The car’s packed, you’ve taken time off work and you’re about to embark on the journey to see friends and family for the festive period; it’s the trip that signals Christmas is underway.
But while it’s a journey that should have a very happy destination and merriment at the other end, it can be a taxing annual voyage because the roads are at their very busiest.
And the Christmas road landscape is rapidly changing as electric vehicle uptake increases and more and more battery-powered cars join the roads.
For thousands of new EV owners, this year will be the first pilgrimage home over the festive period driving an electric car.
So, what do you need to know before embarking on a festive trip in your EV and what’s the best way to go about charging?
Here are our tips and tricks to make sure you have the smoothest journey possible, whether you’re an electric car newbie or a long-time convert.
What do you need to know before embarking on a festive trip in your EV? Here are our top tips
Will there to be massive queues for charging stations at Christmas?
During the festive period, the number of cars on the road surges exponentially: the RAC estimates there will be 29 million leisure trips taken over peak Christmas period.
And with 2024 marking the year the one millionth electric car hit the road, that means more EVs than ever will be driving home for Christmas this year.
Be.EV predicts that there will be 300,000 new EV drivers on the roads this Christmas – so plenty who haven’t experienced the rigors of a holiday season schlep home.
And this has caused chaos in previous years.
No one needs a repeat of the 2022 festive EV charging drama, when EV drivers – in particular Tesla owners – were forced to wait in three-hour queues.
Luckily, this hasn’t repeated since, and is highly unlikely to happen again because the EV rapid charging network has grown dramatically in the last 24 months.
The ultra-rapid charging situation in England has never been better
To ease a bit of pre-Christmas charging anxiety, recent research shows that ultra-rapid charger provision has grown at a particularly high rate in 2024.
There were 60 per cent more ultra-rapid chargers at the end of September 2024 than there were in December 2023.
Half of motorway services in England have six or more ultra-rapid chargers – and 2,300 devices have been installed already this year.
The 150kW+ chargers can deliver 100 miles of range in as little as 15 minutes.
Each motorway services has an average of seven 50kW+ chargers, meaning there is a total of 818 at 114 sites.
Looking only at ultra-rapid chargers, there’s an average of five at every services in England (595 at 114 sites).
Ultra-rapid chargers have grown at a particularly high rate, with more than 2,300 installed this year. There are 60% more ultra-rapid chargers at the end of September 2024 than there were in December 2023
Which are the worst times to rapid charge at service stations? Days and hours to avoid around Christmas
Last year, charging provider Gridserve crunched the numbers to work out the busiest times at chargers.
December 23 was highlighted as a possible pinch point as families look to beat the Christmas Eve rush.
Chargers are then predicted to emptier across the Christmas bank holiday, with demand jumping again on 27 and 28 December, as people head home after spending a few days with loved ones.
Across its motorway public charger network, Gridserve also pinpointed 1pm as the busiest time.
It says 10am is quieter, by 19 per cent, while 5pm sees demand drop against the peak by 25 per cent.
Pre-9am and post-6pm is even quieter, it says.
Based on these timings, if possible, it’s best to plan in a motorway rapid charge either early to mid-morning, or late afternoon to ensure you can access a device almost immediately – especially if you are planning to travel on the busiest days.
Which motorways are predicted to be the worst?
According to Be.EV, the M1, M5, M6 and M60 all expected to face severe traffic over the festive break.
The M25 anticipated to be worse off as Londoners flee the city to visit friends and relatives.
200 additional 150kW+ ultra-rapid EV chargers have been installed at motorway services in England since the beginning of the year, research from Zapmap and the RAC shows
Best service stations for ultra-rapid charger provision (and the ones to avoid)
There are six well-located motorway services that have more than 12 150kW+ devices: Reading, M4 east and westbound; Cobham M25; Exeter M5; Gloucester M5 northbound; and Frankley M5 southbound.
The two services with the most 150kW+ chargers are Frankley on the M5 southbound, which has 28 ultra-rapid chargers, and Reading on the M4 westbound with 25.
And many locations also have additional Tesla chargers.
Only four service stations do not have any charging provision over 50kW at present.
These include: Leicester Forest East M1 north and southbound; Sedgemoor M5 northbound; and Telford M54.
Ultra-rapid chargers near the busiest service stations (so you can avoid the service station charging queue)
Be.EV has compiled a list of charging hubs within ten minutes of motorway junctions for EV drivers to combat potential queues.
Those heading through Manchester this Christmas can use the 16 ultra-rapid charging bays at Sale Water Park, accessible by exiting at Junction six of the M60, and 15 ultra-rapid bays at Decathlon Stockport, next to Junction one of the M60.
