We went on tour with an electric van. Here’s what we learnt…

At Fuel, we recognise that we have a remarkable reach, nationally and globally, through our touring and digital programme. We also have an environmental impact for which we are accountable. We want to play a part in addressing the climate crisis.

Our work seeks to question and change the world around us. We are in a position to influence the sector and our audiences to think about the climate crisis and the lasting impact it will have on future generations.

Sustainability is one of our core values. We believe in working towards a zero waste, zero carbon future. We are committed to achieving massive reduction in the carbon cost of distributing our work around the world whilst supporting internationalism and transcending borders. We believe is both possible and essential to create and share art and culture without further harming the earth for future generations.

We hold in high esteem the individuals and organisations who together put together The Theatre Green Book. Published last year, it provides the principles and guidelines crucial to sustainable theatre making. As Paddy Dillon, the Green Book co-ordinator, aptly puts it: ‘If theatre is to be part of the most vital conversation humanity faces, then it has to change its practice.’

As with all theatre-makers, we are pushing against the constraints of time, budgets, and now the pandemic. Nonetheless, we decided to implement some sustainable practices.

One of the recommendations put forward in the Green Book is moving away from the use of the Internal Combustion Engine. This will become easier as we edge nearer to 2030 and the ban on new petrol and diesel cars, as this will increase the development of alternatives and a more accessible electric vehicle network.

We could not wait until 2030, so a year ago, we took a two-year lease on a Mercedes E-Vito and it has just completed 5000 green miles, supporting our revival after the lockdown.

In our environmental sustainability plan, we decided to develop an existing project where we could reduce the amount of physical set that needed transportation across the UK. Instead of a large petrol based touring van, we decided to pioneer an electric van tour.

We identified The Body Remembers, a new work by Heather Agyepong, as a project that might be ideal and, happily, the creative team got on-board. The Body Remembers is about the impact of trauma in relation to Black British women. It weaves movement with interview recordings and dynamic projection. The use of projection means there is very little in way of physical set. With its emphasis on inviting audiences to think about their place in the world, and its minimalist aesthetic, it seemed appropriate to trial the electric van on this tour.

What could possibly go wrong? Well, our leased van has a 50mph speed limiter so travel would be slow on main roads, and we would need to add stickers to let irate motorist know we were not deliberately going slow. The van would also need regular stops to recharge, and this meant allowing longer between tour dates for travel.

The first stop on the tour was DIG21 (Dance International Glasgow) at the Tramway, just a couple of weeks before COP26. We looked at the range of the van, looked at what needed to go to Glasgow and trialled a large electric car with a bigger range instead. It was a very smooth trip, an opportunity to stop off and visit family en route, and finding charge points was no problem.

Buoyed by this, we decided to use the Mercedes E-van to take the show to Battersea Arts Centre in South London, and then on to the South West of England, specifically Exeter Phoenix and Bristol Tobacco Factory.

Stage Managers Tanya Stephenson and Stella Kailides completed our first E-van tour last week. The report they submitted contains much valuable learning. Whilst we were able to complete the tour, many issues emerged on the road and others intending to tour with an E van can benefit from their experience.

Tanya and Stella’s findings demonstrate that whilst it is possible to tour with an E-van, contingency planning is vital if a simple trip from Bristol to London is to avoid becoming a 12-hour marathon.

Here’s what they learnt:

1. Issues with charging points:

• Not every service station has a charge point. You must look them up in advance and on route. You need to plan to land in a large town or city to have enough charge points to pick from. Relying on service stations is not advisable. Using Google Maps and searching ‘EV charge’ within an area is a useful starting point, but not reliable for many reasons. Using charge point apps can help, but they are slow and there are various types and models, which would involve downloading various apps and checking each one to see whether that point is in use or working.
• Not every charge point works, and you may not realise this until after you’ve plugged in your cable and left it going, only to come back to an empty battery due to a loose connection that has been knocked, for example. Some charge points do have apps that let you know if you are charging, but this is not always the case and not always accurate.
• Charge points are often busy and not remotely worth waiting in line for as this could take several hours. This can be researched on the apps but each individual charge point brand has a separate app and this can be time consuming.
• Charge points are very often positioned with limited access, especially for a van. There was often difficulty parking close enough to plug in, even if there are no other vehicles plugged in to the same machine. There are small ramps in front of the charge points that restrict vehicles from parking too close, or you have to park taking up two spots meaning you can’t leave the vehicle completely unattended for long periods of time. If you can’t park close enough, you simply can’t charge and must look elsewhere.
• There are different companies offering different ‘types’ of charge, with varying speeds of charge. You need to search for the correct ‘type’ of charge from a charge point. Our van takes ‘Type 2’. Not every charge point served ‘Type 2’ on this tour. Often, a charge point on Google maps would indicate a ‘Type 2’ point but when turning up this might not be the case if the machine has been replaced with a different brand that only runs ‘CCS’ and ‘Chademo’. Some vehicle types do offer charging on more than one charge type, and there are potentially adaptors to allow you to use more than one type.
• Rapid charge is not possible on our vehicle. Our van would not allow a full charge in less than four hours. The plan for this tour was that we would need one or two hours of charge to ‘re-fill’ to 100%. This proved impossible. Four hours is what it requires to give 60-80 miles (at most). This is because our type of van will not charge higher than either 7kW or 22kW. Therefore, even if attached to a rapid charger, which for ‘Type 2’ is always 43kW, it will not be able to charge at that faster rate.
• Charge points often charge an extra £10 for charging more than an hour or 90 mins and then another extra £10 for every hour after that.
• Charging at a theatre was sometimes allowed, but not easy. It all involves being at the mercy of different companies / homes / individuals to provide power and have enough distance on the cable, which can feel intrusive. Despite it being on our rider, it was often overlooked. It was vital to us, as being in one location for a longer amount of time was the best time to charge. So, make sure your partner venues are ready to support this.
• Searching for charge points drains your battery. This might sound obvious, but it is actually the most stressful part of it all. If, for whatever reason, you can’t use a charge point and your charge is down to 24%, searching for the next one will possibly halve that, and then again if you’re unlucky twice, which is perfectly possible. If you have zero charge and you’re not near a charge point, the van has to be towed (negating the ‘green’ efforts). Additionally, this adds an extra 30-60mins on to your journey, and any time added to your journey adds to your charge time.
• In colder weather, the temperature can make the charging point take longer to charge the vehicle. Driving with the heater on makes a 90-mile journey on a full cut down to 70 miles. If you are on 50 or 60% it can take you down to the 30% mark within as quick as 30-40mins of driving.

