Charging abroad with Jelle

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.

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.