Navigation - planning charging stops.

[subfiver]

Just getting to grips with the car I've had for 3 days ...

We live in Cartagena, Spain and planning a trip to Seville, @5hrs & 550km distant.
Asking the car's navigation system for a route gives me one and helpfully overlays the car's projected range on the map, which I thought a neat touch.
But when I ask for charging stations it only shows me those around my current location, home, and my battery is at 100% so it should"know" I don't need a charge point before I set off. It should be estimating where I might get along the route and giving me options after say 300kms (it's an LR version).

Am I missing something or is it just not very clever ?

Alternatively, are there any other route planning/nav apps that do show EV charging on a planned route ?

Cheers 'n' Beers

 

[fred12345]

Just getting to grips with the car I've had for 3 days ...

Don't bother with the car satnav, it's not Tesla (and you didn't pay Tesla price either ) - connect your phone and use Google maps, you can plan route and add chargers . Also, look at EV charging apps and download those that are best for Spain ...

Congratulations on new EV - takes a bit of time to get used to but so much better than petrol/diesel ...

 

[subfiver]

I'll mostly be slow charging at home with a granny cable utilising excess solar and overnight grid power. With a nominal, pinch of salt, 440km range I'll not need commercial chargers often so I don't want to clutter my phone with a plethora of apps.
I would sign up for EasyCharge but they want a debit or credit card - I only use Revolut & Wise - and Electromap but the latter doesn't offer a definitive list of compatible chargers by country ....

 

[peterseddon]

I use Google maps all the time for long journeys which should already be on your phone. The car satnav is always out of date. Traveling around the UK I've never planned a long journey, I just start with 100% and the find a place to stop after an hour or so the charge and have a drink and snack loo break etc. Never really come near to running out except once when I didn't start with 100%, still made it home though without too much fuss.

 

[hmadsen]

I use Google maps all the time for long journeys which should already be on your phone. The car satnav is always out of date. Traveling around the UK I've never planned a long journey, I just start with 100% and the find a place to stop after an hour or so the charge and have a drink and snack loo break etc. Never really come near to running out except once when I didn't start with 100%, still made it home though without too much fuss.

Stopping to charge after 1 hour seems a bit excessive does it not ?

The car should be able to go for atleast 2 hours even at motorway speeds before needing a recharge, should it not ?

Offcourse if you need to go pee and stock up on snacks once an hour, it makes sense to plug in though

 

[Gadget Geek]

Stopping to charge after 1 hour seems a bit excessive does it not ?

The car should be able to go for atleast 2 hours even at motorway speeds before needing a recharge, should it not ?

Offcourse if you need to go pee and stock up on snacks once an hour, it makes sense to plug in though

Depends if it's a long range or standard range. My long range will do about 3 hours before it gets low enough to charge. Like peterseddon, I just set off and find a charger when I need one. Google Maps will show you nearby chargers.

 

[fred12345]

Depends if it's a long range or standard range. My long range will do about 3 hours before it gets low enough to charge. Like peterseddon, I just set off and find a charger when I need one. Google Maps will show you nearby chargers.

My standard range 2022 Trophy is fine for 2-3 hours mixed drive if I start with 100%. The other day I was driving for just about 90 miles, about 2 hours drive, started with 100% and came back with 50% . (warm-ish day in UK so no heating and lights on, mixed roads drive)

 

[peterseddon]

Stopping to charge after 1 hour seems a bit excessive does it not ?

The car should be able to go for atleast 2 hours even at motorway speeds before needing a recharge, should it not ?

Offcourse if you need to go pee and stock up on snacks once an hour, it makes sense to plug in though

Yes it's usually my bladder that forces a stop.

 

[hmadsen]

Yes it's usually my bladder that forces a stop.

I know the feeling.

I do quite a lot of driving for the company i work for, i often attend meetings and there is always coffee, but i always try to avoid it, firstly because i never got into the whole coffee drinking but also because i know a single cup of coffee equals 1 hour stops on the way home.

Most times i dont charge when i stop, my experience from 2 years ago is, that it often took longer to get the charger connected and fired up, than it took to go to the toilet.

Luckily this situation has improved a lot in just those 2 years so if i need to take the ZS EV on longer journeys it wont take as long to get it charging. I know from my Tesla that some DC Supercharger operators have even begun making it possible to only manually enter payment and start a charge once, and next time it will detect that this is my car and just start charging....Just like i am used to in my Tesla, at the Tesla superchargers.

I bet in, say 5 years any operator worth their salt will be able to have cars just plug in, and if it has been at one of that companys chargers before, it will just start charging and bill the CC that is attached to that account and in that case, I would probably also plug in, even if I just needed to have a quick 10 minute pee and resupply stop. (Would need prices here to go down, usually in the Tesla, no other rapid charger is cheaper thanTesla's own....I suspect this will be true, even if I charge the ZS EV at a Tesla charger at the higher price).

 

[Robgarth]

I used zapmap for finding chargers enroute. I then pick a couple of options, preferably off the main roads.

 

[Rob24]

I use the Electroverse app which links to my phone.
All the EV charges are listed so I plan my route to incorporate a stop and a charge.
I also have a few backups planned just incase.

I have pulled into an EV charge station and found it full so just continued on my way to an alternative.

The Electroverse app shows how many chargers are busy at anytime but obviously using it while driving is not an option so I have had to move onto an alternative location rather than wait.

Rob

 

[Gadget Geek]

Has anyone got the Electroverse app working in Android Auto? Mine keeps saying there's an error which they know about and are working on.

 

[BrianMcC]

I live in France. There is firstly Waze app which is worldwide and wonderful but the icing on the cage for charging stations is Chargemap. You have to buy their card which you can then use at whatever station they recommend and they will plan your route. Bought my car just over a year ago and did a long trip in France shortly afterwards and Chargemap worked like a dream. They get special deals which are helpful.

 

[TassieDi]

I recommend A Better Route Planner for planning a trip and recommending charging stops. You can input parameters to suit your vehicle and driving preferences, and it takes into account topography etc.

 

[mandp]

Agree the ABRP app is really good. Suggests various stops depending on your vehicle, and how long to charge (it knows the speed of the recommended charger) to get to the next stop or destination.