The Department for Transport (DfT) has teamed up with motoring expert and electric vehicle enthusiast Jodie Kidd to launch The Electric Road Trip; a nationwide showcase of how far the UK’s public charging network has come.

The campaign tackles one of the biggest barriers to adoption: misperception of charging availability.

The UK now has 118,000+ public EV chargers – almost double the estimated number of fuel pumps. Yet 71% of drivers still don’t know this, according to a poll of 2,000 adults in the UK.

The research also shows that 39% of drivers don’t realise they can charge at tourist hotspots, while 22% still think chargers are mostly at motorways/supermarkets.

And nearly a third (35%) say better access would finally convince them to switch.

Filmed at its start point at the iconic Land’s End, The Electric Road Trip initiative highlights the wide range of locations in the UK where drivers can now charge their electric vehicles, from iconic landmarks to scenic rural hotspots.

Demonstrating just how far the UK charging network reaches, special chargers have been vinyl wrapped at Osprey’s Land’s End and Abergavenny locations, Be.EV’s Sale Water Park and Fastned’s Angel of the North charging hub.

Chargers from additional partners including Believ, Gridserve, PodPoint, Source, RAW Charging and Total Energies are also signposted with ‘The Electric Road Trip’ stickers, spotlighting the wide variety of locations where drivers can charge their EVs, helping them feel confident about driving electric anywhere in the UK.

The Electric Road Trip follows the launch of the ‘Get That Electric Feeling’ campaign in January by the Department for Transport, which underscores the benefits and cost savings from going electric.

Commenting on the new campaign, Kidd said: “There are chargers even at the most beautiful, unexpected places – you stop, take in the view and you’re back on the road. Once you realise how vast the UK charging network is, going on an electric road trip is smooth and easy – the whole country is open for an electric adventure.”

Decarbonisation Minister Keir Mather said: “Industry asked us to back the EV revolution and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Just last year, we announced £600m to roll out hundreds of thousands of chargers across the UK, building on the 118,000 already available – that’s nearly twice as many chargers as fuel pumps.

“We’re also making it more affordable than ever to make the switch, with our Electric Car Grant cutting the upfront cost of EVs by up to £3,750, helping households access savings of up to £1,400 on running costs.”

Tom Hurst, UK country director at Fastned, said its ultra-rapid network continues to expand at pace.

“We’ve recently added new ultra-rapid sites near Newcastle Airport and in Sunderland, close to our iconic Angel of the North location. We are continually working to update and build infrastructure to connect every corner of the country, ensuring our nature-inspired stations give drivers the support they need to pause, plug in, and power up as they make the switch to electric.”

For those petrol drivers still on the EV fence, the most persuasive voices may be closer to home than they think. Around 9 out of 10 of EV drivers (88%) would recommend going electric. Encouragingly, half (46%) of non-EV drivers surveyed also say hearing about these positive experiences first-hand from EV drivers they know has made them more interested in switching themselves.