Gridserve voted most reliable charging point by Engineius’ drivers.

Engineius recently surveyed its network of over 600 self-employed drivers and transport agents to understand their views on the UK EV charging infrastructure. Importantly, Engineius drive EVs and do not transport them, so these drivers have daily first-hand experience of delivering multiple brand vehicles throughout the UK.

Chris Clibbery, director at Engineius commented: “Owning an EV and charging it at home or your place of work is a very different experience from the nationwide driving/charging experience. Our drivers are working to agreed customer delivery times so charging efficiency is essential for them.”. 

With so many different brands of EV charging points out there, which did they find the most reliable? Personal experience varied from the 121 respondents. Out of the 12 brand options presented to the drivers, all received votes, but the clear winner for reliability was Gridserve (ecotricity) followed by Tesla and Instavolt.

Likewise, when asked which were the least reliable charging points, all 12 brands received some votes, with Geniepoint, Pod Point and BP Pulse being highlighted as the worst.

And it’s not just the charging points with a broad spectrum of brands. There is also a need for multiple EV charging accounts. Drivers reported that they have up to 7 different EV charging apps on their phones to facilitate charging at various geographical locations and brands throughout the UK, with 73% of drivers using more than one app.

So, once you have arrived at the charging point, will you have to queue?

According to 63% of our drivers, you are likely to be required to wait up to an hour before you can charge your EV, with 15% stating that this can be a 1 to 2 hour wait. The time for queuing is a matter of luck. You find yourself at the mercy of charging point availability, the weather and the other vehicles in front being charged.

How long will it take to charge?

This is most definitely not always a quick pit stop! There are not as many fast charge points outside of the major conurbations. 42% of drivers reported a charging time of 2 hours, 33% reported 1 hour, and shockingly, 7% reported it taking 4 hours or more!

Clibbery concludes: “ The EV charging infrastructure in the UK is growing and improving, but the need for multiple Apps and inconsistencies with speed and reliability at the charging points adds further layers of complexity to EV charging compared to the simplicity of refuelling an ICE vehicle.”

“The move to electrification within fleets is happening, and at Engineius we adopt and support the most environmentally friendly practices and carbon offset our business to support the industry goal of net zero.”