Seasoned ‘Plug in’ adventurer Christopher Ramsey, an electric vehicle (EV) enthusiast, enjoys nothing more than pushing the boundaries of electric vehicle travel and testing the UK and Europe’s EV infrastructures to the limits.
After a few weeks’ careful planning, driving all the way to Monte Carlo gave Christopher his first taste of not only driving in Europe, but driving the all-electric BMW i3 on a long distance journey. Driving through the very heart of the UK and France, passing a large collection of wind farms and the elegance of French châteaux along the way, the highlight was very much the extravagance and hustle and bustle of Monte Carlo. The BMW i3, which Chris and his co-driver businessman Terry Mohammed affectionately named “Monte” was very much at home on these streets, despite being amongst a mass of car royalty. Chris said:
“The opportunity the drive to such a beautiful city like Monte Carlo was one I could just not turn down. The charging infrastructure in the UK is extremely reliable, something I know well and I have been putting it to the test since 2013, but on the continent was a bit of an unknown for me, so when I met Terry and we discussed the plans I jumped at the chance.
Apart from some difficulties in Calais, the drive through France was stunning and the charge points worked perfectly. When we arrived in Monte Carlo, well, this is where little Monte came into his own, the 180bhp electric motor allowed us to nip through the streets of Monte Carlo with ease, with Monte turning a lot of heads along the way I might add.
Whilst this was definitely the most ambitious challenge I have taken on to date, it was excellent practice for the future, as I have more long distance adventures in the pipeline.”
Chris added via twitter that he and his co-driver only stopped in Monte Carlo for a brief 40-minutes before turning around and heading back to the UK again, once again proving the viability of an average range electric car over a long distance.
Chris Ramsey is no stranger to putting electric cars through their paces on epic drives. Only in April, Plug In Adventures completed the North Coast 500 (Scotland’s answer to Route 66), becoming the first person ever to complete the route in an all-electric vehicle. And, the journey cost £0 in electricity, due to UK & Scottish charge points currently being free to use. Chris commented:
“It’s no secret that I’m an EV advocate – I genuinely enjoy owning and running my own electric vehicle, knowing that I’m doing my bit for the environment whilst benefiting from the low-running costs. There’s still scepticism about the capabilities of EVs on long journeys, and “Range Anxiety” is the main barrier stopping people from looking at electric vehicles.
That’s why I delight in pushing all-electric travel to the limits and taking on the really big drives to show these cars can easily provide the day-to-day range of almost any driver. If we can drive 2551miles in 60hrs, people can easily drive outside the town or visit friends or family in another city.”
Plug In Adventures was founded by Chris in 2011 and was born from a combined love of adventure and electric vehicles. Chris is a leading EV Adventurer in the UK and regularly participates in guest speaking, TV& Radio appearances and, of course, EV adventures. His aim is to engage with the public in unique ways and champion all things EV-related. Follow his adventures on Twitter @Pluginadventure and Facebook for all of the latest from the team.
Source; Plug in Adventures
