Camping in the UK during a tempestuous summer, while attempting a 4-day, 500+ mile round trip in an electric car. What could go wrong?
Having done a 258-mile trip to the beautiful Lake District before in an EV I’m not oblivious to the potential issues of travelling long distances in a car that needs a recharge every couple of hundred miles – but at least this time I was more prepared for potential pitfalls.
Since my last leccy adventure, I had gone to a female-friendly EV workshop and received the best bit of advice I think I ever have in my life: throw out the idea that your holiday only starts once you’ve got to your destination. Instead, consider the moment you’ve managed to cram in that last pack of snacks and pressed the start button the true beginning of your break.
Let’s face it – you simply can’t do a 250 mile trip in one hit and you can’t just pump in £50 of petrol in a few minutes and be off again – so why fight it?
I still had this advice ringing in my ears when I was offered the chance to take VW’s fancy leccy family vehicle (don’t you dare call it a camper van, btw) the ID. Buzz for a few days away, and was looking forward to see just how it all works in reality.
My itinerary
A big fan of the South West, my husband, James, and youngest son, Jake, 14, planned a trip to the seaside town of Ilfracombe in North Devon.
At 258 miles away from our home, it was clear we would have to stop en route – but where?
After a bit of research we decided on Bristol – more specifically The Wave, a man-made surf pool and school with accommodation, 153 miles away. There we would treat ourselves to a night in a safari tent and a surf lesson the next day. This was going to be pit-stop holidaying at its best.
Next we would take a couple of hours to make the 107 mile trip down to Ilfracombe, where we’d stay two nights in the Little Meadow Campsite, which had an electric hook up that we could use for overnight charging.
We would also be staying local, so in theory wouldn’t need much extra juice in the ID. Buzz, but little stops here and there would still make a dent, so it would be interesting to see just how much.
Our final stop would be on our way home. Usually we would cane it back to Essex up the M5/ M4/ M25, with maybe a quick stop at a service station – but this time we opted to cover 127 miles and then stop in Bath for a bite to eat, before making the final 148 mile trip home.
Sounds breezy right?
Expectation vs reality
As mentioned, preparation was key and thanks to the OVO chargepoint app, we planned every stop to the tee. There would be no ‘let’s just see if there’s a charger at the next service station’.
The app, which you synch up with your card details, has locations of all its charging points across the UK – so was brilliant in helping us plan. Of course, this does mean you have to do a lot of homework, which turned out to be essential because when we did try and go off-plan on day one, it went a bit wrong.
Although we knew we could get to The Wave in one hit, en route we realised that we would need to stop for food as we’d left a little later than expected.
So using the app we located a charge point in Boxford, about 60 miles away from Bristol. However, when we got there… it wasn’t there! We drove around a few times to see if we could spot it, but nada. Nothing.
It was a bit of a wobble and made me wonder how accurate the rest of the map was – but then further investigation revealed that it would have been a very slow charge, so we decided to utilise the filter to only include speedy charge points and headed off to find another one, just outside a pub and Co-op in nearby Newbury, which means we were still able to grab some lunch while it charged.
I’ve also since learned that OVO are constantly updating their app to remove unusable charge points, so was just one of those bad luck things. I wish I could say there were more problems with the EV and charge points, because I know that the anti-EV mob would love it, but I can’t.
Our main takeaway was that two years on from our lovely trip to The Lakes, the infrastructure seems to have got a lot better. In fact, with nearly 35,000 charging locations now across the UK, it’s a figure that has almost doubled public devices since last year alone.
If I could suggest anything to the EV gods it would be that motorway signs are more clear about whether they provide charge points and which brands, as if you do need to make an unplanned stop it’s easy.
But overall – and maybe this is thanks to our amazing little ID. Buzz or the beautiful scenery that surrounded us – it was a memory-making road trip all three of us really enjoyed, and all the more so because we’d added in some extra stops which we wouldn’t have done otherwise.
The car
With its dash of lime green and oh-so-familiar design, the VW ID. Buzz is is seriously eye catching.
Although inspired by the classic VW Transporter, thanks to its 21st century makeover, it’s way more than being just super-cute though, as we discovered on our break.
Although we had our accommodation sorted for the first night, we had to also pack our family tent and everything else you need for a 2-night camping trip (including the kitchen sink washing up bowl!). Plus, your usual luggage for a three-night family trip away.
We were pleased that thanks to space saving hacks, there was plenty of room for everything. Not only did we have a four-man inflatable tent, but we had chairs, windbreaker, camping table, gazebo… you name it. But everything fitted in nicely and neatly and the Buzz’s sliding doors made it so easy to get in and out of and to also get our stuff out.
However, the best bit was that you could fold down the back seat to make a really roomy place to sleep – which Jake happily did for our two nights at the campsite, while James and I took the tent.
Of course, there was the EV element – with a fully charged battery, the ID. Buzz’s range is up to 257 miles, while the maximum charging power for fast charging (DC) is up to 170 kW – meaning that it could potentially takes around 30 minutes to charge the battery from 5% to 80%.
