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Motoring and travel journalist, opinionated gob on a stick
Motoring news

Keeping key workers on the move

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EVs and public charging network keep us moving in pandemic

Electric vehicles and the the public charging network are vital for essential travel during he coronovirs pandemic.

A survey by Zap-Map in partnership with the REA has found that EVs and the network are vital for keeping ‘key workers’ on the move during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey which took data from over 3,000 EV users found that, despite EV use falling significantly in line with the overall reduction in travel, 83% of users are still reliant on their EV for essential travel. Of these, just under a quarter (24%) identify as key workers with the majority of these (36%) working in healthcare with others working across a range of sectors including utilities, food delivery, transport, public safety and education.

Amongst those surveyed, 29% are still using the public and manufacturer-owned charging network. This number increases when looking at key workers, with just under half (47%) reliant on the public charging network. Although this is a reduction in the pre-COVID proportion of usage (which is more than 90%), it demonstrates how important the charging infrastructure continues to be for many EV drivers.

Whilst the vast majority of those surveyed were satisfied with the public and manufacturer-owned network, 21% of users reported experiencing some issues, an increase on normal reporting rates. This number increased to 28% amongst key workers, most likely due to this group utilising the infrastructure more frequently. The two key lockdownn-related issues cited are either delays to chargers being repaired and inaccessibility of charge points where a site has been closed or is now behind a barrier.

Zap-Map has also been working closely with the network operators and incorporating direct feedback from EV drivers to identify and highlight the chargers clearly on the map. As it stands, 430 charging points, out of a total of over 18,000 across the UK (2%), have been identified as temporarily non-accessible due to lockdown measures.

In light of the issues identified in the survey, the REA has contacted the Government asking them to classify public and manufacturer-owned EV charging maintenance personnel as key workers. The REA and Zap-Map are also working with the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to fully understanding issues relating to site accessibility.

Dr Nina Skorupska CBE FEI, Chief Executive of the REA said:

“The data shows just how robust and reliable EVs and the public and manufacturer-owned charging networks are, even in the midst of a global pandemic. This is testament to the hard work and commitment of the industry who keep the networks running.

“With the lockdown set to continue it is important that the public has access to publicly owned and operational charge points. We are committed to working with OLEV to ensure any problems are identified as quickly as possible.”

Dr. Ben Lane, CTO and Joint MD, Zap-Map said: “EVs and the public charging infrastructure are playing a fundamental role during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing many users to fulfil essential travel needs and keeping key workers across a wide range of roles on the road.

Zap-Map continues to work hard to provide up to date information for EV drivers on public charging points across the UK, including highlighting COVID related issues as reported by users and network operators’

  • Zap-Map in partnership with the REA has carried out a survey on EV use during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 83% EV users still reliant on their EV for essential travel and almost three in ten (29%) are still using the public charging network
  • Almost a quarter of these EV users (24%) identify as ‘key workers’
  • 98% of the public charging infrastructure is operating as normal – although there is an increase on normal reporting rates of issues
Travel

Taste of the high life

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The picturesque harbour at Ramsgate

Ramsgate by Bill McCarthy

Crashing a Spitfire on landing is not my finest hour. Luckily it was in a flight simulator at an aircraft museum and I was so agonisingly near the the perfect flight after an extraordinary few days in Kent, but more on that later. 

Ramsgate may not trip from the lips as a must seaside destination for Midlanders, but it a fascinating place with a history of famous sons and daughters as evidenced by a plethora of blue plaques. 

The celebrities who have lived or worked in the Kent town include Elizabeth Fry, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, John Le Mesurier, and artist Vincent Van Gogh, who taught in the town. 

It was also significant during the Second World War and has the only royal harbour in the country (a status granted by George IV in 1821) and some of the finest hotels and dining. 

One of these, the Royal Harbour Hotel, proved the perfect base for all things Ramsgate, a town also famous for the part it played in in the rescue of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. 

The hotel is divided across three Georgian-style buildings with 27 individually styled rooms, most with spectacular sea views and easy access to all amenities. The hotel is a mix of quaint and modern with quirky old furniture melded with ultra-modern bathrooms. 

An iconic wartime Spitfire at the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum 

Memorabilia is everywhere, celebrating the town’s seafaring heritage. Our bedroom, with a view over the harbour, featured a four poster bed, complimentary bottles of water and biscuits. 

For extra comfort, there were also couple of armchairs and even a TV above the bath. 

In the main hotel, there are a couple of sitting rooms one, with honesty bar, roaring fires and an eclectic mix of vinyl records to play on the vintage record player. 

A truly relaxing atmosphere in a superbly comfortable environment. 

Fine dining is offered in the hotel’s two restaurants, the Empire Room, which is in a basement part of the complex and The Little Ships, just a short walk down the seafront. Having eaten in both, it is fair to say that one is excellent and the other outstanding. You will need to visit to make your own mind up. 

The men behind them are hotelier James Thomas and Michelin-trained chef Craig Mather who have put together imaginative and competitively priced menus for both venues, whether the more expensive a la carte or cheaper set menus. 

The Empire Room is decorated with red walls and furnished with Victorian and Georgian wooden tables and chairs, original Empire magazine covers on the walls and history books on library shelves. 

Down the road The Little Ships is a more contemporary affair, a kind of continental restaurant come bistro/cafe, with modern furnishings and open plan kitchen. 

Both offer varied menus, with the Little Ships seafood a particular delight. Having chosen squid, admittedly not something I would eat on a regular basis, it was by far the best I have ever tasted, while the seafood linguini was nearly as good. My wife, in customary fashion, went with the meat and got stuck into a pork chop the size of a dinner plate. I know that doesn’t sound exotic, (there are more exotic dishes), but the food is truly exceptional and served imaginatively. Incidentally, both restaurants score highly with Tripadvisor. 

The award-winning Empire Room offers a slightly different menu and the Kentish loin of beef proved a real winner for me in what is a charming and atmospheric dining experience, while the other half went for a meal I thought she would have at the other place, shoulder of lamb. 

You could wax lyrical about both restaurants, suffice to say both offer fantastic food with first class service. 

Out and about, the Ramsgate Tunnels are really a must visit. 

A labyrinth of tunnels criss-crossing the town, built during the war, that became shelters for many and home for some. 

A guided tour gives an understanding of what life was like during the the Blitz, while Margate and Broadstairs are just a few miles away 

Down the road is the RAF Manston History Museum, where you can lose yourself with the history of ancient and modern aircraft and get an understanding of the 100-year plus history of the RAF with some fantastic exhibits. 

Just across the car park is the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, which concentrates on the iconic aircraft that won the Battle of Britain and, returning to the beginning, where you can take a virtual flight, or crash a Spitfire, in an exhilarating flying experience. Worth every penny of the £30 on a special few days 

Fact file 

Visitors at the extensive wartime tunnels complex at Ramsgate