With over a million plug in cars on UK roads, EV drivers are not only wondering where they can charge their cars but also wondering where they can charge for free.
And with some supermarkets offering free EV charging, it comes as no surprise that people are wondering about Tesco EV charging, asking the questions – Is it free to charge at Tesco? How much does it cost to charge an electric car at Tesco in 2024? How do I find Tesco EV charging near me?
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Tesco electric vehicle charging in 2024.
Back in 2019, when Tesco, Volkswagen and Pod Point first rolled out the Tesco electric car charger network across 200 sites, Tesco offered free charging for their 7kW chargers. However, as of the 1st November 2022, Tesco put a stop to the free electric car charging at their stores. In fact, Tesco decided to implement a fee for customers using all Tesco car chargers, regardless of the kW rating. Unfortunately, this means that in 2024, Tesco electric car charging is no longer free, with costs starting from 44p per kWh, up to 69p per kWh.
It’s worth noting that while the era of free Tesco EV charging has come to an end, the company proudly states that it contributed to 86 million miles of free electric driving through its previous free charging initiatives.
Not only have Tesco removed their free 7kW EV charging policy, but in March 2023, Tesco also increased how much it costs to charge your electric car using their facilities. Last year, EV owners were subject to a 28p/kWh fee to use a 7kW Tesco car charger. Now, the fee for 7kW EV chargers at Tesco has risen to 44p per kWh.
It’s important to note that, as with all public EV charging, the cost of charging an electric car at Tesco can vary depending on the type of EV charging station they offer.
| Type of Pod Point EV charger at Tesco | Tesco EV charging cost per kWh |
| 7kW fast chargers | 44p/kWh |
| 22kW fast chargers | 49p/kWh |
| 50kW rapid chargers | 62p/kWh |
| 75kW rapid chargers | 69p/kWh |
Sadly, not all Tescos have electric car chargers. In total, over 600 Tesco stores across the UK have EV charging facilities. But while this may seem low, compared to the thousands of Tesco stores in the UK, it’s one of the largest supermarkets in the UK to have invested in electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
If you’re looking for a Tesco with EV chargers, you’ll likely find electric vehicle charge points in the car parks of Tesco Superstores and Tesco Extra stores rather than at smaller stores such as Tesco Express.
Tesco offers a range of rapid and ultra charging speeds at their public EV charging points – 7kW, 22kW, 50kW and 75kW – all of which are Pod Point chargers. The higher the kW rating of the electric car charging point, the quicker you will charge, but the higher the cost.
Even after the stores have closed, you will be able to park in the charging bays and take advantage of fast and rapid chargers, as Tesco car chargers are open 24 hours.
There are several ways to locate Tesco EV charging locations in the UK. Firstly, electric vehicle owners can turn to dedicated EV charging apps like PlugShare and Zap-Map to find Tesco charging stations. In our opinion, the most efficient way to find Tesco EV chargers near you is to use the Tesco electric car charging app, also known as the Pod Point app, or visit the respective websites of Tesco or Pod Point. Additionally, it’s worth keeping an eye on Tesco’s social media for updates on EV charging locations.
The time limit for parking and potential charges at Tesco varies depending on the specific store you visit; however, as a general rule of thumb, Tesco tends to implement a three-hour free parking policy and issues fines for exceeding that limit. With this in mind, it’s likely you won’t be able to charge your electric car for longer than three hours at Tesco, but it’s best to check with your local store.
In three hours, it’s likely you’ll have topped up sufficiently anyway – especially with a rapid EV charger. In fact, you shouldn’t fully charge your electric car every day, nor use rapid EV charging points frequently in order to maintain battery health.
You can pay for Tesco EV charging via the Pod Point app or website. However, now, with new plug and charge regulations, you should be able to use contactless pay or an RFID card to start and stop your EV charging sessions.
