A total of 4,080 cars used the network in the last quarter of 2013, more than doubling to 8,891 in the first quarter of this year, and 15,152 in the second quarter – a 271% rise, as plug-in car registrations in the UK continue to climb.

The network, which now spans 90% of all UK motorway service stations and includes 170 charging points, has so far provided 250,000 kWh of 100% renewably sourced electricity, or over a million miles of electric driving, for free.

By the end of the year, Ecotricity expects to have rapid chargers at all service stations in the UK, giving an 80% charge in under half an hour, with many sites gaining a second unit with the new Combined Charging System connector, compatible with BMW and Volkswagen’s electric vehicles.

As a result, the company estimates that it will have reached two million miles of free electric driving to its membership base, which is gaining 800 registrations each month.

Dale Vince, founder of Ecotricity and the Electric Highway, said: ‘Fast chargers are a massive turning point for electric cars in Britain, knowing you can recharge a car in 20 minutes, or about the time it takes to have a cup of coffee, and travel the length and breadth of Britain if you want to – is a massive boost.’