A Scottish road trip has been featured as one of the best in Europe for an electric vehicle road trip.
Carwow released the research which places the UK as the sixth best country for a eco-friendly road trip – with an epic 10 day loop route from Glasgow to Edinbrugh via Loch Lomond, Oban, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, John o’Groats and Aviemore national park being featured as one of the recommended trip.
The research was based on a combination of factors such as how set up the country is for electric vehicles and how attractive the country is to drive around – leading to a top 10 list travel inspiration for those looking to be a bit more green with their travels.
New research has analysed 27 European countries to reveal the greatest destination for an electric vehicle (EV) road trip in Europe, with Norway taking the top spot, followed closely by The Netherlands and Switzerland
The research by carwow has revealed the best places in Europe for an electric vehicle road trip with Norway taking the top spot and the UK ranked sixth out of 27 countries.
With searches for flight-free holidays up by nearly 50% at the start of 2020, and carwow reporting its electric car sales are up 150% compared to January 2018, the index was created to see where has the best conditions for an eco-friendly road trip in Europe.
Details of the Scottish route:
Begin in Glasgow and take in the culture of one of Scotland’s biggest cities, home to various museums and the medieval Glasgow Cathedral. Next, head north to Loch Lomond and take in the beauty of Trossachs National Park. Wild camping isn’t allowed in the national park, so be wary of where you park if you’re sleeping in your vehicle overnight.
From there, continue north to Oban, which has a quaint harbour and a detour to Devil’s Pulpit which is a hidden waterfall between the rocks. Next, travel to Mallaig and take in various Harry Potter filming locations on the way, which will keep the kids happy if they’re in tow! You can also visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct which the Hogwarts Express travels on and Loch Shiel, the lake featured in the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Loch Eilt, which is home to Dumbledore’s grave.
Continuing the adventure, next up is Loch Ness, famous for the Loch Ness Monster if you believe in such things? Heading right up to the most northern part of the UK, you can see the iconic Duncansby Stacks, beautiful rock formations in the sea, some of which are over 60m high.
From there, head south to Aviemore national park, where you can walk through woodland estates or enjoy picnics near tranquil lakes. Finally, finish off your journey in Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital. Here you can see castles, enjoy underground ghost tours as well as refuelling at a vast array of award-winning bars and restaurants.
Depending on timings, this road trip should take roughly 10 days.
The ranking was devised by creating an index that scored European countries on the ease of using an EV vehicle (their EV Factor), and the attractiveness of the country (their Tourism Factor) which was then used to give an overall score out of 20. Only EU countries that can be reached from the UK without flying were included in the study.
EV Factor ranked countries based on the number of EV vehicle users per person, the number of fast and public EV charging points per KM of highway, country area size and population.
These scores where then cross-referenced with Tourism Factor, which accounted for the number of national parks, UNESCO world heritage sites, and popularity among tourists.
Whilst the Netherlands has comfortably the highest number of chargers (50,289) it fares less well when looking at the number of fast chargers. Germany (5,074) and the UK (4,008) are top of that respective list but couldn’t score as highly as Norway for fast charger density. No other European nation can compete with Norway’s incredible 655 fast chargers per 100km highway. Coupled with their stunning landscapes of coastal fjords, icy glaciers and snow-peaked mountains, Norway takes the top spot from the Netherlands, with the UK down in 6th place.
The UK ranked 8th for its EV Factor due to its rising number of electric vehicles and charging points, and 4th for Tourism Factor, due to the high number of national parks making it a particularly picturesque nation to drive in.
Mat Watson, car expert at carwow said: ‘With climate change constantly on the news agenda, everyone is looking at ways to play their part and go a bit greener, and the way you travel is a major way to do your bit.
‘Whilst the UK fares well as a contender for an EV friendly driving holiday, you can access a huge amount of Europe without stepping onto a plane. The good news is the charging network is getting better and better every day, and some European countries are already leagues ahead, so if you’re driving electric you can fully relax. With a bit of planning the journey can actually be part of the holiday, bringing a new definition to taking the scenic route.
‘Our suggested routes are the perfect resource for anyone embarking on a low-carbon EV adventure, and we’re looking forward to seeing EU countries become more and more accessible as the EV market continues to grow.’
To see the full ranking of all 27 European countries and maps of recommended road trips in the top three countries in the list as well as the UK, visit: https://www.carwow.co.uk/blog/best-driving-roads-for-electric-cars
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