Our EV Charging FAQs

• How do I start charging

  Follow our step-by-step instructions for each system below to get you started. 

   

  Click here for Kempower (Ultra-rapid 150kW+ DC)

  

  Click here for Raption 150 (Ultra-rapid 150kW DC)

  

  Click here for Raption 50 (Rapid 50kW DC)

  

  Click here for Evolve (Fast up to 22kW AC)

  

  Charging

• How do I pay?

  You always start a charge with your chosen payment method. Depending on the type of charger you're at, you can choose from the below:

  Ultra-rapid (150kW+ DC) and rapid (50kW DC) chargers: 

  1. Be.EV app
  2. Be.EV Member RFID card
  3. Contactless
  4. Octopus Electroverse, Allstar Chargepass®, Plugsurfing, Paua, Motability Go Charge, Zap-Pay, Shell Recharge and OVO Charge.

  Fast chargers (up to 22kW AC): 

  1. Be.EV app
  2. Be.EV Member RFID card
  3. WebPay
  4. Octopus Electroverse, Allstar Chargepass®, Plugsurfing, Paua, Motability Go Charge, Zap-Pay, Shell Recharge and OVO Charge.

  Fast chargers

• How much does it cost to charge?

  ⚡️⚡️⚡️ Ultra-rapid chargers (DC, 150kW+)  

  Be.EV Members (Be.EV app & Be.EV RFID card) 

  • • Off-Peak (7pm–7am): 39p/kWh (yes, you read that right) 

  • • Daytime (7am–7pm): 69p/kWh 
       

  Pay As You Go (Contactless, Roaming Partner or Webpay) 

  • • Anytime: 79p/kWh  

  ^ Prices may differ for rapid (CHAdeMO) connectors at Ultra-rapid Hubs. Check before you charge for the latest price. 

   

  ⚡️⚡️ Rapid chargers (DC, 50kW+) 

  Be.EV Members (Be.EV app & Be.EV RFID card) 

  • • Off-Peak (9pm–7am): 55p/kWh 

  • • Daytime (7am–9pm): 60p/kWh 
       

  Pay As You Go (Contactless, Roaming Partner or Webpay) 

  • • Anytime: 65p/kWh 

  ^ Prices may differ for rapid (CHAdeMO) connectors at Ultra-rapid Hubs. Check before you charge for the latest price. 

   

  ⚡️ Fast chargers (AC, up to 22kW) 

  Be.EV Members (Be.EV app & Be.EV RFID card) 

  • • Off-Peak (9pm–7am): 45p/kWh 

  • • Daytime (7am–9pm): 50p/kWh 
       

  Pay As You Go (Contactless, Roaming Partner or Webpay) 

  • • Anytime: 55p/kWh

   

  The Mini Subscription 

  Unlocks 49p/kWh or less. Just £4.99 per month, cancel anytime. 

   

  The Mega Subscription 

  Unlocks 39p/kWh or less. Just £9.99 per month, cancel anytime. 

• How do I stop charging?

  When charging, the connector will be locked in to your vehicle - but you can end your charge at any time with the payment method you started your charge with. Stop the session first, then unplug your vehicle.

  Step 1 - Stop the session

  Either press stop on the app, or on the charger then present your RFID/contactless card back up to the reader.

  Step 2 - Unplug your vehicle

  Ensure the charge session has finished, and that your car is unlocked, then you can go ahead and unplug. If the charge session has ended but the connector still feels locked to your vehicle, cycle between locking and unlocking on your car key.

  If you have any issues stopping a charge session or unplugging, you can call our friendly 24/7 Customer Helpline on 0800 917 3208.

  Charging Tip

  You don't need to wait for your vehicle to reach 100% to finish charging. In fact, since charging slows down considerably as a battery fills up, it often makes sense to charge up to around 80% or 90% and continue on with your jounrey. This is also better for the health of your battery, as repeated full-charging over a battery's life can lead to increased degradation.

• How do I use the Be.EV app to charge my EV?

  Charging is simpler than ever with your new Be.EV app. 

  Simply add a payment card to your account when you follow the set-up steps in the app, then each time you charge, just select the charging location you’re at > pick the connector you wish to charge on > and hit ‘Start Charge’ to get the electrons flowing. 

  You’ll be billed straight after the session to your preferred payment card – nice and simple.  

• How do I get a VAT receipt from the Be.EV app?

  If you’ve paid with your Be.EV app or Be.EV RFID card, open your Be.EV app > Account > Charging History > pick the session you’d like a receipt for and we’ll email it across straight away. 
   
  If you’ve paid by a Roaming Partner app or RFID card, you’ll be able to access a receipt through their app or website directly (as it’s technically them who you’ve paid). 
   
  If you’ve paid by Contactless bank card/Apple Pay/Google Pay, get in touch with our support team and we’ll be able to generate a VAT receipt for you: support@be-ev.co.uk

• Pre-authorisations

  You may notice that we take a small pre-authorisation amount at the start of each session to ensure a charge can be paid for in full (just like at the petrol pump, but less smelly). 
   
  Rest assured, this is not a payment, just simply a hold on your account which will disappear to reflect the real cost of the charge session after you’ve charged up. Depending on your bank, this can take a few days, but usually resolves straight away. 

• Will I be charged for overstaying after my charge has finished?

  We don't currently apply any overstay fees for vehicles that remain after charging has completed, but you should move your vehicle after you've finished charging to free up the charger for somebody else.

  However, local parking charges and restrictions may apply, so always check the signage.

• How long does it take to charge?

  Charging time depends on your vehicle type, state of charge, battery temperature and charger speed. Charging also slows down as the battery becomes more full.

  But, as a rough guide:

  • Fast chargers take several hours to reach 100%
  • Rapid chargers take around an hour to reach 80%
  • Ultra-rapid chargers take around 20-30 minutes to reach 80%

  (These estimates all assume a low state of charge on arrival and optimal battery temperature for a modern EV.)

  Want to see charging details for your vehicle? Check out the EV Database.

  Charging Tip

  If you know that, for example, your car's maximum charge rate is 45kW, you'll get the same maximum speed from either a 50kW or a 150kW charger. So, you should head to the lower-power charger first so that the higher-power charger is available to cars which can take advantage of those higher speeds.

• Why is my EV charging slowly?

  There are several reasons why you may not be seeing speeds as high as you’d expect. Let’s get you charging faster!

  Your battery is too cold

  Batteries need to be warm (around 20-30ºC) to reach their peak speeds, anything below that and the vehicle will likely charge slower.

  Warm up your battery before charging, through preheating or previous driving and rapid charging, to avoid this limiting.

  You’re at a high state of charge (battery percentage)

  EVs will typically only hit their peak charging speeds at lower states of charge, before they begin to charge slower at higher battery percentages.

  Each electric vehicle has its own ‘charge curve’, which is a graph that describes how much charging power is to be expected at each battery percentage. Review your vehicle’s own charge curve to understand what speeds to expect.

  You’re sharing charging power with another vehicle

  Some rapid and ultra-rapid chargers allow the ability to split charging power between two vehicles at once. This may mean that the peak charging speed you can expect is reduced when another vehicle is connected. Whilst this is rarely an issue, aim for charging locations like Be.EV Charging Hubs, Charging Greens and Charging Oases which don’t limit power based on the car charging beside you.

  Charging power is ramping up

  It often takes a few moments for maximum charging power to be reached. Give your vehicle a minute or two to request full power.

  A mixture of the above

  The factors above combine to impact your charging speeds. For the fastest session, arrive with lower states of charge at your battery’s ideal temperature, aiming for chargers which don’t limit charging speed based on adjacent vehicles.