In my last blog, I talked about how far my electric car can travel in different conditions. This time, I’m looking at how easy it is to charge—especially on a long trip (next time, I’ll write about the cost).
Most of the time, I charge at home, which is much easier and cheaper than filling up a petrol car. But recently, I drove 1,400 miles over two weeks from Scotland around Wales.
Before the trip, I downloaded a few apps:
- Zapmap – to find chargers
- Electroverse – to pay for charging
- Tesla app – just in case
The Journey to Wales
My first drive was 320 miles. My Hyundai Kona (65 kWh battery) has an official range of 319 miles. Since I was driving on motorways and I didn’t want to arrive with an empty battery I knew we’d need to stop.
My first stop was Killington Lakes services on the M6. I drove up to the first 240kW fast charger, plugged in and waved my credit card at the machine. It didn’t work. I reversed and moved across to the next bay, and it worked fine. Relief. Charging the car from 34 to 85% took 43 minutes, enough time to have a coffee and rest.
Later I stopped at a hotel in Wrexham with 350kW fast chargers. 45 minutes topped the car up from 50 to 91%.
The first lesson I learnt is that fast chargers are only really fast when the battery is between about 30% and 70%. After that, charging slows down to protect the battery.
Charging During the Holiday
In Betws-y-Coed, I used a 150 kW charger in a car park near shops and a fish and chip shop—very convenient. However there was a £10 extra charge if you stayed over an hour which didn’t give enough time to fully charge to 100% and I may also have been expected to pay £2 for parking each time I charged there.
In Aberystwyth, I used a 50 kW charger at Tesco—simple and easy. I think there was a maximum of 3 hours free parking there but this was sufficient time for us.
At Tenby leisure centre, things were trickier. 3 out of 4 chargers were (selfishly) blocked by petrol cars. The 22kW chargers only charged at 7kW with my own cable so I had to leave the car overnight and walk back to our accommodation.
At a friend’s house in Swansea, I charged using a normal 3-pin plug. This was very slow, 2.2 kW but it enabled me to top up overnight and have a full battery to start my journey home.
The Journey Home
Impressively I managed the 420-mile motorway journey home with only one stop. The 180kW fast charger at a M6 motorway service station increased my charge from 23 to 97% in one hour, enough time to sit in the sunshine for lunch. I arrived home with 13% battery left.
What I Learned
- Charging is quite easy on a relaxed trip but it may feel less convenient if you’re in a hurry or the weather is bad
- Most chargers were available, but I wouldn’t want to have to queu
- Fast chargers are good, but my Hyundai Kona is limited to a maximum of about 100kWh
- Also fast charging is not as fast as expected as charging slows down a lot after about 70–80%
- On long journeys it is therefore better to charge little and often (30% → 70–80%)
- The Electroverse card worked at most chargers
What Could Be Better
- Car chargers are like car parking charges – confusing with too many apps, payment methods and terms and conditions
- Charging rules and prices are not always clear – I couldn’t always read the digital screens in the glare of sunlight
- EV spaces should not be blocked by petrol cars (or overstaying EV’s)
- Some places popular with tourists still don’t have chargers (Haven Holidays leisure park at Tenby and National Botanic Garden of Wales).
Recommendations
- Make charging rules and pricing clearer – preferably legible digital information on the charger itself
- Standardise payment systems
- Stop petrol cars using EV charging bays
- Clearly show car parking rules at charging locations
Final Thoughts
Overall, charging an electric car was convenient enough for a relaxed holiday. It just needed a bit of planning and patience. With better infrastructure and clearer systems, it will become even easier in the future.
My next blog will look at the cost of charging—which is a whole different story!
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