Last week a few of us from Ford took part in an EV challenge.
We had to drive from Stratford in London to Brighton and back in electric cars such as the Ford Mach-e, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID4, Polestar 2 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
As well as getting a really long test drive in, it was also a good way to get some friendly benchmarking in.
Here were some of the rules we had to follow
- Start on a 50% charge
- Use a dedicated mobile app for navigation
- Stop at least once for a rapid charge
- Take photos of chargers you see on your way
- During the journey, stop at different waypoints (optional)
- Tunbridge Wells
- Charles Darwin House
- Bluebell Railway
- Wakehurst
Each of these would give you dedicated points (eg. each photo of a charger carried 1 point).
With some decent weather on our side and our apps installed, we set off on Thursday morning, just after the school and work traffic.
My challenge partner (David) and I made our first stop at Tunbridge Wells before stopping off at Maresfield to use a rapid charger for 25 minutes, then we were back on the road for a short drive to Brighton.
If you've ever been to Brighton you'll have noticed that it's absolutely filled with chargers! Some have some cool designs on them too, so whilst watching out for the brave seagulls we found a charger and topped it up whilst we had lunch.
On our drive back to Stratford we took some country lanes and after a few wrong turns, David and I arrived at the home of Charles Darwin. This was a great way to stretch our legs before we finished up for the day and to see somewhere new.
Some key things that I picked up
- This challenge was a great way to myth bust for ourselves and really test the ranges of EVs, especially on a motorway.
- Stopping to charge is a great way to make yourself take a break, even if it's to use the restroom or catch up on group chats and work.
- When you get to your destination, it's good to park somewhere where there is more than one charger.
- Take advantage of the regenerative braking when going downhill or when driving in a city, nice way to recoup some miles.
- If you come across a charger that isn't working, report it.
- Be prepared for a plan B if your charger is being used.
What're your tips for longer drives?
