Advice19 July 2026

How to plan a long distance drive in your electric car

Long-distance driving in an EV doesn’t have to cause a headache. From mapping out charge points, to our 10 top tips; we have you covered with this handy guide.

While petrol and diesel drivers have recently faced fuel anxiety, the range anxiety that comes with driving an electric car has been around much longer and is still a real concern for many, whether they own an electric car or are simply contemplating buying one.

Range anxiety can be conquered though, so let’s break down what needs to be considered to keep your mind at ease if you’re planning a long-distance drive in a plug-in car.

How far can you travel on a full charge?

The first thing to consider when planning a long-distance journey in an electric car is how long the battery will last on a full charge. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to make the journey on a single full charge and recharge overnight while you catch some Zs but, if your range doesn’t quite cut it, you’ll be able to plan out where to make that tactical first stop to recharge and how many times you’ll need to stop along the way to your destination. Depending on the make and model, weather conditions and your driving style, you can expect to have a range of anywhere between 200 and 350 miles from a fully charged electric car, although technology is advancing every day and it’s not unheard of for electric cars to completely surpass this average. The EV with the longest range on sale in the UK (at the point of writing) is the Mercedes-Benz EQS, which boasts approximately 481 miles of pure electric range, retailing from around £102,000. The UK’s best-selling electric car of 2021 was none other than the Tesla Model 3, having sold over 22,000 units by 1st December and topping the best-selling car list back in September. This sought-after beauty comes with a range of 360 miles, which could get you from Cambridge to Edinburgh on a full charge, so depending on where you’re heading to, you wouldn’t have to make many stops, if any at all!

Check out which electric cars had the best range last year

Unsure how far your electric car can travel on a full charge?

Not a worry. When you start your car, it should flash up on the dashboard letting you know how many miles you have left before you need to plug in and recharge. If not, head over to AutoTrader where you can search for a review on your car and you might just learn something new.