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As restrictions loosen and the country begins to open up for travel, you may well be busy making plans: to get away with the family, meet up with colleagues at conferences, find some peace and quiet to work on a project or simply visit somewhere new. Whatever’s starting to fill up your diary, our guide to hotels with EV charging is here to help you stay sustainable as you head further afield.
If you’re looking forward to a well-earned break away from home, but aren’t sure of your options in terms of hotels with EV charging, you’ll be reassured to learn that of the 23,000+ charging points listed on Zap-Map — a great resource for locating EV charging spots across the UK — over 2,400 of them are associated with hotels. That makes up 10% of all EV charging points in the UK. This opens up all sorts of possibilities for exploring the country by road and keeping your carbon footprint in check.
While our ev.energy app is designed to simplify charging your electric car across a range of brands, a key consideration for plenty of EV drivers is making sure their electric vehicle can be easily charged wherever they’re staying. We were interested to find that — while over 30 charging networks provide EV charging at hotels across the country — some providers have made charging facilities more broadly available than others. For example, bp pulse and Tesla make up almost half of all charging points found at hotels in the UK — at 341 and 862 charging points respectively.* This is worth considering before booking your next road trip — as is the area of the country you decide to visit. Wales and the South West are currently home to the greatest number of hotels with EV charging, while these facilities are harder to come by in Lincolnshire, Shropshire and Northern Ireland.
If you’re on the lookout for places to stay that share your sustainability values, there are lots of exciting EV-friendly options to choose from. The Good Hotel Guide is a great place to search for options that suit you; each venue is labelled to show whether it features eco benefits such as charging points, vegan menu options, nearby wildlife watching and lots more.
In terms of high-end green destinations, check out options like Whatley Manor in Malmesbury. Featuring a luxurious hotel spa, this decadent venue offers three Tesla charging points, turns their (Michelin-starred) restaurants’ food waste into fuel — and they’re working with Earthcheck to meet the UN’s 17 key goals for sustainable development.
But what about corporate travel? We’ve taken a look at the chain hotels too — and their electric car charging facilities — to see what’s available for larger meet-ups.
Although most hotels with EV charging points are independent, conveniently located and budget-friendly chains are starting to cater to EV drivers, too. Holiday Inn leads the way, with 77 EV charging locations — followed by Best Western at 64 and Premier Inn at 26 (www.zap-map.com).
If you’re looking to pull out all the stops, there are options like The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath. Equipped with stunning meeting rooms and event planners, this unique venue has partnered with Tesla to offer on-site charging for guests.
Wherever you’re headed as the country opens up again, download the ev.energy app to make your EV getaway even greener.
* Hotels with electric car charging points: What, Where, Who – Zap-Map
