Empowering EV Drivers Nationwide: FAQs
With the UK going electric by 2030, don’t let EV anxiety leave you feeling panicked. Explore our FAQs for EV drivers, site owners and fleet operators to become the next EV expert!
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Any electric vehicle that is DC compatible and charges via standard DC connectors can use our rapid chargers.
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All InstaVolt charging stations are equipped with CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors.
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Our stations are tethered, meaning the cables are attached, so other than some vehicle exceptions (below) you do not need to bring your own cable.
Tesla Model S & Model X drivers will need a CHAdeMO or CCS charging adaptor which can be purchased from your local Tesla dealer.
The Tesla Model 3 is compatible with CCS charging without a charging adaptor.
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All InstaVolt chargers cost £0.85 per kWh to use, with no need to worry about unexpected connection or membership fees. In other words, there are no surprises when you pay.
We believe EV driving should be for everyone, therefore you won’t need to worry about memberships or RFID cards when charging with InstaVolt.
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We’re easy to find! We have over 1,400 chargers across the UK and are expanding our network every day. All of our rapid charging stations can be found on our InstaVolt map or app via the location map. We are also listed on Zap-Map.com, the National ChargePoint Registry and on the ChargePoint app.
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No. The team at InstaVolt understands that the only surprises our customers enjoy are those that include a cake! That’s why you’ll find no surprises with our pricing when you charge with us. With no connection fee or monthly memberships required, all you have to do is pay for what you use.
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If you need assistance while charging with us, call our free driver support helpline on 0808 281 4444
We provide 24 hour care whenever and wherever you need it.
Our nationwide engineers and maintenance teams work morning, noon and night across the UK to ensure our network remains in top working order for our customers.
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Where possible, we aim to include accessible chargers in our locations. Addressing access is a core part of our strategy to ensure EV driving is a viable option for everyone.
However we, like others in the industry, encounter space challenges – particularly when we are retrofitting existing sites. However, where we are building a site from scratch, we have greater control over the layout and can incorporate more accessible spaces into our designs.
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If paying via contactless credit or debit card, a pre-authorisation fee of either £15 or £45 is temporarily reserved on your card. This is to validate your card and may be seen on your account as a “Pending Transaction”. This pre-authorisation amount will be cancelled and replaced with the actual amount you were charged for the kWh used during your session. Please note depending on your bank, this adjustment can take a few days to correct.
Please note that the pre-authorisation fee will apply each time a card is tapped on the charger or payment terminal. If you are unable to start a charge on your first attempt, we recommend you call our support team on 0808 281 4444.
To avoid pre-authorisation charges, sign up to the InstaVolt App.
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If no energy is dispensed then the £15 or £45 pre-authorisation will be cleared within 5-10 working days depending on how quickly your bank can clear £0.00 transactions.
Please note that the InstaVolt Team are unable to discuss queries regarding your bank. Should the pre-authorisation amount not be refunded within 5-10 working days, contact your bank for further assistance.
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The publicly advertised charging station power rating in kilowatt is an indication of the maximum power that the charging station can deliver to a vehicle. This level of power delivered at a charging station cannot be guaranteed as this is influenced by many external variables such as battery size, temperature and SoC (State of Charge).
As we charge a fixed price per kWh, a customer is charged only for the electricity dispensed during a charging session, regardless of the speed it is dispensed at.
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We now have chargers in 5 different regions (UK, Iceland, Spain, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland) and customers can now see all countries’ chargers from our UK website map, to help you plan your EV adventure, wherever you’re headed. To ensure accurate pricing, the displayed prices correspond to the region where the charger is located. Each charger’s specific price is shown on its site location page, reflecting the local pricing for that country. The different prices account for the varying costs in these regions.
Our prices across all regions are as follows:
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Charging with InstaVolt couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is:
Using your contactless debit or credit card, simply tap your card to the screen or payment terminal to get started. Alternatively, you can pay using our InstaVolt app.
InstaVolt’s DC rapid chargers are designed for any electric vehicle with CCS or CHAdeMO connectors. Just plug in and hit start.
When you’re finished, just press the stop button, remove the charging cable and pay only for what you used. Easy!
But don’t worry, when you use one of our rapid charging stations there will always be clear instructions displayed for your use.
