Customer testimonials

There are many worries and misconceptions surrounding taking EVs abroad, from range anxiety to locating chargers. Taking your EV abroad doesn’t have to be daunting.

Matthew undertook the 1,600 mile round trip to Austria in his Hyundai Ioniq 5, saving approximately 400kgs (89%) of CO2 versus flying! Here he has answered some questions on his journey. 

What is the infrastructure like?

"On the motorway, the network is very good. Rapid chargers (>100kW) are available at every service, often in large numbers, and I didn’t encounter any congestion or waiting. Away from the motorways you will have to do a bit more planning. The Evolve app has a useful map feature showing all chargers including those you can use your Evolve RFID tag at."

How easy is it to charge?

"You get the hang of it! Some chargers are a little confusing, but most can be accessed with a credit or debit card, and many can be used with the Evolve app or RFID tag."

Any range anxiety moments?

"Not really. My car’s instrumentation proved reliable, and I generally kept the car in the 20% to 80% range of charge."

Do you have any other general tips?

"I quickly realised that driving around the 130kph limit in France was having a serious impact on my range. Slowing to 110kph allowed me to drive for two hours in between 20-minute charging breaks. Use the time at each charging stop to plan your next stop."

Would you do it again?

"Absolutely. Whilst the journey did take about 15% longer, I arrived relaxed as EVs have a very smooth driving experience."    

I have owned a BMW i3 for five years now; this model has a smaller battery with an effective local range of 80-100 miles. 

In local terms, I am a high-mileage driver, but with the choices of home charging, workplace charging, and Evolve charging, range has never been a consideration. 

For the summer holidays in 2022, my wife and I took our then-five-year-old son to Euro Disney, and we decided we were confident enough to take the i3. 

With the distance being almost 300 miles, this would be the first time I had to plan ahead on charging. I used Charge Map to look ahead at where I would be stopping for the long trip. While at Disney, I topped up with free charging at our Cabin and the hotels, and we started our return journey with 100% battery at no cost. 

I soon learned my preferred charging stations, such as Ionity and Tesla, for rapid, reliable charging, and I prioritised these in my car's satnav. 

Overall, though a longer range would have its benefits on these rare occasions, even with the lower range car, longer trips are possible. 

We also saved over £200 compared to a regular fuel car, which we put towards holiday spending.  

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Lucy shares the benefits she’s found since changing to an electric vehicle, how she charges her car at home just once a week, and uses the Evolve network to top up.

Robin shared why he's switched to an electric vehicle. He explains that he wanted a better way to travel that would avoid contributing to air pollution and help save money.

David shared why he’s changed to an electric vehicle. He explains that they found the running costs to be cheaper, how they charge at home and that his EV suits all of their needs.