tesla-model-3

Tesla has retained its top spot as the country’s most appreciated electric vehicle charging provider, in the latest network satisfaction rankings, revealed by EV specialist mapping service, Zap-Map.

The annual league table ranks the UK’s most popular EV charging networks based on data from its annual survey of Zap-Map’s community of EV drivers.

One driver commented that Tesla’s service is “the standard all networks should aspire to”.

In second place overall, and the top place for multi-brand networks, is InstaVolt, which retains its second spot for the third year running. One InstaVolt fan commented that the network is “modern, super reliable, generally come in pairs and contactless payment is a huge plus”.

In third place, and greatly improving on its 2019 ranking, is Osprey (formerly Engenie) which scores highly for its reliability and ease of use. One Osprey user also complimented the network’s services as “nice and visible, good locations, simple to use”.

This year’s survey rates 16 charging providers which are ranked from a maximum of 5.0 stars down to the lowest ranking of 2.0 stars. For those networks which EV drivers use regularly, respondents were asked to rate their overall satisfaction (using a 5-point Likert scale), and also their level of satisfaction in the four key areas of: reliability, ease of use, cost and facilities.

Shell Recharge came sixth in the listing, while bp pulse (formerly BP Chargemaster/Polar) ranked seven places lower at 13.

Dr Ben Lane, co-founder and CTO at Zap-Map, said: “This year’s network rankings should focus the minds of all EV charging providers. As the survey demonstrates, EV drivers are very clear about the factors that make for a good charging experience, with reliability and ease of use being key priorities.

“A new generation of drivers want to arrive at a charge point and be confident that it will be simple to use and a trouble-free experience. They are quick to pick up that different networks offer varying levels of service, and will actively visit networks that provide a reliable and easy-to-use experience.

“The Zap-Map user rankings also highlight which networks urgently need to improve their charging services. As the EV market moves from early adopters to the mass market, EV drivers just want to be able to charge without any fuss. Poor-performing networks will need to take a long, hard look at the quality of the services they offer if they want to retain their customers as the EV market grows apace.”

 

Rankings

1 Tesla

2 Instavolt

3 Osprey (formerly Engenie)

4 Pod Point

5 Swarco E Connect

6 Shell Recharge

7 ESB EV Solutions

8 NewMotion

9 ChargePlace Scotland

=10 Engie

=10 IONITY

12 GeniePoint

13 bp pulse (formerly BP Chargemaster/Polar)

14 Source London

15 Charge Your Car (CYC)

16 Electric Highway (Ecotricity)