Electric car drivers can now travel between Bristol, Birmingham and London along the M4 and M42, safe in the knowledge that they can stop and recharge along the way.
Green energy supplier, Ecotricity has now installed new charging points at Welcome Break services along the two motorways, as part of its plans to build an ‘electric highway’ network at service stations on the M25/M1, M40, M4 and M5.
Every single one of the firm’s charging points will be powered by electricity from its own windmill and solar farms dotted around the country-making the electricity supplied truly green -allowing the cars that charge from them to be truly zero emission.
Five motorway ‘top-up zones’ have now been installed at Welcome Break motorway services, including:
· Hopwood Park services (M42 at junction 2)
· Membury services (M4 between London and Bristol – between J14 and J15)
· South Mimms services (M25 and M1 junction)
· Michaelwood services (M5 between Bristol and Birmingham)
· Oxford services (M40 between London and Birmingham – junction 8a at Oxford)
A sixth ‘top-up zone’ is also located at the base of an Ecotricity windmill:
· Green Park windmill (M4 near Reading)
Twelve ‘top-up-zones’ will soon be located at motorway services around the country to complete the first phase of the network. Each post will be located outside the main entrance of Welcome Break, with two sockets that can be accessed by registering for a free swipe-card. Within 18 months, all 27 Welcome Break motorway services across Britain will have charging points.
Electric cars using rapid recharge points (32A supply) can top-up in just 20 minutes or fully charge in two hours; while those using the slower (13A supply) will be able to recharge fully if staying overnight at motorway service hotels.
With world oil prices going through the roof, you’ll now be able to get around Britain using only the power of the wind. It costs just over 1p a mile for electric vehicles, compared to 15.4p in a petrol car (at today’s prices).
The UK consumes around 23 million tonnes of oil every year in the UK to do the 250 billion miles we drive every year. But we could power all that with 12,000 of today’s windmills, or just 6,000 of tomorrow’s.”
Electric car owners who want to register for a free swipe card can visit Ecotricity’s website at www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-the-road
