Christmas weekend travel chaos to hit FIVE motorways as Brits warned of queues for hours – check your route now
DRIVERS travelling over Christmas have been warned to check their preferred route before setting off - with delays expected at five major motorways.
Indeed, Brits could be forced to queue for hours, while demand for electric vehicle charging stations is set to soar.
As the festive period gets ever-closer, the M1, M5, M6, M60 and M25 are all expected to be hit by severe traffic - especially on the final weekend before Christmas.
And according to experts, electric car owners could be the ones most affected by this increase.
Adrian Fielden-Gray, the Chief Operating Officer for Be.EV, has warned EV drivers that the upcoming mass exodus could see EV chargers located at motorway service stations much busier than usual.
Research suggests there are close to 300,000 new EV drivers on the roads this year, meaning motorists may find themselves battling for bays.
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However, Adrian believes it doesn't need to be a problem, suggesting that drivers can make a small change to their charging habits with several charging bays located just minutes from motorways that may be more easily accessible.
He said: “If you’re a new EV driver this Christmas, charging queues should be the least of your worries.
“Rather than having to wait at a service station, a small shift in how you charge your vehicle can save you a lot of time and frustration.
“Huge numbers of supermarkets, restaurants and retail parks now have EV charging in their car parks - all just minutes from the motorway, making it more convenient than ever to charge up.
“They’re quieter, faster, and just as convenient, and have the added benefit of allowing you to do any last-minute present shopping, grab any forgotten food and drink for Christmas dinner, or simply grab a coffee whilst you wait.”
It is expected that some 16 million cars will take to the roads on December 23 and Christmas Eve.
Full list of alternative charging bays
M60:
- Sale Water Park, Rifle Road, Sale, M33 2LX
- Decathlon Stockport, George's Road, Decathlon, Stockport, SK4 1DN
- White City Retail Park, Chester Road, Manchester, M16 0RP
M25:
- EV Waitrose Cobham, 16 Oakdene Road, Cobham, South East, KT11 1AF
- Shell Chiswell, 551 Watford Road, St Albans, AL2 3EH
Epping Forest Cornmill, Cornmill Car Park, Waltham Abbey, EN9 1RB - Tesco Extra Lakeside, Cygnet View, Lakeside West Thurrock, Grays, RM20 1TX
- Lakeside Shopping Centre, West Thurrock Way, Essex, Grays, RM20 2ZP
- Miller & Carter Sevenoaks, Amherst Hill, Sevenoaks, TN13 2EN
Viewpoint Car Park Wray Lane, Wray Lane, Reigate, RH2 0HX
M6:
- NEC East Car Park 3, East Car Park Road (I), Birmingham, Solihull, B40 1PW
- Birchley Island, Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury, Sandwell, B69 4RJ
- Holiday Inn Birmingham, Birmingham, B43 7BG
- IMO Carlisle, London Road, Carlisle, CA1 2PD
M1:
- McDonald's Meridian Way, Meridian Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester, LE19 1WZ
- Sainsbury's Fosse Park, Grove Farm Triangle, Enderby, Leicester, LE19 1WT
- Victoria Street Car Park, Victoria Street Car Park, Stapleford, Nottingham, NG9 7AP
- Hickory's Smokehouse, Upminster Drive, Nuthall, Nottingham, NG16 1PT
- IMO Alfreton, Nottingham Road, Alfreton, DE55 4JJ
- Sheffield Parkway Central Retail Park, Cricket Inn Road, Sheffield Parkway, Sheffield, S2 5AU
This comes as staff working for a major car dealership group risk losing their jobs just weeks before Christmas after the closure of a BMW showroom.
The Dorchester-based outlet shut its doors for the final time on Friday after it was deemed "not viable" due to rising costs.
Owned by Vertu Motors, the stylish showroom employed a small workforce of 12 people - with some now facing the prospect of redundancy just before Christmas.
According to the , some staff members will be transferred to Vertu’s BMW dealership in Yeovil - around 25 miles away.
And elsewhere, a host of new rules and law changes, including cheaper fuel, insurance changes and new technology, have been introduced this month.