Hybrid cars are hogging motorway charging points

ELECTRIC vehicles that take too long to charge should be banned from using motorway charging points, according to a new report.

The RAC Foundation has warned that older plug-in hybrid models are hogging charging stations, which are essential for battery-only cars making longer journeys.

The most up-to-date battery-only models need just five minutes at the quickest charging stations to add 15 miles to their range, compared with the hour that it takes for hybrid cars to achieve the same results.

Battery-only cars have no engine, while hybrids can operate in full electric-mode, use conventional fuel or a combination of both.

While some hybrid models charge themselves from the engine, plug-in hybrids need to be connected to the national grid in order to charge.

Steve Gooding, the RAC Foundation director, said it was essential that cars kept up with the progress being made in charging technology.

“Ever-faster and more powerful charging points might sound like the answer to creating the electric car recharging network we need, but if the cars themselves can only be recharged at a certain rate then, at best, we’re going to be disappointed and, at worst, we’re going to waste money,” he said.

Harold Dermott, the author of the report, recommended that motorway service-station charging points be reserved solely for battery-only cars until hybrids were able to charge at a faster rate.