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Our electric vehicle chargers are all rapid 50kW+ chargers. Rapid chargers are one of the fastest ways to charge your EV. According to Zap-Map, a standard EV could reach 80% charge in roughly 20-60 minutes depending on battery capacity and the battery level at the start of the charge.
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InstaVolt EV chargers deliver high power, DC charging from 50kW to 150kW via standard DC connectors. The majority of public chargers across the UK provide slower charging services ranging from 7kW to 22kW.
InstaVolt is one of the top three largest rapid charging networks in the UK.
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The publicly advertised charging station power rating in kilowatt is an indication of the maximum power that the charging station can deliver to a vehicle. This level of power delivered at a charging station cannot be guaranteed as this is influenced by many external variables such as battery size, temperature and SoC (State of Charge).
As we charge a fixed price per kWh, a customer is charged only for the electricity dispensed during a charging session, regardless of the speed it is dispensed at.
A.
We now have chargers in 5 different regions (UK, Iceland, Spain, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland) and customers can now see all countries’ chargers from our UK website map, to help you plan your EV adventure, wherever you’re headed. To ensure accurate pricing, the displayed prices correspond to the region where the charger is located. Each charger’s specific price is shown on its site location page, reflecting the local pricing for that country. The different prices account for the varying costs in these regions.
Our prices across all regions are as follows:
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No. We’ve designed our services so that they are available to all EV drivers. This means that our customers only need to tap and pay with their contactless debit or credit card if that is their preferred method of payment.
Customers do have the choice, however, of paying via the InstaVolt app. The choice is up to you!
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If you wish to delete your account, you can do so using the App or the Driver Portal as follows:
1. Mobile App: Open the menu select the ‘Settings’ option and ‘Delete Account’.
2. Driver Portal: Once logged in click on your name then select ‘My Profile’ then use the option at the bottom of the page to delete your account.
Please note that you can only delete your account if your Wallet balance is Zero. If you need to settle your account or withdraw your available balance please refer to the ‘Payment’ option.
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To generate a VAT receipt you can either visit our online VAT generator or use the app to export VAT receipt for your session when you charge using the app.
If you need assistance generating your VAT receipt, please email [email protected] with the following purchasing information:
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Although InstaVolt does not impose a maximum stay, drivers are encouraged to move their vehicle once they have completed a charging session to allow other drivers to take their place and charge their vehicles. Drivers are also advised to adhere to any parking enforcement on the site where the chargers are located. InstaVolt cannot be held liable for any fines or penalties incurred for failing to obey site-wide parking restrictions.
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No. InstaVolt operates on land operated by third parties, and as such drivers using the InstaVolt charging stations are required to adhere to existing on-site parking enforcement which can be found on signage at the location.
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If practical please contact the front desk or reception at the location you are charging at to see if the car owner can be identified. If this is not practical, please send an email to [email protected] with details of the site at which you attempted to charge, date and time. We can share this information with our partners on site and work together to reduce the risk of it happening again.
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We now have chargers in 5 different regions (UK, Iceland, Spain, Portugal and the Republic of Ireland) and customers can now see all countries’ chargers from our UK website map, to help you plan your EV adventure, wherever you’re headed. To ensure accurate pricing, the displayed prices correspond to the region where the charger is located. Each charger’s specific price is shown on its site location page, reflecting the local pricing for that country. The different prices account for the varying costs in these regions.
Our prices across all regions are as follows:
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All InstaVolt chargers cost £0.85 per kWh to use, with no need to worry about unexpected connection or membership fees. In other words, there will be no nasty surprises when you pay.
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Any electric vehicle that is DC compatible can use our rapid chargers. All InstaVolt charging stations are equipped with CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors.
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All InstaVolt charging stations are equipped with CHAdeMO and CCS2 connectors.
A.
Our stations are tethered, meaning the cables are attached, so other than some vehicle exceptions (below) you do not need to bring your own cable.
Tesla Model S & Model X drivers will need a CHAdeMO or CCS charging adaptor which can be purchased from your local Tesla dealer.
The Tesla Model 3 is compatible with CCS charging without a charging adaptor.
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Call our free driver support helpline on 0808 281 4444
We provide 24 hour care whenever and wherever you need it.
