RAY MASSEY: Lack of EV infrastructure is leaving drivers in the dark

How’s this for a slice of real life with an electric car? I’ve just come back from an eventful journey in one – not just to test out the vehicle, but more importantly to see how I might cope if I had to rely on an EV as my only source of personal transport, as energy minister Ed Miliband suggests we should.

I was about to set off to an annual event organised by the Guild of Motoring Writers at the historic Castle Combe racetrack in Wiltshire. A highlight of the day would be tea and scones at the delightful home of the Guild’s chairman (and formerly that of Queen Camilla), a car aficionado better known to most as Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

With two cars in my driveway and a round trip of at least 200 miles, should I take the safe bet and choose the petrol hybrid with a full tank and a range of more than 500 miles? Or risk the recently delivered, all-electric SUV with a claimed maximum range of more than 260 miles – but with 80 per cent charge and a dashboard showing under 200 miles of range.

Bravely, I chose the EV, knowing I’d have to recharge on the way back. But that’s no big deal, right?

Charging point frustration: The all-electric SUV Ray Massey used on his 200-mile round trip

The event was a huge success. But finding a charging point to replenish my battery before heading home was anything but.

My satnav directed me to the nearest chargers, but the first two locations – a former garage and a supermarket car park – proved to be phantoms.

Now on the outskirts of Bath, the satnav directed me, third time lucky, into the grounds of Bailbrook House Hotel, where there was a single BP Pulse charger. As a guest user, it wanted a £49 upfront ‘credit reservation’ from my card. It took me two attempts – using two different helplines – to query this. I eventually reached a technical support person who assured me the excess amount would be refunded to my card.

I reckoned I needed 70 per cent charge to get me home. At a rate of 85p per kWh, this hour-long charge cost me £32.90 – compared to 25p on my home charger. I was soon joined by a German hotel guest, software consultant Stefan and his family, in their hired EV. Even his IT skills couldn’t spare him from an hour-long nightmare as he sought to charge his car.

The satnav directed Ray into the grounds of Bailbrook House Hotel, where there was a single BP Pulse charger

He reckoned he needed 70 per cent charge to get him home

The rate quoted was 85p per kWh – compared to 25p on his home charger

An hour-long charge cost £32.90 while out on the road

Another customer had much less luck – first, it wouldn’t accept his smartphone payments, and only one of his many credit cards

Then the words ‘unable to start the charging session’ flashed repeatedly onto the screen

First, it wouldn’t accept his smartphone payments, and only one of his many credit cards. I helped him navigate the automated helpline, to no avail. The words ‘Unable to start the charging session’ flashed repeatedly onto the screen.

By now, it had gone 9pm. Stefan and his family had missed dinner at the hotel, so decided to head into Bath to find food for themselves and electricity for their car.

‘There’s a charger at Morrisons supermarket just down the road’, said the friendly hotel receptionist when I reported Stefan’s problems. Helpful. But too late to help Stefan and his family.

Now, this woeful tale is not to suggest that EVs are the issue – they’re great. But if the Government insists we should adopt them as our main mode of transport, then it needs to get the infrastructure sorted.

Currently, it feels as though we’re driving on the dark side of the Moon.