Can you take an iconic road trip in an electric vehicle?

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Avatar of Linda Hohnholz
Written by Linda Hohnholz

Electric vehicles (EVs). They need recharging just like a fossil-fuel car needs to stop in at a gas pump. But how easy (or difficult) is it to stop in for a charge if you want to take a road trip in an EV?

The United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom top the list of countries with the most charging locations and stations, with eight European countries featuring in the top ten overall. The Tesla Model S 100D Dual Motor AWD was found to be the best EV for the highest range, with the Volkswagen e-Up! and Renault Zoe R110 ZE 40 having the shortest charging speeds. Research also reveals that the Hyundai Ioniq Electric is the EV that gives the best ranges for cost per mile and charging time.

Apparently it isnโ€™t hard to take a road trip these days in an EV. There are more than 15,000 publicly available charging stations throughout the nationโ€™s 50 states, accounting for nearly 45,000 individual charging outlets. Electric car models with more than 100 miles per charge are being released these days, so, getting around from city to city in an EV isnโ€™t much of a hassle anymore.

You wonโ€™t have to worry about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with these 5 tips and tricks to road tripping via EV.

Plan, plan, plan. Using your EV Connect smartphone app, map out the charging station locations you plan to utilize in every city along the way during your road trip. Having a solid idea of exactly where you can stop to charge up, and when, will enable you to plan fun activities during the charge time (which can take up to a couple of hours). Plan a lunch or shopping outing at the different charge locations as you go.

Have a backup plan. Just in case weather or another unforeseen event holds you up, always have a plan B. Planning on stopping at a certain town 80 miles away? Make sure you have an extra, just-in-case spot 50 miles away or less, because you never know what could come up in a long-distance drive.

Go to cities. For now, cities should be your prime destination(s) during EV-driven road trips. Most charging stations are installed in high-traffic areas, so itโ€™s smart to plan a more urban than scenic routeโ€ฆ For now. For future trips, keep in mind that the National Parks Service is partnering with BMW to install about 100 charging stations in and on the way to parks around the U.S. in the next year. This will greatly expand the potential for travel in the interior of the country.

Be mindful of mileage. Always be aware of your range status; in other words, donโ€™t push your luck. An EV is capable of road tripping, absolutely, but it isnโ€™t like a typical car where, if you run out of gas, someone can come fill you up with a gas can. When planning out your trip, be sure to leave some wiggle room between charge-up destinations so that you can stop for meals or take a certain route to avoid traffic.

For longer trips, plan for multiple stops. All kinds of road trips can be had in electric cars. Maybe you just want to hop to the next town over for what feels like more of a โ€œstay-cation.โ€ Or perhaps you want to travel the distance of half, or maybe even the whole country. No matter either way, as long as you account for multiple stops during your planning process. Those larger distance hauls will take a bit more time when you add in your charging station stops, but that just means thereโ€™s more time to soak in new places.

With a number of countries around the world to ban all petrol and diesel cars on the road, in recent years there has been a surge in the number of electric vehicles being sold. With EVs being a more environmentally-friendly and cost-efficient choice, theyโ€™re becoming the norm – so letโ€™s take a look at a list of the best road trips for EV drivers. Here, comparethemarket.com reveals the best road trips for electric vehicles across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

Best road trips for EVs

A popular bucket list feature, a road trip is a great way to explore without having to worry about public transport – it also means you get to see the world at your own pace. An iconic way to travel the world, more people are becoming self-conscious about the environment and their carbon footprint, and with governments around the world pledging to ban petrol and diesel cars, EVs are the way to go.

With the increasing demand for EVs and charging stations, we took a look at some of the best road trips for EV drivers:

  1. Africa – South Africa is known for its cultural diversity and some of the worldโ€™s most beautiful landscapes, taking a road trip from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth will offer you stunning sights of Jeffreys Bay, Knysna, and Mossel Bay. Spanning 465 miles, it will take around eight hours to complete, and your EV will need around two charges with ten charging locations available along the route.

 

  1. Asia – Explore Japan from the comfort of your car, along with the incredible views Osaka to Tokyo will have to offer. Taking around six hours to complete, enjoy views of a modern metropolis from neon lights to skyscrapers, and natural wonders such as Mount Asama. There are 250 charging locations along the route, and this road trip only requires one charge.

 

  1. Europe – With over nine different road trips to take in Europe, Porto to Lisbon will be a vibrant and memorable trip – offering the best sights, food and coasts Portugal has to offer. Enjoy 195 miles of driving through one of Europeโ€™s most charismatic cities, stopping in Coimbra and Alhandra along the way – taking less than three hours to complete. With 189 charging stations along the route, youโ€™ll have plenty of choice for the one charge needed to complete this trip.

 

  1. North America – No list is complete without the famous American road trip, so enjoy the iconic route of Chicago to Los Angeles without worrying about your EV running out of power. With the U.S. taking the lead with the number of charging stations and locations overall – this route has around 137, and youโ€™ll need around four charges to complete the trip. One of the longer road trips on the list, this route will take around 29 hours to complete – but youโ€™ll get to see some notable locations along the way, including Memphis and Mississippi.

Powering ahead

Who are the world leaders when it comes to electric vehicles? Well, the United States takes the lead with over 17,680 charging locations and 29,252 charging stations. Also, home to the renowned automotive and electric car brand, Tesla, the country has seen a surge in the number of EV sales.

Whilst across the pond takes the lead on the number of stations, Europe is actually the world leader for EVs with eight countries featuring in the top ten overall. Germany has over 11,802 charging locations and 28,967 stations, with the United Kingdom following behind with 6,959 charging locations and 10,553 stations.

Electric road trips

For more information on the best road trips for electric vehicles or to see the full list, click here.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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