Two electric car enthusiasts from North Wales have just returned from a mammoth round-trip to Spain that cost them just £130 in electricity.

Glyn Hudson and wife Amy reckoned the 3,400-mile journey would have set them back almost £500 had they travelled in a VW Campervan.

Along the route they reported few difficulties despite running an ageing Nissan e-NV200 van with less than half the range of latest versions.

Glyn, 31, a keen rock climber from Llanberis, made the trip partly to prove the potential of environmentally friendly e-vehicles. He believes electric transport is the future.

“Going electric is the single biggest contribution an individual can make to the climate crisis,” he said.

“Electric vehicles have the potential to totally decarbonise transport. If and when the Grid is supplied by 100% renewables, we will all be able to drive around without burning fossil fuels.”

Glyn celebrates the couple's arrival in Jaén, Spain
Glyn celebrates the couple's arrival in Jaén, Spain

Glyn bought first e-car, a second-hand 2015 Nissan Leaf, four years ago for the commute to Parc Menai, Bangor, and to visit family in Penrhyndeudraeth.

As joint founder of Open Energy Monitor, he was already a low-carbon convert but he was new to the world of electric transport.

How much could you save?

  • Average mileage costs in the UK and most of Europe is 6p-7p when using public rapid chargers.
  • Slower chargers cost less, while off-peak charging at home is cheaper still, at around 1.5p per mile.
  • For a rough comparison, we contrasted the all-electric Nissan Leaf (public charging) with a petrol-fuelled Nissan Micra (125.7p/litre).
  • Travelling the entire 87-mile length of the A55 would cost £12 in the Micra, and £3.53 in the Leaf – a difference of £8.47 (ref: ZapMap).
  • Currently there are 29,835 public charging points in the UK, with around 120 being added each month.
  •  Of these, only 979 (3.3%) are in Wales.

Glyn was immediately won over. “It was much cheaper to run but it was also much nicer to drive,” he said.

“It had more torque and could handle uphill sections and hair-pin corners better. It was also quieter, something that makes a difference on motorway trips.”

Within six month he’d swapped his old petrol car for the Nissan e-van and begun converting it into a camper. Amy took the Leaf.

Amy now has the Nissan Leaf, seen here lakeside in Llanberis
Amy now has the Nissan Leaf, seen here lakeside in Llanberis

Being older vehicles, both are relatively low range but even in rural Wales Glyn says this isn’t a problem.

Although the A55 has, at best, 10 charging points, the couple suffer no range anxiety.

The recent addition of a rapid charger in Betws-y-Coed has improved matters still further and even the dark spots of Mid Wales are improving, with chargers now in Aberystwyth and Llandrindod Wells.

“Most of the latest vehicles can go at least 150 miles and new chargers are being added to the network almost daily,” said Glyn.

“As Wales is a relatively small country, range is less of an issue than it used to be – unlike France and Spain.

“Some new drivers find they need to spend time planning trips but soon it becomes second nature.”

Amy and Daley the dog make themselves comfortable in the back of the van
Amy and Daley the dog make themselves comfortable in the back of the van

Where possible, Glyn and Amy charge their cars at home, taking advantage of overnight tariffs set low by some providers to encourage e-car use.

With no road tax to pay, or congestion charges, economy is king: Glyn reckons he could travel 10,000 miles for £100 using the lowest tariffs.

Moreover, from April, benefits in kind will be zero-rated for company e-cars, likely to prompt a stampede.

Rapid chargers, taking just 20 minutes, are now becoming more common, but where possible Glyn hooks his van to his slower chargers at home or elsewhere.

“Rapid chargers are great but it means you have to hang around for 20 minutes,” he said.

“If you plug into a slower charger in a town centre, you’re free to do your shopping while the vehicle is charging.”

Daley, the couple’s dog, takes a moonlight break in Seynes, France
Daley, the couple’s dog, takes a moonlight break in Seynes, France
Glyn has added a solar panel to the van to provide extra power
Glyn has added a solar panel to the van to provide extra power

On his 15,000 annual mileage, Glyn reckons on saving £1,000-£1,500 per year on fuel costs, depending on tariffs used.

E-car battery production does have a carbon burden but, he said, this should be off-set in less than two years of motoring.

#Do1Thing

#Do1Thing graphic artwork for Print

This article is part of North Wales Live's #Do1Thing environment initiative.

We are working with our country-wide network of websites and newspapers to encourage our loyal readers to make one small change to save our world - and North Wales - for future generations.

We don’t expect you to make colossal changes to your life.

Our message to you is simple and is underpinned by the hashtag #Do1Thing.

We want to ask you to make one small change today that collectively will make a massive difference for all our tomorrows.

Dramatic pictures show that already we're at risk of losing parts of North Wales to the sea - and it could all be down to climate change.

While, Shell Island could be "cut off" from the mainland if sea levels continue to rise.

And if things don't change we could see parts of the A55 threatened by the rising sea levels.

But it's not just water that could put our beautiful region in danger - the risk of wildfires are steadily increasing, which could have devastating impacts.

Some people have already started to make changes for the better though - including a couple who believe electric cars are the future - and to prove it they drove to Spain and back for just £130.

You can make simple changes right now which will make a difference - starting with your bins. You can take our recycling quiz, here, to see how much you know.

To get started, see our list of 50 small things you can do to make a big change.

For him, there is one other big benefit. “If I power the vehicle from renewables – from local wind, solar and hydro sources – it means I’m not driving around on fossil fuels imported from Saudi Arabia,” he said.

“This way my vehicle is powered by Wales, not the Middle East, with the costs going to benefit local economies.”

  • To discover how Glyn converted his electric van into a camper, visit his YouTube channel.