New Launches
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
EV charging network set for motorway coverage
Green energy provider Ecotricity is in the process of setting up free charging points for electric vehicles at Welcome Break motorway services up and down the country. Access to the charging points will be via a free swipe card available from its web site. Every charging post will provide 100 per cent ‘green’ energy generated at Ecotricity’s wind and solar parks across the UK.The first ‘top-up zone’ will be installed at Welcome Break’s South Mimms services at the junction of the M1 and M25 in July, and the first phase of the network — encompassing 12 motorway services — will be completed by September. Within 18 months all 27 Welcome Break motorway services will have charging points.
Located outside the main entrance of the services, each post will have two sockets. EVs can top-up in just 20 minutes using the rapid recharge 32A supply or fully charge in two hours. Those using the 13A option, however, face an overnight stay. Something to bear in mind; frequent use of partial ‘quick charges’ will have a detrimental effect on the lifespan of the battery pack.
Comment
Laudable as this initiative is, we can’t help but view it as a marketing exercise. Slots cannot be pre-booked and the charging points are not reserved exclusively for full electric vehicles; plug-in hybrids can use them too. Join the queue.
And if you plan to have a coffee and a bite to eat while recharging, you may as well drive a diesel and fill up; it will cost about the same. Then again, a diesel-powered vehicle wouldn’t have needed to stop in the first place. Fill up at the local supermarket before leaving London, for example, and it’ll reach Scotland with ease.
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