Impossible to Drive an Electric Car Through Cornwall and Devon?

We have already shown you many times what it's like to drive electric cars even on long trips all over the UK, but admittedly, most of these journeys were done using the major motorways connecting the biggest cities.
In this video, we go off the beaten path on a bank holiday weekend! Starting from Falmouth, a very popular summer tourist destination with pristine Cornish nature, and take the A-roads to cut through Devon to get back into our showroom in SE London.
Using the (by modern EV standards) short-range BMW i3s means Martin stops to top up twice over the 300 miles, but also shows many alternative charging sites along the way in case you are planning your summer road trip.
CHPATERS:
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Trip Setup
01:56 Falmouth
02:44 Departure from Falmouth
03:45 Summercourt
04:21 Penhale
05:32 St Austell (Cornwall Services)
07:09 Bodmin
08:19 Bolventor
09:23 Lifton
11:42 Exeter
14:48 Honition
15:18 Sparkford
16:07 Wincanton
17:13 Amesbury (Solstice Park)
18:52 Weyhill
19:32 Andover
20:18 Fleet
21:29 Journey Data
22:41 Conclusion

[@EVPARAMEDIC]

Funny really, I purchased my BMW i3s from you and drove it home via Norfolk and back to Cornwall. Isn't it funny how people assume that there are no chargers in Cornwall, even the locals. I drive all around Cornwall, Devon and have no issues. Recently went from the top of Cornwall to Lands End and back home with no issues. Well done keep it up.

[@rodden1953]

so much FUD . when ppl know i have an EV they say how far does it go

[@tomas_klouda]

@@rodden1953 there is only one correct answer to such question: "As far as I want to" ;-)

[@rodden1953]

@@tomas_klouda That true ill use that

[@jjolla6391]

i prefer to know what is the total cost of ownership - and how does it compare to a similar icemobile? include purchase(without rebates), resale, fuel, insurance, tyres, home installations, etc.

[@tomas_klouda]

@@jjolla6391 if that's your preference, then best would be to read or watch some content, that does such analysis ;-)

[@blewits9474]

I’m from Cornwall. Live in Sussex. Have had a 64kwh Kia Soul for 3 years. No problems at all travelling between the 2. Exeter is now a charging superhub.

[@NickTruelsen]

“EV’s and Vegan, if that doesn’t seal the deal” 😂😂😂 funny as **** Great video

[@jjolla6391]

vegan says a lot about his judgement - a vegan burger is loaded with seed oils - he is going to be a very sick puppy in 10 years time.

[@NickTruelsen]

@@jjolla6391 don’t know anything about that but I really enjoy the videos and with their experience I think their judgement would be better than most regarding EV’s and charging.

[@davidl3621]

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. I really enjoy the content on this channel. Keep up the good work.

[@johndoyle4723]

Thanks, you cannot help but notice an explosion of charger installations everywhere. I have found it easy to travel most places in the UK using public chargers, I will now only stop at hotels or holiday cottages with chargers, yes we need more, but there is great progress from Gridserve,Tesla, Instavolt and others. However the haters will still hate.

[@ianrob4760]

such a great video Martin, it shows how easy things are even on a bank holiday (ignoring the traffic !!) . All it needs is a Bit of forward planning nd maybe that is what scares people somewhat ?

[@FFVoyager]

I'd add - avoid mealtimes at busy weekends. Stopping between 08.00 - 09.30, 12.30 -14.00 and around 18.00-19.30 and these places can be busy.

[@kjh789az]

I wrongly thought this was going to be another of those EV sceptic YT videos, but there is clearly good to adequate charging provision on what is a major tourist route. It also seems that the displays on most chargers, particularly the more recent ones, are now very large and clear. That's good as the sequence to access a charge varies with age and provider. Lack of canopies remains an issue except at the major hubs. Given the UK climate, getting wet when charging remains a potential hazard. Thank you for a pacey and informative video. I might even try the BK bean burger!

