With sales of Electric Vehicles (EVs) outstripping petrol and diesel cars for the first time, a new multi-day EV trail has been unveiled to help people exploring the Lake District, Cumbria take the cleaner, greener option.

The most sustainable way to travel to and around the parks is by public transport and under your own steam, by foot, or on a bike; this is why a new EV trail has been designed to help people park up, charge up and explore.  If visitors do travel by car, they can help lower the carbon footprint of our national parks by choosing electric vehicles.

Cumbria Tourism has created the 74-mile route as part of the Low Carbon Lake District initiative, with support from the European Structural Investment Fund (ESIF) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The overnight stop locations all have accommodation providers who offer overnight charging, within easy reach. To take the anxiety out of the journey, the driving section of each stage is easily within range of most EVs.

Spilt into six bitesize stages - all do-able in a day – the trail includes some of the EV charging stations funded through the programme, along with plenty of itinerary ideas, so people staying overnight can enjoy great days out along the way.

It guides EV drivers through the heart of the Lake District National Park, taking in Windermere, Ambleside, Grasmere, Keswick, Whinlatter Forest, the Honister Pass and Ullswater, before rounding off in the bustling market town of Penrith. 

Where else can you combine a visit to England’s only true mountain forest, explore the country’s last working slate mine or drop into Dalemain, home of the famous World Marmelade Awards? You can also retrace the steps of the old Keswick to Penrith railway while you charge up, walking through original Victorian railway bridges and tunnels on the scenic route.

Find out more about the new EV trail at www.visitlakedistrict.com/recharge. Also see an interactive map of EV charging points.