Charging across Europe

[Derek25]

Off to L’lsle-sur-la-sorgue but taking a slow drive Reims/Dijon then a week south then back to Annecy/Reims and home wife fretting about charging but it looks like France has it covere.

You'll be fine. France is better than the UK. There's been a big expansion in rapid charging, particularly at motorway services and at supermarkets.

 

[slmorgan42]

You'll be fine. France is better than the UK. There's been a big expansion in rapid charging, particularly at motorway services and at supermarkets.

Totally agree. I go to Dieppe, Normandy as my mum and sis live there. Its a small town but has loads of chargers specially in the supermarkets like Lidl.

 

[Rolfe]

I have to admit I'm nervous. I happily drove my ICE cars across northern Europe, because there's not a lot to sticking a petrol nozzle in a hole, and waving a credit card at the person behind the till. But chargers are tricksy beasts sometimes. What language shows up on the screen? What happens if you don't have the right card or app?

 

[EVsince2016]

Hi I am off to south France end of July I am going to use my octopus card and bonnet app do you think this will do? do I need any more cards?

I would only consider Chargemap as an extra but Electroverse should cover it.

Charging station map for electric cars | Chargemap

Find the best charging stations for your electric car wherever you are. Simplify your search with the filters: free stations, highest scores, connectors, power ratings etc.

chargemap.com

In France I only used Electroverse until met an old charger ex-Corri Door. In the end only my Electromaps token (good for Spain) would actually activate it.

 

[EVsince2016]

I have to admit I'm nervous. I happily drove my ICE cars across northern Europe, because there's not a lot to sticking a petrol nozzle in a hole, and waving a credit card at the person behind the till. But chargers are tricksy beasts sometimes. What language shows up on the screen? What happens if you don't have the right card or app?

All have an English option or at least step by step graphics to follow.

Only issue I usually get is doing things in the correct order or missing a step.

Close doors & power off
Open charger port ready
Follow instructions on charger
If you don't hear the port lock when it starts activation, lock the doors
watch, listen & wait for the charging to start and stabilise before you depart.


I find many quirks especially on older chargers. Examples: -

You have to lock car at specific point or charging fails
There's a step missed on the display, one I have top press a start button once everything is done to begin charge (not mentioned)
Some screens have faded so you need to guess what to do!

 

[slmorgan42]

I have to admit I'm nervous. I happily drove my ICE cars across northern Europe, because there's not a lot to sticking a petrol nozzle in a hole, and waving a credit card at the person behind the till. But chargers are tricksy beasts sometimes. What language shows up on the screen? What happens if you don't have the right card or app?

I don't speak much French. I can order a beer at least lol

As has been mentioned they normally have an English option. That said the instruction on the charger seem much clearer over there. Even though they are in French lol. They always have clear pictures showing you what to do. But generally they are all the same. Connect car, pay, charging starts.

I have been know to use google translate on my phone. Just point your camera at the instruction and then you have it all in English

 

[Rolfe]

Thanks for that!

 

[slmorgan42]

Thanks for that!

I found some old photos I took. Lidl charger

 

[sparrow]

Thank you all for your input hopefully we will have a stress free break, I have always found people very helpful driving and when I rode around on my motorcycl.

 

[Rolfe]

I found some old photos I took. Lidl charger

That's pretty clear. I can more or less read that.

I spoke to a guy with DK plates up who was using our village charge-point, and he said he drove quite regularly between Denmark and central Scotland and never had any trouble. Mind you, I don't know whether that car was a Tesla, I didn't pay attention.

 

[EVsince2016]

Zunder in Spain - English

Powerdot Portugal

Easychargers in pics - lights also flash to tell you what to push

Iberdrola in Spanish & English

EDP with pics

Iberdrola in English again

 

[slmorgan42]

Zunder in Spain - English

View attachment 18973

Powerdot Portugal

View attachment 18974

Easychargers in pics - lights also flash to tell you what to push

View attachment 18975

Iberdrola in Spanish & English

View attachment 18976

EDP with pics

View attachment 18977

Iberdrola in English again

View attachment 18978

Lol you photo album must look like mine. lol probably a bit sad but funny

 

[EVsince2016]

Lol you photo album must look like mine. lol probably a bit sad but funny

I have loads more but you cannot see the instructions or family in the way.

 

[EVsince2016]

KIA EV6 2021 - Road trip report: Pontefract to Pontevedra, Spain - Electric Road

From Pontefract to Pontevedra (actually from near Pontefract in West Yorkshire to near Pontevedra in Galicia).

electricroad.co.uk

Zunder is now on Electroverse too so in addition to plug & play, you can roam without Spanish tax & address issues.

My next big trip is coming up soon

 

[Roldorf]

If you drive through Germany. don't bank on using Tesla chargers, there are only a handful that accept non-Tesla vehicles. Get a Shell Recharge card if you don`t already have one. You can charge with it at almost all charge point operators throughout Europe. They claim over 500,000 charging points.
See here for Shell Recharge coverage in Europe:-

Ev charging point near me | Shell Recharge

Shell Recharge helps find convenient places to charge your EV. Locate available charge points near your home or destination.

shellrecharge.com

 

[EVsince2016]

If you drive through Germany. don't bank on using Tesla chargers, there are only a handful that accept non-Tesla vehicles. Get a Shell Recharge card if you don`t already have one. You can charge with it at almost all charge point operators throughout Europe. They claim over 500,000 charging points.
See here for Shell Recharge coverage in Europe:-

Ev charging point near me | Shell Recharge

Shell Recharge helps find convenient places to charge your EV. Locate available charge points near your home or destination.

shellrecharge.com

Yes the old New Motion network is good in that area

 

[Rolfe]

If you drive through Germany. don't bank on using Tesla chargers, there are only a handful that accept non-Tesla vehicles. Get a Shell Recharge card if you don`t already have one. You can charge with it at almost all charge point operators throughout Europe. They claim over 500,000 charging points.
See here for Shell Recharge coverage in Europe:-

Ev charging point near me | Shell Recharge

Shell Recharge helps find convenient places to charge your EV. Locate available charge points near your home or destination.

shellrecharge.com

I've looked at a couple of cross-Europe routes in ABRP, just to get an idea of practicalities, and it seems quite keen on recommending Tesla chargers in Germany. It knows I have an MG4, so presumably it's picking the ones that will take the hoi polloi?

 

[Derek25]

I've looked at a couple of cross-Europe routes in ABRP, just to get an idea of practicalities, and it seems quite keen on recommending Tesla chargers in Germany. It knows I have an MG4, so presumably it's picking the ones that will take the hoi polloi?

Check the Tesla map and apply 'superchargers open to all'. You'll see it's a sea of red on all routes in Germany. It's nothing like the patchy UK openings.

 

[sparrow]

Just a up date mg5 lr has performed perfectly no problems and the octopus Electroverse card has not failed once now for return journe.

 

[EVsince2016]

Just a up date mg5 lr has performed perfectly no problems and the octopus Electroverse card has not failed once now for return journe.

Good to hear that your trip went well.