Destination Charging for EVs
Summary
If you’re new to EV driving and want to learn more about destination charging, here’s a complete guide to what destination charging is, the benefits it can offer you, and the best way to integrate it into the way you drive your EV.
What is Destination Charging?
Destination charging involves charging your EV with a public charging point installed at a location where you’re likely to spend an hour or more, such as a restaurant, hotel, shopping centre, retail park or leisure centre.
Destination EV charge points are designed for you to leave your car plugged in for a moderate-to-long period of time while you’re spending time at this commercial location. This means you can come back to a car with an at least part-way charged battery, without having to check on it frequently or worry about moving your car out of a rapid en-route charging bay.
Destination charging, as the name suggests, is designed to be used at a given destination. This differentiates it from en-route charging, which is designed for shorter top-ups in the middle of a journey using rapid charging. It’s also different from at-home charging, which uses a slower charge rate and is designed for extended overnight sessions.
As the UK and global auto market shift towards an EV-first focus, destination charging infrastructure is expected to serve an important part of broader charging demands.
Firstly, this is because the majority of personal trips tend to be focused around built-up urban centres that are more likely to have the kind of locations that invest in destination charging stations. Second, as more drivers make the switch to an EV, destination chargers will serve a key gap in the market for people who can’t install their own private home chargers, for example those who live in apartments with shared parking facilities.
How Quick Are Destination Charge Points?
The speed at which destination charge points charge an EV can vary considerably depending on the manufacturer and the charging points exact model, as well as vehicle-specific variables such as the size of your car’s battery.
Generally, however, destination charging tends to provide a mid-range charging speed somewhere between 7kW and 50 kW of power output. This is because destination charging is designed for drivers to leave their vehicle plugged in for moderate-to-long periods of time, meaning they won’t require the faster, high-output charging found on rapid en-route chargers.
The design of various kinds of EV, specifically their intended maximum range and their battery capacity, can also have a significant impact on how quickly destination charging points fill your battery to a desired level of charge.
It’s worth noting that many destination charging stations are tailored to the customers who are most likely to use the location where they’re installed. The charging stations you’ll find outside hotels, for example, may provide a lower rate of charge compared to those in places where customers spend a shorter period of time, such as supermarkets.
If you rely on destination charging as your primary method of getting from A to B, it’s important to plan your charging sessions around this difference and ensure you have sufficient charge when and where you need it.
Pod Point
Pod Point is one of the more widespread public charging networks in the UK. You’ll find their destination charge points in retail parks, supermarket car parks, and other commercial locations that get a lot of traffic.
Pod Point chargers are often wall-mounted and noticeable for their sleek, minimalist casing and black colour scheme. A circular screen in the middle of the unit displays the charging status, with a green halo light indicating that the charging point is available.
Tesla
Unlike their en-route charger models, Tesla’s destination charge points are more compact, with rounded white fronts and a black mounting that serves as a cradle for the charging cable. Tesla destination chargers are typically 22 kW with a Type 2 configuration, making them accessible for a range of popular EV models.
Ionity
Ionity are mainly known for their rapid en-route charging infrastructure, but they also maintain a network of slower-paced destination chargers that can be found in typical commercial locations.
Visually similar to their en-route chargers, Ionity destination chargers have a tall stature and white casing, distinguished by the brand’s pink bird logo and an integrated light which changes depending on the station’s availability and charging status.
Shell Recharge
Found at Shell petrol stations and certain other locations, Shell Recharge destination chargers come in a tall, squared-off casing style with Shell’s distinctive yellow branding on the lower half. They’re also recognisable by a hollow rectangular window at the top, with a blue portion lining the interior where the tethered charging cable is stored.
Zapmap
One of the UK’s most popular EV destination charging apps, Zapmap: Android | iOS isn’t tied to any specific charging network, and allows you to locate destination charging stations from several different manufacturers, with community features to check other drivers’ experiences and a route planner to ensure you have enough charge to get where you’re going.
Google Maps
Though Google Maps: Android | iOS is a more general navigation app that doesn’t have the same features as many EV-specific charging maps, it can still be useful for finding destination charging facilities near commercial centres and attractions, with information on a charging point’s connection type and power output to help you find the best solution for your needs. The familiar interface can also be useful for drivers who are new to EV driving and don’t want to find their way around a new app.
Octopus Electroverse
Octopus Electroverse: Android | iOS collates locations from several major charging providers and can be used with pre-installed infotainment system apps like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also allows you to pay for charging from different providers directly through the app, and access discounted rates through their subscription features.
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