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Apps are a central part of the electric vehicle experience, helping to identify charging points, facilitating charging and linking drivers and their cars day to day. The app connected to the vehicle commonly offered by manufacturers should be a ’ must have’, but what other apps should EV drivers consider? Here are real-world experience suggestions;

ZapMaps is an excellent way of identifying nearby charger points, mapping, showing charger speed and reviews, and facilitating payment at some point, or as they say, Search, Plan  Pay. UK-based ZapMap also has a handy website. The basic app is free, but it costs £2.99 per month to upgrade to ‘Premium, ' which removes the ads and brings Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality for free.

ChargePoint – the ChargePoint app provides access to one of the largest charging networks globally, enabling users to find, start, and pay for charging sessions at charging points ‘affiliated’ with ChargePoint. ChargePoint. To make full use of the app, users must get a ChargePoint card and provide their credit card details to pay for their charging. It is helpful in the UK and Europe, where many chargers can require different, charger-specific RFID cards. Easy to use, with filters that narrow down the chargers shown to those that fit your car. With the point chosen, it sends the location to Google or Apple Maps and integrates with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Free with free RFID card

Chargemap – similar to ChargePoint, a European-based app that helps EV drivers find charging stations, including real-time status updates and user reviews. Again, you must order a Chargemap card to use the service; don’t leave this until the last minute. The cards come from the Netherlands! One fundamental shortcoming from our experience is that while plenty of chargers are listed, the Chargemap RFID card did not seem to work at that many.

Octopus Electroverse  - part of energy company Octopus, more than 651,325 EV chargers work with Electroverse, and it is free. Users can choose the app or a free RFID card to connect to the chargers, and there are no additional fees or subscriptions. Extra 5% - 8% discounts are available for people using Octopus for their home energy supply. The app integrates with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and shows chargepoints not on the Electroverse network, which can be helpful.

ChargePlace Scotland – Scotland has a well-developed EV charging infrastructure created by the Government and Councils, but to make the most of it the Chargeplace Scotland you will need the app and order the RFID card – the network is good, and then the card can be invaluable for some of those quieter locations where other commercial charger providers don't go currently, and one final benefit, some of their chargers are still free.

Apps are a central part of the electric vehicle experience. From identifying charging points to linking drivers directly to their cars, take a look at the top apps supporting EV drivers today. 

5 top apps for EV drivers

Range is often a concern for people considering or new to a fully electric car. Most notably, it relates to longer journeys and access to the public charging points that such trips require.

Having switched to a fully electric car over two years ago, I know it takes a little getting used to, but then so did switching from a manual to an automatic car, and it does require some extra planning. 

After a rapid learning curve, which I overcame in a few weeks, I quickly became accustomed to the reality that living with a fully electric car is different but that the changes needed are straightforward. Also, the public charging network is generally good and getting better with the number of rapid chargers coming on stream, keeping pace with the number of fully electric converts.

As a new user, even if you have a home charger, take the opportunity to use a range of different public chargers when you can and when it is not stressful (daylight, not rushed and when you don't need to charge). It is a chance to build familiarity and confidence with the different options and cables.

Never be afraid to seek help from another person using a charger if you are struggling – and be willing to help others in the future.

Take time to understand the cables and charging points – confusing initially but quickly worked out.

Find a charging map-related app or apps and get comfortable with using it for mapping and potentially payment. Some will also show the availability of spaces at a recharging station.

Plan longer journeys and recharge stops in advance – allow extra drive time compared to a petrol/diesel car.

Charging to 100% is seldom necessary, 80% is invariably fine. That extra 20% (80-100%) can take as long as charging from 20-80% as the battery manages the heat. Also, by avoiding charging to 100% too regularly, you are being kinder to your battery's well-being.

Plan on recharging when the battery falls under the 20% level – no point in adding unwanted stress by dropping too close to zero, unless you are confident that you will make it to your home charger without stress. Don't forget that in the cold battery range is reduced.

Driving styles with a fully electric car often change; driving for range rather than speed is more relaxing than driving full-tilt.

That enforced 30-minute recharging stop (20-80%) is an excellent time to stretch, relax, answer an email, etc., and it helps support the Highway Code recommendation of a  minimum break of at least 15 minutes after every two hours of driving.  

Be considerate to other EV drivers and avoid unwanted costs. Leaving your car fully charged at a charging point blocks it for other drivers and can incur penalty fees. Use your car's app to ensure you don't overstay your welcome.

I hope these learnings help and they quickly become second nature.

Commercial Sales Director, Debbie McKay, shares her top tips for those apprehensive about making the switch. 

