A long trip in an EV needs a bit more upfront planning than a petrol car — mainly deciding where you'll charge — but it's a ten-minute job with the right tool, not a logistics exercise.
Use an EV-specific route planner, not just standard sat-nav
Ordinary navigation apps don't know anything about your battery. Dedicated EV route planners like A Better Routeplanner (ABRP) and Zap-Map's trip planner take your specific car's efficiency and current charge level and calculate sensible charging stops along your route automatically — a much better starting point than working it out yourself.
Plan stops every 150–200 miles
This roughly matches how often most people want a break anyway — food, the toilet, stretching your legs — so it doesn't feel like a charging-specific interruption. Don't plan to arrive at a charger on empty: aim to arrive with some charge to spare (roughly 10–20%) and leave with more than you strictly need for the next leg, so a closed or busy charger doesn't turn into a problem.
Check charger status before you commit to a stop
A charger appearing on a map doesn't guarantee it's working right now. Use our Find a Charger tool (or your route planner's live status, where it has one) to check before you rely on a specific stop, and keep a backup option in mind on the same corridor rather than betting the whole trip on one charger.
Driving efficiently on the day
- Moderate your motorway speed. Aerodynamic drag rises sharply with speed — every few mph above about 60–65mph noticeably shortens your range. See our real-world range guide for how much this actually costs you.
- Go easy on the heating — cabin heating can draw several kW continuously, which adds up over a long trip, especially in winter.
- Smooth acceleration and braking uses less energy than stop-start driving, and lets regenerative braking do more of the work.
- Check tyre pressures before a long trip — under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance and quietly cost you range.
Route planner recommendations are estimates based on typical efficiency, not a guarantee for your specific car, load, or the weather on the day — treat the suggested stops as a strong starting point, and keep half an eye on your actual battery percentage as you go.