Charging abroad with Jelle
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Our colleague Jelle travelled from Amsterdam to the Ardennes in his EV. Learn what he experienced on his way.
Are you thinking about going on holiday with your EV this summer?
We understand that this might be both exciting as well as daunting at the same time. But no worries! A holiday with your EV can be just as relaxing as a holiday should be! Our colleague Jelle can confirm how comfortable travelling with an EV is: last year he travelled with his Nissan Leaf from Amsterdam to the Ardennes, together with three friends. After this great experience, he is now looking to take his EV for a 1250 mile drive for a holiday in Spain.
Preparation
Just like with any other holiday, Jelle started with choosing a destination, looking for accommodation, researching good restaurants and cultural spots to explore. Once the choice was made, it was time to plan the journey, including the charging stops. In the Shell Recharge app, Jelle applied the filter for a minimum charging speed of 100kW to be back on the road again quickly post-charge. "My Nissan Leaf has a CHAdeMO socket, which not all charge points allow charging for at 100kW. Luckily you can easily filter on this connector type in the Shell Recharge app as well." Jelle explains. So as not to use the app while driving, he marked the charge points as favourites so he could navigate to them with ease.
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Passenger fun
For passengers, travelling with an EV was also a fun experience. First of all, because they had never driven in one before, but also because conversations are effortless in the quiet EV. To kill time on the way, Jelle's friends enjoyed looking up charge points and the facilities around them in the Shell Recharge app, so that Jelle could focus on driving and keeping an eye on the battery range. "Arriving at a charge point that is occupied is a waste of time, so I asked my passengers to check the real-time availability just before we arrived so we were sure to have a spot. Luckily, there were plenty of chargers available".
Once charging, the group could take advantage of the break. "A charging stop is the perfect time for a toilet break, stretching your legs, and eating and drinking something. Once you're back, your EV is usually 80% charged again" Jelle explains. Also, he pointed out that the places where fast chargers are available often have great facilities, ensuring a break is comfortable and energising.
On location
Jelle booked overnight accommodation with charge points available in the villages nearby. For a zero stress experience in rural areas, he brought his converter so he could always emergency charge using the wall plug. Very smart, but of course, things never go as planned. When the group arrived at the accommodation, the car could not be parked next to the house and the cable was too short to draw inside. Luckily there was a store nearby where he could get an extension cord - problem solved! "Overnight charging takes a bit longer, but we didn't have to go anywhere - it was time to relax! By the time we wanted to go explore the area, the car was fully charged again."
Future travel plans
Similar to any other roadtrip, travelling with your EV takes a little preparation. But even if things don't go as planned, there is always an easy solution. Jelle would not hesitate to travel with his EV again. "All charge points on my way worked perfectly fine. I'd definitely travel further with my EV in the future, it's super comfortable, quick and affordable. With the current increase in high-power charge points and the range of my EV being about 300km, I would even be comfortable driving from Amsterdam to Spain." Jelle says. Who knows what's next!
Are you ready for your own EV holiday? Start planning now and read our 6 tips for a carefree journey.
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Rapid charging at Shell
We're growing our network of rapid charge points - including new ultra-fast 150kW chargers. Find out more about charging at Shell, and what we have on offer to recharge yourself whilst you're here.
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Order a charge card
Download the Shell Recharge app, create an account order a free charge card that provides you access to one of the largest charging networks of Europe.
Frequently asked questions about charging abroad
The Shell Recharge app and charge card give you access to over 275,000 charge points throughout Europe. As Shell Recharge we have our own charge points, but we also grow our network by enabling charging at other charge point operators. This is called ‘interoperability’, which works very similarly to using your mobile phone whilst abroad. However, not all charge point providers are part of this network, which is why you won’t have access to all charge points. When charge point operators connect in the future, they will automatically be shown in the app.
Our Shell Recharge charging network spans across entire Europe, you can charge at over 35 countries, from Norway to Italy. We've listed them below. You can find all connected charge points in our Shell Recharge app. Simply type in the country of your choice and see where charge points are located. Please note that some charge points only work with the QR code. Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Isle of Man
Italy
Kosovo
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
If you have a lease card, your lease company may send you a bill for charging abroad afterwards. We recommend checking this with your lease company prior to travel. If you have a private charge card you can charge abroad as long as your bank account details are connected to the card.
In the Shell Recharge app, you can see if the charge point is available. If it is, a green checkmark icon is shown.
Charging tariffs can vary between countries and providers. Some countries/operators charge a kWh-fee ,a transaction fee and possibly also a minute fee. To avoid surprises, we recommend checking the prices upfront. If you select the charge point of your choice in the Shell Recharge app, the actual tariffs can be found at charge point info. Read more about public charging tariffs.
You will get an invoice for every country you've charged in, as local VAT applies. For example, if you’ve charged in three countries during your holiday, then you will receive three invoices.
Open the Shell Recharge app. Apply the filters and see what charge points are available on the route you will travel. Click on the charge point you plan to charge and click the star to save it to your favourites. Do this for all charge points on your route. When you are about to leave, go to the favourite charge point section and click the first charging stop. In the top, underneath the address, click on 'Directions', next to the navigation icon. If you click on this, your phone asks you to open either Google or Apple Maps. Select Google Maps, and it will open and navigate you to your charge point.
Once you complete charging at your first stop, open the Shell Recharge app again and select the next charging stop in your list of favourites and start the same process again until you arrive at your destination.