The UK’s best staycation destinations for EV owners have been revealed – spanning Cornwall to the Highlands.
Cornwall is the most popular staycation spot this summer(Image: Getty/Tara Moore)
The UK’s best staycation destinations are Cornwall, the Cotswolds and the Scottish Highlands, according to EV owners, because of their easy-access charging points. EV charging point company Fastned polled motorists to get their say on which destination appealed to most.
Top of the list is the UK’s southernmost county, Cornwall, which is home to the scenic likes of St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance, Land’s End, and a stunning shoreline. The Cotswolds, another heavily rural area, came second, while the vast Scottish Highlands secured third spot. Norfolk, the Kent Coast and County Durham also feature in the top 10, along with the Suffolk Coast and the North East Coast.
The research of 2000 drivers, including 1,000 purely EV drivers, found nearly nine in 10 (87%) have or would travel to a staycation destination using an electric vehicle.
Eight in 10 EV motorists in particular are confident the UK’s public charging infrastructure would now enable them to complete a long-distance journey in the eco-friendly form of transport.
It also emerged 51% have a greater inclination to holiday within the UK now than they did five years ago, with last weekend (August 7) the weekend those polled were most likely to begin their main summer getaway this year.
Tom Hurst, UK country director for the EV charging network powered by 100% green energy, said: “We wanted to explore how travel habits are shifting gears for UK motorists, including EV drivers, from where people are heading to what makes a great staycation destination, and what’s powering the next generation of road trips.
“Across mainland Europe, ‘Black Weekend’ or ‘Black Saturday’ describes the moment millions of people hit the roads for their summer getaway. Think ‘Black Friday’, but for summer travel.
“We wanted to find out whether Britain is developing its own version and how EV drivers are helping shape a new era of electric travel. As more people switch to electric, understanding journeys will be key to the UK’s transition.”
The study also found 56% have consciously moved towards a lifestyle more traditionally associated with countries like Spain, France, Monaco and Italy.
Exactly four in 10 eat outdoors more frequently than they used to, while more than a quarter (26%) have adopted a slower pace of life.
Around three in 10 (28%) now take more time to enjoy and savour meals and 37% like spending more time outdoors and enjoying their surroundings.
Carried out through OnePoll, the research found 90% of EV drivers are solidly behind ultra-rapid charging, which enables motorists to charge their vehicle up to 300 miles in 20 minutes – as they can get to the countryside or coastal areas faster.
Tom Hurst, spokesperson for Fastned, which has 39 hubs and over 420 ultra-rapid chargers across the UK, added: “We’re seeing more people embrace staycations, longer road trips and electric vehicles as a more sustainable and indeed accessible way to travel.
“We also wanted to understand whether those trends are beginning to converge, and how they’re changing the way people in the UK think about summer journeys.
“With fast charging available near all of the staycation destinations featured in our research, drivers can spend less time worrying about where and how long it’ll take to charge and more time enjoying the journey.
“After all, the best road trips aren’t about standing still; they’re about where the road takes you next.”
Top 10 best staycation destinations for EV owners
- Cornwall – e.g. St Ives, Falmouth, Penzance, Land’s End
- Cotswolds – e.g. Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury
- Scotland / Gateway to the Highlands – e.g. Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, Glencoe, Scottish Highlands
- Norfolk – e.g. North Norfolk Coast, Hunstanton, Wells-next-the-Sea, Sandringham
- North East England – e.g. Northumberland, Bamburgh, Alnwick, Holy Island
- Kent Coast – e.g. White Cliffs of Dover, Deal, Folkestone, Sandwich
- North East Coast – e.g. Whitley Bay, Tynemouth, Newcastle
- Suffolk Coast – e.g. Aldeburgh, Southwold, Woodbridge
- County Durham – e.g. Durham City, Beamish Museum, North Pennines
- West London – e.g. Windsor, Richmond, Kew Gardens