2. Issues with range and speed:

100 miles limit on 100% charge is what it says on the tin for our van, but 92 miles is the absolute maximum in reality. Heating drains the battery faster – vital for de-misting the windscreen. Air con drains the battery faster. Charging your phone (that gives sat-nav and charging apps) drains the battery faster – bring a power bank for this very reason! Driving up hills or going into ‘boost mode’ drains the battery faster. Stopping and starting in towns and cities drains it faster.

A 50mph speed limiter means you cannot drive on main motorways. You will mostly be on winding country roads. This might make for a more scenic route at times, but you will likely be dragging trails of traffic behind you who get impatient. This adds around 2 hours journey time, just to be on A and B roads, and then potentially a few more hours onto your journey time as you are going below 70mph. Factor in the extra time and road route when google-mapping. It will always be slower and longer than it predicts for you.

3. Other constraints/advice to note:

• Finding food – Charge points that are available and in good working condition, perhaps on a Sunday evening and on the outskirts of Andover or Basingstoke, often don’t have anywhere open to eat. You might be lucky enough to be near a shop, serving food that is anything but nutritious and wrapped in plastic (also negating the ‘green’ initiative). Bring plenty of nutritious snacks and water (and re-fillable bottles) with you. Charge points can often be within carparks of gyms or supermarkets, but these can be closed when you get there.
• Warmth – You will be standing, walking, searching, and waiting out in the cold. Bring more layers than you think you need. The van sometimes needs air ventilation whilst driving to stop it from steaming up, so windows need to be down. The van’s battery will go down with the heating on, so it’s always best turned off.
• Killing time – You will often not have much choice of things to do, but walking for an hour at a time, so as to be able to check back on the van in case it stops charging, was the best way to keep warm. This might not even seem possible if you’re stuck on a service station island at night. In daylight, wear walking boots and clothes that can withstand thick brambles and you’ll find ways of getting onto a country footpath.
• Make Plan Bs (and plan Cs and plan Ds) – Leave early and don’t book anything else to happen on a travel day. If you’re going further than 80 miles, prepare to turn up to your accommodation late at night.
• Not all member’s payment cards work on charge points – bring another bank card as machines can be selective about payment method. Bank cards will need to be registered with the charging point. All charge points have got phone numbers which you can call if you are having issues – Geniepoint are particularly good at helping out over the phone.
• Having support over the phone – being able to have someone to call in a moment of crisis, to calm nerves or to offer rational advice in a stressful situation is crucial and helps with decision making.
• Having insurance details and a number to call, should you get stuck on a side road and run out of charge, is very important.
• It would be very practical to have a 20m extension cable in the back of the van so you can charge anywhere that lets you, e.g. at Airbnbs

4. Specific Charging Point Notes:

• Geniepoint – usually reliable, good communication if you are stuck, easily linked to payment card, always has a ‘Type 2’ charger. Can charge more than one vehicle at a time.
• Chargepoint – seem to be older and have often been replaced with Mer stations that do not offer ‘Type 2’. When you do find one, they are often good. Can charge more than one vehicle at a time.
• Mer – do not carry ‘Type 2’ chargers
• BP Plus – can only charge one car at a time

We’re immensely grateful to Tanya and Stella, for their intrepid effort, and the quality of feedback they gave. Hopefully other tours will benefit from this. Certainly, we will be choosing a better range and better speed limit for our next E van, but we will also be looking at venues and attempting to book future tours in a collaborative way that reduces long journeys between engagements. We’ll also try to build the bible of where to find good charging points, and hope to bump into you beside one soon!

Appendix 1:

As we mention above, finances are a constraint for most arts organisations. You can find below a breakdown of the costs involved in hiring, and using an E-van for the tour: