How we'll help you charge your car
If you’re leasing your first fully electric car on the Motability Scheme, we’ll support you with charging your car.
You’ll get our new way to help you charge on the go, Motability Go Charge. This gives you access to over 45,000 chargepoints, all with a single app and card.
Everyone with an electric car will likely need to use public chargepoints at some point, so we give this to everyone as part of their worry-free package. You do not need to ask us for it.
Get a home chargepoint
You can also get a home chargepoint on the Scheme. We'll arrange and cover the cost of a home chargepoint and a standard installation.
You’ll have to pay extra if you need a non-standard installation. For example, if your parking space is not next to your home or your electrical equipment needs to be upgraded.
Join the bp pulse network
Or, you might not have off-street parking or be able to get a home chargepoint installed. If so, we’ll give you access to the bp pulse network of public chargepoints instead.
This is another network of public chargepoints. Some of these will give you better charging rates and some are free.
Plan ahead with apps
Even if you charge your car at home, it’s likely you’ll still need to use a public chargepoint at some point during your lease.
Whether you're running errands in your area or going on a long journey, it’s important to plan ahead so you know where to find them.
The Motability Go Charge app has a route planner. You can use this to plan your journeys.
You can plan your route in other apps too. Here are some of the best apps for this.
You’ll put your journey details into them before you set off, and they’ll tell you things like whether chargepoints are available and working, and how much they cost. Many let you see your routes while you’re offline too.
Their basic features are free, but you might need to subscribe to use the rest.
Zapmap
The Zapmap(opens in a new window) app can help you find the best places for you to stop and recharge before you set off.
You can download this for free in the App Store(opens in a new window) or Google Play Store(opens in a new window).
PlugShare
PlugShare(opens in a new window) is one of the most popular electric car apps. See tips, reviews and photos of chargepoints across the world. You do not need to register to use it, and it’s not tied to any charging network.
You can download this for free in the App Store(opens in a new window) or Google Play Store(opens in a new window).
It’s a good idea to research which apps you need, so you’re ready to use the chargepoints when you arrive.
Remember, charging an electric car will take longer than refuelling a petrol or diesel car.
How does electric compare to petrol and diesel?
How does electric compare to petrol and diesel?
Electric cars can be much cheaper to run than petrol or diesel cars, if you charge at home. Take a look at the average cost per mile*:
Fuel 14 to 15p per mile
Home charging off-peak with EV tariff: 2 to 3p
Home charging with fixed/price cap tariff: 7 to 8p
Fast chargers 15 to 16p per mile
Rapid chargers 20 to 21p per mile
We'll help you charge:
Using other chargepoints
There are over 50,000 chargepoints across the UK, made up of lots of different networks.
Each network sets its own costs, and these might be different, depending on how you choose to pay. For example, whether you pay a subscription or pay-as-you-go. The speed of the charger will affect the cost too.
You could be charged a connection fee and you might need to download an app first. You can save your payment information in some apps.
The speed of the charger and where the chargepoint is can also affect the cost. For example, motorway service stations are generally more expensive, but they also usually have faster chargers.
Because there are so many places where you can charge, how accessible a chargepoint is can vary depending on where you are. Some public chargepoints are fully accessible, but others are more difficult to access. Not every chargepoint will be accessible.
Charging speeds
Kilowatts (kW) relate to how fast your car battery charges up.
The higher the kW, the quicker your car will charge. A 7kW charger will give you around 30 miles of charge each hour.
A 150kW ultra-fast charger will give you up to 200 miles of charge in 30 minutes.
Remember, the faster a charger is, the more expensive it’s likely to be.
Make sure you check the charger you’re using suits the model of your car, as not every car is compatible with an ultra-rapid charger.
Check your car’s manual or manufacturer’s website to find out if your car is compatible.
Most chargepoints will fall into one of these categories:
Things to consider
- We’ll arrange and cover the cost of a home chargepoint and a standard installation, or give you access to over 9,000 bp pulse chargers if you cannot charge at home
- Make sure you know where your nearest public chargepoints are
- You’ll need a smart phone or smart device if you want to use smart charging options
- Allow extra time to travel, as charging an electric car can take longer than a petrol or diesel car, and you might need to wait for a chargepoint to become available
- Always charge your car so it’s between 20% and 80% full, not 100% full. This is better for the overall lifespan of your battery
- Public chargepoints have different charging speeds and you might need an extra app to use them
Charging cables
All electric cars available on the Scheme come with the cable to charge it.
The type of plug your specific car has might affect which public chargepoints you can use, but many new public chargepoints have multiple plug types.
Different electric cars have different charging sockets, which means they use different types of charging connectors. The main ones you’re likely to see are:
- A Type 2 electric car charger. This is the standard type of electric car charging cable used in Europe
- A CHAdeMO connector offers a quick charge and is popular at rapid charging stations
- A CSS charger is the most common and is normally only for DC rapid charging of 50kW or more
Tethered cables are connected to the chargepoint. These are lighter than untethered cables, as you only need to connect one end of the cable.
Untethered can be heavy, as you’ll need to connect both ends of the cable. One to the chargepoint and one to your car.
If you’re not sure using charging cables will be suitable for you, please speak to your dealer. They’ll show you how to connect a car up to a chargepoint.
Different cable types
- Access over 9,000 bp pulse chargers, if you cannot charge at home
- Type 2: fast becoming the most popular type of plug used by most European brands
- CHAdeMO: a rapid charging plug used by Nissan and Mitsubishi
- CSS (Combined Charging System): the standard type of rapid charging plug used by European brands
- UK 3 pin plug: generally only used in an emergency, as it takes a long time to charge
- Untethered cables can be heavy, as you’ll need to connect both ends of the cable: one to the chargepoint and one to your car
Sign up to our new electric car series
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