Best app for finding best EV charger when travelling

littleredhen

Is there a best app for looking for relevant info to find the best /cheapest charging point when travelling like I currently use Petrol prices app for finding the cheapest fuel

Rodders53

There are many. Vehicle maker has them. EV charger network has them. Your Energy supplier probably.

Not all are accurate and not all sites display prices / availability reliably. (Sometimes it's from x for the slow ac charger and more for a fast DC one.)

Zap Map and Electroverse are among the most popular. There is no one size fits all… try them and see.

born_again

IN google maps just search "EV Charger"

Many EV navigation systems will show charger locations. Prices is a different matter. As some chargers do not have fixed prices. They vary on time of day.

Get Electroverse card.

Cornucopia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6684711/best-app-for-finding-best-ev-charger-when-travelling

EV charging prices are less random than petrol but also cover a wider range of prices.

There are underlying patterns existing and developing, and many EV charging prices are lowest when there is some kind of pre-existing relationship with the charging provider. In some cases, this link is free (like the Lidl app) or is a form of pre-paid membership. There are also third-parties like Octopus Electroverse that can simplify access to charging (although that is not as important now that all rapid chargers accept direct payment).

For long distance travel, the same question arises as with petrol - are you willing to pay more for the convenience of charging at the services, or are you going to leave the motorway to find a Sainsburys or a Lidl?

Keep_pedalling

Would you being a lot of charging on the road?

born_again

For long distance travel, the same question arises as with petrol - are you willing to pay more for the convenience of charging at the services, or are you going to leave the motorway to find a Sainsburys or a Lidl?

For Rapid & Ultra Rapid the brand prices tend to be the same in either case. So less of a issue with EV. It is more if you are looking around different brands & charging speeds. The biggest difference will be the cost & quality of food & drink 😍

LukeB_92

ZapMap is probably the most useful all-rounder, but the trick is using the filters properly — set your connector type and minimum charge speed, and use the "along a route" option when planning a longer trip rather than just searching near you.

Also worth checking live availability in the app before you pull off the motorway — arriving to find all the bays taken is no fun. And if your car has a built-in sat nav that plans charging stops, use it: some cars pre-condition the battery on the way to a charger, which can noticeably cut charging time.

littleredhen

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82150507#Comment_82150507

no I will mostly charge at home but I live in a rural area and most of my journeys will be travelling from Cumbria to Edinburgh but not on a frequent basis so just wanted an idea of which app would be the most straigthforward

littleredhen

also at the moment I am not changing to a two rate/cheap overnight tariff as just doing my research on those

LukeB_92

On the overnight tariff question — since you say you will mostly charge at home, this is actually where the biggest money-saving is, so it is worth running the numbers when you are ready.

Charging an EV at home on a standard electricity rate costs roughly 24p/kWh, which works out at around 7-8p a mile. An EV off-peak tariff typically charges around 7-8p/kWh overnight, so about 2-3p a mile — roughly a third of the cost. With rural mileage, mostly charged at home, that difference adds up to a serious amount over a year.

The thing to check before switching is the rest of your household usage: EV tariffs usually have a higher daytime rate and sometimes a higher standing charge, so compare your total annual bill (home charging plus normal daytime use) on an EV tariff against your current deal. If you are out of the house most of the day and most of your electricity goes into the car overnight, the EV tariff usually wins comfortably.

One thing to check: most of the cheapest overnight rates need a compatible smart meter and sometimes a specific charger, so read the terms before committing.

littleredhen

I think the problem I have with switching tariff is I am home during the day and I can't afford to heat my home with the current storage heaters so use an oil filled radiator in a small sun room in the winter. I did try changing to a two rate tariff last winter but decided I was paying a lot of money for having my storage heaters on, well actually just heating my normal lounge, so switched back. I think if I do change to a two rate tariff I will also go back to using my storage heaters in the winter and doing my washing etc and not use as much during the day