My AccountElectric driving: is it something for me?
Driving range and charging stress: these are the two main headaches for new EV drivers. With a petrol or diesel car, these were things you didn't have to worry about much – if at all. However, after making a few minor adjustments to your driving habits, you'll be driving an EV without even thinking about it. And with the following tips and tricks, you’ll be ready for anything.
Daily use
The range of electric cars keeps increasing and allows most drivers to use their vehicle on a daily basis without having to charge on the go. The latest generation of electric cars offers an actual range between 300 and 500 km.
The range of an electric vehicle depends on the model. The range is specified by the manufacturer based on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure standard (WLTP). This is a new measurement procedure for cars. It was created to provide a more realistic picture of actual fuel consumption. In practice, the actual range depends heavily on a number of factors, such as your personal driving style, the weather conditions and whether you drive on the motorway a lot.
Charging networks are also rapidly expanding, and the charging technology keeps improving in leaps and bounds. This means the range keeps going up and charging times keep going down, so there is no longer any reason to be afraid of not reaching your destination (goodbye, range anxiety)!
How do you charge your EV?
Stressed out about charging? There's no need to be. A fully charged battery will take you a long way. If you have to charge anyway, you can count on an ever-expanding network of charge points. A golden tip: plan your journey by finding the ideal route in advance and determining where a charge point is located. For this, you can rely on handy apps that map out the charging infrastructure and show whether a charging station is available or not.
Depending on your EV model, a normal charger takes about four to eight hours to charge your entire battery. Along motorways in particular, you’ll find fast chargers that will replenish 80% of your battery after just 30 minutes.
Not possible foryou to charge at home? Use your charging app to check if there is a public charging station nearby. Now that the infrastructure is steadily expanding, you can even request one to be installed according to the "paal volgt wagen" ("station follows car") principle of the Flemish government.
The 'Charging at Home' tool: discover in a few clicks the charging speed at your home!
It goes without saying that a home charging system offers superb convenience for electric vehicle drivers. In most homes, it is easy to connect a home charger to the network. There's no need to worry about safety, either: charging stations have 'Dynamic Load Balancing', a system that prevents overloading while you run other electronic devices in your household. This means the car will charge a little slower in the event of a peak in consumption.
You can check for yourself whether a home charging system is suitable for your home by using our 'Charging at Home' tool. You will receive advice tailored to your specific situation directly after asking a few questions.
On holiday
You can usually get through the day on a full battery without any problems, but the annual beach or skiing holiday with the family could be cause for concern. Can you still go with an EV? Won't you have to keep stopping to recharge?
Here's the thing: an EV will get you to your destination with no issues. In fact, we’re sure you’ll feel much more relaxed. The need to charge means that you are obliged to take a short break every two hours.
You won't need more than half an hour, because fast chargers recharge about 80% of your capacity in that time, and you'll be on your way again before you know it. You won't even notice the time passing if you use it to drink a coffee, go to the toilet or stretch your legs. All in all, you'll be on the road just a little longer, but you'll be starting your holiday off with a fresh head.
Still stressed out? Then choose a Holiday Car!
Not convinced about heading off on holiday in an EV? No problem: LeasePlan has a solution that enables you to enjoy the many advantages of electric driving for the rest of the year. You can exchange your EV for a Holiday Car – a temporary lease with a conventional engine that you can use specifically for your trip.
The benefits of the Holiday Car service at a glance
Worry-free holidays Your lease car is temporarily exchanged for a Holiday Car with a traditional combustion engine, so you can say goodbye to range anxiety.
No additional contract The Holiday Car is a service included in the monthly lease price of the lease car.
Tailored to your needs You can choose between 3 categories. In the Luxury category, the range consists of a Mercedes-Benz C-Class (saloon or estate); Business includes a Citroën GRAND C4 Picasso, Renault Grand Scenic, Opel Insignia ST and Škoda Superb Combi Ambition; Economy includes an Opel Astra, Renault Captur, Seat Arona and Peugeot 2008.
With an EV on vacation: find out how our colleagues did it
Still have questions about electric driving?
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