The NC500 in an electric campervan: what actually happened

The short answer

Yes, the NC500 is doable in an electric campervan. Steve did it solo in our ID Buzz Cargo over eight days in winter 2024, 1,200 miles, Inverness up and around. It was not a smooth trip. The charging network along the route is thinner than the motorway network further south, and that is exactly what caught him out.

We are not going to pretend this trip went perfectly, because two of our own video titles from that week say otherwise. What we can tell you, honestly, is what the van is capable of, what the trip actually involved, and where to go if you want the full story rather than the summary.

The van

Our ID Buzz Cargo

Our ID Buzz Cargo is our electric campervan, converted with a pop-top roof, bamboo worktops and an induction hob. On a full charge, in gentle conditions, it sees around 200 miles of range, a touch more in summer. On the winter 2024 NC500 run Steve ran it solo, covering 1,200 miles over eight days, Inverness up and around, running the cab heating overnight straight off the battery through some cold nights.

The trip

Eight days, solo, midwinter

The trip is told across two of our channels. The main Roaming Radfords channel carried the day-by-day episodes, titled plainly: THE NC500 ROAD TRIP BEGINS, through to THE NC500 ROAD TRIP FINALE. Steve’s own channel carried the pre-trip question, Can I do the NC500 in an Electric Camper?, and NC500 Road Trip in an Electric Campervan once he was back. Between the two you get the full picture, not just the highlight reel.

What went wrong

We are not hiding this bit

Midway through the trip, two episodes are titled exactly what happened: FAILED CHARGING and THE RESCUE. We have not pulled the blow-by-blow detail out of the footage into this page, because the video is the honest, first-hand account and we would rather point you to it than summarise it badly. What we can say plainly is that it happened, it was real, and the trip still finished, with a whole video dedicated to totting up what it actually cost by the end.

What we learned

An electric NC500 needs a real charging plan, not an assumption that the network matches what you are used to on the motorway further south. It is doable. It is not something to wing.

Watch the series

All six videos, in order

For what the trip actually cost, watch the FINALE video, where we tot it all up.

Electric NC500 questions we get asked

Is the NC500 doable in an electric campervan?

Yes, we have done it, solo, in our ID Buzz Cargo, over eight days in winter 2024. It is possible, but the trip did not go entirely to plan and included a spell with failed charging and a rescue. Go in with a realistic plan, not blind confidence.

What happens if your electric campervan breaks down on the NC500?

It happened to us. Two of our own video titles from that week say it plainly, FAILED CHARGING and THE RESCUE, and we do not shy away from either. The full account is in the videos below, straight from Steve who was there.

What's the range of an electric campervan like the ID Buzz on the NC500?

Our ID Buzz Cargo sees around 200 miles of range on a full charge in gentle conditions, a touch more in summer. Steve’s winter 2024 trip covered 1,200 miles over eight days, running the cab heating overnight straight off the battery.

How much did the electric NC500 cost?

We made a whole video asking exactly that question, THE NC500 ROAD TRIP FINALE - HOW MUCH DID IT COST?. Watch it for the honest, category-by-category answer straight from Steve.

Written by Steve Radford. Every detail here is drawn from our own vehicle records and our own published videos of the trip. Roaming Radfords is a trading name of Yowzer Limited.