What is it like to live with an electric car?

The realities of living with an electric car are very different from what most people would expect, Mr Beesley explains.

"I never used to consider how far my journey would be," he says. "I now reckon my average journey is five to 10 miles. I guess people think they drive more miles than they actually do.

"Clearly, if you do 90 miles per day, then this is probably not the car for you, but how often do you drive more than 90 miles in one stretch? And how often do you have sub-zero temperatures in Britain?"
Continue reading the main story David Beesley with the electric charging cable

I come home, I get out of the car and I plug it straight in

David Beesley Electric car driver The North East eyes low carbon future

Mr Beesley is even taking issue with the supposed need to roll out public charging points to molify people's range anxiety.

On most journeys, there is no need to top up the batteries to get home, Mr Beesley insists.

"And if I go to see a client in High Wycombe or my auntie in Southampton, it is not a problem if I want to plug into their socket while I'm there. It's just a bit of fun."

BMW says it takes about three hours to charge the battery with a 30-amp fast-charger, which uses the same type of electric cable that electric cookers use, or eight hours when using an ordinary 13-amp socket.

But again, Mr Beesley insists that once you get used to electric motoring, even this seems irrelevant.

"I come home, I get out of the car and I plug it straight in. It takes about two or three seconds and it charges on low tariffs overnight," he says.

"All this stuff about range and charge time amounts to scepticism and objection.

"Why do you want to keep objecting about something that is fantastic?"

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