Zapmap has announced the results of its annual satisfaction rankings for rapid and ultra-rapid public charging networks in the UK.
For the second year in a row, Tesla scored highest in the ‘Large’ sized network category, while Smart Charge, the charging network of the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain, leads the rankings for ‘Medium’ networks.
Now in its eighth year, Zapmap’s annual EV charging survey saw responses from 3,976 battery electric vehicle (BEV) drivers. The Zapmap league tables group rapid and ultra-rapid public charging networks into two categories, based on the size of the network.
As part of the survey, respondents were asked about the networks they use regularly, their overall experience of using these networks and their level of satisfaction across five key areas: reliability, ease of use, customer support, value for money, and how easy it is to pay.
The best EV charging network 2025 in the large rapid / ultra-rapid network category this year, covering those with more than 500 devices, was the Tesla Public Supercharger network. It is the second year it topped the rankings, and follows its decision to open up many of its charge points for use by drivers of non-Tesla EVs.
Also in the large category, MFG EV Power ranked second, with Ionity and Osprey sharing third place. These three networks secure the EV driver recommended title for the 2025-26 rankings, alongside Instavolt and GRIDSERVE, with all five scoring an overall rating of 3.5 stars or more.
Osprey also remains a popular choice amongst EV drivers, featuring as a Zapmap recommended network for the past six years. Of the large networks, Osprey received the joint highest rating for customer service alongside Tesla and scored well for ease of use and reliability.
For best EV charging network 2025 in the medium rapid / ultra-rapid network category was Smart Charge, the charging network of the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain.
Launched in January 2024, Smart Charge was selected as Zapmap’s Up-and-coming network in last year’s rankings, with expectations that we would see it in the main tables this year. Our survey respondents scored it particularly highly for reliability and ease of use. Be.EV ranks second in the medium category, close behind Smart Charge.
Third in the medium category was Fastned, an established European player whose network of distinctive yellow solar canopies. The network has expanded by 38% to cover 199 devices across 34 locations.
This year Zapmap has awarded the accolade of ‘Up-and-coming network’ to Arnold Clark Charge. With sites opening to the public only in the second half of 2025, the car dealership’s network already extends across 57 locations, with ambitious plans for the year ahead, it said.
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder & COO at Zapmap, said:
“These rankings provide first hand feedback directly from EV drivers, acting as a solid indication of which networks are more reliable, as well as giving the industry guidance on driver needs and priorities.
“Overall satisfaction with the public charging infrastructure has improved — from 64% last year to 69% this year — which is also reflected in the increasing scores across the reliability indicator, the key consideration for drivers. Cost of charging on the public network continues to be a concern for drivers, with the majority of networks, with a couple of notable exceptions, receiving their lowest score for value for money.
“Looking to the future, over 60% of drivers expect the public charging network to continue to improve, and I am sure that the charge point networks will rise to the challenge, carrying on investing in more chargers and putting the customer experience at the heart of what they do. At Zapmap, we’ve recognised this need and our app users can now pay with our charging card as well as via the app.”
Ollie Dodd, Senior Regional Manager, Northern Europe Charging, Tesla said:
“We’re thrilled to win Zapmap’s Best EV Charging Network for the second year in a row.
Being recognised by the drivers themselves shows that our customer-centric and data-driven approach to building sites is well received. We look forward to showcasing more customer-centric features in 2026 as we expand the network further and look towards new initiatives in roaming and payment methods.”
Martin Symes, EV Director at MFG, who placed second, said:
“We are delighted to once again be recognised in Zapmap’s annual EV driver survey as the highest-ranked, fully accessible, Large Rapid and Ultra Rapid Charging Network.
“Our commitment remains firmly focused on providing convenient, reliable, and high-quality EV charging experiences for drivers across our nationwide network. We will continue to invest in our infrastructure to ensure we meet the needs of both current and future EV drivers, now and in the years to come.”
Andreas Atkins, Country Manager UK & Ireland, Ionity, who were placed third, said:
“As a high-powered charging specialist, we have to prioritise at Ionity. That we’ve doubled our number of charging points for the second year in a row is a real testament to the strength of the EV community here. We’ve partnered with nationwide organisations like Village Hotels to enable travellers across the country, and we’ve set new standards in underrepresented areas, from our site in Bodmin, Cornwall, to Wrexham in Wales, to Aberdeen in Scotland.
