“Anticipation”. It is the key word of Kevin, 28 years old, left Issoire with a friend to go to Barcelona on July 14 in… Renault Zoé. With a real autonomy of less than 100 km, even lower on the motorway, nine stops were necessary for the outward journey. In three days, 22 charging points were “visited”. Sacred experience.
“You must not be mistaken for the stops. There are times, you are not serene”, he laughs. Thanks to the Chargemaps application, which references the charging stations available everywhere in Europe, Kevin was able to prepare his itinerary “minimally”. “We found milestones throughout the journey even if marginal problems forced us”. A few dysfunctional terminals, a prolonged wait between users in certain places and different means of payment between France and Spain. But nothing unacceptable. For Kévin, “traveling in a Zoé is above all about enjoying the trip”.
With a type 2 socket, which limits the speed of the charge, it is on average breaks of 25 minutes to take. If not more.
“It was an adventure. We left the highway to recharge in equipped villages. Discussions and discoveries that would not have taken place if we had traced”.
That’s the advantage. “But also driving comfort,” admits Kévin. The downside is of course the travel time. More than 7 p.m. On Google maps, the travel time (without a break) shows less than six hours…
Stephane, 47 years old, his two children and his “Tesla model 3” also left for Spain. From Clermont-Ferrand to the Costa Brava a little before Barcelona. His experience is quite different. A stop every two hours of about 15 minutes. “One more than in thermals” according to Stéphane.
“There is really no stress”
The undeniable advantage of his car is the route planner. “In real time, I know the power consumption and the on-board GPS is able to tell me when and where I can stop to put some juice back in. There is really no stress with this technology”. On the motorway, the network of charging stations is very good. For Stéphane, it’s more in rural areas where you still have to be vigilant. “If you stay the week in a somewhat remote place, you have to look, plan your route well to avoid having your eyes glued to the level of the battery, he laughs, it would be a shame to miss lovely scenery.”
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Remy, 36 years old, driver of the same model as Stéphane for almost two years, does not regret his choice either. Leaving for Andorra, without incident, the 30-year-old will not be returning to thermals. “I’m less in a hurry and I experience the trip differently”. After a more complicated return trip, Kevin would still see himself riding in a Tesla. “One day I could afford it.”
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