The GB EV rally – what’s possible when it comes to electric vehicles? 

Graeme Cooper, head of future markets at National Grid, recounts the recent GB EV rally in which almost 50 electric vehicles drove the full length of Great Britain from John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall.

Staged over five days (4-8 July) and covering over 1,300 miles from John O’Groats in Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall, the GB EV Rally aimed to demonstrate en-masse what’s possible with an electric vehicle (EV), while highlighting the UK’s EV charging infrastructure and clean, innovative vehicle technology.

Almost 50 electric cars and vans took part, four of which were from National Grid. Covering different regions and facilities, the rally was an opportunity to prove the availability and reliability of existing charging infrastructure, bust some EV myths, and show the need to think about appropriate charging facilities for the future for all vehicles including vans, buses, coaches and trucks.

Day 1 – critical need for faster (150kW) chargers

The cars travelled 303 miles on the famous NC500 route from the Royal Castle and Gardens of Mey, to Fort William. There were no charging issues in terms of accessing reliable chargers along the way, and the early work by ChargePlace Scotland is truly pioneering. However, it was soon clear that 50kW chargers are not fast enough and there needs to be more 150kW chargers available – this is critical as EV sales and use continue to increase.

Day 2 – the revolutionary EV roaming charge card

The journey on day 2 took the vehicles from Fort William to Manchester, a total of 352 miles through the day. It was great to see superb charging facilities from InstaVolt, with a final top up a BP Pulse at Lancaster Park and ride. It’s worth noting that drivers were using the Paua EV roaming charge card which enabled them to use 10,000+ charge points with one app and card.

Day 3 – a brilliant example of motorway charging

The ambition of Project Rapid, a £950 million rapid charging fund, is to implement at least six ultra-rapid chargers at each Motorway Service Area by 2023, with 6,000 across the country by 2035. The first charge on day three at Moto Hospitality Rugby was a brilliant example of this ambition, with GRIDSERVE Sustainable Energy Limited providing 12 ultra-rapid EV chargers and 16 Tesla. Once the delivery body for Project Rapid has been announced, energy networks can move at speed to get more futureproofed grid capacity to enable these fast charging points in place along the motorway network.

Day 4 – innovative technologies and collaboration

Day 4 of the rally saw drivers pass through key London charging points including the Char.gy Wireless Charging Project in Ilford and the BP Pulse fleet hub in in Park Lane.

Char.gy’s wireless charging works via an electrical induction charging pad installed in the ground. Clean air is a huge benefit to transport decarbonisation and new innovative technologies like this are so important for bringing more people to the transition – for example, wireless charging could mean that in the near future, those without access to private charging via garages, driveways or other off-street parking options will be able to charge their vehicles efficiently and cable-free.

Day 5 – the potential for 80 ultra-rapid chargers

On the final day the vehicles passed through Moto Hospitality Exeter Services where Western Power Distribution has deployed a 33kV ‘transformer in a box’ that has the potential to support 80 ultra-rapid chargers. This will be a huge step forward for the region, ticking the box of fast, reliable and accessible chargers at key service areas which is crucial to overcoming range anxiety and encouraging a greater uptake of EVs.

Key takeaways

From busting range anxiety myths to understanding key steps that will enable mass adoption of commercial EVs, we successfully drove across the country over five days – all electric, no problem. There were adequate chargers on the way and minimal delays with a total queue time for a charger of only seven minutes.

However, there is still work to be done to ensure consistency of charging infrastructure across regions to enable consumers to gain confidence, and planning needs to consider factors such as the size of vehicles and overcoming heigh restrictions at charge points, accessibility, and the different types and speeds of chargers.

Ultimately, it’s clear that energy networks have a critical role to play in enabling the transition to clean transport, ensuring the right wires are in the right places to support fast, reliable chargers. Looking ahead, as we wait for the deployment of the Project Rapid fund, we need to think beyond just cars and vans, and take a holistic approach to implementing chargers for the whole transport system.