Your charging options
We’ll explain how home and public charging work, to help you choose what’s right for you.
Your charging options
You can either charge your car at home or on the go. We’ll support you with one of these, depending on your circumstances and lifestyle. We’ll also give you a Motability Go Charge card. This lets you charge simply, at over 45,000 chargepoints.
Charging at home
This is having a chargepoint installed at your home. You’ll need to have off-street parking, like a driveway or garage.
This can be the cheapest way to charge. Especially if you charge at the right time and get the tariff that works best for you.
It costs about 8 pence per mile on average, on a standard tariff. And 3 pence per mile if you charge off-peak.*
*These figures are based on the average market price and are correct as of 12 October 2023.
How we’ll help: If you can get a home chargepoint and it’s your first fully electric car on the Scheme, we’ll arrange and cover the cost of the chargepoint and a standard installation.
Charging on the go
There are nearly 60,000 chargepoints across the UK*. You can find these in service stations, car parks, supermarkets, and even at the side of the road.
You’ll likely need to use a public chargepoint at some point during your lease.
Charging costs vary, depending on the operator and speed you choose.
*Source: Zapmap(opens in a new window)
How we’ll help: If you cannot get a home chargepoint and it’s your first fully electric car on the Scheme, we’ll offer you a subscription to the bp pulse network. This gives you access to over 9,000 public chargepoints, including 3,000 rapid and ultra-fast. Some of these will give you better charging rates and some are free.
See if an electric car is right for you: check if there are chargepoints near you and on your usual routes.
Motability Go Charge
As well as a home chargepoint or bp pulse subscription, you’ll also get our Motability Go Charge card as part of your worry-free package. This gives you access to over 45,000 public chargepoints.
We do not offer discounted charging at the moment, but you’ll never pay more than the operator’s ‘pay as you go’ tariff.
Other things to think about
Make sure you know about the costs, how long it takes to charge, and how accessible the chargepoints you’ll use are. This will help you decide if an electric car is right for you.
Charging speeds and costs
Charging costs vary depending on whether you’re charging at home or on the public network.
At home, costs will depend on the time of day you charge and your electricity tariff. You’ll also only be able to get slow and fast charging at home. But as your car’s usually parked on your drive overnight, there’s plenty of time to charge.
On the go, costs will depend on the chargepoint operator and speed you choose. In general, the higher the charging speed, measured in kilowatts (kW), the quicker you can charge. But it’ll also be more expensive.
Charging cables
Every electric car on the Scheme comes with the cable you need.
The type of plug your car has might affect which public chargepoints you can use. But lots of new public chargepoints have multiple plug types. The main ones include:
Type 2: The standard type of electric car charging cable used in Europe and fast becoming the most popular type.
CHAdeMO: Used by some manufacturers on older models. Offers quick charging and popular at rapid charging stations.
CSS (Combined Charging System): The most common and is normally only for DC rapid charging of 50kW or more.
You plug in cables at different chargepoints in different ways:
- Tethered: One end of the cable is already connected to the chargepoint. This are lighter than untethered cables
- Untethered: You need to connect both ends of the cable: one to your car and one to the chargepoint. These can be heavy
If you’re not sure using charging cables will suit you, please speak to your dealer. They’ll show you how to connect a car up to a chargepoint.
The best way to charge
To help maintain your battery’s health and protect your range, charge your battery so it’s 80% full, unless you’re going on a long journey. And try to keep it above 20%.
Charge every few days, instead of every day, if you can. There are other things you can do to maximise your range too.
Useful apps to help you charge
We’ve got a list of handy apps to help you with your electric charging journey. It’s a good idea to research which apps you need, so you’re ready to use the chargepoints when you arrive.
Their basic features are free, but you might need to subscribe to use the rest.
Motability Go Charge
Called ‘Go Charge’ for short, this is a new electric car card and app we created with our partner, Paua. You can use them to charge your electric car on the go.
Download on the App Store(opens in a new window) or Google Play Store(opens in a new window)
Zapmap
Search, play and pay for charging all in one place. The app can help you find the best places to stop and recharge before you set off.
Download on the App Store(opens in a new window) or Google Play Store(opens in a new window)
PlugShare
One of the most popular electric car apps. Use this to see tips, reviews and photos of chargepoints across the world. You do not need to register, and it’s not tied to any charging network.
Download on the App Store(opens in a new window) or Google Play Store(opens in a new window)
Sign up to our electric car series
It's our exciting email series for anyone looking to learn more about electric vehicles (EVs). We’ll explain how they work and show you what life with one could look like. You’ll get one email each week, for eight weeks.
Sign up now