There’s something exciting about rolling off the ferry and setting off on a road trip adventure. The good news? Taking your EV from Jersey to France or the UK is easier than ever, with huge charging networks, helpful apps, and plenty of places to stop and recharge along the way.

So, before you pack the snacks and argue over the playlist, here are our top tips for a smooth electric road trip.

France: A charging network as good as the baguettes

France is one of Europe's leading countries for EV travel, with a vast charging network covering motorways, cities, towns, shopping centres and tourist destinations. Rapid chargers are widely available at motorway service areas, making long-distance travel straightforward.

Whether you're heading for Normandy, Brittany, Paris or the south of France, you'll rarely be far from one of the 140,000 charging points across the country. Many hotels, supermarkets and public car parks also offer charging facilities.

UK: Tea, motorways and thousands of chargers

Across the UK, the public charging network continues to grow rapidly, with more than 115,000 public charging points available. Motorway services are particularly well-equipped with rapid chargers, making journeys to destinations across England, Scotland and Wales much easier than they were just a few years ago.

And let's be honest – stopping for a charge is the perfect excuse for a coffee, a snack, or a proper cup of tea.

Your Evolve tag is your travel companion

One of the biggest benefits for Evolve customers is that your Evolve charging tag works on over 800,000 charge points worldwide, including many across France and the UK.

Download the right apps before you leave

While your Evolve tag is incredibly useful, it's worth preparing a few extra tools before you set off.

Popular route-planning and charging apps available on iOS and Android include:

  • A Better Route Planner (ABRP)
  • Zap-Map (great for UK charging locations)
  • Chargemap
  • PlugShare
  • Izivia

These apps can help you:

  1. Find nearby chargers
  2. Check whether a charger is available
  3. See charging speeds and connector types
  4. Plan charging stops based on your vehicle's range
  5. Avoid arriving at an out-of-service charger
  6. Many charging networks also have their own apps, so it's worth registering and adding your payment card before departure.

You can download apps for the individual charging networks you’re going to use, and link your debit card, or a pre-paid euro card, before you set off.

Don't forget Tesla chargers

Good news for non-Tesla drivers: many Tesla Superchargers are now open to other EV brands. Just check availability through the Tesla app before you arrive. 

Plan ahead and relax

The golden rule of EV road trips is simple: plan before you drive.

Mapping your route in advance allows you to build charging stops into the journey and avoid range anxiety altogether. A little preparation goes a long way when travelling abroad.

Think of charging stops as part of the adventure rather than an inconvenience. They’re the perfect opportunity to grab lunch, stretch your legs, or discover somewhere new.

One important tip: always check pricing and any overstay fees before plugging in. Nobody wants an unexpected charge on their bank statement after a great holiday

Overnight charging is your friend

If you're staying overnight, look for accommodation with EV charging.

Charging on a slower charger overnight is often cheaper, more convenient, and can be gentler on your battery than relying solely on rapid chargers.

You'll wake up ready for the day's adventures with a full battery and one less thing to think about.

Avoid traffic when possible

Nobody enjoys holiday traffic, and your battery doesn't either.

Heavy congestion, particularly around large cities such as Paris, can increase energy consumption when heating or air conditioning is running continuously. Planning journeys outside peak times can help you maximise range and reduce stress.

Don't forget your Crit'Air sticker

If you're travelling into certain French cities, you'll need to check whether a Crit'Air permit is required.

Many French urban areas have low-emission zones, and even fully electric vehicles may need to display a Crit'Air sticker. Make sure you arrange this before travelling to avoid any surprises.

Final charge before you go

Taking your EV from Jersey to France or the UK has never been easier. With extensive charging networks, smart route-planning apps, and your Evolve tag opening access to hundreds of thousands of chargers, you're perfectly placed to explore beyond our shores.

So, pack your bags, charge up, and hit the road.

Have fun, drive safely, and, as our French neighbours would say, bon voyage!

Watch the video

A woman with a striped shirt and a straw bag containing a baguette stands next to a black car, while a man in a collared shirt holding a reusable water bottle smiles. They are in an outdoor setting with greenery and what appears to be an electric vehicle charging station in the background. The text overlay reads "Have fun! Et bon voyage!".

Your Customer Number

Your 5 character Customer Number can be found in the top right and bottom left corners of your bill.

Example electricity bill with the customer number highlighted

Daily Service Charge

The Daily Service Charge covers energy support services such as metering, billing, Customer Care, safety obligations and other energy support services.

Off-peak

Off-peak means not at the most popular time. Some of our tariffs provide discounted rates at off-peak times - for example, during certain periods at night.

Off peak charging times

Our current off peak electric vehicles times are from 00:00 to 06:59.

