Car buyers registered a good 115,000 new electric cars with the authorities in Germany between January and May of this year.

Because the corona incidences are falling further and the travel restrictions are being relaxed, the question arises for many new electric car owners: Can you go on vacation with the electric car?

In principle, this is possible, say car manufacturers and experts.

But unlike in the case of internal combustion engines, with which you can theoretically start driving straight away, with an electric car it is advisable to invest more time in preparing for the journey.

Martin Gropp

Editor in business.

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    “A vacation with an electric car requires a little more planning than a vacation with traditional motorization,” writes the Volkswagen Group under the heading “Vacation with an electric car: this is how it works” on its website.

    E-car travelers would have to consider the range of their own electric car.

    In addition, an overview of the charging stations along the planned route is essential.

    For example, the company Chargemap offers a charging station directory for long-distance travel.

    "Alternatively, you can support websites such as 'Going Electric' with route planning," advises VW to the electric vehicle enthusiasts.

    Feasible under certain conditions

    The automobile club ADAC also considers vacation trips with the electric car to be feasible. “Basically you can go anywhere where there is electricity,” says Matthias Vogt, who is responsible for electromobility and charging infrastructure at the ADAC technology center in Landsberg. "But it ultimately depends on how long the planned route is, what type of electric car it is and that there are fast charging stations along the route." The ADAC speaks of fast charging when the electricity is at least 22 kilowatts into the car battery flows, whereby a higher output is even better, because then the charging times are reduced accordingly. But individual driving behavior also plays a role, says Vogt. For example, how fast you want to be on the road and how often you are ready to take breaks,to load.

    According to the ADAC specialist, electric car buyers should ideally consider how they want to use their car later before making a purchase decision.

    Because not every electric model is equally suitable for long journeys.

    “As far as the long-distance suitability of individual e-car models is concerned, there is a rule of thumb: If a car with a fully charged battery can travel around 300 kilometers in real operation and also allows another 200 kilometers to be recharged within 30 minutes, then it is also well suited for longer distances, ”says Vogt.

    Preparation is the be-all and end-all

    For the specific arrival and departure as well as the mobility at the destination, it then depends on the preparation. "When it comes to electromobility on long journeys, it is advisable to plan the route and the charging breaks in advance," explains Vogt. “Special apps can help with this. The navigation systems of most electric cars also indicate charging options and ideally take them into account when planning the route. ”Electric car drivers should also think about the power supply at their destination beforehand. “It is therefore worthwhile to get detailed information before you travel and, for example, to ask the hotel whether there is a charging point there,” recommends the ADAC man. The website "Hotel4EV.com" also provides a list of European hotels with charging facilities,Most of the hostels listed there are in Germany.

    In any case, when you are on holiday with an electric car, it depends on where you want to go, says ADAC representative Vogt.

    “Germany, Austria and Switzerland are already relatively well supplied with publicly accessible charging points.

    In the Scandinavian countries and the Netherlands, the network is even better developed. ”In France, at least in terms of area, there is already less, and Italy has a well-supplied north and a less well-equipped south.

    "If you want to go in the direction of Eastern Europe or Southeastern Europe, electromobility users need to find out where they can charge up in advance of the trip, as the infrastructure there is still very few and far between," advises Vogt.

    Only for idealists?

    No matter where it goes in the end, however, electric car drivers are generally slower on the road than travelers with a combustion engine. This is also shown by the experience reported by a user named “maximus_hertus” in the forum of the website “Goingelectric.de”. He drove from Wuppertal to Croatia at the beginning of May. Over a distance of 500 kilometers, he estimates that charging breaks cost an electric car driver around two hours compared to driving with an internal combustion engine. Maximus_hertus would nevertheless start the trip to Croatia again, he reports in the forum, because he “just feels like electro”. From a rational point of view, however, it was a bit of a pain. “Would I recommend it to others? Probably not, ”writes the user. "Or only if you are an 'idealist' and you have a lot of time."