Perhaps you’ve already gone on a long road trip in an electric car and discovered that charging along the way can, at times, be a bit stressful. Or maybe you’re standing on the brink of your first adventure and it all seems a little overwhelming. Should you charge here, there – or where the coffee is best? Don’t worry – you’re not alone. Here’s an overview of the most popular charging strategies, so you can find the one that suits your temperament.
On one hand, we have the adventurous types: those who set off without a plan, as if they’re living life on the edge – or at least on the edge of their battery range. On the other hand, there are the methodical ones, who religiously follow a charging app that calculates every single kilometre and station with surgical precision. Both methods have their merits – but truth be told, we’re not fans of either.
After several trips in our Polestar 2 – many hours of which have been spent waiting at charging stations across Europe, staring longingly at the battery indicator – we’ve found our preferred method. And funnily enough, it’s the same one we started with when we were green electric rookies. But when it comes to charging plans, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind – everything is constantly changing. New apps, new charging stations and new pricing pop up all the time.
There’s enough power for everyone
Fortunately, we’ve reached a point where there are more charging stations across Europe than excuses not to just hit the road. So drop the worries – the adventure is waiting!
However, as charging options increase, a new dilemma has arisen! With so many different providers promising to power your car, things can quickly get overwhelming. If you haven’t done your homework, you might easily end up overpaying for your electricity.
Apps are your new best friend
There are undoubtedly many ways to plan your EV charging stops, but most of them involve one or more apps. This is partly because most – if not all – electric cars come with an app-based navigation system that helps in one way or another, and partly because there still aren’t enough charging stations for us to just drive and stop whenever we’re low on power.
Aside from the built-in navigation in EVs, there are two apps that stand out in terms of user-friendliness and functionality: A Better Routeplanner (commonly called ABRP) and ChargeFinder.
ABRP is a dedicated navigation tool where you enter your departure and arrival points, and it calculates a route with planned charging stops. ChargeFinder, meanwhile, shows all available charging options along your route. Both apps have their advantages – in our opinion.
ABRP is working hard to become the one-stop navigation solution for EV drivers, constantly adding new features and improving compatibility with more and more cars. It’s also quite advanced – in the paid version, it can communicate with your car’s electronics to factor in remaining range and distance based on weather and wind conditions.
All very clever, but since we drive a Polestar equipped with a special Google Maps version that already has a firm grip on the car’s data, we haven’t needed all of ABRP’s premium features.
Of course it takes longer in an EV – but it can also be a joy
There’s no point pretending that driving to Italy doesn’t take longer when you have to stop and charge a number of times, depending on your car’s range. On the other hand, driving an EV is incredibly relaxing.
And let’s be honest: we simply love driving electric, and we quickly stopped comparing it to driving a diesel car that can cover 1,000 km between stops. The EV is a whole new mode of transport, and we’re still figuring out how to best match it with our pace – and how to shift our mindset to fit this new way of travelling.
In Landquart, Switzerland, you’ll find Five Guys, Starbucks, and a huge outlet mall. For us, charging here is a must before heading over San Bernadino.
On our first trip to Italy, we did our homework thoroughly – at the time, we had no idea how easy it would be to find chargers or what apps could help us. And would we be struck by the dreaded “range anxiety” we’d heard so much about?
The relaxed charging method
Disclaimer: Tesla chargers will be mentioned a lot from here on – this was before the recent situation in the US, which may force us to consider other options in the future.
At the time, a Tesla subscription was the cheapest option for a reliable charging provider throughout Europe, and from there the method was simple. We entered the route into ABRP and selected Tesla as our only charging provider, which gave us a plan with 10 Supercharger stops along the way.
We then entered each of these stops into the car’s Google Maps as we reached them, hopping from charger to charger while soaking up the new experiences. We felt like real explorers.
The benefit of adding the stops directly into the car’s built-in navigation is that we could always see how much charge we’d have upon arrival. That gives peace of mind. Plus, the system preheats the battery so it charges faster.
This preheating works differently from car to car. In the Polestar, the navigation handles it, so it’s necessary to enter the charging station directly into the system. In other cars, it’s apparently more of a manual process.
Charging in Imperia, right by the harbour with pizzerias and cafés. Here, charging the car easily becomes an opportunity to recharge yourself too.
We took our time and enjoyed each stop. ABRP suggested how much charge we needed for the next leg, but as rookies, we always charged a bit more – just to be safe. And of course, those last few percent are always the slowest to fill!
The slightly less relaxed method: When you want to optimise
On our outbound journey to Italy, I noticed that we were actually driving further per charge than ABRP had estimated, and we often arrived at the next station with about 25% battery left.
So on the way back, I sat with ABRP calculating our route and used ChargeFinder to look for chargers a bit further ahead – trying to save... well, I’m not really sure what I was trying to save.
It worked fine a few times – until I got too confident and had to make an emergency top-up in Italy, unsure whether I’d even be allowed to charge. Thankfully, I was – but at Italian prices, which are high. There’s nothing wrong with quick top-ups, but for us, it became a stressful factor that took away from the calm travel experience we enjoy.
The not-so-relaxed approach: When the EV decides for you
On our most recent trip to Italy in December and January, we decided to try “the Polestar/Google way” – where you simply enter your destination and let Google handle the rest. The catch? You’re not allowed even the slightest glimpse of the planned stops in advance.
The idea seems to be that you shouldn’t have to think about planning – just trust the computer and follow instructions. You get directions to the next charger, but you’re not told how long to stay until you’ve arrived. Plug in the cable, wait for the signal, and then off to the next stop – no questions asked.
Back to basics: Our take on the best EV charging strategy
So, driving home from Italy this January, we returned to our roots – the same approach we used on our very first road trip. We let ABRP calculate the route and added each charging stop into the car’s navigation as we got there. With full control over charge levels and stops – and a much more relaxed feeling overall.
This way, we could also look forward to each stop – because both ABRP and ChargeFinder provide detailed info about food and shopping options at every charger. Google Maps doesn’t – at least not in the Polestar.
We often stop at Mercato in Alessandria – espresso, dolci and restocking supplies while the car charges. And there’s always parking.
And here’s the bonus: when we get out and move around for the 30 minutes it takes to charge, we arrive with a fresh mind and body. That means we can drive for many more hours afterwards.
With that in mind, our next plan is to leave super early – say, 3am – and see if we can keep going until 7pm. That should get us well through Germany and well on our way to Italy.
Time is a funny thing – and somehow, our minds are wired to want to get there fast. But we’ve reprogrammed ourselves: we now prefer to arrive in comfort. And whether it takes us 21 hours or 27 – in the big picture, it doesn’t really matter.
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