Electroverse EV Charging

My PV5 Passenger Plus is my first EV, and I'm very impressed with almost all aspects (see my other blog posts). One area that Kia haven't done well is their Kia Charge network. It's expensive and patchy.

Where I live, charging points on all charging networks are bit hit and miss, so any charging subscription will force me to drive out of my way if I leave the range of my home charger (and buying a EV only really makes financial sense if you can have a home charger).

The Solution

So, what to do if you don't want a subscription and don't fancy the poor Kia network offering? The answer was pretty easy, Octopus Electroverse. It ticks all the boxes for me.
  • Fantastic network coverage.
  • No subscription or upfront costs.
  • Exceptionally good app.
  • Competitive pricing.
  • Addional discount for Octopus Energy customers.
  • Easy to get charging receipts.
  • Easy setup.
The Plunge pricing is worth mentioning. When the UK grid predicts there will be excess capacity, the Electroverse app will notify you that a plunge pricing window is coming up, and this offers typically an additional 25% discount on charging price.

The App

The app itself is very good indeed, and does everything I need it to.
  • In app realtime charging info.
  • Real-time pricing.
  • Real-time charger availability.
  • Map filters on charging networks, connectors and speeds.
  • User contributed pictures of charging space.
Account setup was really easy, sign up on their website, link your payment card, and they post you out a tap card that is linked to your account. I think you can start using it before the card arrives, as you can start charging from within the app without needing the NFC card to arrive.

Given there are no upfront costs at all, not even to get the NFC card (take note Kia!), there is absolutely no reason not to get one for UK and EU charging, even if you decide you want to get a subscription too, and use Electroverse as your backup. 

Whilst I have pushed Electroverse as the alternative to charging subscriptions, there are charging subscriptions available within the Electroverse app if you want them, and these might be good for short term or one off longer trips, as a couple of charges would usually pay back the months cost. But it would require intricate trip planning to ensure a charger from that network is available on your route (my main gripe with subscriptions, which are a lock in, which might work on cities, but not elsewhere)


Final Note

As I have chosen to keep this blog free of advertising, please consider using this Octopus Electroverse referral link. Using the link below, we both get a free £5 of credit the first time we charge up, a win for both of us!  Thank You.




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