RANGE ANXIETY...

the single greatest barrier to EV ownership and, arguably, an irrational one. For EVs to shift from early-adopter curiosity to a mass-market transport solution, the charging infrastructure needs to be so ubiquitous in its availability, and swift in its delivery, that anxiety becomes an irrelevance. So, in the interest of science and, if I’m honest, to try to banish my own concerns, we need a challenge. Just how far can you travel, around Europe, in an electric car in 24hrs?

Context adds an interesting perspective to this story, because as I sit here in lockdown while Covid-19 wreaks global havoc, the thought of having the freedom to travel through as many countries as you want in 24hrs is the stuff of distant dreams. We will get back to those better times and savour them more deeply, until we do, preparation is key.

Our testing kit comprises of one Kona Electric with a 64kWh battery and claimed range of 278 miles (WLTP). We also have a charge card for the Ionity rapid charging network (which gives us access to over 400 chargers in Europe and charging speeds up to 350kW), a photographer – Mr Tom Salt – and, finally, the only person in the office daft enough to think spending 24hrs driving and charging a family SUV will be fun: me. The idea is simple – we’ll start in the Czech Republic and make our way through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland and then drive back through Germany to Wolfsburg, where I have to be at a meeting the following lunchtime. Nine countries, 24hrs, 1,000 miles, much currywurst. Easy.

We start at the Czech Republic’s border with Germany. It’s bitingly cold and as the sun struggles to pierce the dank greyness, the early morning mist hangs stubbornly in the valley. Picture taken to prove our start point, we’re off and running, the Kona emitting its own unique sound, like a sad robot, as we slowly thread through the small German towns and villages on our way to the A3. As our route takes us through Cham and south towards Straubing on country rounds, we spend the time getting used to our home for the next 24hrs.

Here, the Kona is in its element, progress is smooth, effortless, as fast as a hot hatch if you want it to be, and that low-slung battery allows for surprisingly rapid cornering until mass takes over. The interior delivers a combination of modern tech with decent HMI and graphics, combined with dependable build quality and solid materials. Having nearly caused Tom to faceplant the dash the first time I lifted off the throttle, he hastily refers to the owner’s manual and discovers that the paddles behind the steering wheel allow you to adjust the amount of regen, which gives me something to fiddle with and obsess about optimising for the next 24 hours.

The A3 arrives and with it a sizeable increase in pace – Germany likes to travel fast. Keen to prove that EVs can do autobahn, we keep pace with commuters and our range falls off a cliff… 278 miles has, thanks to uncaring application of the throttle, dwindled to 180. The WLTP cycle doesn’t include a test for being tailgated by an

A6 at German commuting vmax. Still, it gives us the chance to experience the Ionity network for the first time.

We spear into the Bayerischer Wald Süd services, past all the fuel pumps and pull up at a charger. Having waved the charging card, we plug the Kona in and stand back to marvel at the speed of delivery. Some minutes later, and confident that the battery is at peak charge speeds, I realise our maximum charge rate is 70kW. Reality bites – we’re going to need to reconsider our pitstop tactics.

While the Ionity network is capable of charging at a rate of 350kW, the speed is governed by not only the charger capability, but by the vehicle itself. While rapid charging is being rolled out