Is Todhills or Gretna the best place to stop for charging on M6 Southbound?

HazardLights

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Hi,

Is Todhills or Gretna the best place to stop for charging?

I expect to stop for lunch there although I may throw in another stop if timing proves to be difficult. The background is that I am planning a trip to Manchester in April and working on my Southbound journey. It will be my first time going to England in an EV and I cannot remember the service stations. I intend to take out a months Tesla Membership which works wonders for charging costs (especially in Scotland). I will be in my MG4 Trophy LR. I have looked at the excellent commentary here Charging on the M6 Southbound

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Other things I am wondering, has anyone popped off the charge at Preston before and is it a trouble free option?

Are there any particularly nice places to stop regardless of charge if I fancy a coffee, cake and stretch of legs?

Any tips/advice on Northbound journey? I am avoding EV OTM (on the move) chargers as these don't seem to offer any cost benefit although as I like the Tesla charging experience I will use them as necessary.

Thanks,
HazardLights
 
Todhills southbound ... you can use the Open-to-all Tesla superchargers there, and there's a Costa outlet. It's also just off the motorway. There's also a number of high power GridServe chargers there, but obviously more expensive than Tesla.

The Tesla superchargers at Gretna Outlet Village are also Open-to-all but I tend to use them when I'm heading northbound ... however there are more options there for eating and shopping.

Gretna services is handy but you're restricted to expensive chargers there - Ionity (though you can get a small discount using an Electroverse card) and AppleGreen. There's also a couple of 50kW GridServe chargers there.
 
Personally like Tebay at 69p/kWh and a decent coffee, but it doesn't look like it will line up well with your route.
It's my aim point as it's near enough bang on half way between Edinburgh and Llandudno.
 
Other things I am wondering, has anyone popped off the charge at Preston before and is it a trouble free option?
I haven't used it, but as it's attached to a hotel you have to register at the front desk to avoid parking fines, and the Tesla app suggests there's an entry code too.
 
I haven't used it, but as it's attached to a hotel you have to register at the front desk to avoid parking fines, and the Tesla app suggests there's an entry code too.
When the app says code FRONTDESK it means as you have said you need to register at the front desk in the hotel to avoid parking fines.
The codes generally apply to if there is a barrier, e.g. a car park, you need to pass to enter.
 
I'd probably go to Caledonian Park if I didn't have enough to get to Tebay, but that's probably because I've been there, and I've never been to Todhills. There's also the Ionity site beside the Carlisle Truckstop (Starbucks). Gretna services itself is a bit of a scrum.
 
Going a bit off the topic but I plan doing the Northcoast 500 next year, driving up from Devon. I know the services up to Tebay but none after.. My first destination is actually Portree on Skye as we're calling in to stay with friends on UIst first, then maybe the ferry back to Uig or maybe to Ullapool, then around the coast and down the east side. Thanks for any advice, including best time to visit.
 
I'm off to Skye next Sunday. I'm booked on the Mallaig to Armadale ferry. I'll make my first stop at the Tesla superchargers at Fort William and that will get me to Skye with plenty to spare.

I did the western part of the NC 500 last September. Charged at Eilean Donan, Torridon, Ullapool, Lochinver and Durness before heading home. (I was sleeping in the car so I used more electricity, obviously.) On the way home I stopped at Inverness and Perth (Tesla, though I had trouble with the Perth superchargers and now use the Ionitys there instead).

Caution. There is no 3-phase electricity west of the Bealach na Bà so make sure you have plenty charge to get in and out of Applecross. I have also heard that the charger at the Torridon Hotel is no longer there or not working or something, which is a royal pain.

@QLeo lives on the NC 500 and may be able to advise you further.
 
I'm off to Skye next Sunday. I'm booked on the Mallaig to Armadale ferry. I'll make my first stop at the Tesla superchargers at Fort William and that will get me to Skye with plenty to spare.

I did the western part of the NC 500 last September. Charged at Eilean Donan, Torridon, Ullapool, Lochinver and Durness before heading home. (I was sleeping in the car so I used more electricity, obviously.) On the way home I stopped at Inverness and Perth (Tesla, though I had trouble with the Perth superchargers and now use the Ionitys there instead).

Caution. There is no 3-phase electricity west of the Bealach na Bà so make sure you have plenty charge to get in and out of Applecross. I have also heard that the charger at the Torridon Hotel is no longer there or not working or something, which is a royal pain.

@QLeo lives on the NC 500 and may be able to advise you further.

If you're short there's a new 50kw charger in the car park just as you come into Mallaig.
 
Going a bit off the topic but I plan doing the Northcoast 500 next year, driving up from Devon. I know the services up to Tebay but none after.. My first destination is actually Portree on Skye as we're calling in to stay with friends on UIst first, then maybe the ferry back to Uig or maybe to Ullapool, then around the coast and down the east side. Thanks for any advice, including best time to visit.

You should never be more than about 15 miles from a rapid charger on the NC500. All the old telephone box shaped ones have been replaced with new and they all take contactless.
 
If you're short there's a new 50kw charger in the car park just as you come into Mallaig.

I've got my eye on that. It was showing as not operational a week or two ago, but it seems to be fine now. If I'm early for the ferry I might take the chance to top up a bit, depending.
 
I've got my eye on that. It was showing as not operational a week or two ago, but it seems to be fine now. If I'm early for the ferry I might take the chance to top up a bit, depending.
OK thanks, don't know yet whether we're going Mallaig or Uig but its good to know!
 
Sorry, I meant Mallaig or the Skye bridge ;)
I’ve had good results using the CPS chargers at Kyleakin on Skye beside the bridge. I’ve used them as a staging post after Tesla Fort William to top up en- route to Applecross. That leaves me with around 150 miles worth of power in Applecross- more than enough to return to Fort William or back to Kyleakin if I use the car battery via the power station for cooking etc.
 
I’ve had good results using the CPS chargers at Kyleakin on Skye beside the bridge. I’ve used them as a staging post after Tesla Fort William to top up en- route to Applecross. That leaves me with around 150 miles worth of power in Applecross- more than enough to return to Fort William or back to Kyleakin if I use the car battery via the power station for cooking etc.
Seems like many people prefer using the Tesla open network.. I did register with them but have never needed to use tesla to date, maybe I should.. their connectors fit an MG4 OK?
 
Seems like many people prefer using the Tesla open network.. I did register with them but have never needed to use tesla to date, maybe I should.. their connectors fit an MG4 OK?
Standard connectors. Fitted my MG5 and now my e Berlingo watch the time you arrive at them and try to arrive with time to spare in order to get the cheap rate power.
 
Seems like many people prefer using the Tesla open network.. I did register with them but have never needed to use tesla to date, maybe I should.. their connectors fit an MG4 OK?

It's good. And since the charging port on the MG4 is in the same place as in a Tesla you can just slot in without blocking any bays.
 
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