Holiday season: ‘Prices for EV-charging vary considerably abroad’

According to Dutch energy expert Koen Kuijper, author of the website ‘energievergelijk.nl’ (‘energy comparison’), holidaymakers pay significantly different rates for electric charging abroad. Prices often vary depending on the country where they ‘refuel’.

“Anyone who will soon be going on or returning from a holiday abroad with an electric car would be wise to compare the charging station rates in advance.

The destination itself also influences the costs. France appears to be the cheapest country, with an average rate of 56 cents per kWh. Spain (€0.58 per kWh) and the Netherlands (€0.64 per kWh) follow in second and third place, while Belgium and Italy are the most expensive countries for charging your electric car. A charging session in France is about nine euros cheaper than in Italy and about six euros cheaper than in Germany.

Tesla most economical

Tesla Superchargers appear to be the most economical charging network examined. In six different countries, Tesla charges only 46 cents per kWh. In the Netherlands, charging at Tesla is utterly affordable, with an average rate of 29 cents per kWh.

At the other extreme is Total Energies, where you easily pay 73 cents per kWh. For a 20 to 80% charge, this will be 37.23 euros or 14 euros more than with Tesla.

Subscription formula

It will be even cheaper if you own a Tesla or use a Tesla subscription for non-Tesla drivers (100 euros per year). With such a subscription, you quickly get a 20 to 25 percent discount on your charging costs.

So, how do you ensure you will pay as little as possible to charge abroad? First of all, choose the cheapest charging network. Tesla’s charging rates are the most economical for electric charging. This is your best option, even if you don’t drive a Tesla. Moreover, Tesla’s network covers all of Europe.

Travel tips

Koen Kuijper also has more tips for those who will soon be traveling abroad in their electric car. For instance, getting a charging card with a paid subscription can be a good idea if you often charge publicly abroad. Also, timing can be crucial. At some charging stations, it is cheaper to charge in the morning; in others, the time of day makes no difference.

Of course, if you are not in a rush, charging your car at a local charging point, such as your hotel, is cheaper. Although these charging points are much slower than fast chargers, they offer a much lower rate.