If you’re looking for cheaper electric car charging, a smart home EV charger is the solution. Take advantage of cheaper, greener energy by charging during off-peak hours and save money on public charging costs. Convenience is also always guaranteed with a home EV charger – no long waits at public EV charging points. Simply plug in and charge.
Browse our market-leading range of EV chargers, contact us for free on 03333 44 96 99 or fill in the contact form below. Our expert customer service team will always be happy to help. Our lines are open seven days a week, including bank holidays, to provide you with free, unbiased advice and to answer any queries you may have.
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This type of electric charger has it's own cable to charge your car.
This type of electric charger requires a seperate cable to charge your car.
Spread over a 60 month period.
Tenants and homeowners are eligible for finance.
You decide the amount of months.
Minimum of £1000.
We will contact you to process the credit application. Approval is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. 13.9% APR representative. T&Cs apply.
Your order is not confirmed until your application has been approved.
We lay SWA cable laid at 600mm deep, with a protective cable warning tape laid 150mm above the cable. These are laid on a sand or sifted sand soil bed then backfilled.
We position overhead cables at a minimum height of 3.5m and are run along a catenary wire. The cable run should not be accessible to vehicles.
Standard Installation
Our instant price is fixed if it falls within our standard installation package plus any additions that you have selected (extra cabling for example). This package covers the majority of homes in the UK. Before we undertake your installation we will carry out a digital survey to check that nothing has been missed. After reviewing the survey results some additional work may be required in order to complete your installation safely and to the required standards. If this is the case, we will contact you well before the installation date and advise the cost of any required work. You can then continue with your installation, or alternatively we will refund you in full if you do not want to proceed.
Included in our standard installation is :
• Fitting of a single phase charge point to a brick or plaster wall or other suitable permanent structure
• Up to 10 metres of cable, run and neatly clipped to the wall between the electricity supply meter / distribution board and the charge point.
• Routing of the cable through a drilled hole in a wall up to 500mm (20 inches) thick if this is needed.
• The fitting and testing of electrical connections and protections required for the charge point.
• An additional three way consumer unit, if required
• Installation of a Type A RCBO in an RCBO enclosure
• Up to 3 metres of plastic trunking to conceal interior wiring.
• An O-pen earth protection device if the charge point requires it. (This is NOT an earth rod)
• Up to 4 hours of labour from your installer to complete the work.
• Electrical testing of the whole installation.
• Handover and setup of the charge point and any app that may be needed.
Not included in our standard installation (additional work) :
• Where the installation requires additional cabling over and above the amount you have told us about.
• Upgrade/replacement of the main incoming supply fuse where the local DNO (eg Northern Powergrid) would need to attend site.
• If the charge point is to be mounted on a post/pedestal rather than an existing wall and where you have not selected a post as an extra cost option in your order.
• Installation of a charge point to a three phase supply.
• Where gas and water mains bonding (earthing) is not in place at your property. If this is not in place, additional work would be required before installation of the charge point.
• Any groundwork that has not been selected during the order process.
A Surge Protection Device is not included in our standard installation.
What else you need to know :
• On the day of installation, please ensure that the area around your consumer unit (fuse box), incoming electricity supply meter and proposed charge point location (including where the cable is expected to be run) is clear and free of obstructions.
• We will need your WiFi password as part of the installation process in order to connect your charge point to the internet. Please have this available for the installer. Details will not be kept.
• The charge point must be on your own designated off road parking.
• The charger will be fixed in line with current guidelines at a height where it cannot be hit by a vehicle.
• Our installers are not able to enter loft spaces; lift floorboards or flooring; take apart any furniture of work above a height of 2m. If you anticipate that any of this may be required, then please contact us and we can discuss in more detail and provide you with a quotation.
• Should there be extreme weather conditions our installers may not be able to continue with you installation if it is not safe to do so (for example flooding). They will always do their best to complete the work where they can.
If you have any questions then please contact our customer service team who will be happy to help. Please also read our terms and conditions.
