Mastering Long-Distance Travel in an Electric Car: Tips and Strategies for a Successful Trip

2023-08-12 01:02:46

If you systematically use your car to go on holiday in southern Europe in summer (or in the mountains in winter), it is very likely that the electric car leaves you skeptical, even if you haven’t tried it yet.

This is completely normal. THE testimonials and negative opinions on the subject abound. Nevertheless, those who have already made a long journey in an electric car (VE) without any preparation, ont encounterfor sure, one or the other problemlikely to disgust them with this type of vehicle.

Traveling by electric car requires a minimum of organization and anticipation.

Unlike a long journey in a thermal car (VT), an EV trip cannot be improvised. It needs minimal organizationd‘anticipationbut also asks more in-depth knowledge of the vehicle. In short, a first trip in an EV is quite a learning experience.

1/ Prepare your itinerary

The EVs circulating in Belgium have, on average, a range of almost 400 kilometres. So remember that if you have to travel more than 1,000 kilometers to reach your destination, you will have to recharge your EV at least twice along the way.

Don’t leave anything to chance: define in advance the areas where you will charge your vehicle and where charging stations are available. This is an essential step, because you are never safe from a dysfunctional or busy charging station.

Imagine that you were driving a thermal car and that you were slow to fill up. You find yourself on a French motorway and you are finally regarding to take the next exit when suddenly, a sign shows that there is no more “diesel” at the next gas station. It will then be easier to find a gas station off the motorway, which offers fuel.

Unfortunately, for EVs and charging stations, it’s a different story. If the only charging station you have identified is defective, and you only have 10% autonomy left — with good preparation, this scenario should not arise (see point 3) — your vacation will take another twist… Unless you have identified an area where several charging stations are available.

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2/ Use reliable apps

“If applications are available on the market, that of the car manufacturer of the brand concerned will often be the best“, explains the expert and author Damien Deroanne, in his book “Electric-Gate”.

“Indeed, she take into account the model vehicle details and of his abilities, both in terms of recharging possibilities and consumption or, autonomy“, can we still read.

“If apps are available on the market, that of the car manufacturer of the brand concerned will often be the best.”

Damien Deronne

Expert in electromobility

“Since then, it will suggest the route with the most suitable stops also depending on the temperature, the initial level of recharge, the weight on board and other environmental factors influencing consumption and therefore autonomy.

That said, some apps (dont ChargeMap) can also take into account the range of the vehiclereassess its consumption according to your driving (see point 7) and adjust your journey, which will eliminate any risk of breakdown.

Some apps also let you check boxes, where you can indicate, for example, that you want to ride basically on a highway et at a maximum speed of 110, 120 or 130 km/h.

When researching, remember to select the charging stations according to the amenities available, which will allow you, for example, to dine when your EV recovers autonomy.

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3/ Always provide a sufficient margin of autonomy

A sufficient margin of autonomy will allow you to find an emergency station without cold sweats. In any case, the majority of manufacturers recommend to stay within a range of battery capacity ranging from 20 to 80%.

Not going below 20% only has advantages (and not only to find an alternative charging station): since the charging time lengthens below 20% (but also above 80%), you optimize your charging time on long journeys, while preserving your battery.

Note that there is fast charging (up to around 160 kW) and very fast charging (above 160 kW). If possible, avoid them. High power puts a lot of strain on the battery and causes it to wear out prematurely. “Very fast charging causes the battery pack to reach very high temperatures”, explains ChargeMap. “This state of overheating causes the cells within the battery to degrade.”

Before charging your vehicle, check what is the maximum power tolerated by the internal charger of your EV.

However, a fast charge – via a CHAdeMO or Combo CCS socket – already makes it possible to recover up to 80% of your autonomy quickly (from 30 to 60 minutes).

Be careful, however, not all EVs can claim a (very) fast charge. Before hitting the road for vacation, check what is the maximum power tolerated by the internal charger of your EV. Otherwise, you risk paying the price of a fast charge (which is higher) when you will not even benefit from it.

4/ Take several top-up cards

As in Belgium, several charging networks coexist in Europe. So choose a multi-network card. Do not hesitate to acquire one or two more, which will guarantee you access to any network.

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5/ Recharge your EV before arriving at your destination

Even if the motorways (especially in France) are better and better served by (fast) charging stations, this is not necessarily the case in urban areas, where you may have planned to spend your holidays.

Do not hesitate to perform a quick recharge before arriving at your destination. Your car will then be operational for the few short trips you plan to make from your vacation spot.

Also, don’t forget to bring a charging cable for a household socket. (in addition to the charging cable of your EV). He might help you out.

6/ Forget the roof box (or the caravan)

When driving at high speed (120 to 130 km/h) on a motorway, the air resistance of a trunk placed on the roof of a VT leads to overconsumption of fuel of around 15%.

The VE is no exception. If you want to avoid losing autonomy as much as possible, favor the towing box instead. It will cost you a bit more than a roof box and you will need to fit a trailer hitch. Note, however, that depending on the model, this trunk can be transformed into a bicycle rack.

Electric car and caravan are not incompatible but it is difficult to find a combination that does not exceed 3.5 tonnes.

Furthermore, driving an EV and towing a caravan are not incompatible, but the possibilities of doing so are rare. As a reminder, a B license authorizes a driver to transport a trailer whose the total weight does not exceed 3.5 tons.

However, to tow a caravan, you need a powerful EV, which means that it will necessarily be heavier…. And if you still manage to tow a caravan with an EV, and that without exceeding this weight limit, keep in mind that your autonomy will drop drastically.

7/ Adapt your driving style

If you want to minimize the loss of autonomy of your vehicle on a long journey, adapt your driving style: Reduce your speed and avoid rapid and repeated accelerations.

Conclusion

“We can confirm that at the level of its realization, a long-distance drive will not take significantly longer than in thermal mode“, says Damien Deroanne. “On the other hand, it will require more preparation, all the more so during busy periods.“On good terms…

Summer Series | Electric car

One in four Belgians would intend to buy an electric car in the next five years.

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