I really want to do the NC500 in my ZS - here’s my draft plan 1,352miles - am I crazy?

[Cocijo]

As some of you may know I’ve been thinking for a while of completing a lengthy trip in my ZS. I love Scotland so i’ve been looking at some of the NC500 combined with the Lake district - all starting from Birmingham!
I started my first draft of the trip and thought that I’d share my early thoughts. It does seem a bit daunting I must admit! I have quite a lot of work to do to fill in gaps and back up plans - or I could just go for it!
what do you think?
NC 500/Lakes trip

1/Depart Birmingham to Kendal (150miles) - overnight stop - not sure about overnight or rapid chargers in/around Kendal or for any overnight stops yet…

Also need Chargers Plan B to be added for the whole trip….

2/Depart Kendal (hopefully fully charged) to Perth (190miles) - overnight stop. Again not sure overnight charging/rapids in Perth

3/Depart Perth to Dornoch (153miles). Overnight stop.

4/Depart Dornoch to Wick (63miles). Overnight stop.

4/Depart Wick to Tongue (68miles). Overnight stop.

5/depart Tongue to Lochinver (81miles). Overnight stop.

6/Depart Lochinver to Ullapool (36miles). Overnight stop.

7/Depart Ullapool to Kinlochewe (58miles). Overnight stop.

8/Depart Kinlochewe to Inverness (50miles). Overnight stop.

9/Depart Inverness to oban (109miles). Overnight stop.

10/Depart Oban to Windermere (241miles). Overnight stop.

11/Depart Windermere for Birmingham (156miles).

1352miles total. 16 charges. 8hrs 4min charge time. 373.7kwh used at 265wh/mile

 

[Jake]

A quick scan down your itinerary looks fairly safe and sensible to me. Without scrutinising the detail I would say an excellent plan for a relaxed tour of our beautiful northern countryside. Enjoy your trip and the car (presumably a ZS by your planned intervals). I hope it goes well and uneventful for you. I look forward to your detailed report.

 

[macd2401]

Plenty of redundancy built in on some sections, just in case you can't get a charge in some locations ??

Looking good.

 

[Tim Green]

You seem to be planning quite a lot of 100% starts which I presume means that you can charge using the granny on overnight stops? When I went in a long trip to Cornwall I found the limit of 80% on fast charge made a huge difference. Also I recommend noting down at least one alternative for every planned stop.
Sounds like a great trip though, I’d like to do it myself but in my other MG (TD).

 

[Deleted member 823]

Ah, a bucket list trip for me, thanks for posting that up, I might "borrow" it at some point in the future I hope you get to make that trip soon and let us know how it goes!

 

[Cocijo]

 

[Gomev]

Just make sure you pre-book your hotels, they are generally full with everyone else doing the same.

You might want to watch these videos from EVman, he has done this a few times, even in a Leaf 24.

 

[Cocijo]

Good advice. It also means that charging could be in greater demand…

 

[LeoRBK]

As some of you may know I’ve been thinking for a while of completing a lengthy trip in my ZS. I love Scotland so i’ve been looking at some of the NC500 combined with the Lake district - all starting from Birmingham!
I started my first draft of the trip and thought that I’d share my early thoughts. It does seem a bit daunting I must admit! I have quite a lot of work to do to fill in gaps and back up plans - or I could just go for it!
what do you think?
NC 500/Lakes trip

1/Depart Birmingham to Kendal (150miles) - overnight stop - not sure about overnight or rapid chargers in/around Kendal or for any overnight stops yet…

Also need Chargers Plan B to be added for the whole trip….

View attachment 3833

2/Depart Kendal (hopefully fully charged) to Perth (190miles) - overnight stop. Again not sure overnight charging/rapids in Perth

View attachment 3828

3/Depart Perth to Dornoch (153miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3835

4/Depart Dornoch to Wick (63miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3827

4/Depart Wick to Tongue (68miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3829

5/depart Tongue to Lochinver (81miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3830

6/Depart Lochinver to Ullapool (36miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3831

7/Depart Ullapool to Kinlochewe (58miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3837

8/Depart Kinlochewe to Inverness (50miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3832

9/Depart Inverness to oban (109miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3834

10/Depart Oban to Windermere (241miles). Overnight stop.

View attachment 3838

11/Depart Windermere for Birmingham (156miles).

View attachment 3836

1352miles total. 16 charges. 8hrs 4min charge time. 373.7kwh used at 265wh/mile

Any idea why the efficiency(Wh/mi) varies widely across various legs of the journey?

 

[Cocijo]

Any idea why the efficiency(Wh/mi) varies widely across various legs of the journey?

I think it’s based on the ABRP algorithm that takes into account the route and average speed. I thought they were all a little optimistic! Travelling around the North coast I would expect really good consumption, but motorways/faster roads much worse.

 

[Archev]

Superb trip. When we did Route 66 and various other long trips across the USA we always bought essentials when we hired the (sadly petrol, but terrible mpg) vehicle. We’d hit Walmart or similar and buy water, food, cool box, bucket, toilet rolls, bed sheets for sleeping and or curtain use. We only ever needed the water, cool box and food. We always found accommodation and toilets so really enjoy those types of trips. We ran pretty near the limit of the fuel tank on many occasions and ended up in some very wild, lonely places.
So you have the advantage of being able to take some basic essentials with you (even a tent / sleeping bags etc as a back up). Therefor its very possibly a bit crazy but we’re totally jealous and have it on our list too. Our ZS has done 6000 plus miles since March 2020 and come close to the final bar on the power gauge a few times.
We’d say go for it with Granny riding shotgun ??

 

[LoneRanger]

Embrace the challenge !

Wife & I are planning to drive from Lincolnshire via Bilbao to the Algarve next year hopefully.