As Everything Electric kicks off its 2026 UK tour, hitting Harrogate in May, Cheltenham in June, and Twickenham in September, it feels like EVs are going mainstream. This March saw over 86,000 new Battery Electric Vehicles registered in the UK, a 24% increase year on year. Meanwhile in our latest driver survey here at Zapmap, economic considerations out-weighed environmental factors as the primary motivation for drivers switching to electric for the first time.
We’ve spent over a decade building the UK’s most comprehensive public EV charging app. We’ve been here since the early adopters were trailblazing. But as we move toward the masses, we have to ask ourselves: how does the app experience have to evolve when we’re building for everyone, not just the enthusiasts?
Finding chargers is table stakes
A few years ago, making charging ‘simple’ meant showing someone where to find a charger. Today, that is just the baseline. For the new wave of EV drivers, finding chargers is table stakes. What they really need is confidence.
Confidence means knowing that whether you’re on a long journey, at a destination, or near home you will find a charger that’s working, and it will be available.
We’ve moved way beyond just being a map, showing all types of chargers and combining live availability data and power/connector filters to give drivers peace of mind.
Crucially, we rely on the power of our community. With hundreds of thousands of drivers using the app every month, we surface live feedback and tips from people just like you, whether it’s a note about a tricky parking bay or a tip on a great nearby coffee shop.
Find and pay in one app
A great charging experience doesn’t end when you pull up at the charger, so over the last 18 months we’ve been improving the app to make paying for charging as easy as finding it. You can pay for your charge at thousands of locations across over 40 charging networks through the app, or with a Zapmap charging card.
And earlier this year we introduced pricing information on the map view in the app, alongside a free to use pricing filter. So it’s easier than ever to compare prices and find chargers that fit your budget.
Watching people explore the new pricing features for the first time in our research sessions showed us how valuable comparing prices at a glance could be. But it still feels like we’re scratching the surface of what we want to offer EV drivers.
Every month we’re speaking to the people we’re building for, hearing their success stories and their challenges, and striving to build a solution that helps them find and pay for charging with confidence.
Partnering with the world’s number one home energy and electric vehicle expo
From test driving new EVs to hearing industry experts share their thoughts on the future, the Everything Electric shows are a great chance for EV enthusiasts to come together and see first-hand what’s happening in the industry. And here at Zapmap we’re excited to be supporting all three UK events as the official Public Charging Payment Partner. The Zapmap team will be at the events, providing a great opportunity for us to hear first hand what the UK’s EV drivers need to get a great charging experience, every time. We’re excited to continue to build the UK’s driver-first public charging app, and we’re excited to do it with your input.
With over a million registered users and an app store rating of 4.5, you can find out more about how Zapmap can help you charge your EV with confidence on our website, or keep an eye out for our team at Everything Electric.
About the author
Steve has been a part of the product team at Zapmap for 18 months, building a public charging app that helps EV drivers find and pay for charging with confidence, wherever they go.
