Going on holiday by electric car – 10 handy tips for stress-free charging

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%. 

Take a look at our article on power rating and charging times in order to optimise charging and avoid unpleasant surprises. 

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 (MSP). 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 new filters: “maximum price per kWh” and “tariffs per kWh only”.

5. Take advantage of regular promotions with the Chargemap Pass

Charging networks are very often on special offer with the Chargemap Pass in the Chargemap app. Thanks to its close links with partner charging networks, Chargemap is able to negotiate ever more attractive prices for you. To take advantage of promotional offers, go to the application:

• As soon as a special offer is running, a gift icon is displayed at the bottom right of your screen in the mobile app.
• In the app’s filters, activate the “Stations on special offer” filter to find all the current offers.

6. Check the Chargemap community’s comments

Chargemap is first and foremost a community service, based on EV drivers helping each other out. Before going to a charging station, remember to read the comments left by Chargemap members in the “Community” tab. They will help you make the right choices and provide you with additional, useful information about the charging station in question. 

And, of course, as soon as you have something to say, think about leaving a comment to share your charging experience 😉

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 

We’ve already discussed this in our article on 6 mistakes to avoid to preserve the lifespan of your EV battery. 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 slowdown 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 plug in first if their need is greater 

We are now seeing an increase in the number of electric cars on the road, and more and more people using charging stations. This is particularly true when we go on summer holidays. It’s always a good idea to remind people of the main rules of good practice when using charging points.

If a driver has an urgent need to charge to avoid a breakdown, giving them priority will be greatly appreciated. 

Mutual help between EV drivers is a key notion for Chargemap and we believe that by adopting the right attitude, we can make more people benefit from charging infrastructures.

10. Don’t forget Chargemap, your loyal travelling companion

To locate free charging stations, plan your next holidays by electric car and manage the cost of your charges, Chargemap is ever your faithful friend. 

Discover the filters available in the Chargemap application to find the charging stations:

• best rated ;
• close to services (toilets, restaurants, hotels, etc.);
• those compatible with mobile recharging,
• stations on special offer
• or to avoid a recharging network.

Extra tip: enjoy the journey!

Our final tip – don’t forget that the journey is part of your holidays! We tend to think of the road trip as being the final haul before starting our holidays. Why not profit from travelling by electric car to take your foot off the accelerator and discover new sites? For example, you could stop off halfway through the journey to visit a place you have never been before. It is a great way of reducing the stress of travelling. 

And what about you, do you have any good advice and tips for going on holiday by electric car? The entire Chargemap team wishes you happy holidays on board your EV ☀️

Download the Chargemap mobile app.