And, it was a dream to drive thanks to all the gizmos, including driver assisted lane changes and stopping. I’m not going to lie, it was very hard giving this car back. I think my husband even might have shed a tear.
Our trip in numbers
Stop 1 – Bristol
Total miles: 153 miles, total leccy cost: approx £13.70
Opened in 2019, The Wave has two artificial wave pools which are perfect for a spot of surfing, whether you’re an absolute beginner or seasoned-pro. Surf lessons start at £60 for kids aged 4-9, but there are lots of deals available, If you have your own surf gear bring it, as the wetsuit my son was given was a little threadbare and meant he suffered a couple of scrapes on the concrete floor of the pools – although that didn’t stop his fun!
Accommodation wise – there’s a selection of safari-style glamping tents, which are kitted out with comfortable beds, a kitchenette, woodburners, private toilet and a large balcony. For food there’s the Clubhouse, which serves food and drink (for an example of prices, the delicious Wiltshire ham, eggs and chips cost £13.50 and a very generous mallow-covered hot cholocate was £3.50) as well as having a cool little surf shop next door.
It’s a great place to stop for a day or two if you are a surf-lovers, as there’s also the city nearby to explore during the day, while at night you’ll be grateful for the opportunity to chill on your deck and take in the peaceful surroundings, especially thanks to the 10pm noise curfew.
Stop 2 – Ilfracombe
Total miles from stop 1: 107 miles, total leccy cost: approx £9.63
Once in Ilfracombe, we stayed at the beautiful Little Meadow Campsite, where pitches are generous, staff super-friendly and the hillside views are just incredible. Our pitch came with electricity, which was perfect if you’re travelling wth an EV.
A picturesque seaside resort, in the heart of Ilfracombe is the harbour, which is home to the iconic Verity, a stainless steel and bronze statue created by Damien Hirst in 2012.
Just across from Verity is the S & P Fish Shop, an assuming place where you can get the most amazing, freshly caught seafood to takeaway or eat in while watching boats in the harbour.
The cafe offers seafood platters, salads and sandwiches (inlcuding chocolate spread for the picky-eaters).
We tried the lobster sandwich, which came with the thickest slicest of soft white bread. At £15.95 it’s not a cheap lunchtime sandwich choice – but it absolutely delivers.
While there are a beaches scattered across the Ilfracombe coastline, secluded pebbly coves to the wide stretches of golden sand, we came across a great little find called The Tunnels Beaches.
Steeped in history, these four tunnels were hand-carved in the 1820s and lead to sheltered beaches, rock pools and a tidal Ictorian bathing pool. Not your usual golden sand, the beach is covered in black stone – so bring a blanket or towel to sit on – which just adds to its rugged beauty. With a teashop and toilets on site – and thankfully not swarming with visitors – it was a great find, and a bargain one at that with tickets costing just £3.75 for aduls, £3 for kids – and under-three are free.
Close by is also the buzzing beach town of Woolacombe and takes just under 30 minutes to get to from the campsite. Although more of a tourist trap, there’s plenty of places to eat and play – or just chill out on the beautiful 2-mile beach and enjoy the waves. Although, it does understandably get busy in the summer months.
Stop 3 – Bath
Total miles from stop 2: 98 miles, total leccy cost: approx £8.80
This was just a quick lunch stop for us as we charged the car up in a nearby Morrisons car park, but we found time to talk a half hour walk around the streets and soak of the history of this Roman town. Our main focus was to find somewhere great to eat while the Buzz juiced up – and we did.
Called The Pizza Bike, since 2016 it sits at the back of The Bell Inn, a historic free house owned by around 600 of its customers. On a sunny day it was the perfect place to stop. A margarita starts at £10, while The Bell (which has a little bit of everything) costs £14. Portions and pizza size are generous, making these delicious pies worth every penny. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Bath.
Homeward bound
Total miles from stop 3: 145 miles, total leccy cost: £13.05
Our final leg of the journey was a simple cane it down the motorway as we knew we had the juice to do it. But what could have been a really boring leg of the journey was made all the more fun being in a car that caught people’s eyes and even got a few waves along the way – especially when we were side by side with an old school Transporter.
Once home, it was back to reality as we handed back the keys to the car my husband loves a little bit more than me – but we all agreed that the trip had been far more of a success than we thought it would be.
How OVO works
There are several apps you can download to make charging and planning your journey easier, but the one we used was OVO Charge, which helps saves time and hassle by locating charging points available for use before stopping so you can plan your route. It’s pretty easy to use, especially – as we learned – if you utilise the filters, such as rapid and ultra charging and connector types.
The app allows customers to charge their vehicle for 7p/kWh at home at any time of the day or night. OVO say that because the discounted charging rate allows customers to drive for just £190 per year, it is one of the UK’s most competitive charging rates.
They also work with the Volkswagon Group, meaning anyone with a VW have the bonus of accessing ‘Charge Anytime’ add-ons, including 10,000 free miles and anniversary bonuses.
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