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The Electric Highway public charging network which has rapid points across the UK’s motorway network, with charge points at service stations across Britain was previously run by Ecotricity but has been bought by GRIDSERVE. GRIDSERVE are in the process of upgrading all the legacy Ecotricity points to GRIDSERVE Electric Highway chargers, this process should be complete by the end of 2021.

In the interim, whilst this upgrade is taking place, the legacy “Ecotricity” chargers requires users to register their account details via a smartphone app, which is then used to control the charging process. There is a simple pricing structure using a connection fee and then price per unit of electricity used, though there are a few exceptions.

Non-rapid 22kW fast chargers are available at certain locations which are accessed via RFID card and are free to use.

How much does the Ecotricity network cost?

To discover how much it will cost to charge an EV from an Ecotricity Electric Highway charge point, head to Zapmap’s Public Charging Calculator. This allows you to select any new or used plug-in vehicle, and tailor elements – such as electricity cost and charge required – for personalised results.

How to use the Ecotricity network

Access to the legacy Ecotricity Electric Highway network is via either the smartphone app or RFID card. Rapid points use the app to begin the charging process, with free WiFi at each unit to ensure smartphone connection is possible.

Fast chargers are accessed via the RFID card – a legacy access type before Ecotricity introduced an app-based payment system. Cards can be requested from the network operator.

Finding Ecotricity points on Zapmap

All Ecotricity Electric Highway points can be found on Zapmap by using the network filter. This can be used on desktop and mobile apps, and displays only those points available to use by Ecotricity Electric Highway customers.

Charging types and speeds can be filtered too, showing only those points that are compatible with users’ cars.

About Ecotricity

Set up in 2011, the Electric Highway set-up by Ecotricity has now been sold to GRIDSERVE, and the legacy networks is currently being upgraded to new GRIDSERVE Electric Highway chargers.