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Service stations are all too often underappreciated. But a good service station can be a lifesaver on a long journey. They’re a place to take a much-needed break from travelling, an opportunity to stretch your legs, freshen up, and refill your batteries with a cup of something hot and maybe some food.
Today’s service stations are also an ideal place to recharge your EV’s battery, especially considering many of them now offer rapid charging and ultra-rapid charging, allowing you to top-up your electric car in tens of minutes.
To make sure you know which service stations to look out for on your travels, here we give you our top 10 EV service stations. These stops offer excellent EV charging facilities, plus a host of eateries and other shops*.
*All details are correct at the time of writing, but the specifics of each service station may change over time.
Found off Junction 8A on the M40, Welcome Break Oxford Services is a convenient place for EV drivers to stop to recharge when heading from London to Birmingham. Oxford Services currently offers GRIDSERVE charges and Tesla Supercharger, whilst a new on-site Applegreen Electric charging hub is set to go live towards the very end of 2024.
You can also take advantage of two hours of free parking to grab some food at locations like Pizza Express or Waitrose. The toilets here were awarded platinum status in the Loo of the Year 2024 awards.
Located between Junctions J9 and J10 of the M25, to the south-west edge of London, Cobham Services is the UK’s largest service station. It’s an excellent destination for EV drivers as it offers 21 charge points – 18 ultra-rapid 350KW chargers operated by Ionity, plus three 60KW chargers operated by GRIDSERVE.
As a major hub for road travellers, at Cobham you’ll have a wide choice of food outlets, including Leon, Pizza Express, and Nando’s, as well as play areas, free showers, and even a scenic lake walk.
Sitting just across the road from Stansted Airport, Birchanger Green is a modern service station with a plush, shopping mall feel. It operates 34 EV charge points (32 of them are ultra-rapid charge points) including Applegreen Electric, GRIDSERVE, and Tesla Supercharger stations.
Birchanger Green services is a great place to stop whether you’re headed into or out of London. As well as recharging your EV, you’ll find all the facilities you’d expect from a large service station. There are toilets and free showers, as well as food from Waitrose, Pret A Manger, The Good Breakfast, and more.
If you’re driving through Kent, Medway Services between Junctions 4 and 5 of the M2, is a great place to make a stop. Moto Medway has 38 charge stations, with 34 of them ultra-rapid charge points.
Whilst recharging your EV, head into the service station to make use of toilets, changing, and showering facilities. You can also enjoy a range of food outlets including Gregs, Costa, M&S Food, KFC, and more.
A stone’s throw from Heathrow Airport, Moto Heston is a large service station split into eastbound and westbound sections. It offers 48 charge points, 45 of which are ultra-rapid chargers, making it an excellent place to stop whether you’re heading to the airport or into Central London.
A stop at Heston is a great opportunity to use their comprehensive facilities, including toilets, showers, changing areas, and a range of shops and food options like WHSmith, M&S Food, and Burger King.
Found between Junctions 17 and 18 on the M4, Leigh Delamere Services is ideally placed for drivers heading east or west across the south of England. And with 34 charge stations available, 28 of which are ultra-rapid chargers, it’s a great place to quickly top your EV battery up as you stretch your legs.
As well as its charging facilities, Leigh Delamere Services offers changing areas and showers, Wi-Fi access, kids’ play areas, and a wide range of food retailers, including Greggs, Costa, and Pret A Manger.
Just off the M42 to the south of Birmingham, Hopwood Park is ideally situated for drivers heading through the Midlands. And with a huge 46 electric vehicle charging stations available, including 44 ultra-rapid chargers, you’re sure to find a free charging point with little to no wait.
Parking is free for up to two hours at Hopwood Park, giving you plenty of time to top-up your own batteries at one of the service station’s eateries, like Chopstix Noodle Bar or The Good Breakfast.
Situated between Junctions 11 and 12 on the M4, Reading Services is another large service station offering a large number of charge points. It currently has a whopping 52 EV chargers, including an impressive 44 ultra-rapid chargers.
As a large service station (two combined service stations, one eastbound, one westbound), Reading Services has plenty more to offer, from Krispy Kreme donuts to M&S Food and from gaming areas to dog walking facilities.
Currently the UK service station with the most electric charge points available, if you’re driving through the West Country in an electric car, Moto Exeter is an excellent place to stop and recharge. Exeter Services currently offers 56 EV chargers, including 24 GRIDSERVE charge points and 12 Tesla Superchargers.
Whilst you’re stopping to recharge, you can also benefit from Moto Exeter’s extensive services, including M&S Food, Chow Asian Kitchen, the West Cornwall Pasty Co, and showering facilities.
Located just off the M6 to the north of Rugby, Moto Rugby is an award-winning service station, voted the UK’s number one service station two years running.
Rugby Services has the second highest number of EV charging points available at a UK service station (after Exeter), which is 20 x 150kW chargers, plus 12 x superchargers It offers fast and ultra-rapid chargers from a range of networks, including Tesla Superchargers and GRIDSERVE.
In addition to its charging facilities, Moto Rugby offers everything you’d expect from such a well-regarded service station, including a wide range of food outlets, like Greggs, KFC, and Pret A Manger. Plus showers, indoor and outdoor kids’ play areas, and even a dog walking area, which just tips it over Exeter as the best all-round service station in the UK.
To make the most of charging at a service station, make sure you’ve got the right EV app on your phone or tablet. Some of the most widely used include:
Most service stations do have EV charge points, and the number is expanding month on month as electric cars become ever more popular.
The UK government committed to making sure every motorway service station in England had six or more rapid or ultra-rapid EV charge stations by the end of 2023, and whilst that target wasn’t met it’s likely that fast charging will be available at most service stations throughout the UK in the near future.
It’s a sensible idea to install an EV charging app (see above) on your phone or tablet before you leave home to make sure you stop at a service station that offers EV charging.
Virtually all of the latest EVs, and charge points, have CCS connections, but there are still Chademo connections for older EVs such as the Nissan LEAF.
In most cases, you’ll be able to use any EV charge point at UK service stations. The only exceptions are if a cable isn’t compatible with your car, or if the charge points are operated by a charging network that you’re not a member of and that doesn’t allow non-members to use them. Most charging networks do allow non-members to access them, but we recommend installing an EV charging app to help make sure you can easily find charge points you can use.
According to Zapmap, as of the end of September 2024, there were 70,434 public EV charging points available across the UK at 35,810 charging locations.
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