WAV stands for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. This means you can travel in the vehicle while seat in your wheelchair
A family charging electric car

Charging on the go

You’ll likely need to use the public charging network during your lease. Learn how it works and how we can support you.

What is public charging?

Most electric car drivers need to charge on the public network from time to time, even if they have home charging. There are nearly 60,000 chargepoints across the UK.* You can find these in service stations, car parks, supermarkets, and even at the side of the road.

*Source: Zapmap

How we'll support you

We’ll support you with charging. As part of our worry-free package, we’ll give you our Motability Go Charge card. This lets you charge simply, at over 45,000 chargepoints. You’ll never pay more than the chargepoint operator’s ‘pay as you go’ tariff.

If it's your first lease

If you’re leasing your first fully electric car on the Scheme and you cannot get a home chargepoint, we’ll give you a subscription to the bp pulse network. Some of these public chargepoints will give you better charging rates and some are free.

If you're getting a new lease

If you’re getting your next vehicle on the Scheme and you had bp pulse for your last one, we’ll offer you this again.

If you had a home chargepoint for your last vehicle, you will not be able to get a bp pulse subscription from us.

I have off-street charging at home

You might be able to get a home chargepoint installed. This is the cheapest way to charge.

Accessible chargepoints

Because there are so many places you can charge, how accessible a chargepoint is can vary depending on where you are.

It might be in a difficult spot on the side of the road. Or you might need to use an untethered cable, which can be heavy, as you need to plug in both sides of the cable.

If you’re only charging on the go, you’ll need to make sure chargepoints on your usual route are accessible first.

If you’re not sure about public charging, please speak to your dealer. They’ll show you how to connect a car up to a chargepoint.

Just follow the instructions on the chargepoint, press 'Start', and away you go.

Patricia, electric car customer

Cost of charging

Like fuelling any vehicle, costs will vary depending on the provider. It also depends on the speed of chargepoint you choose.

The higher the charging speed, measured in kilowatts (kW), the quicker you can charge. But it’ll also be more expensive.

Here's an idea of your options:

Summary of things to think about

  • Check there are chargepoints near you and on your typical journeys  
  • If this is your first fully electric car on the Scheme, and you cannot get a home chargepoint, we’ll offer you a bp pulse subscription

  • Even if you cannot get a bp pulse subscription, you’ll get a Motability Go Charge card
  • Remember, public charging costs vary, depending on the operator and speed you choose
  • There are different places to charge and some might not suit you. You’ll need to plan ahead and find chargepoints that meet your needs

What would you like to do next?

Ready to check if an electric car suits you? 

Take five minutes to answer some questions and we’ll tell you whether we think an electric car could suit you. Or browse our electric cars.

Check if an EV suits you

Browse our electric cars

See more about charging

It’s important you understand your charging options, to see what suits you best. Explore and learn more about each:

Charging at home

The most convenient and cost-effective way of charging your electric car if you have off-street parking, like a driveway or garage at home.

Learn about home charging

What is bp pulse?

Charge your electric car on a network of public chargepoints. Some of these give you better charging rates and some are free.

Learn about bp pulse

Explore all of our electric car pages

Let's go