THE dream of being able to drive the length and breadth of Britain in a near-silent battery-powered car has come a step closer to reality.
Stations that can charge Tesla electric cars in 20 minutes — far quicker than most owners of electric cars are used to — are being installed on Britain’s motorways by the billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk.
The first supercharging stations are due to be unveiled within weeks by Musk, who is advising the government on electric car technology. Ministers hope his electric superhighway will transform the way drivers view electric cars, and energise their sales.
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One of the first supercharging stations is at South Mimms services, at the junction of the M25 and the A1 in Hertfordshire. It will form part of an electric highway stretching from Dover along the M20, and from Bristol along the M4. The two routes will converge on the M25, from where the highway will follow the route of the M1.
Construction work was almost complete last week, with wiring installed and the supercharger units sitting in wooden crates.
Many electric cars require overnight charging to replenish their batteries, and their range is typically less than 100 miles.
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The government appointed Musk as an “electric car czar” last November in an attempt to boost sales when the electric revolution, predicted by transport ministers since 2010, failed to arrive.
Two other companies, Ecotricity and ChargeMaster, also plan to develop high-speed charging networks, which can be used by owners of other electric cars, but Teslas are likely to remain the car of choice for motorway journeys due to their superior range.
Some analysts see Tesla as the last chance to persuade drivers to switch to battery power. In Britain, only 1,547 pure electric cars were registered in the first four months of this year: 0.18% of total car sales. This is despite millions spent on grants and tax concessions for buyers of battery-powered cars and charging points.
Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “Tesla could be a game-changer at the upper end of the market.
