When it comes to charging your electric car for free, the majority of free charging points are 7kW ‘fast’ chargers, according to Zap-Map, which lists over 25,000 public charge points across the UK.
This typically adds around 30 miles to your battery life, for every hour of charging.
An easy way to find free EV charging points is by clicking the ‘free to use’ filter under the ‘payment’ option on Zap-Map.com and searching for your nearest location.
While there are many different electric vehicle (EV) charge point providers out there like BP Pulse, Osprey and GeniePoint, around one in two on the Pod Point network is free to use.
Here are some of the free charging points we’ve found.
Road pricing: how to fill £30 billion tax hole from electric cars
Free EV charging points at supermarkets
Tesco free electric car charging points
Tesco has partnered with Pod Point to provide free charging bays in car parks at over 450 of its Extra and Superstore branches.
There are at least twin EV charging points, servicing four bays, with plans for more this year.
The charging bays are available during store opening hours and the 7kW chargers are free.
While there are some free 22kW chargers, they are only available in locations where payable 50kW rapid chargers are in operation.
There’s no need to shop in-store at Tesco but you need to book a charging slot through the Pod Point app.
Sainsbury’s free electric car charging points
Sainsbury’s has confirmed all its EV charging points (7kW) are free for customers when shopping in-store.
But not all branches have them so you should check the store locator map, and filter your search by selecting ‘Electric Vehicle Charging Point’.
Co-op free electric car charging points
Some stores may offer free EV charging, but you should check individual locations as Co-op says there’s no nationwide approach because not all stores have car parks.
We found a free charge point at a Co-op Food store in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight, offering the standard 7kW ‘free’ charge option. There is one unit with two connectors in this location.
Other supermarkets
We got in touch with Aldi to find out whether it offers free charging at its stores and did not receive a response at the time of publication.
But we found some locations that offered free charging through Pod Point at a 7kW rate, like the one in Whitby while the M&S Food store on Ecclesall Road in Sheffield has a charge point (7kW) with two connectors.
Get breakdown cover from £6 a month with the AA
Free EV charging points at hotels
Premier Inn free electric car charging points
Premier Inn is rolling out two free EV charging points at its 300 locations over the next three years.
There are currently seven available in Northampton West, Stafford North, Burton on Trent, London Enfield, Uttoxeter, Bristol Cribbs Causeway and Rugeley.
To use one, you need to download the free GeniePoint app but do check for any car park charges if you just want a free charge.
Hotel Ibis free electric car charging points
Some hotels under the Hotel Ibis brand offer free BP Pulse charge points although you’ll need a BP Pulse subscription for this.
This usually costs £7.85 a month, but new users can get a free three-month subscription with BP Pulse.
It’s worth checking which locations have free chargers - we found free ones at Luton (3.5kW) and Lincoln (3.5kW).
Free EV charging points at shopping centres
Bluewater shopping centre – Kent
Shoppers have free access to several Pod Point charging points (7kW) in the car park and there’s no need to shop. You simply drive up for a free charge, although car park charges may apply.
Springfields Outlet – Spalding, Lincolnshire
There is one charging unit with two connectors at the Springfields Outlet Shopping Centre and Festival Gardens car park in Spalding (7kW).
But you may incur a small car park charge to use this service.
Fosse shopping park – Leicester
Run by Pod Point, there are four EV charging stations (7kw) and eight connectors at Fosse shopping park. Car park charges may apply.
The Arches retail park - Watford, Hertfordshire
At the Arches retail park car park, there is one open charging unit (7kW) with two connectors. There is free parking but this may be subject to time limits.
Electric cars: key manufacturers in the race to be world number one
EV charging points at garden centres
Some garden centres like Dobbies are in the process of rolling out EV chargers, but you do have to pay and the only free ones we found were with smaller garden centre chains.
Otter Garden Centres offer free EV charging at some branches (Ottery St. Mary, Plymouth, Wincanton and Lymington).
Free EV charging points at campsites and national parks
Within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, there are two EV charging units at Aysgarth Falls, Grassington and Hawes.
These can charge two vehicles (7kW) but these are only free for the first 15 minutes, then charges of 25p per kWh kick in.
Forest Holidays at Beddgelert Campsite in Wales has one charging unit with two connectors (7kW) but it’s unlikely you can plugin if you’re not staying the night.
Free EV charging points at railway stations
Pod Point provides EV charging points at lots of stations, but it’s worth checking individual locations and any pricing in advance.
An easy way to do this is through Zap-Map or Pod Point.
We found free ones in station car parks including Brighton, Hove, St. Albans, and Stoke Mandeville. All had one charge unit at 7kW.
Get breakdown cover from £6 a month with the AA
Free EV charging points at National Trust sites
There are EV charging points at 36 locations across England and Wales, and the vast majority, with a couple of exceptions, according to National Trust, are free.
You don’t have to be a National Trust member to park up and charge, but in some cases, there may be a car park charge for non-members.
Free EV charging points in Scotland
There are over 6,000 charging points across Scotland under the ChargePlace Scotland initiative run by Transport Scotland.
There’s no easy way to see all the free EV charging locations in one go, but if you pop in your location, you can search for free ones nearby.
*This article contains affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission on any sales of products or services we write about. This article was written completely independently.