EV and plug-in hybrid owners were asked to rate suppliers in 10 categories, with the scores combined to provide an overall ranking.
Tesla's Superchargers, Shell Recharge, and Instavolt were the three top-ranked providers.
Gridserve (previously Ecotricity) was ranked worst.
With the ever-increasing growth in electric vehicle ownership, public charging infrastructure is never far from the news it's rarely positive. This year, Auto Express' Driver Power survey set out to find out what real drivers are experiencing in the real world.
EV and plug-in hybrid drivers were asked to rate public charging providers in the following 10 categories:
Prices
Charging speed
Ease of use
Reliability
Locations
Lighting and security
Number of chargers
Presentation and condition
Customer service
Smartphone app
Perhaps somewhat predictably, the Tesla Supercharger network was ranked top, finishing first in all categories except for locations suggesting drivers just want to find them in more places. If a plan to open up Superchargers to cars from other manufacturers comes to pass, it will be interesting to see if user opinion changes.
At the other end of the scale, Gridserve, previously known as Ecotricity, came last overall with poor scores in all categories. Their best result was for locations, where they were ranked sixth. Gridserve purchased Ecotricity earlier this year, so it will be interesting to see if they can turn around this performance.
The nine providers were ranked as follows:
Tesla Superchargers - 83%
Shell Recharge - 79%
Instavolt - 77%
GeniePoint - 75%
Pod Point - 74%
Osprey/Engenie - 69%
ChargePlace Scotland - 68%
BP Pulse/Polar/Chargemaster - 68%
Gridserve - 66%
What's been your experience with public charging networks? Does it match with what Auto Express found? Head over to our forum and join the discussion.
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