Chasing new horizons this summer, but worried about where to charge? Here’s how to drive and charge around Europe!
“Traveling in an EV offers an immense sense of freedom and comfort,” says Mikkel from the Spirii sales team. He’s a dyed-in-the-wool EV lover who’s no stranger to summer road trips, charging on the go, and border-hopping through Europe’s prettiest summer destinations.
With that being the case – and with summer 2023 now in full swing – we figured we ought to sit down with Mikkel to find out what EV drivers can learn from his past eMobility adventures…
A sense of freedom
Mikkel doesn’t believe there’s much cause for EV range anxiety in 2023. Or, in fact, any point in the last ten years.
“I drove to the south of France in 2015 without any issues,” he says. “And today it’s even easier. Charging points are available at almost all petrol stations these days, reducing any potential range anxiety.”
Just last year, Mikkel and his family covered thousands of kilometres on a southward journey through the continent in a Tesla. “My girlfriend, our nine-month-old son Bobby and I went to Italy,” he says. “
We journeyed through Germany, passing through Gedser Rostock, then onto Berlin, and spent a night in Nürnberg [Nuremberg].
“Following that, we visited family in Munich for three nights before continuing our journey to Italy – where we enjoyed the picturesque sights of lakes Como and Garda with friends and family.
It was a fantastic summer vacation,” he says, “and we’re actually going again this summer, now in an electric Kia EV6 – just taking a slightly different route this time.”
According to Mikkel, EVs offer a real “sense of freedom and comfort.” But, as he tells us, there are a bunch of other bonuses to seeing Europe from behind the wheel – both environmental and personal:
“Traveling by plane could be quicker,” he says,
“But driving is more environmentally friendly and that means a lot to us. I also enjoy the slowness of going by car; I love the in-car conversations, and listening to music or podcasts. And it also provides flexibility, which is crucial when traveling with a baby.”
Hitting the road in 2023
Planning a summer road trip yourself? There’s never been a better time for it!
As EVs continue to proliferate, the necessary infrastructure is expanding right in step. In Spirii’s Europe-wide roaming network, for instance, Spirii now offers some 280,000 charge points – which should go a long toward making any adventure a breeze.
But what does Mikkel think EV drivers need to know as they head off on their travels alongside him in 2023? While he does say it’s obviously important to “be aware of your car’s range”, he tends to spend less time worried about charging, and more time worried about finding great coffee:
“Unfortunately, a lot of charging points at the moment tend to be in the same type of generic locations,” he says. “That often means they don’t boast great coffee or food options – much like conventional gas stations."
"In my experience, Germany is slightly ahead in terms of more innovative EV infrastructure, followed by Italy. But every month the number of charge points across Europe grows, so your options do too.”
The key to staying on top of that growth? Having the right technology in your pocket:
“Given the abundance of charging points nowadays, there isn’t much need for really meticulous planning. But I’d still recommend finding a reliable app that provides a comprehensive overview of available charging stations,” he tells us.
“This will help you plan your route better, and alleviate any charging-related worries – that way you can just enjoy the freedom of driving.”
Mikkel’s app of choice? It probably won’t come as much of a surprise…
Make Spirii Go your co-pilot
“I used the Spirii Go app to plan my routes,” Mikkel says. “The app offers a great overview of charging points, but also – since the app is connected to Google [and Apple] Maps – it’s so easy to find a charging station and plot a route right to it.”
If you’re late to the party, Spirii Go is our free, pioneering app for EV drivers that’s designed to make every part of charging – from finding a compatible station to paying and monitoring your usage – super simple.
“The charging network is a big advantage here,” Mikkel, adds. “The app lets you utilize a massive number of charging points across Europe, and see their prices in real-time.”
[.text-center][.button]Download Spirii Go[.button][.text-center]
That’s the power of Europe-wide roaming with Spirii Go. Unlike some providers that require you to select a summer roaming package, Spirii Go doesn’t tie you to any specific chargers or routes, affording you more flexibility and freedom.
“My favourite feature is probably the easy filtering functionality,” Mikkel adds, “which guarantees compatibility with any car’s plug type. You can also register your preferred payment method in the app, which really simplifies the payment process once you’ve charged up.”
Spirii Go is totally free, is charger-agnostic, and can help you connect to almost a quarter of a million chargers all across Europe. If that sounds like just the thing you need for your summer EV road trip, then you can download it on Android, or here for iOS.
As Mikkel puts it, with Spirii Go: “You’ll never worry about running out of charge during your journeys again.”