[@benbocc1549]

Another great video. Love the solar integration at these charging stations, more efficiency, love it!

[@chapmandu2]

Love these videos, it's one thing looking at a charging app and seeing that chargers exist, but seeing them on video brings the reality of the situation to life. Would be interesting to do a repeat journey on the busiest day of the year!

[@allanedwards7756]

I’ll share this with all my esceptic friends - very well described anxiety free trip! Thanks Martin

[@colinharvey1049]

Another informative video thanks.

[@rusty911s2]

Very interesting, thank you. Deffo deserve more subcribers!

[@chrismoore4423]

I live in S.Devon and am about to get my first EV. Your vids are really helpful and this would be an actual journey I was curious about! 👍😎

[@ludwigreiser4053]

Thanks for the sight seeing tour! 👍🍀

[@Warekiwi]

Another excellent video!! I've driven my TESLA MY all over the UK without any problems at all. Amazing the only area where chargers seemed a bit sparse was the Lake District. Heading back to northern Norway this summer and EV Heaven!

[@jkj420]

Great video! Thanks for making it!

[@colinhare4722]

Things have improved enormously over the last couple of years. Plus at lower speeds I'm getting around 5.5miles per kwh out of my i3. That's over 200 miles from a light weight i3.

[@lewismcnicholas2631]

Great content again! Really enjoying you busting EV myths especially in such great cars - keep it up!

[@country-road-driver]

as always, a great video

[@north.by.northeast]

Another great and informative vid, many thanks :) The i3 is such an interesting quirky car with a lovely interior, unlike most which are boring. You ask what prevents some of us from getting an EV. The two things stopping me from getting an i3 are (1) I cannot charge at home or work therefore will have to use public charging and unfortunately most supermarkets round here do not have EV charging so I can't even charge while shopping in Sainsburys. The closet slow charger to home is about 45 minutes walk, the closest fast is about an hour's walk, and the closest charger to work is 30 mins walk, so I guess I would just have to sit in the car for half an hour 2-3 times per week while waiting for it to charge. And (2) I can't get more than a 1 year warranty. Even BMW Used Approved from the main dealer only offer a 1 year warranty even on 2021/22 cars with super low miles. I offered to pay extra for an extended warranty but they said no - I guess BMW don't have that much faith in their build quality after all. I appreciate the battery pack has a long warranty but I'm actually not concerned about that, it's all the other electronic stuff that can go wrong on cars (EV and ICE alike) and is expensive to fix. I currently have an old C1 which does 60MPG, cheap insurance, no tax - I will probably keep this until Gateshead council allow residents of terrace houses to charge an EV on the public street (I asked, they said no) or someone puts public chargers within about 10 mins walk of home or work. I'm now actually considering an electric bike to commute and the C1 for everything else.

[@davethevicar88]

Very informative thank you great channel

[@michaeledwards8079]

I have just completed a return trip from cambridgeshire to Newquay cornwall in my EV supposed range of 193 miles but actual 160, this was completed using all dual carriageways, but mostly motorway at 70 MPH, ist stop gloucester services 133 miles, next stop exeter services 96 miles, then 83 miles to destination, plenty of chargers in newquay and NO queuing, return using same chargers no problem and charged to 85% each time with no range anxiety and had 20 miles left when arriving home

[@prjackson7802]

Great video

[@DavidPlayfair]

Thanks. I might try that route instead of the M4.

[@andru9102]

I am not vegan, but I do have an i3s. So no hate comments!! Great video. I live in the South West, but did not realise our chargers are so much better than when I got my i3, over 3 years ago.

[@johnnodge4327]

Having just ordered a new EV and living in Cornwall, it's good to see what public chargers are available that I didn't know about. I travel to visit relatives in Surrey and Sussex a few times a year, so it's very useful to see what is also available on the A303 route I take. Solstice park is a regular stop for us, so there being some open Tesla Super chargers on site is a real bonus. Thanks for the information.

