“I DROVE TO SWITZERLAND IN AN EV TO WATCH THE LIONESSES LIFT THE EURO TROPHY – HERE’S 5 THINGS I LEARNT”

• Committed football fan, Liv Cooper, drove 1,602 miles on the round trip from Manchester to Basel in an electric vehicle – despite having previously suffered with range anxiety
• But the journey was better for the planet as well as her pocket compared to a petrol car – as Liv reduced her carbon emissions by 84% and saved 31% compared to fuel costs
• Two in five Brits (40%) are still unaware that driving an EV can be significantly cheaper than a petrol or diesel motor, with a similar number (38%) admitting range anxiety puts them off going electric
• Liv is now sharing her top tips for those thinking about making the switch to encourage more people to travel a greener way

AUGUST 2025: In the run-up to the highly anticipated Women’s EUROs final, football fan Liv Cooper drove 801 miles from Manchester to Basel (and back) to see the Lionesses face Spain in a bid to secure their second EUROs trophy.

Having been a fan of women’s football since she was young, Liv was determined to get to this year’s final in a greener way by driving an EV, taking advantage of improved charging options along the route.

Although she’d driven her mum’s EV a few times before, this was her first long distance journey and she admitted she still suffered from range anxiety, something that also deters more than a third (38%) of Brits from making the switch to electric, according to research from OVO*. 

But the journey went smoother than expected and was better for the planet and her pocket. Liv reduced her carbon emissions by 84%** compared to taking the journey in a petrol car and saved over 31% by charging instead of buying fuel**.

Liv says, “Seeing the Lionesses make the EURO final isn’t a chance you’ll get too often, but travelling there and back doesn’t come cheap. Petrol is expensive, the price of train tickets are sky-high, and flying is one of the least sustainable ways of travelling, so it felt like the right time to give a European road trip in an EV a go.

“Driving an EV all the way to the Women’s Euros was so memorable. The trip was smooth, and the car – the Volkswagen ID.7 – was an absolute joy to drive! I was a bit nervous as it was my first time driving in Europe, but the car made it easy by showing speed limits in miles and kilometres and warning me of any roadworks ahead. 

“Even navigating charges was simple as we used the OVO Charge App – making it easy to plan out our route and we were able to stop in places we wanted to visit along the way, without having range anxiety because we could plan ahead. I loved how traveling by EV gave me a guilt free drive, but also made the entire trip feel like one big adventure.”

New research from OVO* has revealed that two fifths of Brits (40%) are still unaware that using an EV can be significantly cheaper than petrol or diesel options. Over half (52%) say a lack of public charge points is a barrier to EV adoption, with nearly two in five (38%) admitting they wouldn’t feel confident taking a long-distance journey in an EV. 

Liv’s top tips for anyone else wanting to tackle a road trip in an EV:

• Start small 

Start small – you don’t have to go and buy an EV overnight. Take an EV for a test drive if you’re looking for a new car, take public transport, or carpool. If you are driving an EV, plan ahead and build in a bit of flexibility – it can actually make the trip more enjoyable and you can find some incredible places along the way. And it’s a brilliant feeling knowing you’ve lowered your carbon emissions while still showing up.

• Research what car you buy, borrow or hire

I borrowed a Volkswagen ID.7 which can cover up to 436 miles on one charge, making it great for longer journeys like this. It really impressed me – it felt more like gliding than driving. It was smooth, silent, and seriously comfortable over long distances. The range was solid, and with a bit of planning, it didn’t feel limiting at all. It used more miles when driving faster on the motorway or when charging phones/using maps, but it definitely met expectations, especially in terms of comfort.

• Download an app to help plan charges and save money

Public charging is more expensive than charging at home. But with OVO’s Charge Anywhere app – I had discounted access to over 400,000 chargers across Europe. It was a total game-changer and took a lot of stress out of the trip. The app adjusted in real-time based on charging availability, which made it super easy to see where was best to charge. I especially liked being able to see live availability and charging speeds so there were no surprises when I pulled in. We found a lot of chargers didn’t take UK cards or Apple Pay, but if you’re using the OVO Charge app, you don’t have this problem, and you don’t have to be an OVO energy customer to use the app – it’s available for anyone to use. We made sure to have a look at where we could fast charge en route before we set off, which was super convenient and meant we could be flexible with our journey. We also made sure to top up when we had the chance if we knew we had a longer leg of the journey coming up.

• Factor in a little more time

We had a tight schedule to make it to the final, so we had to be smart about when and where to stop. One charger in Belgium was slower than expected, which meant a longer wait. But having snacks and music ready meant we just chilled for a bit longer than planned before carrying on our way after charging – and luckily we made it on time in the end. 

• Make sure you take in your surroundings

Next time, I’d build in a few more scenic or cultural stops around charging points and turn them into part of the trip instead of just functional stops – there is so much to see and do, even around charging stations. You’d be surprised!

Alex Thwaites, Director of EV at OVO: “Driving an EV for your summer road trip is a great way to save money and help reduce emissions. The Volkswagen ID.7 Pro S Match has a seriously impressive range of up to 436 miles. That combined with OVO’s Charge Anywhere, which gives access to over 400,000 chargers throughout Europe, meant Liv could drive the greener way to Switzerland, without any worries.”

To access Charge Anywhere, simply download the OVO Charge App on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

For more information visit: https://www.ovoenergy.com/electric-cars/charge-anywhere 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For more information please contact: [email protected] 

Data used in the press release:

*Strand Partners’ specialist research team surveyed a sample of 1,020 nationally representative members of the UK general public. The survey was representative by age, gender and NUTS 1 region. Fieldwork was conducted between 11-14th April 2025. Strand Partners is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

**Total savings = 418 kgCO2e or an 84% reduction compared to petrol equivalent. The equivalent trip in a petrol car would emit around 495 kgCO2e. The ID.7 Pro has a 0.14 kWh/km efficiency. The EV emissions for this trip are 76.6 kgCO2e (assuming the UK grid factor for charging which is 0.212 kgCO2e/kWh)

***£122.10 = cost of Liv’s 800 mile journey in an EV, using OVO’s Charge Anytime for 1x at-home turbo charge and public charging using OVO’s Charge Anywhere Boost Plan | Compared to £176.22 = the average cost of an 800 mile journey in an equivalent size petrol car, using government advisory rates.

About OVO:

In 2009, OVO was born to make energy better for people and the planet. Today, OVO is trusted by around four million customers with their home energy, EV charging, green tech upgrades, and more. OVO is getting the UK ready for a greener, fairer future – planting one million trees a year and supporting new renewable power projects in communities across the country. Not only is OVO bringing low carbon tech into homes, it’s finding smart ways to cut costs for customers – making heat pumps, solar panels, and electric cars more accessible. Behind all this work is Plan Zero: the bold, science-backed sustainability strategy, which sets out how OVO will become a true net zero business by 2035. This progress can only happen with a culture fit for the future. OVO’s multiple awards include the Best Place to Work for Women in The Sunday Times’ Best Places to Work 2023, which also saw the company coming in the Top 10 for Very Big Organisation. OVO also won Company of the Decade at the BusinessGreen Leaders’ Awards 2020.