As one of the growing number of electric car owners I am traveling to just West of Taunton tomorrow a journey of 51 miles. My Nissan LEAF has a one charge range of 100 miles so its quite a finite judgment on whether or not I can make the return journey without a top up charge.
If I can find a Nissan dealer who has the high speed charger within 30 minutes I can have 80% of my battery life re-charged, but they are few and far between. If I can find an outside 13 amp plug socket I can plug in and within 3 hours I have 30/40 miles which is all the comfort level I need to be sure of completing the return journey.
But would you believe it they again take so much finding in convenient places. Already I have been parked on lawns outside hotels, behind the kitchens in factory sites and wedged in with golf carts at Golf Clubs.
For my Taunton trip I have rung ahead and explained my situation and although I am sure we shall find a way the person I talked to was not able to confirm 100% all would be well.
It’s interesting that in just the same way intrepid early motorists set out on 10/15 journeys not knowing if they would find a chemist or corner store selling petrol in glass jars.So they would take their own supply of small jars and top up regularly even on such a small run. It’s amazing to think of the advances that have been made in petrol delivery, stations etc. So it’s little wonder that at the beginning of the electric highway the going is tough for forward proofers like myself.
It’s why I urge business and councils to begin to invest in the new way of traveling. Supermarkets are starting to put in charging pods but they are few and far between and hard to find. It’s time to really open up the highway, reduce CO2 emissions, reduce our reliance on Oil and focus on the new way forward.
We can do it, and you know it’s a real New Industrial Revolution opportunity for the Country in these times of recession.
Let’s get on with it sooner rather than just following the rest of the World.
Just take a look at what is possible! See: http://www.charging-solutions.com/Products/solarpowered.aspx#desc
