Taking an Electric Car on a Long Trip

A long trip is mostly planning

Driving an electric car a long distance is very doable, but it rewards a bit of preparation. The main difference from a fuel car is that refueling takes longer and the stations are less uniformly spread. A good plan turns charging stops into ordinary breaks.

Before you leave

1. Know your realistic range. The figure on the dashboard is an estimate. Highway speed, temperature, wind, hills and load can all reduce it, as the article on electric range explains. Plan using a conservative number, not the best case.
2. Map the route and the chargers. Use the car’s navigation, an app or both. Look at where rapid chargers are, what connector they use and whether they were recently reported working. Many cars can route through chargers automatically and precondition the battery for faster charging.
3. Choose backups. For every planned stop, note another charger a short distance before or after. Chargers can be busy, broken or occupied.
4. Check payment methods. Install the required apps and set up accounts ahead of time, or confirm that contactless payment is accepted. Our article on public charging etiquette covers this.
5. Charge fully before you start if the trip requires it, preferably at home. A higher starting level shortens the first leg, though for the daily routine a lower limit is often kinder to the battery.
6. Prepare the car. Check tire pressure, because underinflated tires increase energy use. Remove roof boxes and racks if you do not need them, since they add drag.

Planning the stops

A useful way to think about it is in legs. A hypothetical example: a car has a real-world highway range of about 200 miles, and you want to arrive at each charger with a margin of at least 20 percent of the battery. That means planning legs of no more than about 160 miles (200 x 0.8 = 160), well short of the maximum. The numbers are illustrative only. Use your own car’s figures and be more cautious in cold weather or with a heavy load.

Several guidelines are widely applied:

• Stop at the point when charging is fastest. Rapid chargers deliver most power when the battery is low and slow down as it fills, so two shorter stops can sometimes be quicker overall than one stop to fill up. The article on AC and DC fast charging explains the charging curve.
• Charge to what you need, not to full. Add enough to reach the next charger with a margin, and then continue.
• Combine charging with breaks. A stop of 20 to 40 minutes fits a meal, a stretch and a restroom break. Drivers are generally advised to take breaks on long journeys anyway.
• Avoid arriving at the last moment. A low margin leaves no choice if a charger is down.

Managing range while driving

• Speed matters. Energy use rises considerably as speed increases because air resistance grows, so a slightly lower cruising speed often adds a meaningful amount of range. Do not exceed legal limits, and drive in a way that suits traffic conditions.
• Drive smoothly. Early, gentle inputs save energy and let regenerative braking recover some of it.
• Use climate control sensibly. Heating in particular uses energy. Preheating while plugged in, and using seat or steering wheel heaters if fitted, can be more efficient than heating the whole cabin.
• Watch the trip display. Many cars show a predicted arrival charge level. If it falls below your margin, slow down or stop earlier.
• Account for terrain. Climbing hills costs energy and descents can return some, but not all of it.

Weather and conditions

Cold weather reduces range and slows charging, so allow more time and a larger margin in winter. Very hot weather can also affect the battery and the air conditioning load. Strong headwinds, rain and snow increase consumption. Our seasonal articles on winter driving and hot weather cover general precautions for the car and driver.

Practical things to carry

• the charging cable that came with the car, and any adapter you rely on
• a phone charger and a power bank
• a printed or offline copy of your route and charger list, in case of poor signal
• an emergency kit with warning triangle, first-aid supplies, water and warm clothing
• details of your roadside assistance plan, and whether it includes help for a flat battery. Not every plan does, so check what towing options exist for an electric car.

If something goes wrong

If a charger fails, try another connector or bay, then use your backup. If the battery gets very low, reduce speed, switch off non-essential loads and head to the nearest point. If the car warns of limited power or stops, pull over safely, switch on the hazard lights and call for help. The advice for a highway breakdown applies, and it is worth reading before you need it.

Make it routine

After a trip or two, planning becomes quick. Many owners come to enjoy the forced breaks. If you are weighing an electric car partly for travel, think honestly about the routes you drive, since charging networks and conditions vary by region.