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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Anyone taken an electric car down to Penzance for a week

208 replies

Springsnowdrops · 31/03/2025 11:11

Booked in over Easter
No chargers at property
Can only see 4 rapid chargers in whole area on zap map
The rest are 6 hour chargers ,but in supermarket car parks ,where if it's anything like home ,you can only stay for 2 hours ..
Starting to think this is going to be a disaster
Anyone successfully done a week in Penzance in an electric car

OP posts:
Springsnowdrops · 31/03/2025 11:27

Anyone

OP posts:
Dyrne · 31/03/2025 11:34

We did a week in St Ives last year and were fine with a bit of forward planning.

How often are you planning on using the car? Every day? Can you plan some day trips somewhere you know has a charger and make use of that, even if it’s slow? (For example Lands End and the Eden project have chargers in their car parks).

crackofdoom · 31/03/2025 11:42

Cornwall Council has invested in a lot of chargers in public car parks over the last couple of years. No idea whether fast or slow as I'm still driving a dinosaur, but are they showing up on the apps?

Annoyeddd · 31/03/2025 11:50

Can you park next to the property?

SlipperyLizard · 31/03/2025 11:56

Not been to St Ives but we took our EV to Arran last year where there aren’t a lot of chargers (and one set of 4 were out of order when we got to them!), but it was fine, you just need to factor charging into your plans.

Perhaps plan a route that involves a stop at a rapid charger as close to St Ives as you can get, so you arrive well charged?

PermanentTemporary · 31/03/2025 12:01

We did a week in Scotland with no issues 3 years ago and things have moved on since then. Admittedly the infrastructure in Scotland was way ahead of England then. I'd email the cottage owners - they should be thinking about installing a charger anyway. Could you trickle charge overnight?

thinktwice36 · 31/03/2025 12:02

Are you able to park close to a window and mains charge overnight at the property? I did this out of a front window for 3mths before getting a charger installed 😂 worked fine! X

soupyspoon · 31/03/2025 12:04

Take the train

What a faff, who wants to be factoring in charging times and arrangements while on holiday, it would be bad enough at home.

I think there are good buses around and some good cycle routes. And trips from Penzance to other places by boat so you wont be stuck for things to do.

Sherararara · 31/03/2025 12:06

Take a diesel generator just in case👍

Annoyeddd · 31/03/2025 17:14

soupyspoon · 31/03/2025 12:04

Take the train

What a faff, who wants to be factoring in charging times and arrangements while on holiday, it would be bad enough at home.

I think there are good buses around and some good cycle routes. And trips from Penzance to other places by boat so you wont be stuck for things to do.

Buses outside London, Manchester etc are generally crap.
Just takes a bit of planning with electric

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:04

thinktwice36 · 31/03/2025 12:02

Are you able to park close to a window and mains charge overnight at the property? I did this out of a front window for 3mths before getting a charger installed 😂 worked fine! X

Sadly no ,they have a policy that's not allowed

OP posts:
Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:05

soupyspoon · 31/03/2025 12:04

Take the train

What a faff, who wants to be factoring in charging times and arrangements while on holiday, it would be bad enough at home.

I think there are good buses around and some good cycle routes. And trips from Penzance to other places by boat so you wont be stuck for things to do.

Two dogs and three people diagnosed autistic,train not possible

OP posts:
thinktwice36 · 01/04/2025 09:08

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:04

Sadly no ,they have a policy that's not allowed

That's a shame - I often use the zapmap app for locating chargers and find it to be quite accurate - might be worth a look?

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:09

Thanks for all the replies,much appreciated
I just don't understand why the majority of chargers are slow ,taking 6 hours to charge on land where your only allowed to park for 2/3 hours .
Why the lack of fast chargers , doesn't make sense

OP posts:
Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:10

thinktwice36 · 01/04/2025 09:08

That's a shame - I often use the zapmap app for locating chargers and find it to be quite accurate - might be worth a look?

Yes we have that ,that's how i know the majority of chargers are slow not fast.
Starting to regret the car tbh

OP posts:
MumOfTheMoos · 01/04/2025 09:11

We’ve done Cornwall in an electric car twice - if your cottage has parking outside, take an extension cable and the three pin plug charger as a back up - it is VERY slow but adds up.

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:13

MumOfTheMoos · 01/04/2025 09:11

We’ve done Cornwall in an electric car twice - if your cottage has parking outside, take an extension cable and the three pin plug charger as a back up - it is VERY slow but adds up.

It's not allowed

OP posts:
Chersfrozenface · 01/04/2025 09:13

MumOfTheMoos · 01/04/2025 09:11

We’ve done Cornwall in an electric car twice - if your cottage has parking outside, take an extension cable and the three pin plug charger as a back up - it is VERY slow but adds up.

OP has already said this isn't allowed.

Chersfrozenface · 01/04/2025 09:14

OP, how much would it add to the cost of the holiday to hire an ICE car for a week?

MerryBeret · 01/04/2025 09:15

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:09

Thanks for all the replies,much appreciated
I just don't understand why the majority of chargers are slow ,taking 6 hours to charge on land where your only allowed to park for 2/3 hours .
Why the lack of fast chargers , doesn't make sense

Do you always have to do a full charge though? Ie couldn't you just do a two hour charge every day/every other day instead of a six hour charge in one go?

RubaiyatOfAnyone · 01/04/2025 09:16

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:09

Thanks for all the replies,much appreciated
I just don't understand why the majority of chargers are slow ,taking 6 hours to charge on land where your only allowed to park for 2/3 hours .
Why the lack of fast chargers , doesn't make sense

Sadly i think you’re seeing the reality of an economically struggling rural area - most people cannot afford a new electric vehicle so they are not common, plus people who live rurally have large distances to cover between their standard points (work, school, home, friends) so mostly don’t want to risk something that is such a time consuming risk to refuel so the uptake is even lower than it could be. With only a small market there is only a small provision.

that said - i’d be very interested to know if you get there in one charge (esp if you’re coming from the home counties or further) as this is one thing putting me off an EV as i have to make the journey regularly.

Wolbutter · 01/04/2025 09:16

We did it last year (mousehole) was absolutely fine.. I do remember charging at lands end while we did the walks etc.

Springsnowdrops · 01/04/2025 09:21

We are coming from Oxfordshire
The zap map says we need 4 stops .
Tbh
I don't what possessed me to book the holiday or buy the car .
I'm thinking cancel the holiday as it wasn't expensive and we might get some money back

OP posts:
thinktwice36 · 01/04/2025 09:21

stop at the last services on the way down and fast charge to full (do this in reverse on way home). If you are self catering then when you go or a supermarket shop have a quick top up - you don't need a permanently full battery at all times. You can also drive in Eco modes to extend range if you are concerned.

Most council car parks in towns/villages will have chargers, as will bigger supermarkets, you don't need access to fast chargers the whole time.

You''ll be fine - I've done the length and breadth of uk in my EV and its much better than it used to be - I'd never change back, but the range anxiety does wear off!

I live in a rural location too, no drama.