Dedicated supply circuit

A dedicated supply circuit is an electrical circuit that is set aside for a specific purpose, such as powering a boiler. It will work with a single appliance only.

It will have its own circuit breaker in your fuse box, and no other device or appliance will be able to draw power from it. A dedicated supply circuit ensures that appliances can draw the current they need without overloading your system, blowing a fuse or tripping an electric circuit.

Invoice Number

This can be found on the top right corner of your bill here

Example electricity bill with invoice number

Premise Number

This can be found on the top right corner and bottom left corner of your bill.

Example electricity bill with premise number highlighted

Payment Slip

This can be found at the bottom of your bill here

Bill payment slip example

Peak Load

Peak load or peak demand is a short period when the demand for electricity is at its highest.

Kilowatt Hours

Electricity consumption is usually measured in kilowatt hours, or kWh for short. Each kWh of electricity equates to 'one unit of electricity' for billing purposes. A 1kW (1,000 Watts) appliance in use for one hour = 1kWh (one unit). The cost per unit used depends on which tariff you are on.

Three phase

Residential homes are usually served by a single-phase power supply, while commercial and industrial facilities usually use a three-phase supply.

One difference between single-phase and three-phase is that a three-phase power supply better accommodates higher loads. Single-phase power supplies are most commonly used when typical loads are lighting or heating, rather than large electric motors.

Another important difference between 3-phase power and single phase power is the consistency of power delivery. Because of the variations in voltage, single-phase power supply does not offer the same consistency as a three-phase power supply. A three-phase power supply delivers power at a steady, constant rate.

kVA

A kVA is simply 1,000 volt-amps. A volt-amp, or ampere, (VA) is the voltage times the current feeding an electrical load.

Embedded generator

Embedded generators like wind turbines and solar panels are connected to your electricity supply and provide electricity for onsite use. They also have the capability to export back to the grid.

Smart Card Number

Your Smart Card Number is the 19-digit number displayed below the barcode on your Smart Card.

The Smart Card Number also contains your six-digit Meter Number that is also displayed on your meter. You need this to top up a Smart Pay As You Go Meter whether at a Payzone outlet or online.

Example of Smart card for meter charging

Smart Card

A Smart Card contains your unique Smart Card Number used when topping up a Smart Pay As You Go Meter.

Example of a smart card for meter charging

F-Credit

F-credit is a Pay As You Go meter display and means Friendly Credit. It is the period between 9pm and 8am. If the credit on your meter runs out during this period, your supply will remain on until 8am.

Decarbonise

The process of reducing carbon by replacing fossil fuels with fuel that is less harmful to the environment such as low-carbon electricity.

Regenerative braking

With conventional braking systems, the kinetic energy that was propelling the vehicle forward gets converted to unwanted and wasted heat by the friction of the brakes.

Regenerative braking recaptures much of the car's kinetic energy and converts it into electricity, so that it can be used to recharge the car's batteries.

In addition to improving the efficiency of a vehicle, regeneration can significantly extend the life of the braking system, as the mechanical parts will not wear out as quickly.

Power factor

Power factor is the ratio of useful power in kilowatts (kW) to apparent power, measured in kilovolt amperes (kVA). A perfect power factor would be 1.0, however in reality this is almost impossible to achieve. Office buildings are usually between 0.98 and 0.92. Bad power factor is anything below 0.85.

Electric flow boiler

Electric flow boilers are simple to install, quiet in operation, 100% efficient and integrate into most existing radiator or underfloor piped systems. Plus, with no flue or storage tank, an electric boiler is a space-saving option that can be installed almost anywhere in your home.

Approved heating system

A heating system, approved by Jersey Electricity, on a dedicated supply for use on one of our discounted heating tariffs.

To learn more about what's required for an approved heating system, view our current approved heating guidelines.

20-digit payment code

The 20-digit payment code is issued with your receipt for a Pay As You Go (PAYG) meter top-up. If your meter did not charge automatically, you can do it manually with the payment code. Press button A on your meter then key in your 20-digit payment confirmation code on the meter keypad, then press button B. Your meter will recognise the amount paid and charge accordingly.

Single phase

Single-phase power supplies are most commonly used when typical loads are lighting or heating, as in a domestic home, rather than large electric motors and higher loads. Single-phase power is a two-wire alternating current (AC) power circuit.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)

To access up to £9,000 government heating incentive, you will need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). We can help arrange this for you.​

The Government's low carbon heating incentive is a financial incentive to help move households and businesses away from fossil fuels.​

Those with an oil or gas heating system can now apply for up to £9,000+ match funding towards a low carbon alternative.​