“Such expansion isn’t possible without the support of genuine advocates for the EV community like Zapmap. Together, we’re making EV charging more accessible, affordable, and empowering.”
Ian Johnston, CEO, Osprey Charging, who also placed third, said:
“I’m very proud of Osprey earning this high level of driver recognition from Zapmap for the sixth year running. These are the opinions that really matter to us, showing that drivers value our focus on customer experience, service and reliability.
“We are seeing the positive results of our shift towards deploying large hubs at premium retail and strategic road locations that drivers prefer; a shift that sees us in a group of mature and established nationwide networks at the top of the rankings, with Tesla, MFG and Sainsbury’s.
“This result tops off a phenomenal year in which we will have 1,500 rapid charge points live by year-end, and have completed a £110m facility to fund the future growth of the network.”
Patrick Dunne, Chief Property & Procurement Officer at Sainsbury’s, MD Smart Charge, who topped the medium category, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to be recognised by Zapmap as the UK’s Best EV Charging Network, especially as this comes directly from EV drivers who use our sites every day, nationwide.
“At Smart Charge, we’ve always believed that ultra-rapid charging should be simple, reliable, accessible and rewarding, and this award is a testament to the hard work of our team and the trust our customers place in us.”
Asif Ghafoor, CEO at Be.EV, who placed second in the medium category said:
“Getting recognised by the drivers who actually use our network, that’s the bit that really matters here. We’re always listening to feedback from our customers and have made it our mission to make charging EVs simpler, fairer and more affordable.
“Our recently launched 39p/kWh tariff is a big part of that, but so is our focus on building great charging hubs where people actually need them. Being named second and a Zapmap Driver Recommended Network after last year’s fourth place shows we’re making real progress, and we’ll keep building from here.”
Tom Hurst, UK Country Director, Fastned, who placed third, said:
“I’m delighted that we’ve increased our customer rating score from 4.1 to 4.2, making us a Recommended Network by Zapmap drivers. Every year, we wear our Zapmap award as a badge of honour as it shows us that we’re doing right by our customers.
“Here’s to the next year of delivering a highly rated, reliable and easy to use ultra-rapid charging network in the UK. There’s so much more to come, so watch this space.”
Up-and-coming network (did not meet minimum inclusion criteria, but received positive feedback from EV drivers)
Arnold Clark
Russell Borrie, Chief Executive Officer at Arnold Clark who placed on the up-and-coming network category, said:
“We are delighted that Arnold Clark Charge has been recognised as the Up-and-coming Rapid/Ultra-Rapid Network in the 2025 Zapmap EV charging survey.
“This recognition means a great deal because it comes directly from EV drivers. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and we’re proud to offer them a reliable, easy and stress-free charging experience at locations across the UK.
“As we continue to expand our network, our goal remains to make EV charging as convenient and accessible as possible for all drivers.”
Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, representing the EV driver, said:
“EV drivers care about their experience at public chargepoints — whether they work, whether they are easy to use, and whether they are affordable. It is therefore fantastic to see those networks that are responding to driver’s needs being spotlighted and rewarded in Zapmap’s annual network rankings.
“The user experience at public chargepoints is fundamental to the success of the transition to electric. With two thirds of EV drivers believing that the public charging network is showing ongoing signs of real improvement, those operators that are focusing on their reliability, accessibility and affordability can pave the way for the sector as a whole to continue to deliver a driver experience that gets better and better each year.”
Jade Edwards, Head of Insights at Zapmap, said:
“Zapmap’s annual EV charging survey, now in its eighth year, is the most comprehensive analysis of UK EV driver behaviour and sentiment. This year’s network rankings provide crucial insights into how the rapid and ultra-rapid charging landscape is evolving, highlighting which networks are leading the way and where improvements are still needed.
“Huge congratulations to our winners Tesla and Smart Charge, who have been rated by EV drivers as the best networks. The findings from our survey go beyond the network rankings, covering important topics like EV ownership, home charging and charging on the public network, while showing the trends over time.
“This year’s survey results will shortly be released in report format, including more insight than ever before into how EV drivers are using the variety of different charging options that the UK’s public network provides.”
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
