After a year of driving an electric vehicle, this driver believed she had become adept at using public charging points. However, a recent trip underscored just how unprepared the UK is for a rapid shift from petrol to electric by 2030.
Journalist Victoria Chessum was returning from a coastal holiday in Minehead, Somerset, to her home in Folkestone, Kent. Google Maps indicated that the journey would span 242 miles and take approximately 4.5 hours without traffic or stops. Their 20-plate Mercedes EQC has a range of 235 miles before it requires recharging, so she and her family scheduled a quick top-up at a service station along the way.
Electric vehicles are quite clever; they notify you well ahead of time when you're likely to run out of charge and direct you to the closest charging stations, which are abundant on the country's motorway network. Most car manufacturers also provide an app that tells you when your car has sufficient charge to finish your pre-set journey.
Victoria, a journalist at The Mirror, had a seamless experience on her trip to Minehead and did not foresee any problems on the return leg. On their outward journey, they decided to stop at Amesbury Service Station, a contemporary facility with numerous drive-thru lunch options and chargers that replenished the car by 120 miles in less than half an hour.
She claimed that this convenience cost them around £30, a price many EV drivers are prepared to pay for speedy charging. The GridServe charging points were first-rate, so when she noticed another service station with rapid charging facilities on a slightly altered route home, she innocently assumed they would only be halting for a mere 15 minutes before resuming their journey. How wrong she was.

Their initial halt was at Leigh Delamere Service Station on the M4, where nearly every EV point was taken. In true British style, four or five drivers huddled around the parking spaces, engaged in what seemed to be a grave discussion as they pulled in.
It turned out that these chargers were painfully slow, and their speed would diminish even further when another user hooked up their vehicle. So, after a 30-minute wait and gaining less than 40 miles of charge, Victoria decided to try her luck at another service point in pursuit of a swift charge, but it was "time wasted".
She was guided to Chieveley services, an additional 57 miles down the motorway, where she was promised that functioning rapid chargers awaited them. However, upon arrival, she was met with a visibly stressed car park attendant and a throng of EV users loitering about once more.
It came to light that several of the chargers had broken down - some weren't accepting card payments, while others failed to recognise that cars were even plugged in. It was challenging to determine if any of them were actually working.
With only a single charging slot remaining and a helpline number to call, they found themselves inadvertently becoming ambassadors for Chieveley's electric vehicle community. Victoria didn't have sufficient charge to get home, and it was unclear whether she could make it to the nearest charging station.
Given their limited alternatives, they chose to stay put and hope for the best. As they waited, numerous electric vehicles were prowling the car park, with some drivers departing upon seeing others in difficulty. Cars desperately needing a recharge had no option but to park in standard spaces and wait.
While waiting for the pump to reset, a mother and son returning from Heathrow Airport to the West Country discovered their charging point was also malfunctioning. With just 15 miles of charge remaining, they too had no choice but to wait for a resolution.
After a seamless flight from LA back to the UK, their only travel hiccup was with their electric vehicle. After nearly an hour, their charger finally acknowledged the car, and it appeared they were finally charging up.
Despite feeling relieved, the driver had lost approximately 1.5 hours attempting to charge, prolonging an already long journey home with a four-year-old child susceptible to travel sickness. Was this ordeal necessary? In a nutshell, no.
Chargers are now a common sight at nearly all motorway service stations, but it's always a toss-up whether you'll stumble upon a slow or fast charger until you arrive. This is unless you're an EV driver who regularly covers long distances and has become familiar with which chargers to dodge and which ones to make a beeline for when pressed for time.
Like many tech devices, they often fail, break down or malfunction. Will there be a quicker backup reboot available at these public service stations given people's clear dependence on them?
Keir Starmer announced last month that by 2030, car manufacturers will be banned from selling new petrol and diesel cars, with the exception of hybrids, which can continue to be sold until 2035. According to the government, demand for EVs is on the upswing, with sales surging by 40% in March compared to the previous year. And this driver can certainly believe it.
However, the infrastructure needs to ramp up significantly, with fast chargers readily accessible everywhere. For those living in residential areas without driveways or off-street parking, more efforts need to be made to ensure they have the necessary equipment.
As for those embarking on long journeys in an EV, we can only hope this writer's incident was a one-off.
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