Tesla and Sainsbury’s Lead the Charge in UK’s Electric Vehicle Charging Rankings
The state of Britain’s public electric vehicle charging infrastructure continues to improve, with Tesla and Sainsbury’s Smart Charge emerging as the standout performers in Zapmap’s latest annual satisfaction survey.
The findings, based on feedback from nearly 4,000 EV drivers across September and October 2025, paint an encouraging picture for motorists making the switch to battery power.
Overall satisfaction with public charging has climbed five percentage points year-on-year, rising from 64 per cent to 69 per cent—a modest but meaningful step forward for an industry that has faced criticism over reliability and cost.
Tesla’s Supercharger network has claimed the top spot in the large network category for the second consecutive year. Since opening its charging points to non-Tesla drivers in 2024, the American carmaker has made more than half of its UK Superchargers available to the public, with 1,115 devices now accessible across 97 locations.
That represents a 40 per cent expansion on the previous year, and further growth is expected throughout 2026 through partnerships with operators such as EV on the Move.
The network consistently scored highly for reliability, ease of use and customer support—factors that drivers repeatedly cite as their primary concerns when choosing where to charge.
In the medium-sized network category, Sainsbury’s Smart Charge has risen remarkably quickly. Launched only in January 2024, the supermarket chain’s charging arm was recognised as an “up-and-coming network” last year.
Twelve months on, it has grown by more than 40 per cent to encompass 335 rapid and ultra-rapid chargers at 84 stores, earning it the top award in its category. For many drivers, the ability to top up their vehicle whilst doing the weekly shop represents an attractive proposition.
Elsewhere in the rankings, MFG EV Power secured second place amongst larger networks after expanding its footprint to include 300 Morrisons supermarket locations.
The network now boasts more than 1,300 chargers across 522 sites—a year-on-year increase of 68 per cent. Survey respondents particularly appreciated its reliability, ease of use and wide range of payment options.
Ionity, meanwhile, climbed from last year’s medium category into joint third place amongst the large networks following 110 per cent growth in device numbers.
It now operates 536 devices across 58 locations, including sites at Extra MSA motorway services and Village Hotels. Osprey shares third position, having featured as a Zapmap recommended network for six consecutive years.
In the medium category, BeEV ranked second behind Smart Charge, receiving the highest rating of all networks for customer support. Fastned took third place after expanding by 38 per cent to 199 devices across 34 locations, scoring highest for its range of payment methods.
Arnold Clark Charge received Zapmap’s “up-and-coming network” accolade, having only opened sites to the public in the second half of 2025 yet already spanning 57 locations.
Despite the positive trajectory, value for money remains a sore point. Most networks received their lowest scores in this area, reflecting ongoing concerns about charging costs that can sometimes exceed petrol prices.
Nevertheless, more than 60 per cent of those surveyed expect the public charging experience to continue improving—an optimistic outlook for an industry still finding its feet.
