Gridserve reveals the busiest EV chargers and times this Christmas

Motorway charging provider Gridserve has revealed the best times to charge an EV this Christmas as demand is expected to spike on the public network.

As many as 20 million additional journeys will be taken during the festive break, bringing a surge in drivers seeking to use chargers along their routes.

To help motorists plan their journeys and avoid hold-ups at charging spots Gridserve, which operates 1,400 devices at 190 locations, has used data from last Christmas to predict pinch points this year.

Saturday 21 December is expected to be the busiest day on the roads and at the chargers as people head to holiday destinations the weekend before Christmas. However, with Christmas day mid-week this year, the charging network is also expected to be busier than usual on Monday 23.

Predictably, the busiest times are expected to be around lunchtime, as drivers look to recharge their own batteries as well as their car’s. Overall, Gridserve expects its chargers to be in peak demand between 12pm and 1pm.

Rebecca Trebble, Gridserve’s chief product officer said that drivers who could stop outwith these times would be less likely to face a wait. She said that chargers were expected to be 16% quieter at 10am and 22% quieter at 4pm.

If timings aren’t an issue at all, before 9am and after 6pm are the best times to stop for a top-up.

Busiest Electric Super Hubs and when to charge

Although 12pm-1pm is expected to be the busiest period across the entire network, some sites are expected to be even busier. Key locations including Rugby and Exeter and Cherwell Valley are predicted to be in high demand from 11am onwards, with other sites including Wetherby and Sandbach South seeing heavy use until 2pm.

Post-Christmas, Gridserve is warning that Friday 27 is likely to see high demand as people head home or out to visit friends and family.

Rebecca Trebble, commented: “The festive period is one of the busiest times on our charging network as our customers hit the road to visit friends and family.

“By sharing the best times to travel and charge we can ensure everyone gets the best charging experience. We’ve also expanded some of our busiest sites ahead of Christmas, such as Moto Wetherby and Moto Rugby, and our customer support team will be available 24/7 providing support.”

To entice motorists to use its network of chargers, the operator is also offering a Christmas treat in the form of discounts. Users of the Gridserve app will get 20% of their charge on 20 December, ramping up to an ‘extra special treat’ on Christmas Day.