This summer, Ogilvie Fleet marketing manager Mark Knight took a road trip to Cornwall in an VW ID. Buzz.
How difficult would a 700 mile road trip be and is range anxiety still an issue?

There’s still a perception that taking an electric vehicle on a long family road trip is nigh on impossible, and involves military-grade planning, endless charging stops and stress over battery levels.

This summer, I put that theory to the test by taking our Volkswagen ID. Buzz from Sheffield to Cornwall for a family holiday. And with two adults, two children, a dog, and all the luggage that comes with a week away, this should really test how well an electric vehicle works in the real world.

The road trip

The ID. Buzz is our Ogilvie salary sacrifice vehicle which has quickly become our go-to choice for family adventures and boasts a range of over 250 miles. Before we left, I charged the vehicle to 100% at home using off-peak electricity at just 6.9p per kWh. With the 79kWh battery fully charged, the total cost came to just £5.45. Not a bad start.

Our first stop on our journey was Gloucester Services, where we stretched our legs, took the dog out for a quick walk and picked up some food and coffee. 30 minutes stopped in total, adding 49.5 kWh of energy and benefitting from Tesla’s off-peak price, costing us £18.32 in total (37p/kWh). Many Tesla Superchargers are now open to the public, and with a Tesla membership their prices can be extremely competitive.

Our overnight stop was in Exeter, where we initially found a rapid charger priced at 92p per kWh. But after a quick look at the charging apps, we discovered a Tesla site just a few miles away at Darts Farm offering electricity at only 26p per kWh off-peak.

A short detour of just 2.7 miles meant we could enjoy breakfast, walk the dog and fully enjoy the next leg of the journey full charged for just £9.61.

That’s perhaps one of the biggest changes in EV ownership over the last few years. Drivers now have more choice than ever before. If you’re prepared to spend an extra few minutes checking locations and pricing, there are often pretty substantial savings to be made!

Worry-free charging

Once we arrived in Newquay, there were plenty of charging options. So far, we hadn’t stopped any more often than we would have in an ICE vehicle, as we were simply taking the usual comfort breaks. The ID. Buzz easily had enough range for all the local journeys made along the Cornwall coast, which felt like the Buzz’s spiritual home!

For part two of the holiday, we moved to our second hotel – Watergate Bay – which has destination chargers on-site. OK, they weren’t the fastest available, but that didn’t matter – just plug in overnight and wake up to a full battery for £35.80.

Almost all of the car parks we visited had destination chargers available – yet another example of how EV charging increasingly fits around your plans, rather than dictating them.

The drive home required one final stop at Gloucester services again, this time at peak pricing at 69p/kWh for £41.08 in total. Still, not bad for a 300+ mile trip!

The final numbers

By the time we arrived home, we’d covered 708 miles and spent £110.26, which equates to around 15.5 pence per mile.

That figure includes a mixture of very cheap home charging, lower-cost public charging and some more expensive charging options. While everyone’s circumstances will be different, it’s still highly competitive when compared to many petrol or diesel vehicles covering the same distance.

More importantly, we never had to queue for a charger, worry about reaching our destination or had any issues finding charging infrastructure. The route planning required only a few extra minutes before setting off, but in reality, using the charging apps and the in-car system, this was only a formality.

The reality of EV road trips in 2026

The UK’s public charging network has expanded significantly and many destinations now offer convenient charging options at hotels, attractions and hospitality venues. Motorway charging has become commonplace and drivers have access to multiple charging providers across most major routes.

And the benefits go beyond charging costs. The smooth, quiet driving experience of an EV makes long journeys more relaxing, while features such as pre-conditioning help ensure the vehicle is comfortable before you even set off. Of course, there’s also the benefit of completing your journey without producing tailpipe emissions.

It’s not just the UK…

One Ogilvie customer recently took a Volkswagen ID.7 from the North East of England into France and covered hundreds of miles across the country. Like many first-time EV tourists, he had initially heard the horror stories about charging and range anxiety.

But by building charging stops around coffee breaks and comfort stops, the reality was very different, and the journey felt more relaxed than previous trips. The vehicle’s navigation system automatically planned charging stops, while the French motorway network offered extensive charging facilities with plenty of chargers availability.

His conclusion was one we hear increasingly often from both fleet and retail drivers; that once you’ve completed one long-distance EV journey, range anxiety is a thing of the past.