The BVRLA has kicked off a summer campaign to shine a spotlight on destination charging. Bon VoyCharge has been launched to showcase best practice across the UK and where the industry and policymakers can collaborate on further development. Marking the first formal milestone of the campaign, the Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP joined industry professionals for a roundtable at Alton Towers (17 July).
Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood with BVRLA Chief Executive
Toby Poston utilising the Raw charging facilities at
the Alton Towers Hotel
Marking two years since the site installed its charging bays for electric vehicles, the Minister joined leading organisations from the electric vehicle, tourism and hospitality industries. Their discussion looked at what good practice looks like and how to expand chargepoint availability at key tourist destinations.
With the UK welcoming 41.2 million visitors from abroad in 2024, plus British residents accounting for 106m overnight stays, the UK’s tourism sector is worth over £30bn every year and expected to grow in 2025. For those visitors driving electric vehicles, there are currently an estimated 7.5k electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints available at accommodation and leisure or tourism locations.
Toby Poston, BVRLA Chief Executive, said: “Tourism is big business. Our rental sector plays a vital role in keeping visitors mobile, enabling them to visit new areas and explore the best the UK has to offer. As the sector evolves in a sustainable way, it is encouraging to see businesses in this space embracing the shift to electric vehicles. Through cross-sector collaboration, we can make domestic tourist travel greener, cleaner and more enjoyable.”
Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “This week we made it cheaper and easier to own an electric vehicle — cutting up to £3,750 off the cost of a new EV and helping more drivers save up to £1,500 a year on running costs by making it easier to charge at home.
“We want to make sure everyone reaps the benefits of owning an EV, which is why I met with the industry to help turbocharge the rollout of chargepoints at holiday hotspots and give people the confidence to drive and rent an EV no matter where they go. This will help us deliver our Plan for Change by supporting jobs, backing our £30 billion tourism industry, and help drivers make the switch to electric.”
The Bon VoyCharge campaign is a collaboration between the BVRLA, Autotrader, Charge UK, EVA England, UK Hospitality, UK Inbound, and Zapmap, supported by rental companies Arnold Clark, Drivalia, Europcar, and Hertz.
Activity through the summer will encompass political engagements and direct guidance for businesses and travellers. A selection of guides will be published that support accommodation and leisure locations in installing or upscaling their EV charging provisions, alongside driver guides that give tourists the information they need to rent an EV with confidence during their trip.
Ministerial and MP interactions will include site visits and round tables, in addition to wider briefings and local outreach with the support of industry stakeholders and fleet professionals. As part of the association’s Parliamentary Reception on World EV Day (9th September) and presence across political party conferences, the BVRLA will outline areas for further improvement and how to scale destination charging progress in line with EV adoption increasing.
Further information of the Bon VoyCharge campaign, and details of how to get involved, are available via BonVoyCharge.co.uk.
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