Energy saving electric car drivers can now travel from the Lake District to Liverpool and Manchester without having to worry about running out of power; all thanks to two new charging points on the M6.

The "Electric Highway" now has charging points at services on the M6, M40, M1, M5, M4, and M25. All the charging points are located at Welcome Break services and within 18 months all 27 Welcome Break’s will have charging points.

It’s great news for eco-minded drivers. One of the main worries for those thinking of investing in an electric car has been so called ‘range anxiety’ - fear of running out of power before reaching your destination.

But now motorway drivers will be able to consider options from a a rapid 20 minute top up, or a two hour full charge; that’s with a 32 Amp supply. A slower 13 Amp supply will give you a full top up whilst you enjoy an overnight stay at the motorway services hotel.

The charging points are powered by wind and solar farms, so you can not only save yourself petrol, but you’re also saving energy too. And money; an electric car costs around 1p a mile, compared to an average of 15p a mile for a petrol car.

The power points are being provided by green energy company, Ecotricity. Dale Vince OBE, Ecotricity’s founder, said: "People have asked why we are building this Electric Highway when there are only about 2,000 electric cars on the road today.

"In fact that’s a big part of the reason – a lack of demand. It’s often said that one of the reasons more people don’t buy electric cars is because of a lack of charging facilities – while the reason more charging facilities aren’t built is because not enough people are buying electric cars – classic chicken and egg stuff. We’re hoping to break that impasse. We’re creating the infrastructure to get Britain’s electric car revolution moving."

So, if you’ve been thinking of going electric, now’s the time. You can save yourself £1,000 a year in petrol costs and at the same time improve your carbon footprint by saving 2,000kg in CO2 emissions.

You'll need a swipecard to use the charging points. These are available free at Ecotricity’s website.

[Image: Highways Agency]