Last updated on February 3rd, 2023 at 10:37 am
Although Tesla’s cars are market leading for their features and performance, their not-so-secret weapon is the Supercharger network. Tesla is no longer included in Zap-Map’s annual charger network survey, due to it not being a public network (Tesla owners only), but when it last was included in 2020 and before, it easily topped the rankings for customer satisfaction. If you drill down into the details, Tesla users gave the Supercharger network 5/5 stars, and the AC-only Destination network 4.4, which is still high but not as good some others.
Tesla is reportedly considering opening up its network to other brands, and has recently been trialling this in the Netherlands. But until then, if you don’t own a Tesla you will need to look elsewhere for the fastest charge on the move, and the good news is that this area is expanding fast. The GRIDSERVE hub in Braintree has shown the way forward, offering a wide array of charger speeds and on-site amenities to use while you’re charging, with very competitive rates. Osprey’s plan to roll out 150 high-powered hubs by 2025 across the UK is on track and will further alleviate range anxiety. InstaVolt has been putting its units into strategically placed McDonald’s, KFC and Costa locations. The reliability of these brands should instil greater confidence for longer journeys.
One of the best bits of news in the last year was that GRIDSERVE has taken over the Electric Highway from Ecotricity. While Ecotricity did a great job of making EVs viable for longer journeys in the nascent years of the previous decade, many of its units have lapsed into disrepair and their speeds now lag behind the 100kW or well beyond that is becoming available with the latest units. Fortunately, GRIDSERVE has already begun upgrading the old Ecotricity devices, but Welcome Break service stations are notably not being upgraded yet, with rumours that this chain is aiming to roll out its own charging network instead.
Rapid charging at a service station or hub is essential for longer EV journeys to be viable. For Tesla owners, sticking to Superchargers has mostly guaranteed that long distances have been possible for some years, although popular sites are getting busy now that so many cars have been sold. For non-Tesla owners, sticking to trusted networks – such as the upgraded GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, Osprey, or InstaVolt – and having a backup plan as well as never leaving it to the last percent will mean that distance driving by electric will be as painless as possible.
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