Electric Vehicle Charging at UK Airports
As we move towards becoming a more sustainable nation, many drivers are considering, or are already, switching to an electric vehicle. From the obvious environmental benefits and low running costs to the improved driving experiences and government grants available, it comes as no surprise that the demand for electric vehicles is on the rise and quite naturally, so is the demand for electric vehicle or EV charging stations.
These days spotting them in a public car park is no longer a rare sight; even on a walk around a residential estate, you might see them fixed to the sides of houses thanks to a government grant of up to 75% towards the cost of installing a home EV charging point.
With that in mind, one might assume that these charging stations were a given at UK airports, right? But in fact, it’s quite the opposite. At the time of writing, just 46% of the UK airports we looked into have electric vehicle charging points available.
Below we have listed the airports we investigated and whether or not they have EV charging stations. If they do, we have provided you with a little information about the charging point and a link to the airports’ relevant page via the 🚘. We’ve also listed a range of FAQs about EV Charging you may find useful!
If they don’t, we have included the response from Customer Service and information on where you can find the nearest EV charging station to the airport.
Which airports offer electric vehicle charging?
| Airport | Do they have Electric Vehicle Charging? |
More Info |
|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Airport |
Yes |
4 in Short Stay and 2 Priority Parking car parks. You’ll need to bring your own cables, too. 🚘 |
| Belfast City Airport |
No |
None at the airport. The closest point can be found a 5-minute drive away at IKEA Hollywood Exchange, 306 Airport Road West, Belfast BT3 9EJ. They have 2 bays with one 43kW Type 2 (Tethered Connector) and one 50kW CHAdeMO port. You’ll need to be registered with Ecotricity. Usage Cost: £0.30/kWh; £0.15/kWh for Ecotricity energy customers; refunded in store |
| Belfast International Airport |
Unknown |
We’re waiting to hear from the airport as to whether they have any EV points in their official car parks. However, if you head to the Crumlin Community Centre, BT29 4UP, you’ll find two 22kW Type 2 (Socket Only) points. Charging is free but there may be a parking fee. |
| Birmingham Airport |
Yes |
Located in the Premium Set Down Car Park. You must be registered with Ecotricity. First hour of parking is discounted to £2. 🚘 |
| Bournemouth Airport |
No |
None at the airport. Just a short 2-minute drive away, you’ll find a point at Jets Bournemouth. They have one 22kW Type 2 (Socket Only) port and charges apply. |
| Bristol Airport |
Yes |
You’ll find 2 in Zone D Row 7 of the Long Stay Car Park and will get 2 free hours of parking to charge before you leave. 🚘 |
| Cardiff Airport |
Yes |
Nine chargers were planned for the airport. Installation in the staff car park and Meet & Greet car park were completed in early 2020. The final phase to include the Short Stay car park was also planned for early 2020 but we are yet to receive confirmation that they have been completed. 🚘 |
| Dublin Airport |
Yes |
12 spots spread across The Multi-Storey, Short Term, Express Long Term and Holiday Blue Long Term car parks. The points are 3KW slow chargers.🚘 |
| East Midlands Airport |
No |
Response from Customer Service, “Hi there! There are currently no electric charging areas available for passengers here at East Midlands Airport.”. |
| Edinburgh Airport |
Yes |
None in the official car parks: Response from Customer Service, “Unfortunately, we do not have dedicated spaces for electric vehicles. We currently offer charging points for Tesla vehicles on Almond Road, across from Almond House. For all other vehicles, there is a rapid charger located at the nearby Ingliston park & ride.”🚘 |
| Exeter Airport |
No |
Response from Customer Service, “I’m sorry but we do not have any charging points within our car parks at present. |
| Gatwick Airport |
Yes |
They have eight 22kW chargers across the short stay car parks at both terminals. Download the POD Point Open Charge app before you arrive. You don’t need to prebook but you can check live updates on what spaces are available. 🚘 |
| Glasgow Airport |
Yes |
We are waiting to see if the official car parks have EV charging.🚘 |
| Heathrow Airport |
Yes |
All Short Stay car parks have EV Charging Points. They are 7KW slower chargers. 🚘 |
| Humberside Airport |
No |
Response from Customer Service, “Unfortunately, we do not have any electric vehicle charging facilities currently at the airport. This is something we are looking into at the moment but we have no confirmed timescale for this” |
| Inverness Airport |
No |
Response from Customer Service, “Unfortunately we do not currently have any electric charge points at Inverness Airport that are available to the public, however we do plan on introducing these in the future.” |
| Leeds Bradford Airport |
Yes |
They have 3 WallPod Charge Points in the Viking Airport Parking car park. Please make sure to verify your vehicle is compatible with the WallPod: EV Commercial Chargers. Let them know your manufacturer’s recommended charging time and please supply a suitable connection cable.🚘 |
| Liverpool Airport |
Yes |
EV Charging points are available in the Long Stay Car Park |
| London City Airport |
No |
