The figure provided by Zap-Map showed last year there were 25,000 charging devices listed on their service, and almost 5,350 were free to use. In Northern Ireland, 70 percent of the charge points are free, thanks to the national network ecarNI.
Similarly, 1,000 of the 1,400 EV chargers from Government-backed operator ChargePlace Scotland do not require a fee.
On top of that, motorists can drive to one of the National Trust properties equipped with EV charge points to receive a top-up in a reverse donation from the charity.
Many supermarket chains also provide free EV chargers.
And on some dealer forecourts, drivers will not pay a penny for recharging a brand-specific electric car.
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A receptionist at National Trust Gibside, close to Newcastle, said: “Only one person has ever made a donation for using our charger.”
The cost to the location per free charge is about £1.17 an hour, Zero Carbon World estimated.
Hundreds of restaurants, pubs, museums, garden centers, theaters, zoos, and leisure complexes provide first-come, first-served EV charging at no cost.
Supermarket chain Tesco has over 600 chargers across 300 retail locations, providing free top-ups via its fast 7/22kW chargers, with customers only needing to pay when they opt instead for rapid charging.
On top of the free charges, the cost to power an electric car for 8,000 miles is 61 percent cheaper per year than the equivalent fossil-fuelled car, according to analysis by consultant battery electrochemist Dr. Euan McTurk.
Lower maintenance and insurance costs also drive down annual running costs for electric vehicle owners.
Additionally, there is no car tax to pay.
Mr McTurk said: “Higher mileage drivers will save even more money by going electric.”
He added that because electric vehicles are mechanically reliable, they’ll spend much more time on the road and less time in the workshop than cars powered by internal combustion (IC) engines.
An IC engine has around 2,000 moving parts; there are just 20 in an EV.
As well as being cheaper than IC-powered motor vehicles, EVs are generally considered by their owners—and Governments—to be greener, according to the expert.
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