Seven tips for going on holiday with an electric car!

EV roaming enables customers of a charging point network to access the charging services for electric vehicles of multiple operators across boarders as and when they travel.

To be able to charge your electric car abroad, it's a good idea to sign up for certain roaming networks that give you access to charging stations in the country you're travelling in. These systems work either via an app or via an RFID-chip. Sometimes it is also possible to charge directly by paying with a credit card, but it is best not to solely rely on this solution.

If the journey to your holiday destination takes longer than the battery capacity of your electric car, you will need to charge it from time to time. Therefore, plan your route accordingly, for example using a suitable route planner or your car's navigation system. The apps of charge roaming operators often offer this feature as well. Certain factors, such as the use of air conditioning, the additional weight of a roof box or even bicycles, will increase energy consumption. It can also happen that a charging point is defective, which is why it is important to leave some room for manoeuvre.

Depending on your car, charging can be fairly quick. Today, some electric cars can already be charged in just 20 minutes to allow a range of 300 km. This means that if you make a regular stop at a rest area, you lose virtually no time over charging. To avoid having to wait for a charging point to become available, you can check the occupancy rate of charging points in your roaming application beforehand.

Many holiday destinations offer charging facilities. Hotels and campsites often provide the necessary infrastructure, or you can charge your car in the surrounding area using a fast charging station. If you're staying at a holiday home, make sure that it's possible to plug your car into a regular power socket.

Compare the prices of different charging stations in advance. Generally, fast chargers are more expensive than conventional charging stations, although this is not necessarily always the case. Also, check whether there is a blocking fee at the station (this means that you'll also be charged for the time you occupy the spot when you’re no longer charging, and these fees can be quite costly).

AC charging stations rarely provide cables. Therefore, take your Type 2 cable, as well as the cable for the 240 V socket (with integrated ICCB controller) with you on holiday.

To ensure that as many people as possible have access to the charging points, it is important to vacate the space as soon as the desired charge has been reached, so that the next user can access the station.