We know, it’s super egg-citing. It’s the Easter bank holiday.
That means millions of motorists will be breaking free and hitting the roads to travel to holiday homes, family and tourist hotspots.
This year Easter weekend coincides with the end of the school holidays, meaning a bumper weekend of travel across the UK’s motorways from Good Friday (18th April) to Easter Monday (21st April).
And with that comes an increase in demand for electric vehicle chargers across the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway. Using historical charging data, we can predict that our ultra-rapid chargers will be around 10% busier throughout the day compared to normal and up to 20% at peak times.
To help keep Britain charged up and moving, we’ve crunched the numbers to predict where the busiest electric vehicle charging stations are likely to be across our network this year along with the times when they’ll be most in-demand and the times when they’ll be quietest.
Best time to charge electric cars
Our data shows that on average, across the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway, the busiest time to charge is between 11am and 1pm.
By comparison, ultra-rapid charging at 9am or 3pm will be around 20% quieter. So, consider switching your lunchtime sandwich stop for a morning coffee stop or mid-afternoon snack break.
And, if your journey allows, topping up your electric car battery before 8am or after 6pm is well worth it, as EV charging demand drops dramatically at these times.
Best time to charge your EV at our popular charging stations
Of course, some of our charging stations are busier than others – either because they’re on a key route or perhaps they serve a great vanilla latte or have lovely loos.
If your journey is passing by one of these busiest sites, then try and plot an alternative route in advance to one of our other Super Hubs or Retail Hubs where more ultra-rapid chargers are available.
We hope this crucial EV charger data will help you plan your electric car journey and avoid unnecessary queues. And don’t forget to use our map or download our app to check live availability and to find your nearest charger.
24/7 customer support
We know that actions speak louder than words, which is why we’re not just advising you when and where to charge, we’re available to help.
We’re constantly keeping an eye out across the entire network with our analytics team monitoring the health of chargers remotely to catch any issues as early as possible
Our national EV-powered field service engineers are also on call for on-site repairs, if and when needed, and our customer support team will be available 24/7 to support EV drivers over the phone.
Additionally, customers can contact us through live chat, email and socials with any additional queries.
Top tips for your charging session
Long weekends and holiday trips should be a time to take it easy and relax with friends and family. So, while we’re doing our bit to ensure things run smoothly, we’d ask that all electric car drivers (and motorists in general) do the same.
EV drivers are generally a pretty considerate bunch but we know that when it gets busy, things can get stressful. So we ask all EV owners to charge considerately – it’s good for both your soul and your EV battery life.
Good charging habits include not blocking bays if you’re not charging and not overstaying longer than you need. And please avoid jumping the queue.
Remember that charging speed will slow after 80% thanks to your electric car’s lithium ion battery that has a unique charging curve. This means by trying to add those few extra miles you could be stopping someone else from connecting. It’s quicker for you in the long run to head off and recharge again later when you can top up faster again.
We’d also recommend choosing your charger wisely – you might not necessarily need a High Power Charger if you’ve got a little longer to stop. And while most electric cars have CCS connectors, we’d ask you to be considerate of CHAdeMO customers, by prioritising CCS-only chargers first.
