Driving Your Electric Car in Europe
Wednesday 26th July 2023
Here in the UK, it’s becoming easier than ever for EV drivers to charge up when out and about. It’s a picture you’ll find replicated across Europe but, with each country at a different point in their electrification journey, it’s worth checking which chargepoint providers have the best coverage in the areas you plan to visit.
You’ll find plenty of resources online to help you, such as ABRP (A Better Route Planner) which shows the location of individual changepoints and helps you to plot a route that has convenient places to charge along the way.
Do I need different charging cables?
The good news is that, in order to comply with the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, public charging points in Europe should be equipped for the standard Type 2 connectors we use here in the UK, as well as CCS/Combo 2 for high-power DC charging. However, whilst the faster DC chargers will generally have a tethered charging cable, this isn’t necessarily true of all chargepoints and so it’s worth taking some cables with you.
How do I pay to charge my EV in Europe?
The most common way to pay is to use some form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) card from providers such as Chargemap, Shell Recharge, or Plugsurfing; who have more than 500,000 chargepoints across Europe. It’s worth taking a bit of time to check out country specific operators, apps, and charge cards, as it may increase your options or enable you to charge at a better rate.
How many EV chargepoints does each country have?
For those wanting charge speeds of up to 350kW then IONITY has just under 2,500 chargers across Europe and for Tesla drivers the European Tesla Supercharging network has over 10,000 individual connectors in 30 countries.
While the number of chargepoints in each country is constantly changing, the table below provides a good indication of the comparative strength of charging networks in some of the most popular European summer holiday destinations.
Country | Chargepoints(approx.) |
---|---|
The Netherlands | 114,000 |
Germany | 85,000 |
France | 83,000 |
Italy | 30,000 |
Spain | 22,000 |
Portugal | 6,500 |
Ireland | 2,400 |