EV road trip planning essentials for Europe

Knowing where chargers are and how to use them at the best rates, as per the previous post, is only one part of road tripping. The next question is where should you charge to add the least amount of time to your trip? With the differences of all the different EVs out there, range, efficiency, charge curves, it's not the same answer for every EV. This is where A Better Route Planner comes in.

A Better Route Planner (ABRP)

A Better Route Planner (ABRP) is an advanced web and mobile application specifically designed for electric vehicles. It takes into account the intricacies of EV travel, offering tailored routes that optimize for factors such as battery usage, charging times, and the locations of charging stations.

Even the free version will allow you to do route planning with your specific EVs performance, telling you exactly with what state of charge you will get to a charger, how long you should charge for and with what state of charge you'll head out.

ABRP considers weather conditions and terrain, which can significantly impact an EV’s range. By accounting for these factors, ABRP provides more accurate estimations of battery usage and travel time.

On my roadtrips, I've often seen it accurately predict the state of charge upon arrival and unlike the built-in navigation that Tesla has, it suggests other EV chargers besides Superchargers that may not always be optimally located. You can select your preferred networks (mine are generally Tesla, Ionity and Fastned) which it will then take into account.

You are also able to set your desired arrival state of charge at the chargers and destination as well as the speed you normally drive at, again - taken into account for the planning.

Connecting live car data

One of the other features is that it allows you to connect live data coming off the car. Support varies here by car, from API connections such as Tesla to OBD integrations using the ABRP or third party apps. This is super handy, as ABRP will then track your state of charge while driving in real time, re-routing you if necessary.

You can find the full list of supported cars and the type of data they provide here.

Premium & Summary

Lastly, there's the question as to whether you need Premium - priced at 5€/ month or 50€ / year. Personally, I only use Premium for a month when I'm going on a road trip. Premium does give you more features, such as real time charger status, live traffic, etc - all of which are handy to have in a road tripping scenario. It's also needed for the Android Auto / Apple Car Play integration - never tried these - as well as some other features, all of which are listed here.

To summarize, A Better Route Planner is more than just a route planning tool; it’s an essential companion for every electric vehicle owner. By combining real-time data, advanced optimization algorithms, and user-friendly design, ABRP ensures that your EV journeys are as smooth and efficient as possible. Whether you’re an experienced EV driver or new to the world of electric vehicles, ABRP is the key to unlocking stress-free, enjoyable travel. Give it a try and experience the future of route planning today.