Holidaying With An Electric Car
Tips for Driving an Electric Family Car on Holiday
We share some tips and tricks to optimise your electric car battery so that you can benefit from the longest range and reduce range anxiety when holidaying with the family this summer. It’s easy to travel long distances with an electric vehicle.
Prepare for travel
Travelling with a family in any vehicle, especially if you have young children, can be stressful. Before you start your journey ensure that your electric vehicle is fully prepared. You should set off for your trip with a fully charged battery and with everything properly packed. Make sure the tyre pressure is correct and bring any extra equipment you may need. By preparing in advance, you will combat stress and save precious time.
Plan your routes
When you take an electric vehicle on a long-distance trip, become a Google Maps expert so you know which Motorway services accommodate EVs; there’s plenty! There are more electric charging station locations near larger cities so bear that in mind. Research different electric car charging options, which can include hotels, Airbnb and camping sites.
Check out the route planners by Chargemap app and PlugShare app to see the amount of charging points there are in an area.
Stress-free Charging
Do not wait for your battery level to drop below 20%. By planning your route carefully, you can factor in charging point stops. If charge points are in use by someone else or out of order, with careful planning, you will already have a back-up plan in place.
Choose Hotels with Electric Charging or cottages with ev chargers
There are more than 1,200 electric car charging points associated with hotels or other accommodation in the UK. So, it is worth booking a hotel with an electric charging station or checking if there is a charging point near your Airbnb. Although, it is worth bearing in mind which electric vehicle charging station networks are offered at EV charging hotels.
To find hotels with electric car charging points across the UK, have a look at Zap-Map, which allows you to filter for area, location and hotel.
Best Family Electric Cars
When it comes to the most practical family electric cars for travel, it’s worth looking out for a big boot with around 450 litres of space, a spacious interior, wide-opening doors, and fittings for child seats dependent on your family size.
Some of the best family electric cars Volt-Age have to offer for rental include hatchbacks, small family SUVs and sedans.
Cost Effective
It is cheaper to charge the electric car for the holiday than to fuel it, which means more money for ice cream! Spend that extra cash on a leisurely lunch or a picnic to break up the journey or for activities while the batteries are charging.
Greener Holiday Travel
The benefits of driving conservatively are wide-ranging. Try and stick to a low speed where possible to optimise your electric car battery for the longest range. 60mph will not only avoid speeding tickets but the Department of Energy & Climate Change states that you’ll use 14% less energy if you reduce your speed by 10mph. Going electric means that there’s no congestion charges on your city break or when travelling through bigger cities. So, by choosing electric you are significantly reducing your carbon footprint.
Hire an Electric Car with Volt-Age
If you are interested in trying out an electric vehicle for your summer holiday, why not hire one of Volt-Age’s long distance electric cars, including the long range Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla Model X.
Enjoy the Trip
Don’t forget that the holiday isn’t just about the destination! The journey there can be exciting too! Taking regular breaks to stop and sight see is a great way of breaking up the trip in your electric car and reducing stress whilst travelling.