Travelling to Romania with an EV? Exciting, but definitely feasible.
When it comes to distant road trips to Eastern Europe, LeasePlan employee David Hennion is not on his trial run. Last year he drove his Tesla Model 3 all the way to Poland and the Czech Republic, and this summer Romania was his holiday destination. With a brief stopover in the Hungarian capital Budapest, he and his family spent some 18 days on the road. An extraordinary experience that taught him some valuable lessons about travelling with an EV.
Destination: Northern Romania (roundtrip) Total travel distance: 5400 km Vehicle: Tesla Model 3 Number of stops: 5 charges to Budapest (Hungary) Real range: about 400 km (motorway) Total charge cost: about 320 euros
That the Eastern European charging infrastructure is not quite up to scratch yet, David was able to discover during his trip to Poland and the Czech Republic last summer. Yet it did not stop him from pushing his limits a bit more this year. He set sail for northern Romania with his Tesla Model 3 and drove through Transylvania, among other places. Pretty exciting, because while there is more than enough charging infrastructure on his itinerary through Germany, Austria and also Hungary by now, in the land of 'Dracula' it can be a bit trickier to find a charging point in some places.
"The biggest problem is the lack of centralised information," says David. "There are quite a few electric cars in Romania and so there are also charging stations available, but each station works in a different way. Eventually this will gradually improve in Romania too, but Eastern Europe is not yet at the level of Germany and France for the time being. So good preparation is essential."
**Paying via app on your smartphone ** The road network in Romania does not lend itself to the same speeds as in Germany, so David saw his consumption drop significantly and thus had to charge a little less often. Only once did he still find it a bit exciting. "We stayed for a few days in one of the easternmost places in Europe, near the border with Ukraine. We couldn't reach that place through traditional roads and loading was also nowhere possible. So we then drove there and back to the same charging point on one 80% charge. Twice 144 kilometres. But even that worked out without any problems."
How smoothly do you find a charging station elsewhere in Romania? Usually not a problem, especially if you have everything well planned out and can make adjustments during your trip. "Above all, make sure you have enough charging cards and different apps. On my return, I had even more apps than when I left. In total, there are 5 different apps on my phone. By the way, these are not only useful for finding a charging station, but also for paying. If the charging station does not recognise your credit card, you can start the charging session via the app on your smartphone by connecting it with your credit card. And if you don't find a solution, just speak to a local resident. If they are also EV drivers, they will be happy to show you the way."
**With short charges, your journey will go faster ** By the way, David has his own charging strategy that he bases on advice from Elon Musk. At home, he always leaves with a full battery, but on the road, he prefers short 10- to 15-minute charges. "You gain a lot of time if you are smart about the charging curve. In the beginning, a battery charges fairly quickly. But once you reach the level of around 40-50%, it gradually slows down. From 60%, it is more interesting to keep driving and just schedule another short stop a bit earlier." In Romania, charging generally took a bit longer, as fast chargers and charging stations there have a slower maximum charging speed.
According to David, such a long trip to Eastern Europe is not for everyone yet. In any case, before you embark on it, you need to get a good feel for your car and be able to properly estimate your range. "You don't come across a charging station every 10 kilometres yet. If you decide to drive on, you have to be sure you will make it to the next charging point. For this reason, I hear that people sometimes stop as early as 30% battery level. That's a bit early. I usually charge as soon as the battery has dropped to around 12%."
"I can only recommend a car holiday with an EV. Definitely don't be put off by charging anxiety, because there is no need for it. If it works even in Romania, you can drive through France or Germany with peace of mind."
3 golden tips from David
Plan your journey carefully and plot your route based on the available charging stations you come across along the way. Use an app to see where the charging stations are and whether they are working. It often pays off if you slightly adjust your route based on the charging locations.
Take several charging cards with you and install different apps on your phone. Link your credit card to each application too, then you will have enough payment options to start a charging session.
Know your car. Get experience and make sure you can perfectly estimate your vehicle's range. So it's best to go for trips a little closer to home first, so you know how your EV reacts in certain conditions.
