Electric Vehicle Charging Point Locations
| Car park | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Directly ahead as you enter | Three bays |
3 x 3 pin 2 x type 1 sockets, 7 kW1 x type 2 socket, 7 kW |
|
| Victoria Place – yellow car park | Level 2 | ||
| Victoria Place – yellow car park | Level 2 | ||
| Victoria Place – red car park | Levels 2 to 5 | ||
| Victoria Place – red car park | Levels 2 to 5 | Five bays on each level | 7 kW type 2 |
| Victoria Place – red car park | Levels 2 to 5 | Two disabled access bays on each level | 7 kW type 2 |
| Victoria Place – red car park | Levels 2 to 5 | Two parent and child bays on each level | 7 kW type 2 |
| Six bays | 7 kW type 2 |
Our charging points offer access to charging on a plug and go basis without the need for a subscription or RFID card.
Use of the points is free with payment for parking only. Drivers are required to provide their own charging cables.
* Please note the two 7 pin points in the Victoria Place yellow car park are operated via the Charge Your Car scheme which is a subscription based service.
How Much Does It Cost To Charge An Electric Car At Home
Most electric vehicles are supplied with a standard three-pin charger that can be plugged into a mains power socket. However, this isnt a reliable long-term power source for your electric vehicle as it will charge the vehicle very slowly. If you have off-road parking access, you should consider having a home charging point installed.
How Much Power Does My Charging Station Have
Your charging time also depends on the maximum charging rate of the station you use. Although Level 3 direct current fast chargers have popped up with increasing frequency, dont plan to automatically save time and money by powering up at these stations. According to ClipperCreek, Level 3 ranges from 200 to 800 direct current volts and can recuperate up to 60-80% of an electric vehicles range in as little as 30 minutes.
Even if your car can charge more quickly, it will only charge at the maximum power rate offered at the station, which can adversely affect charging time, which means you can end up paying more.
Now that you know how much you can expect to pay to charge your EV, the question remains: How do I pay for it?
If you have an at-home setup, youll pay to charge your electric car through your monthly electric bill. If youre paying at a public charging station, you can pay as you go by simply swiping your credit or debit card and paying the specified rate, measured either by a cost per hour or per kWh. Many of these even charge by the minute, and prices vary depending on whether youre fully charging a large battery.
Drivers can also buy monthly subscriptions or indefinite memberships to save money. But remember that you dont have to pay for charging an EV. Companies such as PlugShare provide maps of free charging stations all over the U.S., and some workplaces and businesses offer free EV charging stations.
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Free Electric Car Chargers
Scotland is one of the best places in the UK to charge your electric car for free. This is because Transport for Scotland runs many charging stations under the ChargePlace Scotland network. The operators of each individual charge point are free to set and adjust the tariffs as they please, but many of them are free to use. You can check the individual chargers price on the ChargePlace Scotland website before use to be sure.
Free charging points can also be found in London and the southeast of England. There is no specific scheme in place for free charging as such, but the high population density of these areas mean there are huge numbers of charging points in general, many of which are free.
As expected, more rural and remote areas of the UK, such as Wales and the Channel islands, will have the fewest free charge points. This may be changing, however, as some local authorities in areas of Scotland, Yorkshire and Manchester seek to promote the adoption of electric cars.
Our Guide To Charging Your Electric Car Without Shelling Out And The Situations When You Should Pay
While charging your electric car can cost less than filling up with petrol or diesel, its generally not free. Despite being one of the cheapest ways to charge your car, recharging from home will obviously see your electricity bills rise to reflect the increased consumption of energy youre using. Meanwhile, the prices for public charging networks continue to rise as wholesale energy prices increase.
Youre not totally out of luck, though, because while much less common than before, there are still some free electric-car charging points available in the UK.
Zap-Map estimates that around 5,430 of the 35,000 charging points on its system are still free as of June 2022. Thats 15% of its total charging points more than you might expect. Here well go through where you can still find free electric-car charging points in the UK, how you can search for them, when you should and shouldnt use them and when it might not be the most convenient option.
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Are Tesla Supercharger Stations Free
Contrary to popular belief, the use of Teslas Supercharger network the worlds largest network of Level 3 DC fast chargers are not free EV charging stations, not even to Tesla drivers. As of this writing, Teslas Supercharger network is available to only drivers of Teslaelectric vehicles, such as the Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model X, and Tesla Model Y, among others. This is because the charging connectors in the Supercharger network are currently only compatible with Tesla vehicles.