[@NickBishop-hb7yf]

love the content, superbly done. however, we need to acknowledge that EV sales are happening faster than the expansion in installed charging capacity. this means a period of queuing for charging until we have chargers as ubiquitous as petrol service stations!

[@timoliver8940]

After nearly 3 years with a Mini Cooper S E that has been my shopping car here in rural Central Scotland I’ve never had a problem with charging - no queues on my drive for my home charger other than having to move my diesel Defender out of the way. In April I changed the Mini for a new Maxi Countryman S E Sport L3 and next week am off on my first EV road trip to the Fully Charged Show in Harrogate. Have my plan A and a plan B but as I can get to Harrogate 225 miles away with only one charging stop I’m not expecting any hassles with finding chargers even over the Bank Holiday. My Defender averaged 30mpg last year on the same run which was 67.4ltr which at todays price (10p a ltr higher than last year) would be £103.67 for the round trip - I’m estimating the Countryman should average 3.7m/kWh for the trip so I should consume 122kWh of electricity for the round trip so am budgeting on the cost to recharge of £90 for the round trip - not a huge saving over the cost of burning supermarket diesel and the Defender’s huge 85ltr tank means that I don’t have to have any fuel purchases on the round trip. Problem for the Defender is finding car parking in down town Harrogate near the hotel I’m using (which has no dedicated car park) that can take a car that needs 2m barrier clearance - most are 1.90m so I’ll be using the Countryman EV instead to avoid having a convertible Land Rover!

[@SLJ2776]

I did 700 miles to and around Cornwall in i3S last summer from North London without problems. Free 22 kW chargers at Bodmin Jail Hotel kept costs down as well.

[@EVPARAMEDIC]

It's really good to hear this, I live in Cornwall and have the 120 i3s and I am always getting told "You will never get to London in your car". To prove people wrong I started my channel and now drive all over Cornwall as well as regular trips to London and Norfolk.

[@FFVoyager]

Nice to see my route on there (A303 from Somerset to London). I've been doing it in my used 28kWh Ioniq for 3 years and it's got a LOT easier over that time. It's also got a lot more expensive! 😆 But my 'average' cost of that journey - leaving with 100%, charging on route and charging back to 100% at home now the Tesla chargers are open at Solstice, is still about 8p/mile, so not so bad.

[@colintwyning9614]

I drive my i3s to cornwall from london, moto exeter with gridserve always good, its huge. I avoid motorways, i find it more relaxing and shorter( +hate agressive drivers in lane 3/4). A303 solstice park is great. Increased options amazingly in last 3 years.

[@alankemp1970]

I regularly travel from the south coast to Truro (230 miles one way) and did a short to show how easy it is- I found 156 rapid chargers with out having to go off route with another 54 opening end of May from Petersfield to Truro. My MG4 can make that trip without charging but we top up when stopping for a comfort break so doesn’t impact our journey time.

[@flyborgify]

Love the colour of that i3s!

[@mariemccann5895]

You big girl.

[@devonbikefilms]

I live in south Devon, Exeter services is a super hub, Buckfastleigh on the A38 has 16 rapid chargers, lifton Tesla superchargers are open to all. On the whole we are pretty well served. I’ve had my eNiro for 2.5 years now and the situation is much better.

[@trevorsmith8487]

Brother lives at very SW end of Cornwall and only has an EV Nissan can, range 120/130 miles and no problem getting around and returning to see family here in Wiltshire 200+ miles away.

[@bellshooter]

Great video, people are really surprised when I parry their 'nowhere to charge' argument with the fact that there are 12 Rapid chargers within 2 miles of my house. The only shame with your journey is having to miss out many more charge places en route due to time constraints.

[@garrycroft4215]

I had an i3s for a 3 year lease, it was a great car lots of fun to drive too. In the dead of winter you may only get 120 miles on a charge however in summer I managed 190 which is pretty good. As you saw in this video the charging curve is excellent flatlining at 50kW to 90%. The only cost I had was rear tyres 2 sets. Note to myself go easy on the traffic lights gran prix. 😂 as I now have a Smart #1 Brabus 😮

[@thefiestaguy8831]

Drove one of those numerous times as a fleet vehicle. Quick off the line sure... but handled terribly as it had smarties for wheels.... my arm is wider than the wheels on that car.

