The electric car has long since arrived among German drivers, it is loved or hated in the same way as its combustion engine counterparts, only the handling is still completely different.
Being on the road with an e-car remains an adventure if basic rules are not observed.
For example this one: If you can collect so much electricity before long journeys that you will definitely reach your destination, do so.
We missed it and left the familiar ENBW station at the Bruchsal service area on the A5 on the left, charging at 47 percent battery level seemed somehow inappropriate.
Quite apart from the fact that we could have filled the batteries at night in the hotel in Karlsruhe.
The Bergstraße rest stop was chosen instead, but it surprised everyone with a single, old 50 kW charging station.
It's free, but there's no connection to the pretty electric Fiat 500.
So onward.
Shell station Büttelborn.
We often fill up here with test cars and have never seen electric cars at the two fixed DC charging stations that were installed some time ago, but of all times there are two there and a BMW i3 is already waiting.
The Fiat reports 33 kilometers remaining range.
It would be 40 to the office, a little more home.
But a friend with a Tesla and wall box lives exactly 33 kilometers away, as the navigation system quickly calculates.
We dare, set the cruise control to 80, reap shakes of the head from other motorway drivers and arrive at our destination with a two percent battery charge level.
phew
If you get stuck on the open road, the only thing that helps is to call for professional help.
Conventional towing is out of the question because the control electronics suffer.
At best, a few meters would go.
D rather not.