02/08/2022
One of the most common reasons why people are not switching to electric vehicles is the now familiar phrase, 'range anxiety'. Non-electric drivers are worried that they will breakdown by running out of charge before they reach their destination, that there are too few charging stations about the country and that it will take a long time to re-charge the vehicle's electric battery.
Well, help is at hand.
Just as the roadside assistance services - some call the 4th emergency service - daily assist drivers who have broken down for some reason at the roadside, so they will do with electric vehicle drivers and hybrid car drivers too. We've checked out the main roadside assistance providers and all offer electric vehicle cover. Within that breakdown cover they offer either a quick boost - 10 miles - to get you out of trouble, or recovery to the nearest charging point or your destination, whichever is closer. Rest assured that the AA, RAC and Green Flag have all kept up with the times and are now fully equipped to cope with electric vehicle breakdowns and roadside assistance. Remember that working on an electric vehicle is dangerous if you're not properly qualified or equipped, so let the experts deal with it.
According to the latest figures, EDF energy says that there are more than 42,000 charging point connectors in the UK, in over 15,500 locations which means there are more public places to charge than petrol stations. Not only are there motorway service stations that have charge points, but supermarkets, shopping centres, gyms, workplaces and public car parks also have them. There are several apps that can be downloaded to tell you the nearest charge point to your location, such as ZapMap.
A rapid charge of your vehicle can typically take about 20 minutes to half an hour to add about 100 miles of range. On a long motorway journey, you would probably stop for fuel and take a coffee and comfort break, so it need not be any different with an electric vehicle. Pod Point gives you an idea of how long charging might take and recommends the concept of top-up charging here.
Rapid and ultra-rapid charging networks are ever expanding. For example, Shell in the UK plans to increase their public EV charging points by ten-fold by 2030. This means that 90% of all UK drivers will be within a 10-minute drive of a Shell rapid charger.
This is not the whole story, but we hope these points have helped relieve your range anxiety.
If you'd like to take a test drive in an electric car and experience it for yourself, then contact our dealerships and book in with one of our experts. You can be driven in the electric car of your choice, take over and drive it yourself and ask lots and lots of questions on the way! No problem. Just get in touch and we'll be happy to assist.
References:
https://www.theaa.com/breakdown-cover/electric-cars
https://www.rac.co.uk/breakdown-cover/electric-car-breakdown-cover
https://www.greenflag.com/breakdown-cover/electric-vehicle
https://www.edfenergy.com/electric-cars/charging-points#
https://www.zap-map.com/live/
https://pod-point.com/guides/driver/how-long-to-charge-an-electric-car
https://www.shell.co.uk/motorist/ev-charging.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=textad&utm_campaign=SHELL_RETAIL_UK_SHELLGO_ALWAYSON_Search_Google_Non-Brand_Exact_Recharge_NA
