Planning an electric vehicle trip
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Due to the diversity of charger operators and chargers often being single units which can be occupied or inoperational long range electric vehicle trips can require a bit of planning.
Most quick charging locations have only a single station..
..though certain networks such as Tesla, InstaVolt or Ionity opt to place multiple stations at each location.
Planning will not only help mitigate the risk of a station being inaccessible but also help make sure that a station can be easily activated upon arrival and make the journey overall more fun and potentially even cheaper.
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Planning a long range electric vehicle trip does not have to take a lot of time and can be roughly split into the following steps.
1. Based on the cars range identify how far it is possible to drive along a route until a recharge stop will be required. Keep in mind that the actual range might be a lot less than that stated by the manufacturer especially if planning to use motorways or travel in winter time. Certain applications or tools such as “A better route planner” are available to help you do this. If on a trip requiring multiple charge stops it might be more efficient to only plan 1 or 2 legs ahead.
2. Identify the quick chargers in the area in which you would like to recharge. It is good practice to identify at least 2 locations with quick chargers in case one of them does not work. This is especially important in areas which have no charging hubs with multiple quick charging stations.
The navigation systems of some cars might be able to automatically plot a route and identify stations along the way, however it is still worth checking what alternate locations are in the area in case the primary station does not work.
3. Find out how to activate the stations and the price of charging. Once you have found the stations you would like to use it is beneficial to determine how to activate them. This will save you time and stress later as when you are at the station you might be low on charge and eager to recharge quickly.
Finally it is also worth checking the price of charging as it can vary quite significantly between different networks and locations.
Remember that you do not have to just wait in the car when charging. Many restaurants and hotels offer free charging if you use their services and it is also possible to combine the stop with a visit to local attractions.
Even though they might seem awkward at first long range electric vehicle trips are easy and can be a good way to have a lot of fun and find interesting places!