Highi and Charge

摘要

Frustrated by claims that electric cars are unsuited to long journeys, Autocar reader Brian Orr set off on a 2000-mile trek to prove the doubters wrong. This is his tale. The take-up of electric vehicles by private buyers remains a trickle. Nevertheless, my wife Jean and I were sufficiently impressed by EVs to buy a Mitsubishi iMiEV. After buying the car, we were assailed by petrolheads who proceeded to make disparaging remarks. So to illustrate its potential, we declared that we would drive it from our Berkshire home to the Scottish Highlands. Only then did we get the maps out and start researching if it was actually possible, using Britain's still-emerging network of charging points. We had to do the kind of meticulous planning that wouldn't be required if you were travelling in a petrol, diesel or hybrid car. We made calls to individuals and agencies who could perhaps aid our progress across the charging point black holes of Yorkshire, the Scottish Borders and anywhere beyond Aberdeen.