Tesla charging may be eligible for free supercharging during limited promotional periods after first purchasing the vehicle.
Tesla owners are charged for each use of the Tesla Supercharger network through an account they set up upon purchase of their vehicle.
Tesla has begun pilot programs in Europe that have opened its charging stations to drivers of non-Teslaelectric vehicles made by other automakers. And while its believed similar programs will soon open up in the United States, nothing has been formally announced.
In an effort to reduce wait times, the automaker encourages drivers of Tesla vehicles to utilize their Supercharger network on long road trips and not to rely on the networks Level 3 chargers for everyday use.
How Powerful Is My Cars Battery
Knowing your cars battery capacity and how much power your charger uses, you can figure out how long it will take to charge your vehicle, giving you a better estimate of how much it will cost to charge. To get the amount: Divide your cars battery capacity by the power rating of your cars onboard charger, then add 10% to the loss of power associated with charging it.
Your cars maximum charging rate also makes a difference. The energy your battery can accept at once makes a massive difference in how much it will cost to charge. Although commercial electricity often costs a little less than residential power, your cars maximum charging rate doesnt change.
So unless your vehicle uses a large and powerful battery, it isnt at all a given that you can save time or money by charging your battery at a Level 3 charging station.
Many new car buyers can find vehicles that include a period of free charging or discounts on home charger installation through Electrify America, EVgo, and ChargePoint public stations. EVs with free charging incentives include the Chevrolet Bolt, Kia EV6, Porsche Taycan, Volkswagen ID.4, and others.
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Buy A Car With Free Ev Charging Perks
Spending tens of thousands of dollars on a brand new EV is not the best way to save money in the short term. But if you had your heart set on buying an EV in the near future, just remember that some of the best electric cars do come bundled with free charging perks.
For instance, the Genesis GV60, which just went on sale in the U.S., comes with free charging on the Electrify America network. That means you get 30-minute charging sessions, absolutely free, for three years. The ultra-premium Lucid Air comes with unlimited Electrify America charging for three years, while the Cadillac Lyriq will come with two years of unlimited charging with EVgo.
Be sure to check out our list of EVs that come with free charging, and see if your dream car is on the list.
Filter For Free Stations On Plugshare
Across the country, private companies, nonprofit programs, and local governments are offering free EV charging options. The easiest way to find them is on the PlugShare app, which includes a filter for free chargers. Much of the apps content is crowdsourced by real drivers, who check in at each station and upload the latest information about it, including if it’s still free, how many minutes of charging you get, and at what level/speed.
Under Map Filters, toggle off Show Locations That Require Payment. Then, when you click on a station on the map, youll see something like no fee written in the description. Note: The Electrify America app, another popular option, doesnt have a filter for free stations.
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Where Can I Charge My Electric Car For Free
The chart below shows the number of free EV charging devices by geographical area.
As you can see, some areas have far more free devices than others. The three areas with the highest number of free EV chargers are Scotland with 1,343, the South East with 566, and Greater London with 353.
Scotlands high number is mostly accounted for by ChargePlace Scotland . Over 1,100 of the operators 2,400+ chargers are still free to use.
At the other end of the scale, you can see the Isle of Man with 10 free devices, the Channel Islands with 11, and the North East with 90.
There are some other noteworthy points too. If you come across an EV charger in Northern Ireland, for instance, its highly likely it will be free to use. The 201 free chargers you might find there make up nearly 60% of the total. This is because, although Northern Ireland doesnt have great coverage per head , national network ecarNI still provides free charging.
In contrast, Greater Londons 353 free chargers comprise only 3% of its total number of charging devices, reflecting the high concentration of paid-for on-street chargers and rapid devices in the capital.
How To Find Free Electric Car Chargers Nearby
The best way to find a free electric car charger near you is to use an app or website that lists charging points. Services such as Zap-Map, show you where to find electric-car charging stations, and many of the ones they list will be free to use. They should also show you if there are any restrictions on the chargers, and if any issues have been reported.
Once youve found a charging point, click or tap on it to see if its free to use or not. An app is a handy way to have access to this while youre out and about.
