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How to Charge

Charging Anxiety – the #1 reason Ride-Hailing drivers have told us they are hesitant to make the switch to an Electric Vehicle, and we get it. Here is a complete charging guide, any questions at all please contact our helpful team or come and visit our London Showroom.

1.) How to charge when you’re on the go

In London 2020, there were 531 petrol stations, vs more than 10,000 charging points for EV's (as of Summer 2022), (nearly 2,000 of which are rapid chargers). They really are all over London and the charging network is growing every day.

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Zap Map (above) is the leading App which shows all of the Electric Vehicle charging points, anywhere you are. It shows you all of the charge points near you, how powerful they are and if they are currently available.

Most Ride-Hailing drivers should ideally charge their EVs overnight at/near their home so charging on the go should mainly be to top up your range. The slower chargers (especially lamp post chargers from the likes of Ubitricity) are generally the cheapest way to charge. 

2.) What are the different types of chargers?

There are 3 main types of chargers; rapid, fast and slow. The images below show the shape of the chargers and their names, on Zap Map all rapid chargers are pink, fast chargers are blue and slow chargers are yellow.

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3.) How to charge if you don’t have off-street parking

To charge overnight you want a cheap and slow charging option which typically takes 6-12 hours. Put your address into the Zap Map search and look out for the yellow charging points around you, and if they’re available. Go to the nearest one to your home, plug in and walk home. 

4.) How to charge if you do have off-street parking 

There’s 2 ways to charge at home; use the slow charger provided with your vehicle or get a wallbox installed. 

The first option, using the slow charger, is recommended for ‘emergency use’ as they are incredibly slow (take around 24 hours to 100% charge) and means wires through your house and windows etc. 

The second option is definitely preferable. The wallbox is installed by an electrician and mounted to the outside of your house allowing you to quickly and easily plug your car in to charge. Current costs for home chargers are around £1,000 depending on the speed of charging and ‘smart’ features you want.

Where to charge your Electric Vehicle in London

There’s over 10,000 charge points in London for Electric Vehicles, 500 of which are rapid chargers and can charge your EV from 0-80% in 20-30 minutes.

There’s all sorts of apps to locate, check availability and book your nearest chargers, including Bonnet, Zap-Map, bp pulse and PlugShare.

Bonnet have kindly provided WeFlex with a map that shows all of the charging points available on their app, in real time. Ride-Hailing drivers can find and book chargers at the click of a button.
For more information on how to charge your Electric Vehicle, have a look here.

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