Our nationwide engineers and maintenance teams work morning, noon and night across the UK to ensure our network remains in top working order for our customers.
A.
Charging with InstaVolt couldn’t be easier. All your drivers have to do is:
Using the InstaVolt app or an InstaVolt RFID card, simply tap the screen to get started.
InstaVolt’s DC rapid chargers are designed for any EV with DC standard connectors. Just plug in and hit start.
When you’re finished, just press the stop button, remove the charging cable and pay only for what you used. Easy!
But don’t worry, when you use one of our rapid charging stations there will always be clear instructions displayed for your use.
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Having a fleet account with InstaVolt means you can easily view, track, and monitor your EV fleet charging using your personal business portal, helping you to manage your workforce effectively and understand the needs of your team.
You can also accurately forecast your fleet spending using the InstaVolt dashboard via desktop or mobile device. This can support you in building a constructive management strategy for your EV fleet.
We operate a nationwide network with 700+ charging stations located along major A and M roads, as well as providing 24 hour support if you or your drivers need it.
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Our electric vehicle chargers are all rapid and ultra rapid 50kW-150kW chargers. Rapid and ultra rapid chargers are one of the fastest ways to charge your EV. According to Zap-Map, a standard EV could reach 80% charge in roughly 20-60 minutes depending on battery capacity and the battery level at the start of the charge.
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InstaVolt EV chargers deliver high power, DC charging from 50kW to 150kW via DC standard connectors. The majority of public chargers across the UK provide slower charging services ranging from 7kW to 22kW.
InstaVolt is one of the top three largest rapid charging networks in the UK.
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No. You can easily view, track and monitor your EV fleet charging, whether your fleet is made up of 3 vehicles or 3,000!
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Fleet drivers have the option to use either the InstaVolt app when they pay, or their RFID card.
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Although InstaVolt does not impose a maximum stay, drivers are encouraged to move their vehicle once they have completed a charging session to allow other drivers to take their place and charge their vehicles. Drivers are also advised to adhere to any parking enforcement on the site where the chargers are located. InstaVolt cannot be held liable for any fines or penalties incurred for failing to obey site-wide parking restrictions.
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No. We strive to make EV charging easy for everyone, including our partner-landlords. That’s why we provide 24 hour care whenever, and wherever, our customers might need it.
Our nationwide engineers and maintenance teams work morning, noon and night across the UK to ensure our network remains in top working order for our customers. If they need help, all they have to do is call our free driver support helpline on 0808 281 4444.
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There’s no need to worry, because at InstaVolt we ensure our chargers are future-proof. The units we use can be upgraded as battery technology develops, meaning we don’t need to remove them or replace them as technology evolves.
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We have full insurance cover in place, including £10 million of public liability insurance. This means you don’t need to arrange any additional insurance, though we do recommend that you advise your own insurer that chargers have been installed on your site.
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We strive to make EV charging easy for everyone, including our partner-landlords. When you agree to install one of our chargers, we take care of everything, including obtaining planning permission, securing connections to the grid and installing the units.
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A typical installation consists of two chargers. To accommodate this, we would lease a small parcel of land, approximately the size of two-three car parking spaces.
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Before anything can be arranged, our team will need to visit your site(s) to identify viability for installation. Once this is agreed, we will discuss our commercial terms together (such as the rental income we pay you).
After this, we’ll conduct several detailed site surveys, before agreeing the layout of the charging bays with you. We’ll then submit planning and grid connection applications on your behalf. Once we receive permission to begin, we’ll install the units and get them connected to the grid.
Once the chargers are installed and operational, we’ll continue to monitor and maintain the units. We conduct an ongoing programme of maintenance that includes regular cleaning of the units, so that our chargers are always looking their best.
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We will work with you throughout the installation process to ensure that there is minimal disruption.
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Nothing at all. Our service is fully funded, and covers everything from planning applications and installation, to grid connection and maintenance. What’s more we’ll even pay you a rental income for letting us use your space.
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We make our money from the sale of electricity to drivers. As the number of electric vehicles on the road continues to grow, and with the new UK legislation that all new vehicles will be electric by 2030, we are able to recover our investment and expand our network.
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The length of our lease can range from 10 to 30 years, giving you a commitment to investment in EV infrastructure at your premises, as well as increased income and customer footfall.