Glastonbury is the best UK festival – for electric-vehicle drivers, according to a study.
Researchers assessed charger availability at each event, focusing on the number of locations within a 50-mile radius and prioritising proximity to rapid charging points.
Crunching the numbers across the 10 biggest festivals in the UK, it found revellers at the Somerset bash – which is one of the few major festivals with charging on site – comes out on top.
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The world-famous event benefits from ‘super hub’ points nearby at Solstice Park, Leigh Delamere, and TEALS Farm Shop – and a total of 368 EV charging spots in the area.
Leeds Festival follows closely, lacking on-site charging but benefiting from high-quality stations at locations like Wetherby, Woolley Edge, and Ferrybridge services – totalling 504 stations.
Download Festival ranks third, as metalheads can access Donington Park services’ rapid charging and it’s near the M1 – which has 11 more.
Rebecca Trebble, chief customer experience officer at the sustainable energy firm GRIDSERVE, which complied the data, said: “Plan ahead so you know where the chargers are along your route.
“And make sure you’re hitting them in plenty of time ahead of any festival traffic.
“Timing is everything and getting an early start can help you bag a great tent pitch at the festival, but it can also speed up your charging experience – the quietest times to charge are before 8am or after 6pm.”
(Image: GRIDSERVE)
Reading Festival secured fourth spot, as it offers on-site charging, unlike its sister festival in Leeds – but only 139 points in the surrounding Berkshire area.
And it narrowly pipped Latitude, which rounded off the top five – as these festival goers have 10 fewer charging stations compared to Reading.
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Although, the Suffolk festival is the last in the list to provide charging on the festival grounds while merrymakers dance the night away.
London’s All Points East is the sixth best – with a total of 366 chargers in the 50-mile radius of Victoria Park but is lacking availability to nearby super hubs.
While this year’s Radio 1’s Big Weekend, which was held in Luton, is seventh with only 72 places to power up an EV – it benefits from close links to the M1 and eight rapid chargers in the vicinity.
Wilderness festival in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire – taking place across the first weekend of August –ranks as the eighth best for zero emission drivers.
And legendary dance event Creamefield is in ninth – with the facilities to top up quickly in the Roadchef in Chester on the festival’s doorstep – among the other 125 in the Cheshire area.
Finally, Boardmasters in Newquay completed the top 10 despite boasting the most charging points, 568, of all the major festivals.
However, the surfing and music experience it fell down the list because it lacks on-site charging and has only a few super hub chargers close to the event.
Rebecca Trebble, from GRIDSERVE, which has curated the ultimate playlist for EV drivers to enjoy while stuck in festival traffic, added: “Many EVs have outlets you can use to power various appliances, including USB ports, 12V outlets, and AC outlets.
“Meaning that you can pop out of the festival to give your phone that all important boost you need to find your friends in the crowd or navigate your way home.”
BEST UK FESTIVALS FOR EV DRIVERS
1. Glastonbury
2. Leeds Festival
3. Download Festival
4. Reading Festival
5. Latitude Festival
6. All Points East
7. Radio 1’s Big Weekend
8. Wilderness
9. Creamfields
10. Boardmasters