AAA forecasts an unprecedented number of car travelers this Thanksgiving holiday, with more than 71.7 million drivers anticipated on the roads. Given the increase in car travel during the holiday season, coupled with a rise in EV drivers this year (sales data from the third quarter indicates over 346,000 EVs were sold in the U.S., representing an 11% rise from 2023), road safety is a significant concern.
To be ready (or prepare someone you care about), below are some useful items along with essential car safety tips. It’s better to be cautious than to regret it later.
Bring Your Own Charging Equipment
If you’re driving an EV, it’s wise to be self-reliant and not depend on charging stations or the amenities of hotels and parking lots to provide appropriate equipment.
Adapters: Ensure you have the necessary adapters (Tesla owners can acquire an adapter for use when a Supercharger isn’t accessible, while non-Tesla drivers should consider a NACS adapter to utilize Tesla Superchargers).
Level 1 Charging: Keep a Level 1 charging cable in your vehicle so that in case of an emergency, you can plug into an outlet in grandma’s garage for a slow, yet eventual charge.
Ensure Your Lights Are Bright
While checking all your vehicle’s lights, both inside and out, before embarking on a 400-mile journey, think about including extra light kits for emergencies. Automotive product supplier Nilight provides various types of light kits to prepare for your next road trip:
Hazard lights: Available for $20 to $60, various kits can enhance visibility for other drivers and assist emergency personnel in spotting you beyond the standard flashing hazards.
Spot Flood LED Light Pods: When situations become tense, these bright lights can illuminate dark areas even as temperatures drop.
Prepare For Inclement Weather
Thanksgiving and the winter holiday season coincide with winter driving conditions, which might range from rain and sleet to severe snowstorms. Many EVs come equipped with different driving modes, like Snow Mode on the Kia EV6, so remember to switch to any snow or ice settings available.
Rain guards: Help redirect rain, snow, and other debris from your windows to keep the interior dry.
Snow products: Whether it be chains or snow socks, ensure you have the appropriate gear to navigate through snow, and verify that they are compatible with your vehicle before you depart.
Battery blanket: If you expect frigid temperatures, consider using a battery blanket to keep the battery pack warm, but note that most EVs have built-in heaters that activate in low temperatures so you can charge without harming the battery.
Snow/ice brush and scraper: Ensure visibility on your windshield, windows, mirrors, and lights doesn’t suffer due to overnight temperature drops or a sudden snowfall.
Check Your Tires
Having a spare can be beneficial if you encounter a flat tire, and being prepared with tire maintenance can assist you in reaching your destination during holiday travel.
Tire inflator air compressor: For the thoroughly prepared, you can inflate tires independently. This device takes just 2 minutes to inflate your car tires to the desired pressure, making it handy if the low tire pressure warning activates while you’re far from help.
Winter tires: Consider acquiring winter tires specifically designed for EVs. EVs tend to wear out more quickly due to the hefty battery weight and rapid torque. Michelin offers guidance on selecting winter tires tailored for EVs.
Use High-Tech Safety Features
Most entry-level EVs, such as the Chevy Bolt EV or Nissan Leaf, come with robust sensor systems that provide warnings about blind spots, front and rear collisions, automatic emergency braking, and more.
For extra protection, think about adding a device to the front.
Dash cams: Featuring night vision, location tracking, voice instructions, and high-resolution footage, a dash camera can be invaluable after an incident, providing recordings and information for authorities and insurance.
Crash sensors: Often integrated into a dash cam, the crash sensor detects abnormalities and can alert emergency services on your behalf. Some models connect to your smartphone via an app that uses the built-in accelerometer to sense any potential crash.
Go Low-Tech To Stay Safe
Just because you’re driving an EV with the latest connected car technology and built-in sensors doesn’t mean you should skip basic safety equipment. Ensure that a first aid kit and roadside safety supplies are stored in your trunk. Fortunately, with an EV, you won’t need to worry about jumper cables or a portable battery charger.
First aid kit: This is useful for car camping as well and should always be kept accessible. Confirm that all items are stocked before your trip.
Plan and prepare
Battery
If you’ve been driving your EV for a while, you likely have a good understanding of its usual battery consumption. However, if you’re planning to take a caravan, boat trailer, or roof box, it’s advisable to perform a ‘test drive’. This will help you better assess the actual consumption during your holiday trip and prepare for unexpected situations while charging (deciding whether to uncouple the trailer, where to place the charging cable if it’s in the trunk due to the bicycle carrier, etc.). If you’ve never used a fast charger before, it’s a good idea to try it out before your holiday to see how simple it is!