Fully electric vehicles: charging and long journeys

Rather than addressing ‘myths’ about electric vehicles (EVs), I thought it would be more helpful and less confrontational to ‘address concerns.’  I say this because, as someone who drives a fully electric Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) and drives thousands of miles in it, I recognise that some concerns are based upon genuine concerns, and driving range is one of them. 

“EVs are not suitable for long journeys”

An EV's range is the distance it is estimated to travel before it runs out of charge. Much like a petrol or fuel tank estimate, the range is affected by various factors, including driving style, road terrain, temperature, use of accessories and outdoor temperatures. Yes, these factors can reduce mileage on all fuel types.

From here on in this blog, I refer to using a fully electric BEV rather than a hybrid car. Both are EVs, but range concerns most commonly relate to a BEV.

Currently, the average range of a BEV is estimated to be 211 miles, and most cars on the market have a range of anywhere between 100-300 miles.

Typically, this initial range is lower than that for a fully fuelled diesel or petrol car, but it is more than enough for most people’s regular driving.

Research published on January 3rd 2024, shows that cars in the UK are driven an average of 18 miles a day, 127 miles a week, 550 miles a month and 6,600 miles a year.

On this basis, BEVs are more than capable of supporting these journeys, and anyone with a home charger would only have limited reasons to visit a public charger.

As someone who drives a lot for work, I was fascinated to see that there is a lot less business driving nowadays. In the 20 years from 2002 to 2022, business mileage plummeted 77% from 1,300 to 300 miles per year.

“The Public Charger Network is limited and unreliable”

For those long journeys that exceed a BEVs range, planning your journey and checking where your closest charge points are is the way to go, and I will cover this from my experience in another article.

It is where apps come in, which provide mapping that can often link to a  car’s sat nav and provide payment capabilities as well.

The reality is that most of the UK has a good and getting better public charging network, and this is being enhanced by the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023, which aim to improve the charging experience for EV drivers with better reliability, more transparent pricing, and a requirement that all chargers over 8kW must offer contactless payments within the next year.

To illustrate how well the charger infrastructure is growing, in October 2023, ZapMaps, which has a very good app, announced that the UK had passed the 50,000 public charge point milestone. The growth trajectory is encouraging, with the 40,000 mark achieved in February 2023.  Of particular note, On December 6th, the UK passed the significant milestone of 10,000 rapid and ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging points.

Given the current installation rate, Zapmap’s calculations show that the UK is likely to reach 100,000 charging devices as early as August 2025.

To sum up, the range of pretty much every BEV is more than enough for most people’s daily driving needs, and when you embark on a longer journey with a bit of planning, the public charging network is good and getting better.

And one final note: it is important to recognise that driving a BEV is different. Still, it is nice to know that I am doing my bit for the environment, and personally, the running costs are far lower than my old diesel car. I am not including the tax benefits that I get as a business user within that calculation.

Exploring common EV concerns, take a look at the first instalment of our EV series. 

Electric vehicles: addressing range concerns

MotoNovo Finance has appointed Chris Adams to the newly created position of Director of Pricing and Portfolio Performance, and he will join the business’ Senior Leadership Team.

Chris joins MotoNovo from Lloyds Banking Group, where he worked for over twenty years, most recently as Head of Pricing and Performance for their Black Horse and Lex Autolease businesses, which encompassed motor finance, leasing, fleet finance and direct to consumer auto lending. Prior to this he was finance director at Black Horse from 2014 to 2019 and until then held a number of management roles across the wider banking group. 

Chris’ broad automotive finance experience across pricing and commercial, and residual value management, aligned with his familiarity with working alongside manufacturers, made him the ideal candidate for the new role. His expertise will play a significant role in delivering MotoNovo’s strategy.

Commenting on the appointment, Richard Jones, Managing Director of MotoNovo said:

“I’m delighted to be welcoming Chris to join our business. He will be a key member of my team as we deliver on our strategy to develop MotoNovo into a broad-based motor finance business that puts outstanding customer service at the heart of everything we do.”

“I can’t wait to get started and join the team at MotoNovo. This is a great business – I’m excited about what we can do together to build a first class service for our customers.”

Press release issued by MotoNovo Finance, January 2024 

As we look to develop our new strategy, we're pleased to welcome Chris Adams, Director of Pricing and Portfolio Management, to our Senior Leadership Team. 

News - January 2024

5 top apps for EV drivers

Fully electric vehicles: charging and long journeys

Electric vehicles: addressing range concerns

MotoNovo appoints Chris Adams to its leadership team

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