Portable EV Chargers: The Full Guide to Portable EV Charging
Home EV chargers are paving the way for easy, convenient, and cost-effective electric car charging. But, with a third of UK homeowners lacking off-street parking to be able to install a standard smart charger, how do electric vehicle owners charge without one? Public charging points? Three-pin plug chargers?… Or do the newly coined portable EV chargers combat this issue?
Look no further. Today, we delve into the complete world of portable EV charging. From their existence to practicalities to portable EV charger costs and where to buy, our extensive guide on portable EV charging will provide you with everything you need to know.
Let’s get plugged in.
Quick summary:
- Technically, portable EV chargers do exist, but the already limited range of EV portable chargers in the UK is for commercial purposes only. Most mobile, or portable, EV chargers for the domestic market are still in the production stage, with release dates far in the future, or not given at all. For example, the ZipCharge Go.
- Overall, standard home EV chargers are infinitely better than portable charging points due to the added functionality of smart EV chargers, especially the smart tariff integration.
- In our professional opinion as EV charging experts, portable battery chargers are not worth the purchase, unless you can easily afford a commercial portable electric car charger and suffer from severe range anxiety while on the road.
Is there a portable charger for electric cars?
In short, yes, portable EV chargers or ‘mobile electric car chargers’ do exist in the UK. However, they are incredibly rare and lack the same technology and functionality as other EV charging points on the market.
Often, the term “portable charger” can mean different things depending on the person:
- The most common: usually, portable EV chargers refer to a specifically manufactured charging bank that can be taken with you everywhere you go. Compare these to the big, brick-like power banks used to charge your phone when out and about. One example of a typical portable EV charger is the Blink Portable EV charger. As EV charging experts, we very rarely see people invest in these chargers, and very few are for sale on the market.
- Occasionally, EV drivers might refer to portable chargers when actually talking about 3-pin plug EV chargers (sometimes called granny chargers or slow chargers). In fact, manufacturers of 3-pin plug chargers often refer to their chargers as portable online. For example, the MG ZS 3-pin plug refers to itself as the ‘MG ZS EV portable charger’.
In this article, when we refer to portable EV chargers, we mean the specifically manufactured charging banks, not three-pin plug chargers.
Will portable EV charging points become more common in the future?
Realistically? No. In our professional opinion, portable EV chargers are not common by any means nowadays, and haven’t been for some time. This will unlikely change in the upcoming years, especially with the fast growth of public charging stations and the growing popularity of home electric car chargers.
In fact, many portable EV charging stations are still very much in the production phase. Some, even, have been in production for years. *Cough cough*: the suitcase-sized ZipCharge Go, despite receiving 10000 global pre-orders, pushed their release date back even further, originally set at 2023. The new release date is still unknown, and it’s not available currently in 2026.
On top of this, many official portable chargers come only in commercial DC formats, too. Of course, anything commercial will be vastly more expensive. One popular commercial options include the Kempower ‘moveable charger’.
Unfortunately, there are no 7kW, 11kW, or 22kW portable EV chargers for sale in the UK. 40kW is the fastest portable EV charger for sale.
Are portable EV chargers any good?
For those who can’t have a smart EV charger installed at home or those who lack easily accessible public charging infrastructure nearby, portable electric car chargers do provide some benefits.
In particular, portable chargers reduce range anxiety as they offer a surefire way to charge your electric car wherever you are. This is especially valuable when your EV is running out of charge quickly, and you’re struggling to find a nearby public charging point. But as the web of EV charging infrastructure expands across the UK, range anxiety is quickly taking a back seat in many EV drivers’ minds.
Another factor to consider is that EV portable battery chargers do not give you access to smart charging features, and therefore, a whole new world of cheaper, greener charging. In fact, with a dedicated home EV charger, you can charge for as little as 7p per kWh with the right home charging set-up. You can’t do that with a portable charger.
On top of this, portable chargers only benefit those in desperate need of a top-up, which, if you’ve invested in a smart home EV charger, will be, realistically, never, as you can charge on your own schedule.
Lastly, the standard electric car can go between 150 and 300 miles on a single charge. The government stated that 99% of the average car journeys in England are under 100 miles, leaving plenty of range for the typical UK EV driver. And that’s not mentioning the list of the longest range electric cars in the UK, some featuring massive ranges of over 400 miles.
Should you get a portable EV charger?
On the surface, portable EV chargers may seem like a good idea, especially for those with intense, burning range anxiety.
However, in our professional opinion, we wouldn’t recommend getting an EV portable charging point. Why? Overall, smart home EV chargers provide many benefits that portable electric vehicle chargers just can’t compete with:
- Smart EV chargers have advanced technology built into the core, leading to features that can amplify the home charging experience. Solar charging, load balancing and more, these are just a few of the features home chargers provide. In comparison, portable chargers are in the infancy of their intelligence and come with no smart features at all.
- Cheaper EV charging is one of the best advantages of smart home EV chargers over portable electric car chargers. Many smart home EV chargers allow tariff integration, meaning you can charge your electric car more cheaply with off-rate electricity prices, offering high cost-savings. Some, for as little as 7p (Intelligent Octopus Go Tariff and OVO Charge Anytime Tariff). Portable EV chargers are incapable of this. And, portable electric car chargers are likely to be the same price, if not more, for less intelligent technology.
- Smart home EV chargers are more aesthetically pleasing. Fact. Neater, discreet and just all-round more stylish: smart chargers offer functionality and style. Take the NexBlue Point 2, for example. Compare its futuristic square design against big, bulky and suitcase-looking portable chargers. There’s no competition.
That’s not mentioning the additional benefits of a home EV charger: greener EV charging during less carbon-intensive hours, advanced safety measures, and increased property value, to only mention a few.
Does Tesla have a portable charger?
Technically, yes, Tesla does have a portable charger, but it’s not for the car. In fact, Tesla’s branded portable charger is for your smartphone, not your electric vehicle, charging it wirelessly.
Fully charge or a small top-up, you decide. EV charging, in your hands.
Charge your battery conveniently at home, whenever you choose. Simply plug in and charge.
Elevate your electric vehicle experience by choosing We Power Your Car for your home EV charging solution. Boost the convenience of charging at home while significantly reducing your energy costs, and top up for as little as a coffee with the right home charging set-up*.
Take the next step towards a smarter, greener and cheaper home charging today. If you are looking to get an EV charger installed at your home, click below to get your free quote and browse through our wide range of smart EV chargers. Or contact us for more information or any queries you may have at 03333 44 96 99. All our EV charger installers are experienced, DBS-checked and accredited engineers across the UK, with exemplary customer service.
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*Based on 7p per kWh during off-peak hours with the Intelligent Octopus Go EV tariff and a compatible smart home charger.