Driving home for Christmas (or to family) in an electric car? How to avoid charging queues and top-up for less
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The car's packed, you've taken time off work and you're about to embark on the journey to see friends and family for the festive period; it's the trip that signals Christmas is underway. But while it's a journey that should have a very happy destination and merriment at the other end, it can be a taxing annual voyage because the roads are at their very busiest.
![[Ultra-rapid chargers have grown at a particularly high rate, with more than 2,300 installed this year. There are 60% more ultra-rapid chargers at the end of September 2024 than there were in December 2023]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/11/20/16/90589767-14087681-Ultra_rapid_chargers_have_grown_at_a_particularly_high_rate_with-a-2_1732119531762.jpg)
And the Christmas road landscape is rapidly changing as electric vehicle uptake increases and more and more battery-powered cars join the roads. For thousands of new EV owners, this year will be the first pilgrimage home over the festive period driving an electric car.
![[200 additional 150kW+ ultra-rapid EV chargers have been installed at motorway services in England since the beginning of the year, research from Zapmap and the RAC shows]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/11/20/16/90588609-14087681-200_additional_150kW_ultra_rapid_EV_chargers_have_been_installed-a-3_1732119532633.jpg)
So, what do you need to know before embarking on a festive trip in your EV and what's the best way to go about charging?. Here are our tips and tricks to make sure you have the smoothest journey possible, whether you're an electric car newbie or a long-time convert.
What do you need to know before embarking on a festive trip in your EV? Here are our top tips. During the festive period, the number of cars on the road surges exponentially: the RAC estimates there will be 29 million leisure trips taken over peak Christmas period.
![[Be.EV has compiled a list of charging hubs within ten minutes of motorway junctions for EV drivers to combat charging queues]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/11/08/93030263-14087681-image-a-5_1733906680672.jpg)
And with 2024 marking the year the one millionth electric car hit the road, that means more EVs than ever will be driving home for Christmas this year. Be.EV predicts that there will be 300,000 new EV drivers on the roads this Christmas - so plenty who haven't experienced the rigors of a holiday season schlep home.
![[Tesla Supercharger Membership is now open to non-Tesla EV owners, who'll now be able to benefit from the same cheaper kWh charging rate as Tesla owner]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/11/20/16/92293821-14087681-image-a-6_1732121421926.jpg)