Navigation
Use your car’s navigation system to plan your journey and follow that plan. There are numerous apps available to help you plot your course. However, these can’t factor in your vehicle’s state of charge. The in-car navigation does. It adjusts the route according to your range and identifies nearby charging stations. If there are traffic jams, detours, or busy charging stations, your navigation will propose an alternative route with charging stops included.
Destination
Investigate charging facilities available at your destination. For instance, check whether your hotel, rental property, or campsite offers charging points and if you’ll have the chance to charge while visiting local attractions. Online resources, including your charging station supplier’s app and Google Maps, can provide helpful information.
“Did you know there are websites dedicated to listing hotels with guaranteed charging options within 250 meters?”
Research
The internet is a valuable resource. There are numerous blogs, like this one, that inform about electric driving and share useful tips on efficient charging locations. Topics such as how to charge while towing a caravan or boat trailer can also be found online. Just so you know, there are charging stations where you can keep the trailer attached to the car.
Charge card
In Europe, there are about 900 different providers of public charging stations, which offer charging solutions at over 400,000 charging locations. Although the most popular payment method is a charge card, not every card is compatible with every charging point.
Be sure to carry a charge card that has international coverage and download the app associated with it. This enables you to check charging costs ahead of time and start or stop charging via the app.
Visit the website of your charge card provider to see the extent of your card’s coverage. If it’s lower than 60% of all public charging stations, plan your trip carefully and allow extra time. You might want to consider using a different charge card.
“Did you know that many Tesla Superchargers allow fast charging even for non-Tesla vehicles? Tesla has the largest fast charging network in Europe, providing reliable charging locations. Download the Tesla app, link your credit card or your Athlon MobilityCard, and enhance your charging options significantly.”
Charging
Rates
Charging rates can vary by station and time of day. Be aware: some charging points may charge a fee per minute in addition to the electricity cost! It’s wise to check the charging rate first in your charge card app.
Do the math
Maintain a sufficient power reserve in your battery, ideally at least 10%. This will help you avoid stress, so recharge whenever possible. You can also charge when your battery has 40% or 30% left, allowing for quicker departures! At fast chargers, it’s recommended to charge your battery to a maximum of 80%. Beyond that, charging speed decreases significantly and may not be ideal for the battery.
Monitor the progress
First, ensure that the charging session has genuinely started; discovering after thirty minutes that nothing happened can be very frustrating. Then keep an eye on the charging process, perhaps through your vehicle’s app. Sometimes it charges faster than expected. Once charging is complete, move your vehicle so that others can access the charger.
Driving
Drive off-peak
During holiday seasons, when many people are traveling simultaneously, it can be very advantageous to plan your travel schedule to avoid the busiest times on the road.
Many people typically drive on Saturdays, leading to heavy traffic and crowded charging stations. By opting to leave on Thursday and making one or two extra overnight stops, your journey may be more pleasant. You can also consider stopping earlier at a charging station than necessary to increase flexibility.
Enjoy the ride
Charging can be viewed either as an inconvenience or as a chance to take a break and appreciate your surroundings. Letting your kids kick a ball around or play games can help them expend energy, positively impacting the car ride. With some planning and creativity, charging breaks can transform into enjoyable outings.
Pace yourself
The quicker or more erratic your driving, the more rapidly the battery is depleted. On extended trips, you can significantly reduce charging time by maintaining a smooth driving style. The optimal way to achieve this is by activating cruise control. Operating an EV also results in a quieter, more pleasant, and enjoyable ride. Why rush past sights and scenic views when you’re in the ideal vehicle to appreciate them?
Toll roads
Regardless of whether you’re driving an EV, a hybrid, or an ICE vehicle, many destinations will necessitate using toll roads. Prior to your journey, familiarize yourself with the toll road system in the countries you will be traveling through. Understand where these toll roads are located, the methods used for toll collection (for instance, cash or electronic tolling), and the costs involved. This knowledge will assist you in planning your route and budgeting effectively. Additionally, if you are traveling in an EV, ensure that there are functioning chargers available on these routes, or make sure to charge before reaching the toll booth.
Toll
France features a comprehensive toll road network known as Autoroutes. Italy’s toll road system, Autostrade, spans a significant part of the country and links major cities and regions. In Spain, the toll road network is especially prevalent in areas like Catalonia, Andalusia, and Valencia. Portugal has toll roads mainly situated on major highways that connect various regions and cities within the nation. Greece has toll roads on major highways, notably around Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as in several other areas. Ireland has a small number of toll roads, including the M50 motorway in Dublin where charges apply, and the UK features several toll roads and bridges, like the Dartford Crossing near London and the Severn Bridge crossing between England and Wales.
