Plug-in points for motorway services

Electric cars will soon be able to travel the length and breadth of Britain without any problems, according to the green power company Ecotricity.

The reason for this bold claim is that the electricity company is set to install charging points for plug-in powered vehicles in Welcome Break motorway services right across the country

The firm claims that having the stations in place will help eliminate one of the biggest concerns for potential buyers - range anxiety. This concern means electric cars are currently restricted to mainly inner city driving or shorter journeys. With the introduction of more mainstream electric cars, like the Nissan Leaf and Peugeot iOn, improving infrastructure is a major necessity.

The new motorway points will be available with two different power ratings. One is a 32A supply that can top-up a car in 20 minutes but take two hours for a full charge - so you'll have to hang around for a while eating overpriced snacks. The other is a slower 13A supply which will take all night to charge, meaning a stay in an adjoining hotel.

The first 'top-up zone' was recently installed at the Welcome Break at South Mimm's services (at the junction of the A1/M25). This will be part of the first phase of stations that will see 12 points in place by September. Over the next 18 months all 28 Welcome break motorway services in the UK will have charging points.

Each post, with the two sockets, will be located outside the main entrance of the services and can be accessed by a free swipe card. You can register for one here.

Founder of Ecotricity, Dale Vince OBE, said: "Until now, charging posts have all been in city centres like London - but this is where you need them the least. Statistics show that it's not in towns and cities where electric cars need to recharge, but on longer journeys between cities - and that means motorways."

"We're creating the infrastructure to get Britain's electric car revolution moving. This marks the beginning of the end for the old combustion engine. With world oil prices going through the roof, you'll now be able to get around Britain using only the power of the wind."

If you want to know more about the pros and cons of owning an electric car then go here, or have a look at the Parkers Green Car Guide for the latest news on plug-in cars.

The locations of where all 28 'Top-up zones' will be in the UK.