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Serving North Smithfield Providence Cranston Johnston Cumberland And Attleboro
Electric vehicles are energy-efficient, friendly to our natural environment and offer a wealth of other, great benefits, but just like conventional cars, they won’t run without energy. While conventional cars can be filled at standard filling stations, electric cars need to be plugged at one of the electric charging stations available through public networks, through the network offered by your employer or to a home charging station. Here is a quick guide to finding the right place to charge your vehicle before your car gets depleted.
Types of Electric Charging Stations
Electric vehicles can be charged athome or through public networks that offer access to charge points either forfree or for a small fee. The electric charging stations available for thegeneral public are usually differentiated based on the speed of the chargingprocess. The three main types are rapid, fast and slow here are the featuresoffered by each of them:
- Rapid chargers these chargersare the fastest units used for charging electric vehicles. They use DC chargingand they can be further differentiated into ultra-rapid chargers that charge atcapacities up to 100 kW and conventional rapid chargers, capable of 50kW
- Fast chargers theseunits charge between 7 kW and 22 kW, being powerful enough to charge a standardEV in 3-4 hours
Finding Electric Charging Stations
What Type of Facilities Offer Electric Charging Stations?
Recharge At Voltas Free Ev Chargers
If youve ever seen an EV charger in a supermarket or mall parking lot, theres a very good chance it was a Volta. Volta is a commerce-centric charging network that installs chargers for businesses, so that their customers can plug in and regain some miles.
The real benefit here is that Voltas chargers are free to use. Because each charging point is also a mini billboard, complete with ads, the company can offer EV charging at no cost to you. The only catch is that most Volta chargers have a time limit often around two hours after which youll need to skedaddle.
But free is free, and you can hunt down your nearest Volta charger using Voltas charger map or by downloading the official mobile app and Android ).
And if free charging wasnt enough, Volta doesnt ask you to sign up for an account or membership to recharge. Some DC rapid chargers may require you to check-in on the app, but otherwise you can simply park up and plug in.
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Use Plugshare To Find Free Ev Chargers
The best, and easiest way to find a free EV charger is the same way youd find any other public charging point. In the words of Jobs-era Apple, theres an app for that.
There are countless apps out there designed to get you to and from EV charging stations. The trick is to find the ones that let you filter by price, and have free or $0 as some sort of option.
Our favorite, and possibly the simplest option, is Plugshare. Apparently 7 in 10 EV owners have this app downloaded, and its one of the best ways to hunt down EV chargers across North America. Not only does it have a filter letting you remove all chargers that require payment, theres a map dedicated to finding free EV charging stations .
Plugshare has a heavy focus on crowdsourcing information too, letting EV owners edit station information or report any out of date information. So you can be sure that any stations that arent actually free will be clamped down on pretty quickly.
Green locations are AC chargers, either using a J-1772 or Tesla plug, and are designed to recharge your car over a few hours. Orange locations are rapid chargers, which can top you up in less than an hour. Rapid chargers are usually more expensive, so if you come across any free ones you should take full advantage while you can.
If Plugshare isnt to your taste, ChargePoint and Chargehub both let you filter by price and hunt down free chargers.
How Much Does Electricity Cost Where I Live
Since electricity costs vary widely throughout the country, estimating costs can get tricky. People pay an average of just under 15 cents per kWh in the United States for residential power.
California residents pay an average of 27 cents per kWh, while residents of states such as Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Idaho routinely pay about 10 cents per kWh. Check out your states average rate. Also, some power companies offer discounts for using electricity during off-peak hours, substantially lowering the rate per kWh to charge your vehicle.
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To Stop A Charging Session
- Tap your ChargePass card on the station’s reader symbol. The station displays a message indicating that charging has finished and to return the connector to its holster.
- Return the station’s connector to its holster by pressing down on the button at the top of the handle while pulling the connector from your electric vehicle.
- The station displays the charging duration and cost of your charging session.
Cost Of Charging At A Station Vs Charging At Home
What is the difference in price between charging at home or charging at a charging station? Its actually a pretty large difference. At home you are only paying for the power that you consume, which you are already billed for monthly. Depending on where you live, your rates will vary. Currently, the average rate is about $0.12 per kWh. Your total monthly cost would just be that amount multiplied by however many kWh you need. Most electric car owners can charge their car for less than $10 a month or maybe $20 a month if they drive quite a bit. This is obviously much cheaper than a months worth of gas.
Charging at a station can be a bit more expensive than charging at home. Generally, you are looking at $0.40 per kWh. This is about three times more expensive, but these chargers will charge your car much faster than people have the capability of doing in their own homes.
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