SECTOR FOCUS: AUTOMOTIVE PCEO
A roadtrip to Europe with a BEV car from Birmingham, UK to Athens, Greece
Pantelis Zoupas, Head of Strategy & New Energies, TotalEnergies Marketing UK Ltd
In September 2021 I switched from a diesel passenger car to a battery electric vehicle (BEV). No emissions from its operation, supporting UK’s transition to electromobility, significantly lower benefit in kind, exemption from congestion charges, ULEZ & clean air zones fees were some of the benefits that contributed to my decision.
As a person that drives over 10k miles per annum either on business or personal trips, range anxiety has been my main concern. The continuously increasing number of charge points (CPs) in the UK, identifiable through CP aggregators like ‘Zap-Map’ gave me some confidence in my decision to transition to a BEV car. I experienced Audi’s Etron 50 advertised WLTP range of 200 miles dropping to 160 real mileage, down to 130 miles when temperatures fall below 3-4°C.
I realised that for any long trip, having a plan ‘B’ and possibly a plan ‘C’ is essential, due to the risk of charge points being out of service or occupied by
34 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.168 APRIL 2022
other cars. There is nothing more stressful than the ‘turtle mode’ being activated when the remaining range drops below 10 miles.
Is a road trip in Europe with a BEV car feasible? Is the infrastructure available? I drove from Birmingham, UK to Athens, Greece. Over 1700 miles, 7 days, 22 cities visited, approximately 15-16 battery charges, ~350kg of CO2
saved (compared to making the same journey
with my previous diesel passenger car). The answer is yes, it is possible, though only with very good planning!
Q1: Preparation ahead of the journey (practicalities, paperwork, foreign Road Rescue services, useful Apps).
The 1st step in preparing for my trip was to create the desired journey on ‘Google Maps’ & identify CP aggregators showing charge points in the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy and finally Greece. ‘Zap-Map’,
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57
