Gatwick is the UK's second-busiest airport and, unlike some airports, it's made real progress on EV infrastructure in recent years. Whether you're looking for a hotel nearby with overnight charging, or you just want to know where to top up before you fly, this guide covers everything.
Gatwick's EV Charging Landscape
The airport itself has EV charging points in several of its car parks — predominantly in the long-stay and short-stay facilities for both North and South terminals. These are useful if you're picking someone up or need a quick boost, but they're not cheap, and availability at peak times can be patchy.
For longer stays, a hotel with EV charging is almost always the better option. You pay for accommodation you'd be booking anyway, charge overnight, and avoid airport parking charges.
Best Areas to Stay Near Gatwick as an EV Driver
Crawley
The town directly north of Gatwick has a solid selection of hotels, many of which have upgraded their EV facilities to meet demand. Journey time to the terminals is usually under 15 minutes by road or shuttle.
Horley
A quieter option just north of the airport. Good for drivers coming from the south or southeast. Several guesthouses and mid-range hotels have added EV points in the last couple of years.
Redhill and Reigate
A bit further out but worth considering for longer pre-flight stays. Better selection of independent hotels, some with multiple EV bays.
Charging labels on Sento
Stays on Sento are labelled charging on-site, charging nearby or standard — confirm charging with the property or a live charging map such as Zapmap before you travel. A Sento Charging Promise is coming soon.
Public Charging Near Gatwick
If you need a quick top-up rather than an overnight stay, the area around Gatwick has a reasonable number of public charge points:
- Gridserve Gatwick — one of the better rapid charging hubs in the area, located on the approach roads
- BP Pulse at Tesco — several locations in Crawley and Horley
- Pod Point at supermarkets — variable speed but useful for an hour's shop-and-charge
Always have a backup app (Zap-Map is the best in the UK) in case your preferred network has an outage.
Arriving at Gatwick in an EV: Tips
- Plan to arrive with at least 30% charge — airport approaches can be slow and unpredictable
- Book your hotel with EV charging in advance — bays get taken, especially in summer and school holidays
- Check the last-date on Sento listings — anything checked in the last 3 months is reliable
- Download your network app before you travel — Osprey, Gridserve and BP Pulse all have apps; contactless is increasingly common but not universal