April 6th 2024.
After a long journey and a much-needed charge at a nearby point, we finally arrived at our destination - the beautiful Lake District. With its rugged terrain, winding lanes, and relaxed atmosphere, one wouldn't typically think of this place as a hub for electric cars. But thanks to BMW's collaboration with 15 UK National Parks, including The Lakes, things are about to change. This three-year project, called Recharge in Nature, aims to install electric vehicle charging points at some of the most popular spots in the country. It's a smart move considering the growing trend of sustainable tourism and off-grid adventures. Travelers are now actively looking for eco-friendly destinations to add to their holiday bucket list.
As the largest and most visited National Park in England, The Lakes were the first to receive charging points in three locations - Windermere and Ambleside, Hawkshead, and Coniston. But the question is, how well will this eco-conscious initiative work in reality? To find the answer, I was given the opportunity to test drive the fully-electric BMW iX1 and head to the Langdale Hotel just outside Ambleside, a mere 285 miles away from my home in Essex. The hotel offers guests the chance to explore the area in an all-electric BMW iX1 - a perfect match for our mission.
Before our journey, we were informed that the car has a range of 259 to 270 miles on a single charge and can recharge up to 80% of its range in less than 30 minutes. This gave us the confidence that we would only need one pit stop along the way, and we were eager to get behind the wheel of our fancy new ride and hit the M6.
Of course, when it comes to electric cars, the word "infrastructure" often comes up. The question is whether the UK is truly ready for an electric motor life. According to the government, there are currently over 760,000 fully electric cars on the road and 53,677 EV charge points as of January 1, 2024 - a significant increase from last year. But during our journey, we soon realized that doing long-haul trips in an electric car was not as straightforward as we thought.
Thanks to the car's satnav, which highlights charging points along the way, we knew exactly which service stations to stop at for a quick recharge. However, out of the three "quick-charge" points we planned to use, one was out of order, another was unreliable, and the third was occupied. So our idea of a 45-minute pit stop turned into a two-hour wait. Despite this setback, we were grateful that it was the only stop we needed to reach our destination - the beautiful Langdale resort, nestled in the heart of Lake District woodland.
The Langdale Valley, right on our doorstep, provided a stunning backdrop for our stay and endless opportunities for hiking in the sunshine. We were pleased to see EV charge points in the hotel's car park, where we could easily power up our BMW for the next day's adventures. However, one small issue was that although the parking spaces had power points, they were being used by guests with petrol-fueled cars. If we had arrived later, it could have been a challenge to find a free spot to charge our car, which would have been a major inconvenience.
The next day, we decided to take the car for a spin to Sticklebarn, about eight miles away, for a waterfall walk up to Stickle Tarn. We then drove to Coniston Waters, just under 10 miles away, to test out one of the newly installed charging points while we took a boat out onto the famous lake. With two EV spaces available, it was effortless to hook up our car. After an hour on the water and a delicious lunch at the Bluebird Cafe, our car was back to 100%, giving us the assurance that we could comfortably make the trip to Windermere and continue our journey home without any worries.
As we watched our car charge, we took in the fresh air and beautiful views of Coniston Water. The Lake District truly offers a perfect escape with its stunning landscapes, serene lakes, and mouth-watering food. Despite a few hiccups with charging points, our electric car adventure was a success, and we were grateful to have experienced this eco-friendly side of the Lake District.
After a few hours of driving and making one stop to charge the car, we finally arrived at our destination - the beautiful Lake District. With its rugged terrain, winding roads, and relaxed atmosphere, one wouldn't immediately think of it as a hub for electric vehicles. But, in a surprising twist, BMW has partnered with 15 UK National Parks, including The Lake District, for a three-year project called Recharge in Nature. The goal is to install charging points for electric vehicles in some of the most beloved scenic spots in the country.
This is a smart move, as sustainable tourism and off-grid adventures are becoming increasingly popular. Travelers are now seeking out environmentally friendly destinations to add to their holiday bucket list. As the largest and most visited National Park in England, The Lakes were the first to be equipped with charging points at three locations: Windermere and Ambleside, Hawkshead, and Coniston.
But the question remains, how well will this eco-conscious initiative work in reality? To find out, I was given a fully-electric BMW iX1 and instructed to drive to the Langdale Hotel, just outside of Ambleside, which is about 285 miles from my home in Essex. The hotel offers guests the opportunity to explore the area in an all-electric BMW iX1.
Before setting off, I was informed that the car could travel between 259 and 270 miles on a single charge and could recharge 80% of its range in less than half an hour. With this in mind, we planned to make just one stop along the way, making us excited to hop into our fancy new car and hit the road towards the M6.
When talking about electric cars, the word 'infrastructure' often comes up. In short, the question is whether the UK is truly ready for electric vehicles. According to the government, as of January 1, 2024, there were over 760,000 fully electric cars on the road and 53,677 EV charge points across the UK, a significant increase from last year's numbers. While these figures are reassuring, we soon discovered that embarking on a long-distance journey in an electric car was not as simple as just finding a charging point.
Thanks to the car's satnav, which highlights EV points along the way, we knew exactly which services were supposed to have quick-charge points to quickly top us up and continue our journey. However, out of the three so-called 'quick-charge' points we planned to use, one was out of order, one was unreliable, and the third was in use. Our idea of a quick 45-minute pit stop turned into double the time.
Despite this minor setback, we only needed to make one stop to reach our destination, the picturesque Langdale resort nestled in the heart of Lake District woodland. Right outside our hotel was the stunning Langdale Valley, where we spent hours hiking in the beautiful sunshine.
At the hotel, we were pleased to find EV charge points in the car park, allowing us to recharge our brilliant bimmer for the next day's adventures. The only issue was that although the parking spaces had power points, they were often occupied by guests with petrol-fueled cars. If we had arrived later, we might not have been able to charge our car for a few hours, causing a significant delay in our plans.
The next day, after a restful night's sleep, we took our car for a spin to Sticklebarn, about eight miles away, where we hiked to Stickle Tarn, a beautiful waterfall. Then, we drove to Coniston Waters, just under 10 miles away, where we took a boat out onto the famous lake. Although we still had plenty of charge left, we took the opportunity to test out one of the newly installed charging points while enjoying lunch at the Bluebird Cafe.
With two EV spaces available, it was easy to charge our car, and by the time we finished our day at Coniston Water, the car was back to 100% battery. This gave us the confidence to make a stop at Windermere on our way back, a few miles away, without any worries about running out of charge. The fresh air, beautiful views, and delicious food made for a perfect escape in the Lake District.
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