[@Joe-lb8qn]

My holiday house near Falmouth in March this year (TBF not the wisest choice of time of year) had 4 x 7.4kW chargers on site. About 50p kWh/kWh from memory.And my cottage last year was £20 for unlimited 3.6kW charging for the week. I stopped at Salmons Leap on the way back, IIRC 12 x CCS Kempower powered Osprey

[@christopherbates6825]

You're Vegan! Nice one 😄👍

[@colinwiseman]

Offt. It's been about 30 years since I had a spicy bean burger. Worked for BK in the 90s, great days and yeah now I'm wanting a bean burger!

[@colinwiseman]

That aside, excellent work. ThE iNfRaStRuCtUrE iSnT tHeRe argument is dead.

[@calumthornton1918]

There are a couple of Sainsbury Smart Charge hubs not far from the M5/A30 in Exeter

[@melcragg7814]

Thanks for another great video. I have a Tesla Model X Long Range Plus, but prefer driving my Smart EQ cabriolet. It only has AC charging. Don't forget about us. It manages up to 70 miles on a full charge, but you have to keep to 50MPH. Regards and thanks again.

[@Pete.Bernfeld]

There's now a Fastned charging station just off the A303 in Andover, so yet more choice. I still think it's a shame BMW didn't upgrade the i3 ti give it 200 mile real world range as it's a good looking car, practical for cities and comfortable on longer runs.

[@serraios1989]

Two months ago we visited Dorset for a week and immediately after that I sold our long range EV and got a diesel suv. It was so difficult to charge it. However, I still have the 2015 LEAF as it’s a great car for London

[@johnbb99]

Nice video, point taken. Now do the same from Cardiff to Bangor. It's only 180 miles, should be a doddle.

[@bordersw1239]

Ah, the land of the 22kw charger 😉

[@glenf4115]

We have the first gen i3 with rex and on longer journeys the rex kicks on to get us to the next fast charger and within the first 5 minutes it uses more $ in fuel than the entire trips costs in electricity.

[@johnw65uk]

Good video. I dont own one yet but still concern if you tried the same in August being queues for chargers.

[@raymondand]

Donkey sanctuary at Sidmouth has free ev charging.x

[@glenf4115]

Hey Martin, could you show us how you fix the flickering dashboard LEDs?

[@Popdog76]

I guess you recorded this before Tesla opened up more chargers on the route for Falmouth along the A303. It can now be completed on just the Tesla chargers at a 3rd of cost.

[@richardpiper4828]

Hi Martin. Just interested in how long you had to stop, just for charging, at Exeter Services and Solstice Park and bearing in mind that few EVs now have a range of below 200 miles and charge at a higher speed what difference that would have made to your journey if you only had to stop once. I would surmise not a lot as the big generally unknown secret with the i3 is how fast, even at 50 Kwh chargers, it will charge up to 90% plus. Have we got to a point in an EV when we no longer have to add any more time to a normal refreshment/comfort break?

[@eamoneejit7482]

As shown at 22 minutes into the video, 32 mins at Exeter, 30 mins at Solstice Park.

[@justice4g]

do you notice more leaning in corners with the sunroof?

[@syncrosimon]

I was an early advocate of EV’s. Now I see that the best scenario for me is a long range ice car and a local charge at home EV.

[@phweakwilled]

Bad traffic will INCREASE range as you’re going slower although if you have AC blasting for hours that will have an effect. How do you get the turn by turn panel to appear btw? 2019 120Ah owner here.

[@jarimm]

Quite pricey chargers you seem to have there, in Finland public CCS ones are typically ~0,35€/kWh...

[@wdsmauglir4683]

I live in Cornwall & have a Tesla supercharger park (open to all EV’s) within 5 miles, so really no problem at all 😂

[@yorky0417]

Hi, I have replaced the 12v battery for the i3 and the efficiency has jumped to 5.3mile/kwh. Is it real or just the new battery affected statistics?

