Electric car journey planner: where to stop to charge, to what % and for how long

How the journey is worked out

The road route is calculated first, then fast chargers (50 kW or more, with your car’s connector) within 3 km of it are found. With the car’s battery, consumption and maximum charging power, every combination of stops and charging percentage at each one is tried, and the one that gets you there soonest is kept, counting driving, detours and charging. Each stop adds a fixed 10 minutes (pulling in, finding the charger, plugging in and paying) and a stop is never planned for less than 5 minutes of charging: it is better to charge a little more at the previous stop.

The last kWh are the slowest. A car charges at full power up to about 50%; after that the power drops and, from 80 to 100%, it can fall to a quarter. That is why short stops from 10 to 50–60% are almost always faster than filling the battery.

The official consumption figure is only a starting point. The official figure (WLTP) comes from a laboratory cycle; in real driving, with hills, air conditioning and a loaded car, an electric car usually uses more. So the planner starts from the car’s official figure, multiplied by 1.20 at speeds of up to 100 km/h, and you can replace it with the real consumption your car shows.

Prices are each operator’s pay-as-you-go reference tariff, without a membership. It is an estimate: wind, hills, how loaded the car is and your driving style all change the result. Before setting off, charge at home at the cheapest time and check the charge point map.