Electric Vehicles: How To Plan An Electric Road Trip

With the UK’s first all-electric car charging forecourt opening in Essex and a shift in car buying moving towards hybrid and electric cars, it’s about time you get to know all about electric vehicles. 

Electric cars are the “new” thing, with the latest technology included and some of the best features we’ve ever seen in cars before, they’re definitely worth investing in. By definition, an electric vehicle, or most commonly known as an EV, is a car or van that runs purely on electric power via an onboard battery that gets charged from a chargepoint. 

If you’re planning on getting an electric vehicle or have already invested in one, here’s what you need to know about planning an electric road trip and our 3 top tips…

#1 Have You Brought A Charger?

Your EV charging cable is easily one of the most important things to take with you on your electric road trip, but also one of the easiest things to forget. Your charging cable is crucial in helping you get to where you need to be. With a realm of different chargers to use, you’ll need to find the one most suitable for your journey.

What Type Of Charger Do I Need?

Will you be going a short or long distance? How many stops will you be making? To help you figure out what charging cable or chargepoint you will need to find, we’ve broken down the key information for the top three main types of EV charger: 

  • Slow
  • Fast
  • Rapid

As the name suggests, the speed of the charger is faster with the rapid charger and slower with the slow charger. 

Slow chargers are often used for home charging, with 3kW to 6kW of power, taking approximately 6-12 hours to fully charge your EV. Whereas the rapid chargers supply high power directly or via an alternating current (DC or AC), charging your EV to 80% in approximately 20 minutes. 

In most cases, for a longer electric road trip, it might be best to find a fast chargepoint along your journey. That way you get the best of both worlds, an electric vehicle that’s charging quickly and also enough time to go and get yourself a drink and bite to eat in the meantime. 

Based on a 22kW fast charger, your EV will be fully charged in around 2 hours and you can find these types of chargers at supermarkets, car parks and leisure centres. 

In summary, you’ll need to remember your charge cable, and then plan your route based on the chargepoints that are dotted around the country. Each chargepoint will have different power and different charge times, so make sure you check this before you leave the house. 

#2 Plan Your Route

Another important thing to consider on your electric road trip, is where you are going to stop to charge up. You may have your charger but that’s not going to work if you don’t have a chargepoint.

Locate the best chargepoints along your trip and stop and “fuel’ up to ensure that your EV battery remains charged for your next stop. With an increase in people buying EV’s you may find that in bigger cities or areas, that you have to wait to use the chargepoints as typically there is only a couple to choose from. 

#3 Learn Your Battery Distance

When you’re planning an electric road trip, or even a road trip in a petrol or diesel car, you have to plan how much fuel you have left. In the case of an EV, you have to figure out how much battery charge you have left to get you to your next destination. 

“Range anxiety” (the fear of running out of battery) is a common problem for EV owners, and it is something that can be avoided with the right preparation and planning. But in the event you do run out of battery, there’s no need to panic. 

Before every journey you make, ensure you have a reliable roadside recovery to come and help you. We work nationally so our team can rescue you and your car no matter where you are across the UK. Our roadside assistance service covers all types of vehicles including EVs, motorcycles, commercial vehicles and buses. 

For more information about our roadside assistance services, call 0870 600 3444 and a member of our team will be able to help you.