It can sometimes feel stressful to find out where the electric vehicle charging stations are. The commercial stations, home, and work are the three most popular places where you can charge your electric vehicle.
With the rise of EV demands, the UK charging network is expanding continuously. In fact, there are over 70,000 EV charging stations across the UK as of January 2025.
These stations are across the motorway service stations, retail parks, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and more. So, how do you find your nearest commercial EV charging station?
This guide will walk you through every aspect of commercial EV charging points, including the 7 best EV charging stations in London.
How to Use a Commercial EV Charging Point For The First Time
Whether you are at home or in a public charging point, the basic steps to charge your vehicle are the same. You plug in, pay, and away you go: these are the three straightforward ways to follow.
Before You Go:
At first, you have to find out the nearest best charging station, so you can use a navigation app for this. Several networks ask you to download the app to access their chargers and complete the payment procedure.
So, just do it, and to complete the payment, you may link your credit card or add funds to your account within the app before you reach the point.
Don’t forget to check that you have the correct connector type for the station you choose, such as CCS, CHAdeMo, and more.
At the Charging Station:
Park your electric vehicle at the selected place and open the charging port door. Then, you have to remove the charging port from its holster and plug the connector to your car’s port carefully. There will be a sound of a click, so try to listen to it.
Through the app downloaded on your device, tap the “Start charging” option and follow any on-screen prompts. Now, check the station’s screen to ensure charging is being activated.
When you are ready to leave, you can access your app and tap to end the session. Alternatively, you can also tap on the “Stop” button on the charger.
Remove the connector from your car and put the connector back in its holster on the EV charging station. Now, close your car’s EV charging door and ensure it is secured.
How to Pay for Commercial EV Charging Stations
The majority of EV charging stations in LOndon now feature contactless payment. On the other hand, some do not require you to sign up for membership before payment.
There are various methods of making payments to public EV charging stations in London. These include:
- Mobile apps: Some companies ask you to complete the payment by accessing their apps only. Various apps support a range of wallets and online payment methods.
- Contactless Cards: Some charging points ask for direct contactless payments using credit or debit cards.
- QR Codes: You can scan a QR code on the charger to complete the payment procedure.
- Plug & Charge: This emerging technology automatically handles the payment when you plug your car into a commercial charging point. The payment procedure is linked and stored in your car’s internal computer.
7 Best Commercial Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in London
1. Tesla Charging Stations
Address: Montgomery St, London E14 5EW
Roehampton Club, Roehampton Lane, London SW15 5LR, UK
319 Harbour Yard, London SW100 XD, UK
The Clarendon Hotel, Blackheath, London SE3 0RW, Uk
Best for: Satisfaction and price
Speed: Up to 250kW
Cost: 40p to 77p per kWh
Tesla’s Supercharging network is the desire of other charging competitors, and it is the primary reason for purchasing the brand’s cars.
The Tesla owners do not need to search for the charging network on the apps; instead, they can only rely on the car’s software to find the best commercial supercharger sites in London.
All the locations are on most of the routes, and speedily charge your car with the cost being automatically added to your account.
You only need to download the Tesla app on your mobile, start the charge, and pay. Tesla offers peak and off-peak charging, with high prices between 4 pm and 8 pm, and the cheap prices are activated for the rest of the time of the day.
Moreover, you can save a good amount on a big charge. If you pay a monthly subscription, you could make bigger savings.
2. Instavolt Charging Stations
Address: McDonald’s Wandsworth 1 Marl Rd, London SW18 1JT
Best for: Customer service
Speed up to: 160kW
Cost: 87p per kWh
Are you a night owl? Or, are you a very early riser? Then, you may find one of the top commercial EV charging stations.
With off-peak pricing of around 54p per kWh, from 10 pm to 6 am every day, Instavolt can be the best pick for you. The company’s partners include Starbucks, Kfc, McDonald’s, and at many points of these outlets, you can find Instavolts.
The best part is there is no need to worry about the membership cards or subscription when charging with Instavolt.
The chargers are easy to use, and you can easily make a contactless payment with them. All Instavolt charging stations are equipped with CCS2 and CHAdeMO connectors.
3. Pod Point Charging Stations
Address: 760 Old Kent Road, London SE15 1NJ, UK
45 Garatt Ln, London SW18 4AD, UK
Parking Lot, Hancock Rd, London E3 3DA, UK
1 Claps Gate Ln, London E6 6LG, UK
Best for: Interconnectivity
Speed: Up to 75kW
Price: 44 to 69p per kWh
Now, the Pod Point app has become a popular choice among most EV vehicle drivers because it is needed to charge at a Tesco.
With more than 100 charging points, Pod Point is one of the largest commercial EV charging stations in London. Some of the points offer free charging; however, the charges are still reasonable.
Most Pod Point points are in supermarkets, and there is no need for cards and key fobs. You only need to plug in and simply access through the app installed on your mobile.
