How to charge an electric car on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway
Charging on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway could hardly be easier – and it’s the same whether you’re at one of our Electric Hubs, Electric Super Hubs or Electric Forecourts®.
You simply plug in, pay and away you go – there’s no fancy membership scheme required or complex processes to follow, and all our chargers are set up for contactless payment.
A step-by-step guide to charging your EV
Once you’ve found a charger (you can use our map or apps like Zap Map) and located your car’s charging port (right rear is most common), this easy-to-follow six point process explains the basics.- Identify the appropriate connector for your vehicle (either CCS, CHAdeMO or Type 2)
- Take the connector from the holster and plug it into your vehicle’s charge port
- Tap your debit/credit card or contactless payment device (e.g. the Google or Apple Pay app) against the payment terminal. Our payment system pre-authorises a £1 charge (all GRIDSERVE Electric Highway locations except at Moto Rugby) from your account, which is released once your EV charging session is complete
- Wait for the connector to lock into your vehicle and the charging session to begin (you’ll hear a few clunks and whirrs… this is perfectly normal)
- To end your EV charging session, tap your contactless card on the payment terminal
- Wait for the connector to unlock before returning it to the holster
What are the connector types?
First, you’ll need to identify the correct charging connector type for your EV – a bit like picking between a petrol or diesel pump at a filling station. On the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway you have two main options when using a Medium or High Power charger, but you’ll also see a third at some Low Power chargers. CCS This is the most common connector type for European vehicles from Porsche to Peugeot, and most new EVs use Combined Charging System (CCS) connectors. These connectors are featured on both our Medium and High Power chargers. CHAdeMO CHAdeMO is the connector type favoured by some Japanese car brands, including Nissan and the best-selling Leaf. These connectors are featured on both our Medium and High Power chargers. Type 2 AC You may also see a Type 2 AC connector option on the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. Sometimes this will be tethered, meaning it will feature its own charging cable like both the CCS and CHAdeMO connectors, but other times it may be offered as a socket, also called untethered. That’s because every electric car on sale today has an AC charging port, in addition to one of the other two connector types. Typically, manufacturers will supply you and your new car with your own Type 2 charging cable. It’s worth noting that this connector type offers a slower charge rate that’s more suitable for longer parking sessions. The Type 2 AC connector shouldn’t be confused with the Type 2 used by Tesla, and are exclusively compatible with the Tesla-branded Superchargers.
