There’s a distinctive glow of virtue that emanates from people recharging their electric cars in public places. I call it the Light of the Charge Brigade. In the run-up to Easter, I spent two hours observing the phenomenon at Fleet Services on the M3.

It was mostly men doing the charging. They’ve cracked the EV way of life, and are very pleased with themselves. A sparklingly fulfilled man called Paul was driving from Colchester to Seaton in Devon in his Skoda Enyaq with a carload of friends. He’d planned this stop for a first charge and Pret elevenses. Later he was planning to stop at Montacute House in Somerset for a late lunch and a second charge on one of the National Trust’s chargers. The reason for the second charge was he knew it would be tricky to find a charger over the busy weekend.

Here Paul was, executing his carefully laid plan. It did mean the journey was going to take a whole day

Here Paul was, executing his carefully laid plan. It did mean the journey was going to take a whole day

‘You must plan your journey,’ all EV owners advise. And here Paul was, executing his carefully laid plan. It did mean the journey was going to take a whole day and would involve two expensive restaurant-type experiences. But he and his passengers were in their mid-sixties and looked quite well-off.

They’ll need to be well-off, if this week’s warning from EV companies comes true: that, thanks to 38,000 per cent increases in their own energy bills, they’re going to pass on massive price rises to customers.

A young family in a rented Tesla (£300 a month) were on their way from Southend to Cornwall. They had stopped at one of the Tesla chargers, those stylish red-and-white oblongs........

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