[@rodden1953]

can you tell me how to add a none Tesla to my Powerwall app please ? i have tryed but i cant get past adding my bank details

[@gaz7560]

That’s a very well equipped i3, I still wonder whether I should have bought an i3S like that instead of my tesla

[@whocares264]

you have the best car

[@annieh6021]

Which app would you recommend to find charging the locations?

[@Warekiwi]

The Octopus app seems rather good unless you have a Tesla( or at least the Tesla app)

[@rjm67]

I miss my i3. Stop doing these videos! 🤣

[@geoffersvoiceofreason2534]

I’m sure that “driving into Cornwall but you won’t get back, charge wise” comment is some sort of bot. I’ve seen the same wording from different posters numerous times. I’ve stopped responding to it now.

[@rodden1953]

im 71 and i went vegan 7 years ago . i feel better for it ,save money and my kitchen is clean with out all that fat and oil .

[@rokpregelj2281]

Vegan i3 owners rejoice! ❤

[@justice4g]

this is what the REX is for

[@whocares264]

I agree , i have a rex , on long journeys like this it costs the same using petrol as public charging is expensive and no waiting to charge..

[@advancelast1740]

Or buy a Golf diesel and do the whole journey without stopping

[@johnw65uk]

Most people do stop. I’ve never done more than a few hours drive without stopping to stretch my legs and have toilet break. Especially with kids.

[@NickBishop-hb7yf]

bonus vegan joke, love it...

[@alandavis2741]

I have a Jag ipace, but I don't want to waste hours looking for and messing around with chargers if I do a long journey. For that reason I also own a 3 litre Petrol BMW convertible, and I won't be getting rid of it. The Beemer only does mid 20's mileage, but that's no more expensive per mile than charging out on the roads, and I can fill the tank in 2 or 3 minutes, anywhere. And fuel pumps aren't going to crash on me or refuse to fill my tank.

[@jjolla6391]

nothing more offputting than spending more than 5 minutes at an ugly cement paved parking lot. i prefer to trade siitting 30+ minutes per stop with time walking in and absorbing the beauty of national parks and waterways. What dystopia are we being herded into ?

[@syncrosimon]

I think in answer to your question about the adoption of EV’s for me I just can’t see any advantage over an ice, only negatives. Initial cost is a negative, running cost possibly about the same, environmental cost I see as the same, spontaneous journeys I see as worse, driving anxiety I see as worse. I would however get an i3, as I just like them. For environmental reasons we should be keeping our cars longer, EV’s are a poor bet for this.

[@Popdog76]

Cost is cheaper if you pay via finance, which most do. Anxiety is of the unknown. As for environmentally being, even sorry, that is way off based solely on the energy and resources required to drill, pump, refine and distribute oil around the globe, not to mention the minerals used to do this. All of this is burned and continuously required to do so for the cars lifetime to run. Something EVs are improving at quickly. EVs are not perfect, but they are an improvement with technology improving quickly, something the ice hasn't done significantly in 50 years.

[@geoffersvoiceofreason2534]

I have found running costs for my EV far, far, cheaper. My first service was half the cost of my C3 and I have just completed a 240 mile, round trip which cost me £4.80 in fuel. My 1000 cc Citroen C3 would have cost me (@ £1.47 ltr local to me) £29 plus! As for keeping cars longer, an EV will easily last the same lifespan of an average ICE. Initial cost was a little higher but the prices are coming down now. I do not have any driving anxiety other than that which I have driving my ICE.

[@johnkeen4271]

Why would anyone want to drive a milk float,, on any journey,, throw your money don't a drain more fun

[@peteglass3496]

You clearly haven't driven an i3, you don't want to be next to one at the traffic lights....

[@johnkeen4271]

@@peteglass3496 i3 don't make me laugh, I drive a alpina b3 will destroy every electric car,, without even trying