Choosing an electric car for a road trip is great but where in the world can you realistically drive one without worrying about the next charge?
If you have a desire to be eco-friendly you may be watching closely at how the car industry is adapting to this ethos. The demise of petrol and diesel cars may not be that far away as the fuels that power them look at risk of being phased out in the UK and other countries.
Sue, that’s all great news for the climate but how useful is the electric car on a long drive? You may be asking yourself where on earth you can you realistically go on a road trip in these environmentally-friendly, cost-efficient cars. Let’s face it, not being able to charge up easily can really take the sparkle out of any on-the-road trip.
Turns out it is quite feasible to do so. According to research released by Comparethemarket.com, there are plenty of charging points on some of the world’s most popular trips.
1. Africa
Route: A 465-mile road trip from the port city Cape Town to Port Elizabeth on the N2 road. The route is more famously known as the Garden Route and passes the gorgeous sights of Jeffreys Bay Eastern Cape province, Knysna, and Mossel Bay. It will take around eight hours to complete if you did the trip in one go. Alternatively, take your time and nip off the N2 to check out the small towns on either side and then return to it later.
Charging: The EV will need around two charges and there’s a comforting 10 charging locations available along the route.
2. Japan
Route: This route from Osaka to Tokyo takes in diverse scenes from Kanagawa, Mount Asama, Kyoto in the mountainous region of Tamba highlands, as well as mesmerizing neon lights and skyscrapers. It will take around six hours.
Charging: You will need just one charge and you can choose from 250 charging locations along the route.
3. North America
Route: The iconic 2,015-mile route from Chicago to Los Angeles via I-80 W – also known as Route 66 – will take about 30 hours. You’ll get to pass through Iowa, Denver, Utah Memphis, Mississippi and Las Vegas.
Charging: You will need four charges for this trip. This route has around 137 charging points.
4. Italy
5. Portugal
Route: Porto to Lisbon road trip offers 195 miles of fun and frolics with plenty of beautiful sights, food and coastal views. it’s worth stopping in the riverside medieval city of Coimbra and cultural Alhandra along the way. It only takes three hours if you drive without a break.
Charging: You may need one charge but with 189 charging stations along the route, you’ll have plenty of choice.
6. Britain
Route: It’s a lovely 200-mile ride between Romanesque Bath and Falmouth in Cornwall almost reaching the toe of England. You will be passing popular holiday spots such as Weston-super-Mare, Topsham and Truro. At a leisurely speed it will take around four hours to finish.
Charging: You will need one charge and you will have 65 opportunities to charge along the way.
7. Germany
Route: Frankfurt to Hohenschwangau spans over 260 miles, it will take around 4 hours to pass through the historic city of Warburg and the picturesque town of Rothenburg is noted as being the most well-preserved medieval old town in Germany. From here the last segment of the route is over the famous Romantic Road to Hohenschwangau.
Charging: You will need just one charge and can choose from 91 charging points.
Who are the world leaders when it comes to electric vehicles?
The US takes the lead with over 17,680 charging locations and 29,252 charging stations. This is where the famous automotive and electric car brand, Tesla, is based and thanks to its and CEO and technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, the country has seen a surge in the number of EV sales.
Germany has over 11,802 charging locations and 28,967 stations, with the United Kingdom following behind with 6,959 charging locations and 17,616 stations.
Some countries have a long way to catch up. Aruba, Azerbaijan, Bermuda, Montenegro, Dominican Republic and Uganda all have just one charging point each.
Written by Sharron Livingston for The Travel Magazine