New Electric Road Trip signposts booming charging network
Motoring expert and former model Jodie Kidd has teamed up with the Department for Transport to showcase the UK’s growing charging network through a new Electric Road Trip Campaign.
The nationwide showcase aims to address misconceptions and ignorance about public charging and highlight the widespread availability of charging at tourist hotspots as well as on key routes.
Backed by the DfT and many of the UK’s leading chargepoint operators, the Electric Road Trip comes hot on the heels of the Government’s Get That Electric Feeling campaign aiming to encourage drivers to switch to an EV.
The Electric Road Trip showcases charging locations in major tourist attractions, iconic locations and scenic rural spots, and highlights the fact there are now twice as many EV chargers as there are fuel pumps, with more than 118,000 devices nationwide.
It comes in response to research which found that 71% of drivers thought there were more fuel pumps than EV chargers and 39% didn’t realise they could charge at tourist hotspots.
Commenting on the campaign, Jodie Kidd said: “I’ve always loved road trips and driving an electric vehicle has made them even better. There are chargers even at the most beautiful, unexpected places – you stop, take in the view and you’re back on the road.
“Once you realise how vast the UK charging network is, going on an electric road trip is smooth and easy – the whole country is open for an electric adventure.”
The study also found that more than a fifth (22%) of motorists thought chargers were mostly located on motorways or at supermarkets and a third (35%) said better access to public charging would convince them to go electric.
Chargers around the country have been wrapped in special liveries as part of the campaign, which has seen investment from CPOs Fastned, Osprey, BE.EV, plus Believ, Gridserve, PodPoint, RAW Charging, Source and TotalEnergies.
Tom Hurst, UK country director at Fastned, commented: “We are proud to partner with the Department for Transport to energise electric travel across the UK. From Cornwall to Dundee, and across to Banbridge in Northern Ireland, our network is expanding at pace and we are continually working to update and build infrastructure to connect every corner of the country.”
Asif Ghafoor, CEO at Be.EV added: “The Electric Road Trip is a brilliant reminder that going electric doesn’t mean compromising on your journey. Great charging experiences are how we get more drivers to make the switch, and we’re proud to be part of that story.”
