Public charging is something that, as an EV driver, there’s a good chance you’ll experience. However, to those new to battery-powered driving, charging when you’re out and about can often feel daunting.

But here at My Electric Lease, we’ve got all of the information you need for a streamlined charging experience. Let’s plug in and find out just what you need to know.

Number of chargers

There has been a lot of criticism surrounding the roll-out of chargers in the UK while that might’ve been the case a few years ago, it has since improved massively. At the end of May 2026, there were 121,262 chargers spaced across 46,664 locations, according to data from leading charger mapping service Zap-Map.

In fact, during May alone, there were close to 900 chargers installed, with a large proportion of those being rapid or ultra-rapid units.

Charging speeds

Charging speeds are a big part of the whole experience. Chargers are rated in kilowatts - or kW, for short - and the higher the number, the faster the speed. So, for example, a conventional home charger can deliver around 7kW of charging speed, whereas some of the latest ultra-rapid units can bring up to 450kW of power.

That can allow the correct cars to go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in under 20 minutes. However, a big consideration is your car’s charger rating. All EVs have this and it determines the maximum speed of charge that a vehicle can accept. For instance, if a car has a rating of 120kW, that’s the most it can accept. Plug this car into a 150kW charger, and it’ll top out at 120kW because that’s the highest power that it can accept.

Payment

There are a couple of ways to pay for a charge. Firstly, you’ll see the price of a unit of electricity listed in p/kWh. Rapid chargers are usually the most expensive, whereas slower chargers - such as those used overnight - are cheaper.

A Government ruling stipulated that all new chargers had to accept contactless payment and this is by far the easiest way to do it. Simply tap your card on the machine’s pad, select the charger that you want and plug-in.

However, there are also apps for different providers which you can use to activate a charge. Many of these will require you to pre-load money on to them, or attach a debit or credit card to the account listed. These can be good if you’re looking to track your charges or manage expenses.

Subscriptions

Like most things, subscriptions are also available in the world of EV charging. Offered by most of the major charging providers, these subscriptions come with a monthly fee, but the upshot is that you get access to cheaper rates of charge.

If you’re often using public charging, then these could help to make charging cheaper overall. However, if you’re only using it infrequently, then this might not be the most cost-effective option.

Thinking about making the switch to an EV? We’ve got everything you need here at My Electric Lease. Check out our current range of vehicles today or speak to a member of the team to find out more.