1000 mile UK holiday in an Electric Vehicle!
Can you take an electric car on a family holiday to Wales venturing far from the security of the UK motorway network’s rapid chargers? Of course you can!! Read on…. WCAG volunteer Karl shares insights into his family holiday using their pure electric car!
Preparing...
With our car packed full and fully charged we set off for Gwynedd, North Wales, a trip of 225 miles from Witchford, for the first part of our 10 day holiday. Will we get there the same day?
Top tip: abetterrouteplanner.com website or smartphone app is a useful resource. It predicted we should arrive at our destination in Wales with 15% left in the battery and this correlated well with the car’s nav system that suggested 16%.
Comfort break...
A long journey in an electric car is still a long journey in a car, so after few hours we needed a comfort stop and some lunch. We made a planned stop at Telford Services on the M54, arriving with 48% in the battery. Strictly speaking the car didn’t need a charge, but we knew Telford was quite well equipped for EVs (10 rapid chargers) and it was convenient to plug in anyway at one of the rapid chargers whilst we went into the services.
For those interested in data, the charge session at Telford services added 40% to the battery in 24 minutes at a cost of £10.71 (Sept 2021 prices). This does not tell the whole story though, unlike a petrol car you can leave an electric car at the pump and go into the services. We used the toilet, bought our lunch and returned to the car finding it now charged to 90%.
Top Tip: Have a look at zap-map.com website or smartphone app to see all the EV charge points in the UK. You can filter to show rapid chargers on your route or near a postcode or town.
Bed and breakfast...
We moved the car off the rapid charger before eating our lunch. It is important to note that charging the car at the services did not delay our journey to Wales even by a minute, the car charged faster than we could take a break. We had booked a few days in a B&B in Gwynedd, choosing it because it had a charger that residents can use. It was available to use it whenever we needed and for no additional cost.
Top tip: Airbnb.co.uk has a search filter to find holiday properties with an EV charger!
Camping...
We had 3 nights in the B&B and then moved onto the second part of our holiday, a week camping in Ceredigion, West Wales, approx 90 miles from the B&B. We had telephoned ahead and asked the campsite manager what their policy is for charging electric cars on the site. We had no problems during the week with a power outlet made available for us to use at no cost.
Compared to a motorway rapid charger, a charge at a campsite or at home will always seem slow, but the average UK family car is stationary for such long periods (>95% of the time), including overnight, so this doesn’t often matter. We did not need to charge every day despite driving every day including a long drive to Pembroke and back from the campsite in one day to visit family.
Top tip: check what connector plug/socket type is available at your destination, there are a small number of different types. A separate blog will cover these.
Getting home...
Our drive home from the campsite was 250 miles. We spent £8.51 on electricity using the same rapid chargers again at Telford Services and we arrived home with 36% charge in the battery. Again, charging the car did not delay our journey home even by a minute because we needed to stop for a break.
The finale...
10 days and 1000 miles later our holiday is over. Can you take a holiday in Wales in an electric car? Yes you can! Next year, can you take an electric car to the Alps?
Top tip: Do have a look at ABRP & ZapMap, they can help Electric car users (and those curious about having an electric car) visualise routes, energy use and charge facilities.