With both AC and DC charging available with Type 1 and Type 2 vehicles, the network is for every driver to use. Their rapid charging network has been growing, so you can charge your vehicle using contactless payment or by accessing the Pod Point app.
4. BP Pulse Charging Stations
Address: Byron Sf Connect, 407 High Rd, A406, London N12 0AP, UK
Flyover Sf Connect, 171 Talgarth Rd, London W6 8BJ, UK
Q-Park, Cumberland St, Pimlico, London SW1V 4LR, UK
Best for: Subscribers
Speed: Up to 150kW
Cost: 44 to 89p per kWh
Do you know that BP Pulse was the early entrant in the EV charging point scenario? Earlier, the company faced a lot of issues, and its lot of its equipment was old and poorly maintained.
Since then, the company has significantly improved its operational methods, and it has now become one of the primary competitors in the EV charging market.
The rapid points found at the BP petrol pumps are the fastest, well-maintained, and safest to access. Various DC chargers are there in some other places, such as restaurants, hotels, and parks. Some cities have BP chargers at the side of the road to cater to taxi drivers.
The company has a potential network of AC chargers, located in car parks and business areas. It usually requires the app or an RFID card. You can make a contactless payment or through the app.
5. IONITY Charging Stations
Address: One Canada Square, London E14 5AB, UK
923-931 Fulham Rd, London SW6 5HY, UK
London SW1P 2AF, UK
Best for: Frequent users
Speed: Up to 350kW
Costs: 43p to 74p per kWh
If you are looking for one of the most expanded EV charging stations in London, consider Ionity. Ionity is a comparatively well-funded EV charging network in London, as it is a joint venture between Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and more.
There are thousands of high-power points across the UK to rival Tesla’s Supercharger network. It’s new ‘Plug and Go’ option allows users who have registered to connect and charge its chargers.
There is another, less sophisticated option available too, including an app and accessing RFID cards. These offer discounts to their users, but the biggest deal comes to the Ionity users who subscribe to Ionity’s passport.
Two levels of membership costs are available: 5.49 per month, or 10.50 per month. So, if you are a high-mileage driver, these can be beneficial for you. Otherwise, if you are an occasional driver, the chargers could not be as much as user-friendly.
6. Gridserve Charging Stations
Address: 18 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4LH, UK
Outside, 21 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5LU, UK
Best for: Speed
Speed: Up to 350kW
Cost: 49 to 79p per kWh
Have you ever charged your vehicle at a motorway service station? Then, there is a chance that you might have charged at the Gridservice charging point.
The innovative company has more than 1,500 EV charging bays across 190 Uk locations. The company is also building EV-only Electric Forecourts, which are fuel-free service stations at some key locations.
The motorway points are more accessible to EV drivers, and the network is constantly being upgraded with better equipment and more chargers.
Some points offer both CCS and CHdeMo connectors, while others only have CCS connectors. Each of their sites offers contactless payment.
You can complete the payment using their app, which offers a 5% discount. The most notable feature of the company is the charging speed; some high-power units deliver 350kW in appropriate conditions.
7. Shell Recharge charging Stations
Address: 29 Soho Square, London W1D 3QR, UK
326 Queenstown Rd, Nine Elms, London SW8 4LT, UK
75 Ballham Hill, London SW12 9DP, UK
Best For: On-street charging
Speed: Up to 175kW
Cost: 69 to 93p per kWh
Sheel Recharge’s innovations in EV charging are to be praised, but the cost can be a turnoff for many users. How would you feel if you pull into a service station and see the cost is set up to 93p per kWh? Sheel Recharge EV charging points can be the most expensive that we could have found in this list.
The chargers are conveniently located at the service stations attached to spots like cafes, shops, and more. So, it can be a great way to refresh yourself while waiting for the car to be recharged.
The company has a network of more than 8,000 public on-street charging points, and they are found in lampposts and bollards.
It has two rates- the standard cost is 49p per kWh between the hours of 7 pm to 4 pm. The peak price, which is set to 85p, is between 4 pm to 7 pm. You have to download the app to use it and be aware of the parking restrictions.
Conclusion
Commercial EV charging stations typically feature faster and higher-capacity chargers than home units. These charging points are designed to serve a huge number of customers in mind.
These charging stations facilitate drivers with convenient charging while they temporarily park their cars while shopping, eating, or working. The reality is that with so many EV charging points across the UK, a road trip with an EV vehicle is much the same as with a petrol or diesel car.
Here, we have discussed every aspect of the 7 best commercial EV charging stations in London. So, you can pick the location that is the very nearest to you, and the cost, speed perfectly align with your expectations.
It makes sense to plan ahead so you know where and when you can charge your vehicle on your trip. Take out the stress from your journey, and enjoy a relaxing ride with your EV!
