EV road-trip planner: stops, time and cost
Enter your trip distance and car. The planner derates range for motorway speed and the weather, then works out how many DC fast-charging stops you need, how long each takes on the charging curve, your total driving plus charging time, and what the charging costs. Every value is editable.
- Charging stops
- 2
- Total trip time
- 4 h
Motorway range per charge: 108 mi · 2.65 mi/kWh
Charging stops
- Stop 110% → 80%19 min42.7 kWh
- Stop 210% → 22%3 min7.1 kWh
Trip settings
Car & charging price
Optional — pick your car to prefill capacity, consumption and battery health, or edit any field for a custom one.
How to read the result
The planner first derates your range for the trip: motorway speed always costs range, and cold or hot weather costs more, so the usable range per charge is well below the spec sheet. It then drives down from your departure charge to the arrival buffer, and at each stop charges back up to your ceiling on a realistic DC curve (which slows past 80%). The final stop only tops up enough to reach the destination with the buffer left. Total trip time is your driving time plus all the charging — the number that actually decides how long the journey takes.
Good to know
- Charging speed assumes the charger delivers its rated power and your battery is warm. A cold battery, a busy or load-balanced charger, or a car that charges slower than its pack size suggests will all add time.
- Real charger spacing isn't modelled — it assumes a fast charger is available where you need one. On a real route the stops fall where the chargers are, so you may charge a little sooner or more often.
- Range is derated for motorway speed and temperature, not for wind, rain, load, terrain or roof boxes — all of which cut range further. Treat the stop count as a realistic minimum.
Frequently asked questions
- How many charging stops will my EV need?
- It depends on your usable range at motorway speed — usually well under the WLTP figure — and how far you charge at each stop. The planner divides the trip into legs of (ceiling − buffer) range and counts the stops, derating range for speed and temperature. Enter your car and conditions above for your number.
- Why does it assume I charge to 80%, not 100%?
- Because DC charging slows sharply past 80% — the last 20% can take almost as long as 10–80%. On a road trip it's faster overall to stop a little more often and charge to 80% than to wait for a full battery. You can raise the ceiling if you prefer fewer stops.
- Why is the range so much lower than the WLTP figure?
- Motorway speed is the biggest drain on an EV, and cold or hot weather adds to it. Together they can cut range by a third or more versus the lab WLTP number, which is why a real road trip needs more stops than the spec sheet implies.
- Does it include the cost of charging?
- Yes — it multiplies the energy added at every stop (including charging losses) by your public DC price, which you can edit. Charging on the road costs much more per kWh than at home, so the trip cost is higher than your usual running cost.