Since the COVID19 pandemic, the British Staycation has remained popular. British beaches, historic sites and beautiful scenery are up for grabs without having to go near an airport, and electric vehicles have become ever more popular over the past few years.
So, could the Staycation be achieved comfortably in an electric vehicle?
Plan your route
Just as you would with a petrol or diesel vehicle, you need to know where you can recharge on your journeys around the UK.
Zap-Map is the perfect app to use when planning your route. Not only will it show you 17,000 locations, you can also use it to plan your route and look for free to use chargers. Use Zap-Map to leave feedback on your experience using certain chargers and even find information to call the management companies responsible for charging points so you can be sure of their utility before you depart.
We do, however, recommend that you fully charge your EV before you start your journey to reduce the possibility of breaking down!
Best EVs for travelling
There are plenty of options for new EVs on the market, but which are best for Staycations and longer journeys?
Outdoors Magic recommends the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 for their long range, ample space, and pleasant driving feel. These family-sized hatchback SUVs are geared up for high-speed charging and the EV6 can travel up to 280 miles on a single charge.
For extra luxury, Forbes recommends the Tesla Model 3. The long-range version has a driving range of up to 353 miles and it has one of the speediest recharge times when using their Supercharger network – of which there are more than 650 in the UK. With All Wheel Drive, 360-degree cameras and 15 cubic feet of storage space, the Tesla Model 3 is perfect for road trips and holidays.
Breakdown assistance
A 2021 survey by Uswitch showed that almost 30% of EV drivers worry that their battery will run out while they are driving and 1 in 7 don’t think there are enough suitable mechanics to deal with newer electric cars.
These are certainly reasonable concerns since people have become accustomed to pulling over when they see a fuel station, using the pump and going into the kiosk to pay. Fear of the unknown whereby people need to use EV chargers that can be few and far between in more rural areas can be a real fear for people considering the switch to EVs.
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) showcases between 13,000-20,000 technicians who are qualified to work on plug-in EVs, which is almost 1 mechanic for 20 EVs. The IMI calls for more incentives within the motoring industry to increase the mechanics trained for working on EVs, including apprenticeship schemes.
If you do opt for breakdown cover, the RAC offers coverage of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid vehicles as standard, and they now have vans capable of lifting your EV off the floor in order to save time and prevent vehicle damage.
The AA also offers EV cover with no extra premium, plus they’ll tow you to a charging point if your battery runs out and their mechanics are High Voltage Awareness trained.
Hiring an electric car
If you don’t fancy taking the plunge and buying and electric car outright, or maybe you fancy trying it out first, you can always hire a car from a company such as Enterprise or Hertz.
Enterprise offer a range of hybrid and electric cars to choose from including the Nissan Leaf, Vauxhall Corsa-e, Toyota Prius Plug-In and Tesla models X and S. While smaller Enterprise branches don’t have charging points, they do provide customers with the chance to try out many different makes and models.
Hertz have made a huge commitment to the move towards electric vehicles. They already have “the largest EV rental fleet in North America” and promise that this will be filtering into Europe throughout 2022 and beyond.
Have we convinced you?
Electric vehicles are the future, especially as we get closer and closer to the banning of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030. As with any new technology, people are going to have reservations about taking the plunge but EVs could be the perfect affordable, smooth ride you are looking for in you Staycations and longer journeys.
Remember to charge up before you go, so enquire here to talk to our friendly team about EV charger installations.