The school holidays have begun and the main roads are about to get busy. Charging stations will also be in high demand this summer, but with a bit of planning, everything should go smoothly. So, is it possible to go on holiday in an electric car during peak season?
Through these 10 tips, you'll see that it's entirely possible. A little preparation beforehand will help you manage your charging stops along the way. Let's run through the best practices for starting your electric holiday with complete peace of mind.
Key Takeaways
1. Prepare ahead of your journey
Our first tip for you is to be fully prepared before you set off on your holiday travels by electric car. There are many tools to help you locate charging stations and plan a journey by EV. By preparing in advance, you will save precious time. The route planner feature in the Chargemap app is your best ally to simplify this time-consuming phase for you.
2. Do not wait for your battery level to drop below 20%
To avoid any unnecessary hassle during your holidays by electric car, plan to make a charging stop when your battery level is getting down to the 20% mark. If you arrive at a charging station on the motorway only to find that the charge points are out of order or the waiting time is too long, you will have enough range to put your Plan B into action.
3. Stop charging at 80% to save time
To optimise charging time, we strongly advise you not to charge your battery beyond 80%. Unless, of course, you really need to. In fact, it takes just as long to charge your EV from 80 to 100% as it does from 20 to 80%.
4. Check the charging costs before each top-up
Before plugging your electric vehicle in, think about checking the charging rates applied by your mobility service provider. If you use the Chargemap Pass together with the Chargemap app, you will benefit from easy access and clear indication of the rates charged at each compatible charging station. You will then find details about your charge and the related invoices in a tab specific to your badge.
To save on your future recharges and find the most advantageous tariff, you can also use the application's filters: "maximum price per kWh" and "tariffs per kWh only".
5. Find current promotions in the Chargemap Club
Charging networks are very often on special offer with the Chargemap Pass in the Chargemap app. To find them at a glance, head to the "Club" section in the app.
The Chargemap Club lets you find all active promotions from Chargemap partner networks in one place. Discover how to make the most of it to charge at the best price, track your savings and get the most out of your Chargemap Pass every day.
You can also use the "Stations on special offer" filter in the app to find nearby stations currently running a promotion.
👉🏻 Also read: Affordable EV charging this summer: how to find charging stations on special offer
6. Check reviews from the Chargemap community
Chargemap is first and foremost a community service, built on EV drivers helping each other out. Before heading to a charging station, take a moment to read the reviews left by Chargemap members on the station's detail page. They'll help guide your choice or give you extra useful information about the charging station in question.
👉🏻 Also read: Chargemap app: 3 new features to make charging easier this summer
7. Free up the charge point straight away after charging
We all agree that it's annoying to find combustion-engine cars hogging parking spaces reserved for charging. And it's equally annoying when fully charged EVs are squatting them too. With record sales of EVs, charging stations will be taken by storm this summer.
Not charging more than you need to and leaving the charging spot as quickly as you can will be crucial this year to ensure rapid turnaround time at charge points. Planning for shorter, but more frequent stops will contribute to keeping EV turnaround time running like clockwork.
8. Avoid feisty driving just before charging
To preserve your battery, it is highly recommended not to accelerate excessively in the lead up to a charging stop.
Indeed, not only can regularly overheating the battery lead to premature damage, but it can also significantly slow down charging speed. Maximum charging performance is achieved at between 20 and 40°C. Of course, hot summer temperatures can compound this phenomenon.
You should also keep in mind that charging stations are equipped with safety mechanisms that slow down the charging rate delivered when the weather is particularly hot. Charging stations that are not sheltered from the sun are particularly affected.
9. Let another driver go first if they need it more than you
We're now seeing more electric cars on the road, and more drivers using charging stations, especially during the summer holiday season. It's always worth reminding ourselves of the key rules for good charging etiquette. If a driver urgently needs to charge to avoid running out of power, giving them priority is a much-appreciated gesture.
Helping each other out is an important value for Chargemap, which is why we encourage you to always be courteous and patient, whatever the situation.
👉🏻 Also read: How to avoid queues at charging stations this summer
10. Enjoy the journey!
One final tip: don't forget that the journey is part of the holiday too! We tend to see the drive to our destination as one last hurdle before we can finally relax. Take advantage of travelling by electric car to slow down and discover new places along the way. For example, stopping off halfway to explore somewhere new is a great way to ease the stress of the trip.
The whole Chargemap team wishes you a wonderful holiday behind the wheel of your electric car ☀️
Download the Chargemap mobile app.
