5 tips for vacation with your electric car
5 tips to prepare properly
With these tips, you can go on your trip properly prepared.
- Tip 1. Plan your trip in advance.
- Tip 2. Always drive as energy-efficiently as possible.
- Tip 3. Charge in time.
- Tip 4. Take multiple charge cards with you.
- Tip 5. Take a 230V and type 3 charging cable with you.
Tip 1: plan your trip in advance
Do you know where you're going? Plan the route and check where the charging stations are. You can do so with apps like Smoov, Newmotion, or Chargemap. In such an app, you can check where it's possible to charge and how long the charging will take. Keep in mind that the further south you go, the less charging stations you'll find.
Tip 2: drive as energy-efficiently as possible
If you drive energy-efficiently, your battery runs out more slowly. You won't have to stop as often to charge as a result. These are some tips:
- Don't drive too fast. Maintain a speed of 100 to 110km/h. If you drive faster than this, you get more air resistance. This causes your battery to run out faster.
- Drive as consistent as possible. Use the cruise control function, if you can.
- Some cars regenerate when you brake. This means that when you take your foot off the gas pedal, the car charges because of the movement. Use this function, if you have it.
- Avoid busy holidays. Traffic jams cause your battery to run out faster as well.
- Keep the weather in mind. Are you going to a very hot or very cold place? You'll need to charge more often.
Tip 3: charge your car in time
Stop to charge in time, with a battery life of about 15%. If it's too busy at the charging station you chose, you'll have enough battery to go to the next charging station. This way, you prevent having too little battery to drive.
Tip 4: take multiple charge cards with you
Want to be sure that your charge card works at the charging station? Check which charging networks your card supports beforehand. Fastned, Allego, Inonity, and more often accept Dutch charge cards, for example. Sometimes, you can pay with your debit card if your charge card doesn't work. Note: you can't charge during your trip with a Coolblue Charge Card. You need to request a charge card from a different supplier for this.
Tip 5: take a 230V and type 3 charging cable with you
For most charging stations in Europe, you need a type 2 charging cable. Some charging stations only allow you to charge with a type 3 charge cable, such as in France or Italy. So make sure to take a type 3 charging cable with you on your trip, as well as a 230V charging cable. That way, you can charge via a regular socket, if need be. This does take longer than via a charging station.
