In the summer of 2022, I decided to conduct an experiment. If you want to do a European road trip, is it smart—or idiotic—to do it in an electric car? My wife predicted idiotic.
But she agreed to rent one with me for three months. We’d take it from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nordkapp, Norway — the very top of Europe — and back again.
This was our first time driving an EV. We took 80 days, and put about 10,000 km on the odometer. Teresa thought I was crazy to try the Norway leg in an EV. We’d be traveling through some pretty remote Arctic wilderness with long distances between villages, not to mention charging stations. But I really wanted to do it.
It helped that Norway has probably the most advanced EV charging network in the world—in terms of high-speed public chargers per person, which is what you need on a road trip.
In 2023, we tried the Great Experiment again in New Zealand… where the network wasn’t so advanced. There was really only one extensive EV public charging network, with only one or two charging stations per municipality —and that includes major cities! But we did okay. Better than okay; we were never in danger of running out of juice on the road.
When we picked up our first Polestar, a US-manufactured electric vehicle, we really didn’t have a clue about EVs. We got lucky because we got good advice along the way. And I’d like to pass that advice along, so you won’t be as dependent on luck, and can go clean and green in an EV in your next rental car.
Tips for Vacationing with an EV
Pick the Right Country
Norway leads the world in EV infrastructure. According to this website, here are the best five countries in Europe for EV infrastructure: Norway, Netherlands, UK, France, Spain. Despite the long distances, Norway is a great place to travel by EV because the state has gone all in on converting to electric vehicles. Some 89% of new cars purchased here are electric. And, because the energy grid is virtually all hydropower, that means you are driving on clean energy.
However, just because a country has overall good EV infrastructure does not mean it’s suitable for long-distance driving. One needs to check the availability of chargers in the actual region you will be traveling in, and the kinds of chargers. Slow chargers (22 kw/hour or less) can take several hours to recharge a drained battery. That’s okay for an overnight stop, but not to top up in the middle of the day’s drive. Fast chargers (50kw/hour or greater) do the job in an hour or so. But, if there is only one charger at a station, and lot of EV drivers on the road, that can mean long lines and a long wait.
In some countries, like Norway, the charging infrastructure is being built swiftly, so don’t trust sources older than 6 months. We planned on spending a full month in Norway’s Arctic, where chargers were "few and far between." But, when we arrived, we actually found brand new high-speed chargers that had been installed early in 2022 in several Arctic towns.
New Zealand, despite the limited number of chargers, had them well spread out; there was at least one high-speed charger in every town, and since there were far fewer EV drivers, we seldom had to queue for a charge.
We have also driven an EV in France with no problems, but this is partly because Tesla recently opened up its high-speed chargers to non-Tesla vehicles. This is a boon to EV travelers, because Tesla puts in banks of chargers all across nations where its cars are popular. All you need is the Tesla app and a credit card to get you started.
This summer (2024), we also drove a Polestar through Scotland. It has a national charging network, ChargePlace Scotland, that works with an RFID, or Radio Frequency Identity card. It looks and works like a credit card. You just tap and charge at the station. Super convenient—but you must order the card from their website well in advance (at least 2 weeks) to have it delivered before your trip.
Learn the Basics of EV Driving
We foolishly thought our Danish rental agency would walk us through the basics of driving an EV. Instead, they just put us in the car and sent us on our way, clueless. Luckily, we drove right past Polestar’s global HQ in Sweden on our way to Norway! We stopped in and asked for help. Their head of global product services kindly gave us a tutorial.
Here’s what you need to know…
No 1: Your Battery Range
This is the single most important element of driving an EV over long distances. Different cars have different batteries, and your battery size is the main factor determining how far you can go. It’s comparable to the size of a gas tank, but it matters much more when traveling long distances. A smaller battery equals more frequent stops and much more time at charging stations.
No. 2: Your Plug Type
There are different types of plugs, and not all charging stations have all plugs. The main difference is AC versus DC current, and the most popular high-speed type I have run into is known as Type 2, or CCS. The KIA website has a useful guide.
No. 3: Your Connector Type
Most commercial charging stations provide a charging connector—a cable that plugs into your car on one end, and into the charging station on the other; however, some public chargers do not. Our Polestar 2 came with two charging hoses, which we could not find at first, because they were under the hood—one for plugging into a DC charger (called CCS), and another for plugging into a regular home outlet. The latter is very useful if you are staying in Airbnb rentals, as you can charge at your residence.
No. 4: Your Charging Apps
Preload the right charging apps for the country you are traveling in, and add your credit card details for automatic payments. The apps will also tell you where their chargers are located, so you can plot them out along your route. Some apps even indicate whether or not a specific charger is free or occupied, which is good to know if you want to avoid a line.
No. 5: A Good Maximum Recharge is 90%
My first rental came with the recharge level set to 80%. After that, the battery stopped charging. This meant many more stops along the way. Eventually I learned how to set the level myself. However, it’s best to set it no higher than 90%. After that, the rate of charging slows way down. Also, when you charge to 100% regularly, you shorten the battery life. You can adjust the recharge level in the dashboard controls. (Ask the rental agent to show you how.)
If you do rent an EV on your next trip, and find it works for you, tell others! By spreading the news that vacationing in an EV is doable, and that cool, trendy people like you do it with alacrity, you’re doing your own small bit to promote clean energy.
Bonus EV Tips
If you plan on staying in Airbnbs, buy a long, heavy-duty electric extension cord, which you can connect to the car charging connector and then plug into sockets you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach. (It’s also common courtesy to ask permission to charge your EV from a home outlet — we typically offered to pay for the juice, about $20 for a full charge in NZ.)
Avoid high-speed driving on highways. When you go above 90 km/hour, you drain your battery much faster. For example, your car might be able to travel 350 km on a full charge at 90 km/hour but perhaps 250 km at 110 km/hour. The time you spend recharging will make the whole trip longer than if you stayed at 90 km/hour. So, stick to the slow lane and enjoy the ride.
Plan your charging stops near restaurants, grocery stores, or sight-seeing locations. It can take at least an hour to charge, so plan to stop where you can make the best use of that time. Or simply bring a book to read while you wait.
Don’t rent a hybrid gas/EV engine. We made this mistake only once. They only charge up to 50 km worth of travel, and don’t work with fast chargers. You’d be better off with a Prius!
Remember, an EV rides quiet: bike riders and pedestrians can’t hear you coming! Give bikers a tap on the horn if you are going to pass them, and watch for pedestrians who might step off the curb unaware you are heading their way.
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How To Move Out of the U.S.
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