The UK鈥檚 largest electric car rapid charging hub has been installed just off the M1. The BP Chargemaster hub is located at Milton Keynes Coachway and features eight UK-made 50kW Ultracharge rapid chargers running on Polar, the largest public charging network in the country. The hub is also fitted with three high-visibility canopies so drivers know where the chargers can be found and are able to take shelter in the event of poor weather. The facilities of Milton Keynes Coachway, including a cafe, are also accessible from the site. Milton Keynes Council designed and built the hub with the help of its contractors, Ringway, as part of the Go Ultra Low City programme. The funding came as part of a 拢9m package from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to support the growth of electric vehicles in the town. Since going live, the hub has been used to charge more than 500 cars, with the launch event demonstrating a BMW i3s, Hyundai Kona Electric, Jaguar I-Pace, Kia Soul EV, Nissan LEAF, Renault ZOE, Volkswagen e-up! Volkswagen e-Golf all using its chargers. The site was opened by the mayor of Milton Keynes, councillor Martin Petchey, along with Brian Matthews, head of transport innovation at Milton Keynes Council, and David Martell, chief executive of BP Chargemaster. Matthews said the council was 鈥渧ery proud鈥?of the new facility, which he said was part of the town鈥檚 plan for 鈥渟upporting electric vehicle drivers鈥? Meanwhile, Martell added that the 鈥渃onvenient鈥?hub would 鈥渏oin the 300 Fastcharge and 65 rapid chargers鈥?that BP Chargemaster already operates in the Milton Keynes area. Do you welcome this new rapid charging hub?
However, the Discovery smooths out lumps and bumps very well, even on 21-inch alloys, and it does so with less of the boat-like motion in the X7. It鈥檚 the most comfortable car here as a result. Wind and road noise are minimal, too, although the X7 beats the Discovery for refinement. Both models are more comfortable and quieter than the XC90 when travelling at motorway speeds, but the electric operation of the Swedish SUV means it鈥檚 almost silent if you鈥檙e driving around town. The V6 diesel engine in the Land Rover is a bit more grumbly than the smooth six-cylinder unit in the BMW and the hybrid set-up in the Volvo, but it has excellent low-range power delivery. While it was the slowest car in our 0-60mph tests, taking 7.8 seconds, the Discovery was actually faster than the X7 from 50-70mph in sixth, seventh and eighth gears, proving its impressive flexibility. With 700Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm, the V6 engine is strong and never feels overwhelmed by the Discovery鈥檚 2,236kg kerbweight, and the eight-speed gearbox is smooth, so it鈥檚 relaxing to drive.
The Discovery isn鈥檛 quite as big as the X7 on the outside, but it does have more room for passengers - and it boasts a larger boot when it鈥檚 used in five-seat mode. There are 1,137 litres available with the third row folded, or if you have the seats in place then there鈥檚 enough room for adults to sit comfortably. The second row has loads of room as well, so the Land Rover is the most practical car of the three models. Access to the third row is about on par with the BMW鈥檚 and a bit easier than in the XC90, but it鈥檚 still a bit of a climb to get in. A towing capacity of 3,500kg is a tonne more than its test rivals can manage, which cements the Discovery as one of the most versatile cars around. Land Rover didn鈥檛 perform well in our Driver Power 2019 satisfaction survey, finishing 20th overall in the makers鈥?chart, although BMW was lower in the rankings.
Safety kit is excellent, however, and you get lane-departure warning, a blind-spot monitor with reverse traffic alert and autonomous emergency braking fitted as standard. Euro NCAP awarded the Discovery five stars, matching the XC90鈥檚 rating in the crash tests. This is the cheapest model here as a cash buy, and considering the amount of standard kit on offer, that makes the Land Rover look like good value. All three cars hold their price well, but the Discovery trails slightly - so you鈥檒l lose marginally more over a typical ownership period than with the other cars. The Land Rover will shed 拢35,083 over three years or 36,000 miles, according to our experts, and retain 50.4 per cent of its original list price, while the X7 will hold on to 54.5 per cent and drop 拢34,024. The XC90 loses the least in depreciation, at 拢33,073, which is 54 per cent of the Volvo鈥檚 initial price tag. 鈥淭he Disco鈥檚 huge 85-litre tank means a hefty fill-up cost of 拢113, but it lets you go more than 520 miles between visits to the pumps.
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