It sounds blindingly obvious, but you charge an electric car at public charge points or wallboxes.
So where are they, and what’s the difference?
Typically rated up to 11 kW, you’ll spot slow charge points on kerbsides, in car parks and multi‑storeys.
The upside’s pretty clear: if your car’s going to be parked for a while anyway, it can quietly sip power in the background. Tariffs are usually cheaper than at rapid charge points.
11 kW is often enough to fill a large battery overnight. In towns and cities, 11–22 kW slow charge points are the norm.
The slowest wallboxes deliver 3.7 kW or less. At first glance, that sounds faintly pointless.
Overnight, though, many smaller‑battery cars will happily reach 100%. Bigger packs won’t quite get there, but you’ll wake up to a healthy chunk of extra range.
You’ll often find these in underground garages, on private parking bays or at hotels. With a bit of luck, they’re free to use.
You’ll find rapid charge points at busy spots: supermarkets, DIY stores, shopping centres, petrol stations and motorway services.
They deliver 50 kW and up, so you can top up quickly during a short stop. Prices are usually higher than at slow charge points.
It’s worth checking tariff comparisons to find a good‑value charge card.
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