GWM ORA UK partners with Octopus Electroverse to create scenic English summer charging guide in celebration of Clean Air Day 2024
- Scenic holiday charging locations identified to encourage sustainable transport
- Details the top five chargers to visit in the South of England, a scenic route consisting of 433 miles with a total driving time of around 10 hours
- After launching 18 months ago, GWM ORA now has 1,500 ORA 03’s on UK roads, saving the equivalent of 2,700 tonnes of CO 2 every year*
Online research and data analytics group, YouGov, has found that domestic holidays in the UK will be the most popular option this summer and plenty of Brits will be flooding south to enjoy the warmer climate, quaint villages and scenic coastline.
But, with an increase in travel and the continued growth of electrified vehicle adoption, many will be making longer journeys and charging in an EV for the first time. To help support the shift to sustainable transport, GWM ORA and Octopus Electroverse have put together a handy selection of some of the most scenic charging locations to visit in the South of England – just in time for summer.
The route starts in the heart of the UK’s capital city, London, then details five stops in charming locations across the South coast of England around Kent, from farm shops to old-school arcades and seaside towns. Drivers can get a coffee, play games and take in the coastal views and fresh, salty sea air while they power up for the next leg of their journey.
Automotive and lifestyle content creator, TGE drove part of the 433 mile route in an ORA 03 PRO+ whilst exploring sustainability topics in light of Clean Air Day 2024.
Toby Marshall, Managing Director, GWM ORA UK said:
“It is so important to shine a positive light on the work that’s being done within the automotive industry to create a greener, healthier and more sustainable environment for all. I believe that now more than ever, consumers are empowered to make that greener choice a reality with the recent advances in electric vehicle technology, charging infrastructure and accessibly priced vehicles like the ORA 03.”
The impact of air pollution on the environment and our health is a huge challenge for markets around the world and the UK is no exception. Presently, 79% of the UK exceeds the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual mean guideline for safe fine particulate matter levels. Additionally, in the last few years, the UK Government reported that cars made up 75% of the road vehicle miles travelled within the UK, producing 57% of transport emissions. Adoption of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure can play a crucial role in lowering road transport emissions and contribute to a healthier, greener UK.
This comes as a myriad of EV and charging related myths are being perpetuated online. Through this partnership, GWM ORA and Octopus Electroverse are highlighting how drivers can positively benefit from EVs and simple charging on the Octopus Electroverse charging platform.
Octopus Electroverse has quickly grown to be the UK’s largest EV charging platform, making charging on-the-go simple with their ‘one card, one app’ model. Drivers can access around 750,000 chargers from nearly 700 different charge point brands in over 40 countries.
Since launching in the UK 18 months ago, GWM ORA has established a strong network of thirty plus retail sites with over 1,500 ORA 03’s now on UK roads. Based on a petrol, similarly sized equivalent car it is estimated that each year 2,700 tonnes* of C02 would be saved, assuming each vehicle travels 8,000km a year.
Earlier this year, ORA 03 (previously known as ORA Funky Cat) was awarded top marks by Green NCAP, an independent testing initiative which measures cars on their efficiency and environmental impact. With an average test score of 97% ORA 03 comfortably achieved a 5 star Green rating and has subsequently been announced as the winner of the Green NCAP ‘Small Family Car’ and ‘Full Electric Car’ categories.
Additionally, ORA 03 was awarded the Green NCAP ‘Greener Choice’ Life Cycle Assessment Award in 2023, which compares a car’s impact on climate from ‘cradle to grave’ i.e. from when it was manufactured, through its lifetime of usage and, finally, end-of-life treatment. Measured on Green House Gas Emissions and Primary Energy Demand using a default set of parameters, ORA 03 sat on the lower end of the scale, outperforming many of its petrol and BEV counterparts. ORA Funky Cat achieved an average life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of 112.9 gCO2/km, with the highest contributor being energy supply which accounted for 49% of the output of climate changing gases.
