The Eco Driver’s Packing List: Essentials for a Low-Impact Road Trip

Packing for any road trip is all about maximising efficiency, which means being smart about space, weight, and waste. This is doubly the case for electric cars, which are the epitome of efficient driving.

It’s easy to overpack, especially when accounting for the UK’s temperamental and ever-changeable weather. When it comes to packing sustainably, the first thing you need to ask yourself is: do I really need this? 

Some essentials you might want to bring include:

• Lightweight luggage options – suitcases can be bulky and unwieldy, and the modern traveller has a range of alternatives to choose from designed to make travelling a breeze, like collapsible or multi-use bags
• Reusable travel gear – this means things like water bottles, cutlery, carrier bags for groceries, microfibre towels, and so on. Whatever little bits you need like this, make sure they’re reusable to limit the waste you produce on your travels
• Eco-friendly toiletries – there are loads of toiletries that avoid single-use plastics that make travelling more sustainable, like solid shampoo bars, bamboo toothbrushes, and refillable containers for other essentials like washing up liquids

As for what to avoid bringing, obviously this depends on the kind of trip you’re going on. Overpacking can have a big impact on your EV’s driving range, so be sure to only pack what you really need to use. For example, checking the weather in advance can make it easier to decide what you don’t need. If you’re lucky enough to get clear, blue skies for your trip, you likely won’t need to bring waterproof clothing and raincoats. On the same lines, be smart about how many electronics you need and, if possible, share portable chargers rather than bringing a lot of them.

Regardless of the kind of trip you’re going on, you should absolutely avoid bringing or buying any single-use items, as these are hugely unsustainable. We've all seen discarded plastic cutlery and water bottles, and it’s never a pretty sight.

Unless you’re going for a completely tech-free travel, you’ll likely have a multitude of devices you could conceivably want to bring with you like a phone, laptop, gaming devices etc.

Staying powered up efficiently is key for an electric car adventure. It may be tempting to rely on the car, and there is some logic to this. After all, an EV is basically a giant portable battery on wheels. But using the car’s battery to charge your devices will quickly drain it, limiting your driving range.

Instead, consider these sustainable options:

• Portable power banks for phones and small devices. Many modern battery banks can hold multiple charges, and can charge multiple devices at the same time
• If you’re staying somewhere with plug sockets, a multi-port USB charger can be a great way to reduce the number of plugs you need to bring
• Solar-powered tech is becoming increasingly common, with a range of devices having in-built solar panels to recharge them with renewable solar energy like lamps. Alternatively, you could opt for portable solar chargers that can directly power your devices or charge battery banks

Of course, for the EV itself, you’ll want to pack as an absolute minimum a charging cable, as some public charging stations are just sockets. You could also consider packing a portable EV charger.

Snacks are, arguably, the most important part of any road trip (more so even than the choice of music or podcast!). Fortunately, sustainable snacking is really simple, provided you plan ahead and pack smartly.

When it comes to preparing your travel snacks and meals, a good start is to use stackable and sealable containers to portion everything out in advance, especially freshly cooked foods. Dry foods, like nuts, granola, and dried fruit, are particularly useful to bring with you on long trips as they’re less likely to go off.

Planning your food in advance can also help avoid roadside food stops. Not only do these stops add time to your journey, they can also result in more packaging waste. That said, it makes to take a break if you combine it with a charging stop!

Some popular food storage ideas to help keep your food fresh whilst saving space include:

• Beeswax wraps
• Silicone food covers
• Collapsible food containers
• Compact coolers with reusable ice packs

There are plenty of apps designed to make EV road trips easy, with many tailored around planning charging stops in advance. These electric car travel hacks will help you save time, energy, and emissions.

Some of the top eco-driving apps include:

• Zapmap – useful for locating public charging stations and checking their availability, as well as the ability to filter by charging speed or charger type
• HappyCow – makes it easy to find vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants and businesses along your route
• Ecosia – a unique search engine that uses its profits to plant trees across the world for eco-friendly online searching

Another handy tip is to download offline maps for where you’re going in advance. This can be especially useful if you’re heading to rural areas where signal may be an issue. Alternatively, it always helps to have a paper map with you, just in case!

Where you stay matters just as much as how you get there. Aiming for local, low-impact lodgings can be a great way to make your road trip more sustainable – especially if they offer EV charging!

Things to look out for include:

• Accommodation with onsite EV chargers, or nearby charging hubs
• Eco-certifications like Green Key or EarthCheck
• Locally owned B&Bs or eco-lodges
• Anywhere that promotes conservation or eco-tourism

When it comes to destinations, there are so many great places in the UK for sustainable travel to choose from that it’s impossible to list them all. Instead, you’ll want to consider destinations that encourage walking, biking, or using public transport during your visit.

Nature lovers will in particular want to head to places that offer outdoor experiences, especially places that aren’t overly crowded. Another sustainable decision would be to target places that provide food grown locally as this will likely have a lower carbon impact as it won’t have been transported as far.

Regardless of where you go, supporting eco-conscious businesses reinforces the positive impact of your sustainable travel choices.

Although not directly tied to sustainability, it’s nonetheless important to follow the rules of public EV charging etiquette. It may sound scary, but they’re really quite simple:

• EV chargers are for EVs only. If you’re not in an electric car, don’t park in an electric car charging bay
• Similarly, charging bays are only for cars that are charging. If you’re in an EV but don’t need a charge, park somewhere else
• Don’t try to unplug another car that’s charging
• Vacate the charging bay once you’ve charged as much as you need
• Leave the charging bay as you (hopefully) found it: clean and clear of waste

A sustainable road trip isn’t just possible – it's rewarding! With the right eco-friendly travel essentials, thoughtful planning, and a love for low-impact driving, you can enjoy the freedom of the open road without comprising your values. And with EV charging being more accessible than ever, your next journey can be cleaner, quieter, and greener.

Are you planning an EV road trip? Download/view our complete packing checklist here.

Alternatively, check out our complete guide to planning a long-distance journey in an electric car.