The best countries for road trips (in an electric vehicle)

According to Comparethemarket.com, the United States, Germany, and the UK top the table for countries with most charging locations and stations, with eight European countries featuring in the top ten overall.

With hopes for the UK and a number of countries around the world to ban all petrol and diesel cars on the road, in recent years, there has been a surge in the number of electric vehicles (EVs) being sold. EVs are more environmentally-friendly, cost-efficient, and they’re slowly becoming the norm.

Comparethemarket.com have put together a list of the best road trips for EV drivers:

Best road trips for EVs

A popular bucket list feature, a road trip is a great way to explore without having to worry about public transport — it also means you get to see the world at your own pace. An iconic way to travel the world, more people are becoming self-conscious about the environment and their carbon footprint, and with governments around the world pledging to ban petrol and diesel cars, EVs are the way to go.

With the increasing demand for EVs and charging stations, we took a look at some of the best road trips for EV drivers:

Africa

South Africa is known for its cultural diversity and some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes. Taking a road trip from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth will offer you stunning sights of Jeffreys Bay, Knysna, and Mossel Bay. Spanning 465 miles, it will take around eight hours to complete, and your EV will need around two charges with ten charging locations available along the route.

Asia

Explore Japan from the comfort of your car, along with the incredible views Osaka to Tokyo will have to offer. Taking around six hours to complete, enjoy views of a modern metropolis from neon lights to skyscrapers, and natural wonders such as Mount Asama. There are 250 charging locations along the route, and this road trip only requires one charge.

Europe

With over nine different road trips to take in Europe, Porto to Lisbon will be a vibrant and memorable trip — offering the best sights, food and coasts Portugal has to offer. Enjoy 195 miles of driving through one of Europe’s most charismatic cities, stopping in Coimbra and Alhandra along the way — taking less than three hours to complete. With 189 charging stations along the route, you’ll have plenty of choice for the one charge needed to complete this trip.

North America

No list is complete without the famous American road trip, so enjoy the iconic route of Chicago to Los Angeles without worrying about your EV running out of power. With the US taking the lead with the number of charging stations and locations overall — this route has around 137, and you’ll need around four charges to complete the trip. One of the longer road trips on the list, this route will take around 13 hours to complete – but you’ll get to see some notable locations along the way, including Memphis and Mississippi.

Powering ahead

Who are the world leaders when it comes to electric vehicles? Well, the US takes the lead with over 17,680 charging locations and 29,252 charging stations. Also, home to the renowned automotive and electric car brand, Tesla, the country has seen a surge in the number of EV sales.

Whilst across the pond takes the lead on the number of stations, Europe is actually the world leader for EVs with eight countries featuring in the top ten overall. Germany has over 11,802 charging locations and 28,967 stations, with the United Kingdom following behind with 6,959 charging locations and 10,553 stations.