What do I need to consider if I go abroad with an electric car?
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With some preliminary work, you’ll hit the road without too much charging stress. And that’s exactly what you want on your holiday. This article explains what to keep in mind when you’re getting ready.
Plan your trip
When planning the route, take the charging locations into account in advance so you’re not faced with surprises. How often you have to charge also depends on the size of your battery, as this determines the range of your car. Just like in the Netherlands, there are public and private charging points abroad. Whether you can go to the public charging points depends on your card.
Don’t forget to check whether there are charging options in your accommodations en route and at your destination.
Take a shorter action radius into account
Traffic jams are not only frustrating and boring; they can also mean you have to charge earlier than planned. In addition, high or low temperatures and high winds can lead to reduced battery performance. Unfortunately, the weather on the road is out of your control. And when you finally arrive at your charging location, you may find that all charging stations are already occupied. For these reasons, you should also map out alternative charging locations when planning your trip. This gives you flexibility and can save you a lot of stress.
Check which cables you need
Although most countries use the “standard” Mennekes Type 2 cables, there could be different connections in the country you’re visiting. Charging stations with Type 3C plugs still exist in France and Italy, for example. Fortunately, there are now enough alternatives with type-2 connections in these countries. Carrying a separate cable or adapter is no longer necessary. Before departure, check, for example via the app of the charge card provider, whether your car’s connection is common in the country you are going to.
‘Guest charging’ at Tesla Superchargers
Non-Tesla drivers may “guest charge” at some Tesla Superchargers. You can find them in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain and a few Scandinavian countries. This is just a trial for now, but it’s very convenient. Tesla is adding 179 fast chargers to the Route du Soleil section between the Belgian-Dutch border and Orange. Almost all are accessible from both directions. Without these Tesla Superchargers, there are only 82 fast chargers on this route. So the number of charging locations has suddenly more than doubled. You find them with the Tesla app, and checkout is done through the app with your credit card.
Note: Guest charging is quite expensive, and charging is only possible with a CCS plug.
Well begun is half done. This is especially true if you go on holiday in your electric car. So on your route, take a preliminary look at where you will want to charge later and map out the options and alternatives. This way, you can avoid a dead battery, searching on the road and waiting at charging stations. It saves a lot of charging stress. Enjoy your holiday!
