SPRING has sprung – which means the great British road trip is back on the menu.
But would you visit England, Scotland and Wales all in one go in an electric car?
We weren’t fully convinced either, what with the unknowns of public charging availability and the thought of precious time being eaten up while topping up.
So, together with our pup Chekhov, we put it to the test in Volkswagen’s retro cool electric bus, the ID Buzz.
The route was Cardiff to Edinburgh, via the Lake District, then down to London via York, and back home to Cardiff.
That’s a good 960 miles without unexpected detours in a characterful car which offers oodles of interior space, 1,121 litres of luggage capacity, unrivalled visibility for those epic vistas and an official 257 miles of range.
In case of emergency, we even packed our own inflatable mattress.
Sorted, we figured. And hoped.
After topping up at home with my 7kW Humax Ecord wallbox, it showed we had 220 miles to play with — some way short of VW’s officially claimed range.
But that said, the difference between official versus actual range is less than in many other EVs I’ve tested.
With Windermere some 275 miles from Cardiff we couldn’t make it there on one charge.
But then we’d never make a near five-hour drive anyway without stopping for coffee and/or the loo.
Thankfully, the M6 is loaded with rapid to very rapid charging points.
And by plugging in for the 20 minutes it took to re-caffeinate ourselves and give Chekhov his comfort break, we had more than enough battery to make it to our Airbnb by Lake Windermere.
Even at the pricey motorway rate of 77p per kWh (three times more that the average electricity rate at home), £20 was all it needed and no time wasted too.
Motorway speeds are not the most efficient for an EV, but it is here, rather than in the city shuffle, that you can really appreciate the hushed and supple ride the ID Buzz delivers.
Being able to rely on the car’s predictive percentages when you arrive at your destination is fundamental in learning to live with an EV.
The comfy and lofty seating position, complete with twin armrests for driver and passenger plus vast head and shoulder room makes this one of the very best places to mile-munch minus the emissions.
Big door bins and storage cubbies more than deal with the road trip snack debris and there’s EIGHT USB-C ports plus a wireless charging dock to please even the most tech-laden day tripper.
Resisting a hotel in favour of self-catering, we found via the built-in nav app, the supermarket in Windermere had a few 150kW fast chargers in the car park. Ideal when the ID Buzz can take up to 170kW.
So in the time it took to stock up on some locally sourced supplies, our super-springy acid yellow bus (which attracted attention, with one passer-by grabbing a selfie next to it) was fully re-juiced ready to do another 200-plus miles for £50.
Next stop was just 157 miles away, and knowing our hotel in Edinburgh had available electric charging stations in the car park we considered range anxiety a thing of the past as we casually bowled up with just six per cent battery left. Being able to rely on the car’s predictive percentages when you arrive at your destination is fundamental in learning to live with an EV.
The beautiful city of Edinburgh found us in our first multi-storey car park and while our generous height of 1.9 metres proved no issue, parking without a reverse camera is not the 4.7m-long ID Buzz’s strong suit.
I’d definitely tick the parking camera box when spec’ing mine.
The boot is another parking- related issue.
While the opening is vast, and automatic, the top-hinged boot door is similarly massive, so pre-planning if you need to take your EV charging cable or luggage out before you park and plug in is vital to avoid frustration.
It did leave me thinking Volkswagen missed a trick in not putting the charging port behind the big VW badge on the nose.
However, one trick NOT missed are the electric sliding rear doors.
Honestly, though, niggles are so few and far between here.
Hitting traffic on our approach to London was then somehow less stressful in our electric camper van.
Halfway through the trip and we were sold. Sold on an EV as our next car and sold on the unique charm and design of the ID Buzz.
Leaving Edinburgh fully charged overnight, the 200-mile, four-hour drive to York was a predictably relaxing experience, with just an inexpensive 20-minute top-up during a comfort/coffee break.
The Buzz’s navigation sorts it all out for you too, suggesting where is best and most efficient to stop, once you tap in your destination. We specifically chose a hotel in York that had a charge point in its car park — not common but also not as rare as you might imagine.
So we were able to leave the next day with 100 per cent battery for £55 and zero time wasted, allowing more time to stroll the city’s medieval streets while shopping for posh chocs and fresh pork pies.
Hitting traffic on our approach to London was then somehow less stressful in our electric camper van.
The lounge-sized roominess and zesty decor of the two-tone Buzz kept our positive road-trip vibes charged up despite having to cope with the jams.
The stop-start crawl was made easier by the semi-autonomous drive system that took control of said starting and stopping for these more tedious spells.
The trip concluded with old-school charging in north London via a kitchen window and a three-pin plug socket — 36 hours did the trick — then a non-stop run back to sunny Cardiff and my home charging wall box.
I soon had the car topped up ready for my post-holiday daily errands. Predictably quiet, reassuringly comfortable, and refreshingly convenient.
Driving through our beautiful countryside is even better with zero emissions too.
And if that doesn’t bring a smile to your face then making others point and smile as you drive past them in modern and uniquely positive style surely will.
My one regret is we never got to inflate that mattress and have a night’s kip under the stars.
Still, there’s always next time.