Vignettes
Toll vignettes, known as toll stickers or highway vignettes, are permits necessary for driving on certain highways or motorways in various countries. In some regions, instead of toll booths, you must acquire and display a vignette on your windshield to utilize the toll roads.
Austria employs a vignette system for all vehicles utilizing its motorway and expressway network. Switzerland has a similar vignette requirement, whereby all vehicles utilizing Swiss highways must display a vignette, available for purchase at border crossings, post offices, and fuel stations.
Plan for busy periods
Toll roads can face considerable congestion during peak travel times, such as holidays or weekends. Keep this in mind when organizing your travel plans to lessen delays and traffic buildup.
Many individuals prioritize the ability to embark on road trips. Below are several suggestions to make a long battery-powered journey more enjoyable.
Before making your decision:
Evaluate your vehicle. Most modern electric vehicles (EVs) can undertake a lengthy trip, although the experience can differ significantly. Some EVs, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6, can recharge quickly, allowing you to get back on the road in less than 20 minutes. In contrast, other models like the budget-friendly Chevy Bolt take longer to charge, often over an hour. Tesla excels with its routing software, and its Supercharger network—now accessible to Ford and Rivian users—is the best available. If you are renting a vehicle for your road trip, choose a Tesla or at least a vehicle that supports fast charging. If you’re using your own car, take time to understand its features.
Think about your destination. States like California have a high number of charging stations, while regions in Wyoming may have few or none. The availability of chargers can fluctuate greatly, not only from one state to another or one city to another but also between different interstates and neighborhoods. Research your specific route ahead of time to determine whether a battery-powered journey is feasible.
Before setting off:
Prepare your vehicle
Just like with a gasoline car, it’s wise to check the tire pressure before departure — and there’s no need to check the oil! Also, make sure to fully charge your vehicle. Many EV owners typically keep their battery charged to about 80% for daily use to prolong battery life. However, fully charging to 100% is beneficial for road trips, and doing so occasionally does not harm the battery. If possible, arrange your charging so that you reach 100% just before you leave.
Review your route
Enter your destination into your car’s built-in navigation system or use an EV routing app like A Better Route Planner to identify available chargers on your journey. As you travel, focus on finding DC fast chargers rather than Level 2 chargers, especially those that can match or exceed your vehicle’s maximum charging capacity. Check reviews as well, opting for chargers with higher reliability ratings. Even if you’re not driving a Tesla, it might be useful to have the Tesla app in case there’s a supercharger with a Magic Dock along your path.
Look for accommodations with EV charging stations (and evaluate if they’re worthwhile). Charging your vehicle overnight at hotels can be convenient, particularly if your car charges more slowly. However, read reviews (like those on the charger review app Plugshare) to ensure these hotel chargers are dependable. Also, check the costs. Some hotels offer free charging while others may charge $30 or more for a mid-sized battery — comparable to a fast charger’s fee. Always have a backup plan in case the hotel only has one charging plug.
During your journey:
Pack smartly
Avoid overloading your vehicle. However, even if you stay within your EV’s weight limit, excessive cargo or towing a trailer significantly reduces your range. If you have prepared for this, it may not be a concern, but it’s best not to be caught off guard!
Mind your speed. Among the various factors that can affect your range — such as temperature, wind, and elevation — speed is the easiest to manage. Traveling at higher speeds will result in more charging stops.
Utilize the A/C
Climate control influences your range, just as it impacts fuel economy in a gasoline vehicle. However, in warm weather, using A/C is not as taxing on the battery as heating in cold weather, which is why a road trip would be uncomfortable without it. An effective strategy is to start climate control while the vehicle is still charging. During winter trips, relying more on heated seats rather than the heater can also help boost your range significantly.
Pay attention to your vehicle. Since external conditions can affect your range — along with some vehicles having less precise range estimations — you might need to stop and recharge sooner than anticipated. If your vehicle alerts you about its inability to reach your destination without additional charging, it’s best to heed those warnings.
Charge to 80%
Charging rates at fast chargers decrease rapidly after the battery level reaches 80%. Unplugging and continuing your journey at this point will save you considerable time. With slower chargers, like those found at hotels during overnight stays, you can fully charge to 100% if you plan to use the car the following day.
Combine tasks
Use charging breaks to address meal stops, bathroom breaks, snack replenishment, stretching, playground visits, or shopping. Whenever feasible, take advantage of your charging stops to exit your vehicle. While this isn’t possible at every charging station, more companies are working to place chargers near amenities, transforming a charging break into an opportunity to relax rather than just a chore.
