possible locations include some restaurants, parks, hotels, B&Bs, leisure centres and garden centres. It’s important to remember that free car charging probably only applies to paying consumers.
Charging at work is a convenient way for EV users to keep their batteries at full capacity without making a separate trip to recharge. It’s like having your car taken to the petrol station while you’re at work.
Many companies install a charge point by applying for the government’s Workplace Charging Scheme. This voucher-based scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation (inclusive of VAT), capped at a maximum of £350 per socket or 40 sockets across all sites per applicant.
Workplace charging benefits both employees and businesses as it is non-taxable and will reduce the carbon impact of their organisation.
Every auto dealership that offers electric vehicles has at least one charging station and may offer clients free charging. However, this is not an ideal proposition since most car dealerships are in out-of-the-way locations.
There are thousands of free electric car charging points in the UK, often in supermarkets, shopping centres, public car parks, and hotels, but some may require a purchase in-store or have time restrictions. Therefore, it’s a good idea to check ahead.
Establishing realistic expectations regarding free charging stations is crucial because, in the UK, most public charging stations charge for use.
Remember that any free charging stations you locate will probably be in high demand, so you shouldn’t rely on them as your only option
There are several ways to charge your electric vehicle for free, but locating these free (functioning and accessible) charging stations can be challenging.
The two most common alternatives are overnight charging at home and work. But EV drivers who don’t have off-street parking at home, don’t have workplace charging, or need to travel long distances, will have to rely on public charge points.
Considering electric vehicles have a much shorter range, public charge points are not as common as fuel stations, and recharging takes an hour instead of minutes, which can cause major inconveniences.
This is where Bonnet comes in! Bonnet is an app that aims to enhance the experience of EV drivers who cannot rely on home charging through an interoperable, reliable and affordable platform. Bonnet gives drivers and businesses access to chargers from over 17 different public charging networks in Europe to drive electric vehicles without worries, and with it's Boosts Membership it guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging,
With the app’s capability to support multiple charging networks, users can locate charge points on a map, use them and track their usage over time.
When looking for charging stations, users can set the search filters manually or select filters based on the make and model of their car to reduce the chances of error.
The app indicates when the charger is in use, and users can stop the charging remotely through the app.
With Boosts Membership , Bonnet guarantees savings of 10%-15% from standard market rates for charging,
For just £2 per month, Bonnet will offer a 10% discount for drivers using any of its 80,000+ chargers in the UK, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland under its ‘Light Boost’ payment plan. For a subscription of £8 per month, Bonnet will guarantee drivers a 15% discount on all their charging costs under its ‘Turbo Boost’ package.
The app shows a clear and engaging presentation of your usage regarding kWh used and money spent. It compares the CO2 emissions you’ve prevented to an equivalent number of trees, aeroplane flights, cow farts, and landfilled bin bags.
It is easy to pay for and manage charge sessions via Bonnet’s app, which also offers useful tools like a charge point finder, charge point profiles, and CO2 trackers.
The best things in life might be free, though they sometimes cause an inconvenience. It’s common to see long lines or available chargers at free electric car charging stations.
You’ll also have to put up with slow charging speeds that can take several hours to recharge your car fully, but you might not have that much time to wait in a public place. In most situations, a free EV charger will offer a slower, Level 2 rate of charge, which provides around 20 miles of range when you charge for about an hour.
If you’re fortunate to find DC fast or Level 3 chargers, 30 minutes could be enough for a full charge. However, it might require a little more looking to locate a free one.
Whilst it’s always tempting to want free energy to power your car, there are scenarios where paying for a charger is much better and more valuable.
If you’re travelling without stopping for a long time and need to fill up, and finding a free rapid charger isn’t nearly possible, then it’s best to pay for a rapid charger.
Free charging is a major selling point for many EV buyers, so you might notice that these chargers are much busier than the ones you have to pay. If that is the case, you can wait or pay for a top-up
For many electric car drivers, never stopping at a gas station and having an unlimited supply of “fuel” available at home is now a reality. Whilst electric car charging stations are abundant in high-traffic areas and offer free and paid services, not all charging stations are the same.
Despite the current infrastructure, people will continue to switch to driving electric, and EV sales will continue to soar; indeed, there will also be an increase in charging stations in the future.
For EV owners, using an app like Bonnet to locate these charging stations is an invaluable resource.
The UK has thousands of free electric charge points, commonly found in shopping centres, public car parks, hotels, restaurants, and service stations.
Yes. Many businesses and workplaces offer free electric car charging stations as a perk for customers and employees.
Yes. Tesco and Volkswagen partnered up to provide 2,400 free 7kWh charging points at selected Tesco Extra stores nationwide.
Yes. Many London boroughs offer free or subsidised parking to encourage motorists to switch to EV driving.
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