For Germans, vacation time means one thing above all: traveling by car. How travelers can master their vacations in an environmentally friendly way by electric car in germany and europe.
With the new innovation premium for electric cars, the federal government wants to convince even more people to switch to the environmentally friendly alternative. Although the purchase costs for e-vehicles are falling significantly thanks to government and manufacturer support, one weighty counter-argument still seems to linger in the minds of car drivers: the lack of range.
Short distances with an e-car are no challenge, but the planned vacation trip through europe will also work with electric propulsion? Robin tschope, founder and managing director of leasingmarkt.De, shows the nearly 20 million germans who went on vacation last year on four wheels how it’s done.
1. Good planning is half the journey
Unlike a vacation trip with a combustion engine, a trip with an electric car has to be planned very well before departure. Because not only the destination of the trip has to be fixed, intermediate stops for charging should also be determined in advance. The app chargemap z.B. Is a route planner incl. The company has developed a range of e-charging stations and is building on community experience to help every traveler prepare for their four-wheeled adventure.
The decisive factors are the range of the vehicle and the network of charging stations. "central and northern europe are now well developed," says expert robin tschope. "in the south of europe, however, things look difficult. France, along with the netherlands, is a particularly good vacation destination. But Belgium, switzerland and austria, as well as norway and denmark, are also wonderful destinations for electric car holidaymakers."on the goingelectric website, you can enter which model you are driving and which plug you are using.
2. Charging and paying throughout europe – this is how it works!
There are now many apps that show suitable charging stations along vacation routes. E-fuel stops are annoying, but can be organized around an excursion or a meal break. The most convenient way to recharge is at fast-charging stations, where it takes about an hour to charge an electric car. Regular fast charging should be avoided, however, in order to preserve the battery.
At charging stations with a type 2 connection, travelers need between five and six hours to recharge the battery. Many providers of charging stations require registration, often even weeks before the trip. It’s important to create a user account and send charging cards. In the meantime, there are also cooperations between companies so that simple payment is possible at all charging stations of a network via so-called e-roaming.
In germany, the charging network is already very well developed, supermarkets z.B. Offer free charging stations at their stores. If you are traveling abroad, you should check beforehand whether you need to register with other charging station providers. But even there, many supermarkets, service stations and gas stations offer free charging points. In some cases, vacationers have to get off the highway, but the trip is much cheaper and the money can be invested in the vacation.
A little tip: the tourist information offices in the respective vacation destinations can provide travelers with information on stopping points and the necessary plugs on the route.
© andrew roberts – unsplash
3. Breakdown with the electric car – what now??
E-cars warn very early and urgently of a battery running low. If the car still breaks down, the ADAC’s yellow angels will take care of the towing service, because all employees have received special training for e-cars. As a rule, there is no electrical hazard in electric cars that break down.
For safety reasons, however, work on the vehicles may only be carried out by persons who have been trained to do so. Very important: keep your hands away from the high-voltage components and from all orange-colored cables! Car manufacturers usually have breakdown hotlines for their e-cars that can help further. This is how BMW z.B. Own service vehicles, so-called mobile rechargers, which can charge on site.
Kia offers a seven-year warranty. If the electric car breaks down, the 7-year Kia mobility guarantee will take it to the next charging station free of charge. VW offers its customers a two-year new car warranty, while nissan offers a three-year warranty.
4. Driving instead of speeding conserves the battery
As a rule, today’s batteries last about ten years, but their performance declines over time. Especially on a long trip, frequent recharging is unavoidable, but there are a few factors that extend battery life:
- A complete full or discharge of the battery damages the lithium-ion cells, therefore the state of charge should be between 20 and 80 percent. The battery should only be fully charged if you are going on a long trip. A charge level of around 50 percent is optimal.
- While fast-charging is more convenient when traveling, it also puts a strain on the battery. Therefore, so-called "snore charges" should also be used regularly, z.B. At night.
- The battery doesn’t like extreme cold any more than it does extreme heat. Therefore, in summer, a shady parking lot or garage should be chosen as a parking place. In winter, the battery should be charged immediately after arrival, when the e-car is still warm.
- In addition, electric cars do not like to be accelerated frequently or driven at full throttle for long periods of time. This is especially true if the car has just been started and the battery is still cold.
Conclusion: vacation with an electric car – the journey is the destination
Although summer vacations far away are once again possible, many Germans still want to explore their homeland this year – preferably by car, of course. "many people think a long trip in an electric car is unthinkable," summarizes tschope. "but all it takes is a little more preparation, planning and patience."
The environmentally friendly trips are ideal for road trip fans, as northern and central europe in particular are now very well connected to the charging network. In addition, there are many experience reports from travelers who have been on the road in europe with the e-car and are happy to share their experiences with the community.
"most of the time, range anxiety is unfounded, because technology is advancing quickly and the new generation of electric cars can go about 300 kilometers, some even further," says robin tschope. The car enthusiasts among the travel-loving Germans can therefore look forward to what the future of electromobility still holds in store.
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