If you’re needing to do some last minute Christmas shopping, the 10-bays of White City Retail Park is ten minutes from Junction seven of the M60, and is home to the likes of Curry’s, PC World and an M&S Food Hall.
All sites are equipped with ultra-rapid Kempower chargers that can add up to 165 miles of charge in a short 20-minute stop.
Be.EV has compiled a list of charging hubs within ten minutes of motorway junctions for EV drivers to combat charging queues
If drivers are looking to charge on their way through Birmingham, then they can venture ten minutes from the M6 to BP Pulse’s NEC East 40-bay ultra-rapid charging hub.
Drivers taking the M6 all the way up to Carlisle can find eight ultra-rapid charging bays available to use at IMO Carlisle, which is minutes from Junction 44.
Further south, along the M25, there are ultra-rapid charging bays in Cobham, Watford, Waltham Abbey, Chafford Hundred, Dunton Green and Redhill – all within a ten minute drive of their respective motorway exits.
On the M1, Leicester has three ultra-rapid charging hubs within minutes of Junction 21, and for those driving as far North as Nottingham, there are two hubs a short drive from Junction 26.
Just past Nottingham, the IMO Car Wash in Alfreton is host to eight ultra-rapid charging bays, whilst those travelling through Sheffield can head towards the Charging Hub at Parkway Central Retail Park with nine ultra-rapid charging bays.
Here, drivers can grab a coffee at nearby Starbucks, or a bite to eat at Burger King or Greggs before heading back on the road.
What is the correct EV charging etiquette?
Rule one: Never jump the queue.
Even when you’ve planned ahead there can be a line of people waiting, especially during peak time, so be patient and and polite – i.e. treat your charging neighbour as you’d want to be treated. This is especially the case as there’s no real queuing system.
Rule two: don’t hog bays
Once your EV is charged move it as soon as possible, or even better be there as it reaches full charge so you can take it off as soon as it’s done.
Check your app so you keep an eye on it and if you’re leaving it for a while you can always leave a note.
Charging speed slows after 80 per cent so if there’s a big queue or someone waiting consider pushing on and topping up again if you need rather than going to 100 per cent.
Tesla Supercharger Membership is now open to non-Tesla EV owners, who’ll now be able to benefit from the same cheaper kWh charging rate as Tesla owner
The Tesla Supercharger network is now open to non-Tesla EVs
Two years ago, Tesla opened up 15 of its Supercharger network sites to non-Tesla drivers in the UK.
This year, another 27 sites were added – meaning 477 Superchargers are now open to non-Tesla cars.
And Tesla has also for the first time opened its Supercharger network membership up to non-Tesla EVs.
Since 13 April, all electric vehicle (EV) owners (Tesla or non-Tesla) have been able to access lower rates with Supercharger Membership, and the monthly membership cost has been slashed from £10.99 to £8.99.
Until this announcement non-Tesla EV drivers had to pay a higher kilowatt-hour price for charging than Tesla Supercharger members (£2 per month more expensive), but EVs with CCS charging could still top-up at these sites.
Plan your charging stops and check live availability on charging apps
These days it’s not necessary to religiously plan your route with charging stops scheduled because the rapid and ultra-rapid charger network on motorways is so well stocked with devices.
And because almost all new electric cars have satnavs that will plan your journey with charging stops en route, the work is done for you.
However, at Christmas it’s sensible to have a couple of alternative charging options earmarked just so you have a backup if you turn up and there’s a rush.
But crucially don’t forget to use either your EV’s onboard system to give you live updates or apps like Zapmap that show you in real time whether a charger is in use or not – that way you can see before you pull in and adjust accordingly.
One or two trips with 100 per cent won’t be enough to hurt battery health but will give you that extra piece of mind
Ignore the 80% charge limit and charge your battery to 100%
It’s well drilled into EV drivers to only charge to 80 per cent usually to extend battery life, but on this occasion its worth ditching that rule and charging to 100 per cent.
To get as much range as possible out of your car, and to avoid having to stop and charge during the busy period, then it’s worth it to charge all the way and have a full battery.
One or two trips with 100 per cent won’t be enough to hurt battery health but will give you that extra piece of mind.
Pre-condition your EV’s cabin while it finishes charging to save range
This is one of the easiest ways to save charge.
Many electric cars have pre-conditioning modes which allow you to set the cabin temperature of your EV while it finishes charging and whack on the heated seats or steering wheel so it’s as toasty as possible before you unplug and set off.
You can also defrost the windows in this way.
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