Best EV Charging Apps UK (2026)

The essential apps every EV driver needs

1. Zap-Map

⭐ 4.7/5 Free (Premium £3.99/mo) Best for: Finding chargers

The essential UK charging map. Shows every public charger with live availability, user reviews, photos, and filtering by network, speed, and connector type. Premium adds route planning and Apple Watch support.

2. A Better Route Planner (ABRP)

⭐ 4.6/5 Free (Premium £4.49/mo) Best for: Journey planning

The gold standard for EV journey planning. Calculates optimal charging stops based on your specific car model, battery level, weather, elevation, and driving speed. Premium adds live charger data and in-car integration.

3. Bonnet

⭐ 4.5/5 Free to download, pay-per-use Best for: Multi-network access

One app, multiple networks. Bonnet lets you start and pay for charging across BP Pulse, Shell Recharge, GeniePoint, char.gy and more without separate accounts. Sometimes offers better rates than going direct.

4. Octopus Electroverse

⭐ 4.4/5 Free Best for: Best rates for Octopus customers

Octopus Energy's roaming app covers over 600,000 charge points across the UK and Europe. Good rates, especially for Octopus Energy customers. One card, one app, dozens of networks.

5. JustCharge

⭐ 4.2/5 Free Best for: Community charging

Peer-to-peer EV charging platform. Lets you rent out your home charger to other EV drivers or find home chargers to use near you. Good for areas with limited public infrastructure.

Which Apps Do You Actually Need?

You don't need all of them. Here's our recommended setup:

  1. Zap-Map, install this first. It's the most complete UK charging map.
  2. ABRP, essential if you do any long journeys. Set it up with your car model.
  3. One payment app (Bonnet or Electroverse), saves creating accounts with every network.
  4. Your car's own app, most EVs have an app for remote pre-conditioning, charge scheduling, and checking battery level.

Network-Specific Apps

For the best rates and features, you may also want the individual apps for networks you use frequently:

  • BP Pulse, essential if you use BP chargers (subscription discounts only via the app)
  • Tesla, for Supercharger access (non-Tesla EVs can use the Tesla app too)
  • Shell Recharge, for Shell forecourt chargers
  • Pod Point, required for starting free Tesco/Lidl chargers

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