I recently recorded an episode of Electric Evolution with Gary Comerford, where we compared our EV charging experiences and discussed what we believe a truly great charging experience should look like.
Even though Gary has been driving an EV much longer than me, since 2018, while I only made the switch in 2023, I couldn’t understand why I seemed to have had far more challenging charging experiences. But as we talked, it became clear.
Gary does take longer trips, like driving to his parents in West Yorkshire, but from what he said (and I’m sure he will correct me, if I’ve interpreted this incorrectly) his regular journeys tend to be shorter and closer to home, meaning he relies mostly on home charging.
In contrast, not long after getting our EV, I was regularly driving long distances for work, often needing to charge multiple times a week.
I had to quickly figure out which networks I could trust, how much buffer I needed to avoid getting caught out, and where I could confidently plug in overnight.
Because I was relying on public charging so much, and over a short period of time, I encountered a far wider range of experiences, both good and bad, than Gary had over the years.
So, our question was: What should a good EV charging experience actually look like?
The truth is, EV charging doesn’t need to copy the petrol station experience, it has the potential to be better.
No more standing in the cold with smelly fuel, or being stuck in a queue waiting to pay at the counter.
With EV charging, you can plug in and go, grab a coffee, get some work done, or just take a break while your car refuels itself.
But for this to work, the experience still needs to be reliable and predictable.
That means:
• Chargers that are easy to find, clear signage, accurate pin locations, and no more hunting around the back of car parks or behind wheelie bins (where I found one once).
• Real-time status updates that drivers can trust, showing not just availability, but whether a charger is actually working and what speed you can expect.
• Charging sites designed with drivers in mind. Good lighting, shelter from the weather, and enough space to manoeuvre easily (especially for drivers with accessibility needs).
• Straightforward payment options, no unnecessary app downloads, no complex registration processes, just contactless, roaming services, or Plug & Charge that work first time, every time.
• No surprise costs, clear, upfront pricing with fair pre-authorisations that don’t tie up large amounts of a driver’s money.
• A network drivers can rely on, chargers that actually deliver the speed they advertise, with proactive maintenance to prevent faults before they happen.
• Customer support that’s helpful and knowledgeable, so if something does go wrong, drivers don’t get sent in circles or left without answers.
Right now, too many EV drivers feel like public charging is hit or miss. And that’s a problem, because reliability and trust are what will drive mass adoption.
Gary’s experience showed me something important: how you charge completely changes how you see the public network.
If you charge mostly at home, the public network might seem fine. If you rely on it regularly, the gaps become more obvious.
So, where do we go from here? How do we make sure every driver, whether they charge occasionally or rely on the network daily, has an experience they can trust?
