UK EV Charging: Better Than You Think (But Still Too Expensive): My experience in 2025

Every year I look back at my real-world public EV charging experiences across the UK to see whether things are actually improving — or if the complaints are still justified. Most EV charging happens at home, but what about when you drive an EV like a normal car and go long-distance? That’s when public chargers matter — and that’s exactly what this video looks at. This isn’t theory or planning apps. It’s real charging, real queues, real prices, and zero route-planning obsession. What’s in this video: • Charging stops across IONITY, Tesla, Instavolt, Smart Charge • Busy sites, broken chargers, power sharing and site throttling • Why I actively avoid some networks (yes, Gridserve) • How modern EV route planning actually works in the real world • What public charging really costs in 2025 • And whether it’s getting better… or just more expensive Final stats: • 1,156 miles driven • £193.18 total spend • 61p/kWh average (excluding free charging) • 17p per mile • No failed journeys, no stranded moments, and very little planning Tesla remains comically easy. The infrastructure is undeniably better than it was — but pricing is still ridiculous, and it’s holding EV adoption back. If you want to see how UK public charging actually stacks up in everyday use — without the drama — this one’s for you. A big thank you to EVision Electric Vehicles, the UK’s first and largest all-electric vehicle rental company https://www.evisionevs.co.uk • 01634 914063 Use the code MREV5 for 5% off the rental hire. (Excluding insurance, excess, deposit & delivery.) — ⭐️ Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @mrev   ☕️ Or if you'd like to just buy me a coffee (or my wife a gin and tonic): https://ko-fi.com/misterev Please use my referral links: ☀️ Heatable solar installations: £150 off — https://misterev.co.uk/solar (or quote MISTEREV150) 🔋 Heatable battery installations: £75 off — https://misterev.co.uk/battery (or quote MISTEREV75) 🐙 Octopus Energy: £50 off — https://misterev.co.uk/octopus ⚡️ Octopus Electroverse: £5 credit — https://misterev.co.uk/electroverse 📹 Filmed using DJI Osmo Pocket 3: https://amzn.to/40bhP35, iPhone 16 Pro: https://amzn.to/4aJpOJV and Canon R5: https://amzn.to/4glncCZ Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:44 A quick Tesla moan 02:32 Charger 1: Tesla, Newport Pagnell Services North 04:30 Charger 2: Tesla, Newport Pagnell Services South 05:36 Charger 3: IONITY Cobham Services 06:50 Charger 4: Tesla Bluewater 07:27 Charger 5: IONITY Beaconsfield 09:40 Charger 6: IONITY Lewes 10:25 Charger 7: InstaVolt Winchester Super Hub 11:40 Charger 8: Smart Charge Fosse Park, Leicester 12:56 Charger 9: Smart Charge Ferndown 13:06 Charger 10: IONITY Cobham 13:52 Charger 11: IONITY Cobham 15:46 Summary 17:14 Why is charging so expensive? 21:14 Is the charging infrastructure improving? 22:24 My costs 23:34 That's it!