Best Supermarket EV Charging in the UK

Supermarket EV charging is one of the most practical forms of public charging for everyday drivers. You are already stopping; the car charges while you shop; and many supermarket chargers are significantly cheaper than motorway rapid chargers. In 2026, almost all supermarket charging is paid (the free era largely ended by 2023), but prices remain competitive and coverage is expanding. This guide ranks the main supermarket chains and tells you what to expect at each.

Quick comparison: supermarket EV charging in 2026

Supermarket	Total chargepoints	Speed	Price	Network operator	Notes
Tesco	~2,700	7–22 kW	44–69p/kWh	Pod Point	619 stores; widest supermarket coverage
Lidl	Growing	7–50 kW	40–62p/kWh	Osprey + others	Best AC price; some rapid bays
Sainsbury’s	Expanding	7–150 kW	Various	bp pulse + others	Some ultra-rapid at larger stores
Asda	Growing	7–50 kW	Various	Pod Point + others	Slower rollout than Tesco/Lidl
Morrisons	Expanding fast	7–150 kW	Various	MFG EV Power (forecourts)	MFG forecourt deal = 800 ultra-rapid units planned
Aldi	Selective stores	7–22 kW	Some still free	Various	Free charging at select stores
M&S Foodhall	At service stations	50–350 kW	GRIDSERVE rates	GRIDSERVE (Moto/Extra)	Premium locations, premium price

1. Tesco: best for coverage

Tesco has 2,700 EV chargepoints across 619 stores, the largest supermarket charging estate in the UK. Every charger is operated by Pod Point and accepts contactless payment. Speeds are typically 7 kW or 22 kW (AC standard plus), meaning a 45-minute shop adds 5 to 15 miles at 7 kW or 15 to 40 miles at 22 kW, depending on your car’s onboard AC charger.

Price in 2026: From 44p per kWh (7 kW) to 69p per kWh (22 kW) via Pod Point. The free Tesco Pod Point charging that existed before 2022 is long gone, but 44p per kWh is among the cheapest maintained public AC charging in the country.

Is Tesco EV charging worth using? For a driver who does a regular weekly shop and does not have a home charger, adding 20 to 30 miles per visit at 44p to 69p per kWh is practical and affordable. For a driver with a home charger, the cost per kWh is higher than overnight smart tariff rates but the convenience of charging while shopping is real.

Reliability: Pod Point hardware at Tesco is generally reliable but varies by store. Newer installations outperform older units. Check Zap-Map comments for your local store.

2. Lidl: best for price

Lidl has been expanding its EV charging at a pace and in 2026 is arguably offering the best-value supermarket charging in the UK. The Lidl Plus app-based pricing for rapid DC chargers is 62p per kWh; the AC slow charging rate is around 40p per kWh.

Lidl uses a mix of operators at its stores, with Osprey being a common partner. The lower AC pricing at Lidl versus Tesco reflects the shorter typical shop duration, Lidl car park visits tend to be shorter, so a slower charger is less likely to be fully utilised.

Some Lidl stores have rapid (50 kW) DC bays in addition to standard AC chargers, which is unusual for supermarket locations and gives Lidl stores a edge for drivers who want more range per stop. Contactless is accepted at Lidl charging points.

Verdict: Best on price for AC charging; increasingly useful for rapid sessions too.

3. Sainsbury’s: expanding ultra-rapid

Sainsbury’s is investing in EV charging capacity, with ultra-rapid 150 kW chargers appearing at larger stores, notably through partnerships with BP Pulse and others. Pricing at these units follows BP Pulse’s standard PAYG rate (89p per kWh for rapid, 65p per kWh for AC) with BP Pulse subscription rates available.

Sainsbury’s also retains some older slower chargers at smaller stores. Coverage is improving but not yet as consistent as Tesco.

One note on free charging: A small number of Sainsbury’s locations still have legacy free chargers, but this is diminishing. Confirm via Zap-Map before planning a trip for free charging specifically.

4. Morrisons: the biggest transformation ahead

Morrisons has the most ambitious EV charging expansion story of any UK supermarket. Motor Fuel Group (MFG) purchased 337 Morrisons petrol station forecourts attached to stores, and MFG is using these to install ultra-rapid charging hubs, 800 ultra-rapid 150 kW+ chargers in the first five years.

This means the Morrisons EV charging experience will vary substantially by location:

• Stores with an MFG forecourt hub: 150 kW to 360 kW ultra-rapid, typically 79p per kWh PAYG
• Stores with older in-car-park charging: 7 kW to 22 kW, variable operator and price

As MFG rolls out its forecourt hubs through 2026 to 2028, Morrisons sites will become among the fastest available at any supermarket. For long-distance drivers passing Morrisons locations, it is worth checking which sites have MFG hubs installed.

5. Asda: slower rollout

Asda has been slower than its competitors to deploy EV charging. Where chargers exist, they are typically 7 kW to 50 kW units, operated by a mix of providers. Some Asda locations still offer free slow charging as a legacy from earlier rollouts, though this is being phased out as the infrastructure is upgraded.

Asda’s site estate is large, and the potential for EV charging expansion is significant, but as of May 2026 it lags Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons in both volume and ambition.

6. Aldi: free charging where it exists

Aldi has installed charging at selected stores and, unusually for 2026, some units remain free to use. Where Aldi has free charging, it is typically 3 kW to 7 kW, very slow, but genuinely free. For drivers who do a regular weekly Aldi shop lasting 30 to 45 minutes, this adds 4 to 10 miles per visit, which is modest but not nothing.

Check Zap-Map for current free status at your local Aldi; free policies can change without notice.

What supermarket charging is best for

Supermarket charging is ideal for:

• Weekly top-ups for drivers without home charging
• Destination charging for those who already shop at the supermarket and want to top up while they are there
• Cost-effective standard charging when you have time but are not in a hurry

Supermarket charging is not ideal for:

• Long-distance driving: 7 kW to 22 kW speeds are too slow for a motorway charging stop
• Emergency range recovery: If you are running low on a journey, the nearest rapid charger is a better bet than a supermarket slow charger

Tips for using supermarket chargers

Use Zap-Map before arriving: Supermarket car parks can be busy, and EV bays are sometimes ICEd (blocked by petrol/diesel cars). Checking live availability saves a wasted journey.

Note the parking rules: Some supermarket charging bays have time limits, typically tied to the store’s parking regulations. Overstaying can result in a parking charge notice.

Connect before you shop, disconnect when you return: Do not leave your car plugged in once full; it takes up a bay that another EV driver may need, and some networks apply idle fees.

Download the operator’s app: Pod Point, Osprey and BP Pulse all have free apps that provide session monitoring, better rates in some cases, and receipts for expense claims.

Where to find more

For a comparison of all UK public charging networks, see Best Public EV Charging Networks in the UK.

For the cheapest public charging options overall, see Best Cheap Public EV Charging Options.

For a complete overview of UK public charging, visit our Public Charging guide.