Most electric vehicle owners do the majority of their charging at home. Others may regularly use chargers at work or rely on public charging near where they live.
But what happens when you’re travelling further afield and need to charge your car while you’re out?
That’s where destination charging comes in. Increasing numbers of hotels, restaurants, shopping centres, cinemas, retail parks and leisure attractions now offer EV charging for visitors. Rather than stopping briefly for a rapid charge on the way to your destination, you charge your car while you’re already there doing something else.
For many EV drivers, destination charging can make longer journeys more convenient and reduce the need to make a separate charging stop before heading home.
How does destination charging work?
Destination charging is exactly what the name suggests – charging your vehicle at your destination.
The idea is simple. You arrive somewhere that you plan to spend some time, plug your car in and let it charge while you’re working, shopping, eating, watching a film or staying overnight.
Because the vehicle is likely to be parked for several hours, destination chargers don’t need to be as powerful as the rapid chargers found at motorway service stations.
Most destination chargers provide between 7kW (which is what you usually get from a home wallbox) and 22kW. That’s faster than a standard three-pin domestic plug, but much slower than the ultra-rapid chargers that can deliver 100kW or more.
The aim isn’t to add as much charge as possible in a short space of time. It’s to steadily recharge the battery while you’re occupied elsewhere.
A hotel, for example, may provide slower charging because guests are likely to be staying overnight. A charger at a cinema or restaurant may offer a faster charging rate because visitors are only expected to stay for a few hours.
Why is destination charging useful?
Destination charging helps make EV ownership more convenient. Instead of planning a separate charging stop, you can add charge while you’re already parked.
That can be particularly useful if:
- You’re staying overnight at a hotel
- You’re spending several hours at a shopping centre
- You’re attending a conference or business event
- You’re visiting a leisure attraction for the day
Rather than watching the battery percentage and wondering whether you’ll have enough charge to get home, destination charging can provide some welcome reassurance while you’re away from your usual charging routine.
Who provides destination chargers?
There are plenty of UK suppliers including:
- BP Pulse – thousands of sub-22kW chargers in supermarkets and retail sites
- Connected Kerb – specialist charging network ‘where drivers need them’
- Ionity – ultra-fast supplier also serves retail hubs and leisure sites with slow chargers
- Pod Point – one of the largest destination charging suppliers in the UK
- RAW Charging – hospitality and leisure charging specialists
- Shell Recharge – their 60,000 points include destination charging
- Tesla – manufacturer brand has 2,100 specialist destination chargers
Some chargers are free for customers to use, while others require payment. The pricing structure varies depending on the operator and location.
Finding a destination charger
Many hotels, retail parks and leisure venues now advertise EV charging as part of their facilities. You can also use charging apps to find nearby chargers before you travel. Popular options include:
- Bonnet
- Chargemap
- Charge Now
- ChargePoint
- Octopus Electroverse
- PlugShare
- Plugsurfing
- Zapmap
These apps can help you locate chargers, check availability and, in many cases, pay for charging through the app itself. Payment options vary but often include contactless card payments, app-based payments and RFID cards.
Using destination chargers considerately
As EV charging becomes more common, good charging etiquette becomes increasingly important.
If you’re using a destination charger:
- Only park in a charging bay if you’re actively charging
- Move your vehicle once charging is complete if practical
- Return cables and connectors neatly when you’ve finished
- Follow any instructions provided by the site operator
Remember that other drivers may also be relying on those charging points. A little consideration helps everyone make the most of the available charging infrastructure.
Is destination charging important?
For many EV owners, yes. Home charging remains the most convenient way to keep an electric car topped up, but destination charging can make longer journeys much easier to manage. Instead of treating charging as a separate task, it becomes something that happens while you’re getting on with your day.
As more businesses install chargers for customers and visitors, destination charging is likely to become an increasingly useful part of everyday EV ownership.
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