Tips for charging an electric car in the summer holidays

More and more people are taking the electric car on their summer holiday – here are some good tips for anyone going on a long trip with an electric car for the first time.

Download the app with charging stations and route planner

Before you go on holiday with an electric car, you should plan your route. It is a good idea to download the Fortum Charge & Drive app for iOS and Android.

With the app, you can quickly find the nearest charging station when you need a top-up. You can also see whether the charging station is free or busy, register as a customer, start and stop charging, order charging chips and manage your customer relationship with Fortum Charge & Drive.

For holidays in Norway, the Norwegian EV Association also has an app you can use as a route planner.

It's nice to know that there are apps that show you charging stations all over the continent as well. There are many apps to choose from, and the one from Plugsurfing might be nice to have. You can find a link to it at the upper right corner of the Plugsurfing page. Here you sign up to a payment service to start and stop charging at many thousands of charging points in Europe. Plugsurfing also has a separate chip that you can order if you want something physical to use in addition to the app.

Etiquette at charging stations

There are more and more charging stations along the roads, but you may still have to queue in the busiest periods. Consider those around you. In the holiday season, there may be many people wanting to charge at the same time. In recent years, the network has also been expanded with ultra-fast chargers at a number of locations. If you have a car that can get a lot out of these chargers, this is something you should use.

Don’t fast-charge your battery pack beyond 80 per cent, particularly not if there are several people using the charging point. There are two reasons for this. One is that your car will lower the charging rate when you get to around 80 per cent battery capacity. The second is that it will cost you significantly less, and take no longer, to move from a fast charger to a medium-fast or normal charger if you want to charge to 100 per cent.

Help each other. Do you know a lot about electric cars and charging? Great! With many new electric car drivers on the roads in Norway, it would be nice to be able to teach each other a few tips and tricks. This benefits everyone in the long run.

Fraught with charging anxiety?

Charge when you can and not when you have to. You don’t have to wait until your battery has reached nail-biting levels. If you are going to a shop and spot a charging station, go for it!

You do not necessarily need to fast-charge if you are making a long stop. It could make sense to find a normal charger, or a medium-fast one. You will also free up a fast charging point for someone who needs it.

Make sure you know the range of your car. In summer, you will almost certainly have a longer range than you do in winter, for example, but you should allow for cooler temperatures in summer as well.

Try to use stretches of road that are well provided with facilities for charging electric cars.

Equipment and breaks on electric car journeys

Bring a Type 2 cable compatible with your car for normal and medium-fast charging. Also bring an emergency charger, i.e. a charging cable with a normal socket. You may need it.

Last, but by no means least: take proper breaks. At many charging points, it is quite possible to have a good rest and eat some food, or enjoy the scenery. A good leg-stretch now and then will also make you more alert, and a safer driver. Want some tips for effective exercises you can do? Check out the article Squats or coffee – what to do in your charging stop?

Have a great summer, and good luck!