Holidays with the electric car: 10 valuable tips to avoid charging stress

The school holidays have begun and the main roads are already full. Charging stations for electric vehicles will not be spared this summer either. But can you go on holiday with an e-car in the high season? These 10 tips will show you how to do it. With a little preparation in advance, you can manage charging during your trip. Let's look at the best practices so that you can 😎 approach your holiday with an electric car with peace of mind

1. Plan your departure for your vacation ahead

E-car on holiday: route planner function in the Chargemap application

The first piece of advice we can give you is to start your holiday as well prepared as possible with your electric car. There are many tools to help you find charging stations or plan a trip with an electric car. Above all, they represent a valuable time saver. The Chargemap app has a Route planner functions. This makes this time-consuming step much easier.

2. Don't wait for the battery level to drop below 20%

To avoid unnecessary stress on your EV vacation, plan a stop as soon as you approach 20% battery level. If you participate in a Charging station on the motorway and the stations are out of service or the waiting time is too long, you have enough range for a plan B.

3. Save time by stopping charging at 80%

To optimize the charging time, we strongly advise you not to charge the battery above 80%. Of course, unless they really need it. In fact, it takes at least as long to charge your electric vehicle from 20 to 80% as it does to charge it from 80 to 100%.

Take a look at our article on performance and charging timesto optimize your charging and avoid unpleasant surprises.

4. Check the charging tariffs before each charge

Access the charging rates of the Chargemap Pass and easily manage your expenses in the Chargemap app

Before you plug in your EV, remember to check your mobility operator's charging rates. If you use the Chargemap Pass in combination with the Chargemap app, you have Easy and transparent access to the tariffs of each compatible charging station. You will then find the details of your top-ups and the associated invoices in a separate tab for your charging card.

To save on future charges and find the cheapest tariff, you can also use the app's most recent filters: "Maximum price per kWh" and "Tariffs only per kWh".

5. Take advantage of regular special offers with the Chargemap Pass

Charging networks are very often advertised with the Chargemap Pass in the Chargemap app. Thanks to its close links with partner charging networks, Chargemap is able to negotiate increasingly attractive rates for you. To take advantage of the special offers, go to the app :

Once an offer starts, a gift icon will appear in the mobile app at the bottom right of your screen.
In the app's filters, activate the filter "Charging stations on offer" to find all current offers.

6. Lesen Sie, was die Chargemap Community zu sagen hat

Chargemap ist in erster Linie ein Gemeinschaftsdienst, der auf gegenseitiger Hilfe zwischen E-Autofahrern basiert. Bevor Sie eine Ladestation aufsuchen, denken Sie daran, die Kommentare zu lesen, die von Chargemap-Mitgliedern auf dem Reiter „Community“ hinterlassen wurden. Sie ermöglichen es Ihnen, sich bei der Auswahl zu orientieren oder zusätzliche nützliche Informationen über die jeweilige Ladestation zu erhalten.

Natürlich, sobald es relevant ist, denken Sie daran, einen Kommentar zu hinterlassen, um Ihre Ladeerfahrung zu teilen 😉

7. Geben Sie den Platz nach dem Aufladen sofort frei

If occupying internal combustion engine vehicles in parking lots reserved for charging is annoying, then occupying electric vehicles that have finished charging is just as annoying. With record sales of e-cars, charging stations will be literally overrun this summer.

Not charging more than necessary and clearing the space quickly will be crucial to keep electric vehicles moving. Scheduling shorter but more frequent stops also helps keep things running smoothly.

8. Avoid sporty driving just before charging

We have already discussed this in our article 6 mistakes to avoid to save your electric car's battery spoken. To save your battery, it is highly recommended not to accelerate excessively before stopping to charge.

Indeed, regular overheating of the battery can not only anticipate its deterioration, but also significantly slow down its charging speed. It reaches its maximum charging capacity between 20 and 40°C. High summer temperatures naturally exacerbate this phenomenon.

Also note that charging stations have safety mechanisms that slow down the charging power delivered at high temperatures. Charging stations, which are less well protected from the sun, will be particularly affected.

9. Give your seat to a driver who needs it more than you

It can now be observed that more and more electric cars are on the roads and that charging stations are being used more frequently. This is especially the case when you leave for your summer vacation. It is always good to look at the most important Rules of conduct for the use of charging stations recall.

If a driver urgently needs to charge in order not to break down, it is a very welcome gesture to give way to him.

The mutual support of electric vehicle drivers is an important value for Chargemap. That is why we encourage you to always be 😉 polite and patient in all situations .

10. Don't forget your travel companion: Chargemap

To find free charging stations, plan your next holiday with an electric car or manage the cost of your recharges, Chargemap is a great ally.

Chargemap advanced filters to find the best charging stations — Advanced filters from Chargemap

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

best rated ;
close to services (toilets, restaurants, hotels, etc.);
those that are compatible with mobile charging,
Stations that are on offer
or to avoid a charging network.

Additional tip: Enjoy the ride!

One last tip for on the road: remember that the journey is also part of the holiday! We tend to think of the journey to the holiday as a final test before we can enjoy it. Use the journey by e-car as an opportunity to take your foot off the gas and discover new landscapes. For example, a stopover halfway to tour a new place is a great way to reduce travel stress.