The EV infrastructure is growing rapidly and there’s now over 57,000 public charge points across the UK. Almost 2,000 of these charge points being installed in the last month alone, so there’s no sign of this growth slowing down. This should help to alleviate any anxieties you have about switching to electric, as long-distance journeys are now much easier and recharging is more practical.
To prove this point, we’ve reassessed how long it would take to travel from Lands’ End to John O’Groats in an EV. We first analysed this trip back in 2021 and then considered the cost a year later. EV technology is constantly improving, and the number of charge points is growing, so plotting this route gets easier every year. Plus, with the launch of our new BP Fuel and Charge card, payment for charging is even simpler.
The route from Lands’ End to John O’Groats
The route is straightforward, travelling from Lands’ End to John O’Groats using public charge points which accept our new BP Fuel and Charge card where possible. This card can be used at over 12,000 chargers on the BP Pulse and Osprey network, giving us significant coverage across the UK.
This time round, we chose the Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo as our example vehicle. It can travel further on a single charge than other electric vans on the market and is compatible with the rapid chargers we’ve chosen for this route. To preserve battery life, electric vehicles should be kept between 20-80% charge, so we have carefully planned our stops to make sure we stay within this charging range wherever possible.
Most of the chargers on this route are 50kW, limiting the range you can gain within 30 minutes. This means that you need to stop every 90 miles, causing some delays in our journey. Thankfully, the BP Pulse network is rolling out more 150kW chargers on BP forecourts across the UK, so in the future this trip should be shorter.
The route we’ve planned:
- Start in Lands’ End (TR19 7AA) with a full charge and then travel 179 miles to the first charge point, Miller and Carter Weston Gateway (BS22 6DB). This charger is on the BP Pulse network, so you can pay using your BP Fuel and Charge card and then continue north.
- The next charging point on the BP Pulse network is 82 miles away at the Robin Hood pub (WR9 0BS), where you can grab a bite to eat whilst your vehicle recharges.
- You’ll then travel 71 miles to the Co-op petrol station in Saxon Cross (CW11 4SP) for a quick recharging stop.
- The final stop of the day is 73 miles north at Lancaster Park and Ride. You can pop into the city centre for dinner and then head to your overnight accommodation to recharge your own batteries.
- To start day two of this trip, you’ll travel 77 miles to Smiths at Gretna Green Hotel where you can take in the stunning scenery or even get married!
- It’s then 86 miles to the Red Deer pub in Cumbernauld (G68 9AW), where you’ll find the next BP Pulse charger. Here, you can treat yourself to lovely lunch before continuing on with your journey.
- The next BP Pulse charge point you can access is just 48 miles north of Cumbernauld at the Perth SF Connect. Here, you can use a BP Pulse150 charger which has a charging speed of up to 150kW, and so provides a longer driving range.
- The final EV charger on this route is in Dingwall (IV15 9SE). Charging options become more limited as you enter rural Scotland, so it’s not possible to use your BP Fuel and Charge card at this location.
- It’s then just 109 miles to John O’Groats (KW1) where you can have a well-deserved rest before the long journey home.
Although EVs now have a longer driving range, the distance they can travel is limited by the charging speed of public chargers. As a result, 8 stops are needed to complete this trip, taking 19 hours in total (not including the overnight stay). We’ve factored in 30 minutes at each charge point, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be immediately available, so the actual timings may be longer.
Nevertheless, the expansion of the EV infrastructure still makes long distance journeys like this easier, as there’s more chargers to choose from, particularly in the stretch from Bristol to Lancaster. This helps to eliminate ‘range anxiety’ and allows you to recharge without inconvenient detours. With more 150kW chargers being introduced to the BP Pulse network, fewer stops will be needed, and this will save time in the future.
Overnight stay
To ensure you stay safe and focussed on the roads, you should drive for a maximum of 10 hours a day, regardless of your vehicle type. This means that an overnight is necessary to break up your trip to John O’Groats.
The Holiday Inn Lancaster is located at the halfway point of this journey. With prices starting from just £95 a night, this is a convenient and affordable place for you to rest for the night.
Cost of travelling from Lands’ End to John O’Groats
For this journey, we mostly used 50kW chargers as they’re widely accessible and can recharge your vehicle in 30 minutes. However, with convenience comes cost. Rapid chargers are the most expensive type of public charger to use, around £19 per charge (plus transaction fees) and using the 150kWh BP Pulse150 chargers will cost you even more.
As we calculated that you’d need to recharge 8 times, the total cost comes to £180 which is slightly more expensive than a full tank of diesel.
EV vs diesel
EVs need to be recharged regularly, so several breaks are needed on long-distance trips. We calculated that 8 stops are needed to recharge, plus an overnight stay, lengthening the trip.
In comparison, we estimated that a diesel driver would stop 3 times for a short break and would only need to refuel once.
The total times needed for this trip are:
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As more stops are necessary for EV drivers, it’s likely that they’ll spend more. For sustenance, we’ve assumed £15 per stop, making this trip slightly more expensive than if you travelled in a diesel vehicle. However, you could easily limit these expenses if you’re on a budget.
The total costs for this trip are:
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EV charge cards
To help with the transition to electric fleets, we have introduced the BP Fuel and Charge card and the Shell Fuel and EV card. They make it easier to pay for EV charging, plus all transactions for petrol, diesel and EV are displayed on one invoice so you can easily track your expenditure.
These cards will be beneficial on long trips like this, as you’ll only need to download one mobile app and you can check the availability of chargers on your route.
Apply for one of our EV charge cards today
 | Matt DoddsWith over 14 years of experience across two of the leading fuel card companies in the UK, Matt Dodds joined RFC Edenred to help lead the development of products to support our customer's move to EV and other alternative fuels, a transition he feels passionately about. |
