Everyone knows that it is more expensive to charge along the road than at your own wall charger. But is it also more expensive to charge abroad? Here are some fresh numbers!
Nettavisen has written about Michelle Fjeldberg from Drammen who was on a car holiday with his family in Germany. Charging prices there were significantly higher than in Norway. Although the family eventually found out which stations they had to steer clear of, their total charging expenses ended up being NOK 4000 for 2500 km. It is more expensive than what it would have cost to drive a fossil car.
We have just arrived in the south of France after driving three days across Europe – 2747km to be exact. Our charging costs were "only" NOK 2398 - quite a bit less than what the family from Drammen had to pay. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that charging along the road costs more than you might think.
It pays to plan the trip
One of our advantages was that we drove on familiar roads. We know well which charging stations are good. "Good" charging stations are not only about price, but also about availability. A family on holiday probably doesn't mind paying extra to avoid having to take detours, or charging in a deserted field with no service offer. Increased charging costs can also be incurred if you charge via a 3rd party app that mediates charging for "all" stations. The advantage is that you can charge from unknown electricity companies, but the price can be more expensive.
I recommend planning ahead, although it can spoil the impulsiveness of a road trip. One of the joys of a car holiday is being able to drive where you want, when you want. But remember that there can be a long distance between chargers - especially fast chargers. It may also happen that the charger does not work on your car, even if the app shows that it should. We have also discovered several times that charging posts have been replaced by a different brand with different IDs than what the app shows. Not only should you know if there is a charger where you are going - you should also know at least one alternative. Then you also get the opportunity to prioritize price.
Crazy charging prices?
What to say about charging prices of NOK 11 and 12 per kW-hour?
On our trip, we mainly used Tesla Superchargers - all were also open to brands other than Tesla. Converted to Norwegian kroner, charging prices per kW hour were as follows:
- 4,69 in Sweden average between Kungälv and Löddeköpinge
- 3,25 in Denmark Middelfart.
- 4,75 in Germany average between Kaltenkirchen, Northeim-Nord, Reiskirchen and Herbolzheim
- 3,78 in France, Montélimar
A couple of days earlier we had charged at the Tesla Supercharger, Brokelandsheia in Norway for 4,15 per kW-hour. Tesla is not significantly more expensive abroad, and the prices are as expected.
Stated prices
In Nettavisen's article, Ionity was referred to as a "reasonable" alternative at NOK 7,80 per kW-hour. Reasonable compared to other stations that demanded NOK 11 and 12 for one kW-hour. According to the Ionity app, 1 kWh currently costs 6,80 euros - or NOK 8,05 at today's rate in Germany (Bruchsal and Nörten-Hardenberg). In France, the stated price is 0,6017 euros. It fits well with what we had to pay. Converted to Norwegian kroner, charging prices at Ionity were NOK 7,00 both at Lyon and in Narbonne.
In comparison, one kW-hour in Norway (Ionity Brokelandsheia) costs NOK 5,40. The prices in Germany and France are therefore higher, but not exorbitant compared to what you usually have to pay to charge along the road in Norway as well. One kW-hour at refill og Connect costs NOK 5,99.
During long-term stays in France without a home charger, we are dependent on charging on external chargers. The prices here are as follows:
- 6,32 Lidl (mediated via Plugsharing)
- 6,32 Allego (mediated via Electromaps)
- 5,80 Electra (7,00 between 14:00-19:00)
Stated charging prices may be "from prices". French Electra, for example, offers a lower price outside "prime time", which may also be common with other electricity suppliers. As mentioned, it can be more expensive to charge via an app from a 3rd party supplier (intermediary). On random samples from well-known charging points, I can see that "my" intermediaries operate with slightly higher prices than the electricity companies themselves state, but I am unsure whether this is because the prices are not updated or whether there are real mark-ups.
Price examples
Number of km: 2737
Car 1 – Toyota Auris hybrid
- Petrol consumption 100-120 km/h: 0,55 litres/10km
- Amount of fuel: 137 litres
- Fuel cost: NOK 3013 *)
Car 2 – Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV hybrid
- Petrol consumption 100-120 km/h: 0,75 litres/10km
- Amount of petrol: 205 litres
- Fuel cost: NOK 4089 *)
*) Petrol cost is calculated according to petrol prices in the countries we have driven through and distributed according to the number of miles traveled in each country.
Car 3 – Tesla Model 3
- Power consumption 100-130 km/h: 19,7 kWh/100 km
- Amount of electricity: 540,7 kWh
- Fuel cost: NOK 2398
Conclusion
It is cheaper to drive an electric car than a fossil car through Europe, provided you have a favorable charging agreement. In our case it was Tesla. Car owners with a charging agreement with Ionity can charge more cheaply than "street customers". If we had charged at Ionity as a "straight customer", the charging costs would have been about as high as if we had driven a Toyota Auris hybrid. For us, who cross Europe 4 times a year, we would have our annual charging costs increased by approx. NOK 4000. It is significant.
Advice 1: Charging agreement can provide price advantages.
Advice 2: Use the electricity companies' own app if possible.
Advice 3: Avoid charging when electricity is most expensive.
Ionity's charging agreement
Passport Express: NOK 136/month and 3,00 per kWh. In Germany, Ionity's monthly price is roughly the same as in Norway, but the kW hours cost respectively 5,80 and 4,60, i.e. 1,5 times more than in Norway. See Ionity
Update 07.10.2024/XNUMX/XNUMX – Expensive with a Norwegian bank card
After charging for several weeks with Electra (French electricity company), I was forced to pay by bank card because the app showed "server error". So far, Electra has been the cheapest company in our local area. Prices are €0,49 per kWh outside prime time. But if you pay by card, the price is €0,59. Fair enough - and when I had charged 59,7 kWh it read NOK 410 on the display. Absolutely correct. But when I checked the account, I saw that a fee of €15 had also been deducted so that the kWh price was NOK 9,96! I had used a Norwegian bank card. Had I used my French card, there probably would have been no charge. Fees of this order of magnitude occur when transferring money from a Norwegian bank to certain French banks.
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