But they do state on their site a number of close-by hotels have EV Charging points, the closest being Ibis Budget London City Airport |
| Luton Airport |
Yes |
You’ll find 10 EV charging points on the 2nd floor of Terminal Car Park 1. There is a maximum of eight hours of charging in the actual charging bays 🚘 |
| Manchester Airport |
Unknown |
We are yet to receive confirmation that there any in Manchester Airport official car parks But we do know that close-by hotels do offer electric vehicle charging. Head to the Manchester Airport Marriott Hotel on Hale Road where you’ll find one 7kW Type 2 (Socket Only) point and one 3kW BS1363 3 Pin 13 Amp. It’ll cost you £10 to use plus a parking fee, though. |
| Newcastle Airport |
Yes |
They can be found in the Short Stay 1 car park. Customer Service adds, “Unfortunately you are unable to reserve EV bays, they are essentially a first come first served basis, however, the car parks are currently quiet due to low passenger demand so should be easy enough to find an EV bay.” 🚘 |
| Norwich Airport |
No |
None at the airport. If you are a Polar Plus subscription member, you can use the chargings points at Norwich Airport Park and Ride, Buck Courtney Crescent, Mile Cross, NR6 6JT. They have two 7Kw Type 2 (Socket Only) points and two 3kW BS1363 3 Pin 13 Amp points. If you’re not a member, Mcdonald’s-Norwich Airport on Delft Way is your best option. They have two 7kW Type 2 (Socket Only) points, but you need to be a Pod Point UK member. Charging is free but parking fees may apply. |
| Prestwick Airport |
No |
The closest EV Charging point to Prestwick Airport is a private facility for staff, visitors and customers of NATS Prestwick. The closest public point is at The Smithy, Sandyford Toll, KA9 2SP. Here you’ll find one 50kW CCS (Type 2), one 50kW CHAdeMO and one 43kW Type 2 (Tethered Connector) point. Usage Cost: |
| Shannon Airport |
No |
Response from Customer Service, I just want to advise that, unfortunately we don’t have an electric charging point in the airport for electric cars. The nearest one available to the public is the Topaz garage in Shannon Town. It’s beside McDonald’s restaurant and on the main road into Shannon. |
| Southampton Airport |
Yes |
4 EV charging stations in Short Stay and 2 Priority Parking. You can turn up and use or pre-book. 🚘 |
| Southend Airport |
Unknown |
We are awaiting a response from the airport to know if they have any on their official car parks but we do know the next closest Public use one is in Shell Sovereign, 96-118 Prince Avenue, SS2 6NN. They have one 43kW Type 2 (Tethered Connector), one 50kW CCS (Type 2) and one 50kW CHAdeMO. Usage cost is 39p/kWh incl. VAT. |
| Stansted Airport |
No |
Response from Customer Service, Hi there! Whilst we currently do not have any electric vehicle charging facilities on site, we’re always looking to improve the facilities we provide & we’ll be sure to update you as and when we have more information on this.” |
| Teesside International Airport |
No |
None at the airport but you can find your nearest just 8 minutes away at the Abbeyfield Lodge. They have one 8 kW Tesla (Model S/X). Alternatively, you can find two 22kW Type 2 (Socket Only) points at Prestige Motor Services Ltd, 10 Cowton Way, TS16 0RE |
Electric Vehicle Charging Point FAQs
So now we have explored the airports that do have them and those that don’t, let’s see if we can answer any of the other frequently asked questions about EV Charging at airports.
How much does it cost to charge an electric car?
At an airport, it’s usually free and as seen in the table above, that seems to be right, you’ll just pay for the parking.
If you are charging from home or from a nearby charging station, it can cost from around 10p-14p per kWh. When you consider the cost of petrol sits anywhere between 123p-143p per litre, you can see just how huge the savings can be with an electric vehicle!
How long does it take to charge an electric car?
This will depend on the size of your battery and which of the 3 charger types you’re using; Slow, Fast or Rapid.
You can expect your charge to take anywhere from 30 minutes to over 12 hours. You should factor in whether you have run the battery to empty or whether you just need a top-up to gauge how long it might take.
Do you pay for parking at electric car charging stations?
If you are parking for a short period (picking up or dropping off passengers for example), then usually, the parking is free, too. This will vary depending on the airport however as, as you will see in Birmingham Airports’ case, the first hour of parking is discounted to £2, most likely because it’s in their Premium Set Down area.
Going off on a trip? Then you will need to pay for parking as you would normally; simply use the charger before or after you jet off. You won’t be able to leave your car in a charging bay whilst you’re away so be sure to factor in your timings when planning your trip to or from the airport.
Am I guaranteed an electric car parking space?
No, unfortunately not as most spaces operate on a first come, first served basis. You can however get live updates on what spaces are available using apps such as Pod Point.
Hopefully, this has been useful to you! We endeavour to keep our information as up to date as possible and we will fill in the blanks once we have official responses from the airports. In the meantime, be sure to leave us a comment below if you know of any further information or want to share your experience of using EV charging stations at airports.