With 16 million drivers expected to take to the roads this Christmas, the UK’s busiest motorways have been revealed.

The M1, M5, M6 and M60 all expected to face severe traffic on the last weekend before Christmas, with the M25 anticipated to be worse off as Londoners flee the city to visit friends and relatives.

As a result, electric vehicle (EV) chargers in motorway service stations are set to be busier than ever, with close to 300,00 new EV drivers on the roads this year.

To combat the charging queues seen last year, national EV charging network Be.EV has compiled a list of charging hubs within ten minutes of motorway junctions for EV drivers, that’ll have you back on the road faster than Rudolph on Christmas Eve.

Drivers can skip the queue at the service station and have a convenient, ultra-rapid charging experience, without having to make a long detour whilst they’re driving home for Christmas.

Those heading through Manchester this Christmas can use the 16 ultra-rapid charging bays at Sale Water Park, accessible by exiting at Junction six of the M60, and 15 ultra-rapid bays at Decathlon Stockport, next to Junction one of the M60.

If you’re needing to do some last minute Christmas shopping, the 10-bays of White City Retail Park is ten minutes from Junction seven of the M60, and is home to the likes of Curry’s, PC World and an M&S Food Hall.

All sites are equipped with ultra-rapid Kempower chargers that can add up to 165 miles of charge in a short 20-minute stop.

If drivers are looking to charge on their way through Birmingham, then they can venture ten minutes from the M6 to BP Pulse’s NEC East 40-bay ultra-rapid charging hub.

Drivers taking the M6 all the way up to Carlisle can find eight ultra-rapid charging bays available to use at IMO Carlisle, which is minutes from Junction 44.

Further south, along the M25, there are ultra-rapid charging bays in Cobham, Watford, Waltham Abbey, Chafford Hundred, Dunton Green and Redhill – all within a ten minute drive of their respective motorway exits.

On the M1, Leicester has three ultra-rapid charging hubs within minutes of Junction 21, and for those driving as far North as Nottingham, there are two hubs a short drive from Junction 26.

Just past Nottingham, the IMO Car Wash in Alfreton is host to eight ultra-rapid charging bays, whilst those travelling through Sheffield can head towards the Charging Hub at Parkway Central Retail Park with nine ultra-rapid charging bays.

Here, drivers can grab a coffee at nearby Starbucks, or a bite to eat at Burger King or Greggs before heading back on the road.

Over 16 million cars will be taking to the roads on 23rd of December and Christmas Eve, with routes around Gatwick airport set to be the busiest as Brits look to get abroad over the holiday period.

Other busy hotspots will be on the M6 around Birmingham, the M1 around Bedfordshire, the M60 surrounding Manchester and the M5 between Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare.

With 18,000 new charging points installed this year, EV drivers have plenty of options to keep the holiday spirit rolling. So, grab a mince pie, plot your route, and make sure the only thing freezing this Christmas is the weather—not your battery!

Also, with new technologies such as the Octopus Electroverse route planner, it’s easier than ever for EV drivers to avoid charging queues and make their electric journey home as smooth as possible.

Adrian Fielden-Gray, COO of Be.EV 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.

“The average range of an EV is almost 300 miles, so chances are you won’t need to charge on the way if you leave with a full battery. However, if you’re visiting various family and friends over the festive period you may be doing more public charging than normal, so it’s important to know the best spots to charge.”