The tricky business of charging electric cars

TAKE THE wheel of an electric vehicle (EV) and prepare to be astounded. The smooth, instant acceleration of battery power makes driving easy and exciting. The latest technology is there, with tablet-like screens instead of old-fashioned switches. Add falling prices which make owning and running many EVs as cheap as fossil-fuel alternatives, and the open road beckons.

Except when you look under those sleek exteriors. The tangle of cables in the boot is a reminder of the need to plug in and recharge cars roughly every 250 miles (400km). And when you do find a public charging point, it is sometimes damaged or inaccessible. Little wonder that one of the main reasons drivers give for not buying an EV is “range anxiety”.