Fast charging your electric vehicle in The Netherlands: #TourDeChargeNL

Last month I used the UFODRIVE Tesla Model 3 SR+ to uncover all the latest hidden secrets to fast charging in The Netherlands. 2020 proves to be the most significant year yet, especially when it comes to High Power Charging (100kW+) infrastructure improvements. Of course the only way to test the fastest infrastructure is to have a high power accepting vehicle at the ready. Something that UFODRIVE can help you with, if you don’t own a car yourself.

I set out to visit the Porsche Design chargers that Ionity installed earlier in winter near Oosterhout. An ideal location when coming back after holidays for a quick power up if you have been racing around Belgium with your e-tron/EQC for example. Or if the kids are nagging for that happy meal. Just ten minutes of charging will boost you all the way home.

Porsche Design Chargers (Ionity)

In the video I posted you can watch me charge up at Ionity Oosterhout. In just eight minutes the Tesla Model 3 manages to gain 16kWh which corresponds to just over 100km of range considering my average during the #TourDeChargeNL that was around 155Wh/km. Recently The Netherlands changed the speed limit during the day on all highways to 100km/h. This change is impacting the range of people driving EV’s massively, especially during summer it is too easy to achieve lower consumption results.

I was very curious to test the Porsche Design chargers. Those of you who have been following me since the beginning might be aware that I ran into quite some troubles with the Jaguar I-Pace in the winter of ‘18/19 near this type of charger in Denmark. It did not surprise me that the Model 3 also experienced some hiccups before the charging started succesfully. I will keep on coming back to this location with other vehicles to check up on compatability, of course. If you want to find out the best charging card to use here, I suggest you check out my Ionity pricing page.

Tritium Chargers (Ionity)

On the #TourDeChargeNL I specifically want to test as many different chargers as possible. That’s how I decided on setting out to Bodegraven next. One of the few locations where Tritium HPC’s are installed by Ionity (mainly ABB machines are installed at other NL spots). Tritium did a software upgrade, I’m not quite sure I like it too much. The time counter changed to displaying minute(s) only. Before it showed seconds as well. I spotted some international videos with the same change so apparently it’s a global rollout of new firmware at Ionity chargers by Tritium. Can this be changed again, please! It became much harder to calculate average charging speed during a session.

The Tritium chargers impressed me by ramping up quickly to well over 150kW speeds. While at the first charging break I decided to juice up for eight minutes, this time only five minutes of charging was more than enough to take the Model 3 to Rotterdam next. For anyone worried about long charging breaks: forget it! It was actually just during some browsing on Chargemap that I discovered this brand new Total HPC (High Power Charger).

ABB Chargers (Total)

Last year I made a video because I was feeling completely underwhelmed by the performance of Total and Shell, underdelivering on their fast charging infrastructure promises. 2020 is that moment when things are actually improving rapidly it seems. Total really surprised me because at Alexandrium, near Rotterdam they removed actual petrol pumps to replace them by ABB HPC’s. Now that’s what I call winning! This even means that Total might be the first non-Fastned High Power Charging facility (that I know of in NL) where you have a roof above your head. Quite the wonder since The Netherlands is pretty famous for rain (or at least, it used to be..).

It seems that because the amperage on these ABB machines is limited you cannot actually reach the highest charging speeds on your Tesla, still around 140kW is nothing to complain about and I managed a 16kWh gain in eight minutes yet again. Perfectly suitable for a quick gas station break if you ask me.

Noteworthy here is the pricing of a Total fast charging session. The good part is that there is a huge sign helping you with the details. The bad part is the €0,66/kWh standard (above Fastned levels). Those of you using a Maingau charging card at Fastned will be happy: it works at Total too.

FEBO & Fastned

Some days touring around the country with the Tesla Model 3SR+ definitely taught me one thing. Battery temperature is life. I took my sister to the beach and afterwards visited Fastned Haarlem. The speed was by far the lowest of the whole #TourDeChargeNL and can be easily explained by me using local roads with low speed limits (80km/h or less) thus not generating any serious heat in the battery. Even adjusting Tesla navigation to a Supercharger didn’t seem to impact this much. Video proof below. So a ‘slow’ session when the Model 3 is at low SoC % (State of Charge) still gets you around 110kW charging speed, many vehicles would be jealous especially considering this is the ‘cheaper’ model.

Efacec (Shell Recharge)

Of course my dad had to join for a test ride too. We went to Purmerend where Shell has built a beautiful four Efacec HPC setup. This spot is super easy to reach, next to the higway. Has a big carwash next door as well. I do wonder: when will the (navigation of your) average electric vehicle know about the fast charging capabilities just next to the highway. Let’s talk again in 2021 and see where we are right?!

Cool thing about Shell: compared to Total the difference is immense. A very aggresive pricing strategy! Using the former NewMotion app (now: Shell Recharge) the actual price of May 2020 is €0,35/kWh. Since they are connected to the Allego network, there is one charging card even cheaper: eins Sachsen.

Nobody seems to know what is going on at the Shell website because it appears to show some Ionity chargers as well as their own network. Well it’s helpful, a bit.

Efacec (Tango Electric)

I wrote about Tango Electric earlier this year. I’m still awaiting more news to report on. It’s quiet at the website. There is the promise of an app. Will there be a charging card too? For now you can still charge up without paying anything! Since the liquid cooled cables have not been installed yet, charging speed seems capped around 60kW.

Pricing has been rumoured to be €0,55/kWh in the future, which would put it at Fastned level. (If you’re not a gold member). Of course no word on which network will be used to pay, too early to tell which charging cards will work here. Creditcards probably accepted when they open the payment terminal to the audience!

Alpitronic (Fastned)

No way I could do a #TourDeChargeNL and not visit the alpitronic Hypercharger that Fastned has been testing for months now. What’s cool about these machines is that they integrate full high power equipment in just one device. Contrary to the chargers we’ve seen from Efacec, ABB, Porsche and so on with the ‘real charging’ going on at the side of the parking lot.

Less than seven minutes of charging resulted in nearly 13kWh of added juice.

One day after I ended #TourDeChargeNL Fastned opened it’s newest station at the Amsterdam food court. Full of Hyperchargers. That hurt! Obviously something to look forward to testing on another voyage. I really love redundancy at Fastned stations with ‘old school’ triple chargers (or AC is missing here, sorry Renault drivers) and new HPC’s next to each other. I visited the station more recently and look at the diversity of visitors.

Fastned De Hackelaar the other day! Jaguar, Audi, BMW, Nissan well represented!

EVBox (Allego)

No #TourDeChargeNL can be complete without testing the EVBox infrastructure that Allego has up & running near Nieuwegein. One of the Fast Charging HQ’s of The Netherlands. Here you can find Ionity, Fastned & Allego within walking distance from each other (well, almost). Normally this is a favourite of mine because the Hayé restaurant next door serves excellent weed burgers (no, not that kind!)

Charging at Allego can be done at very competitive prices. When using the Eins Sachsen charging card.

I have to say, that you have to swipe your card again to stop a charging session, I’m not a fan. Stop the charge on your vehicle if you can! Also the machine started speaking Dutch to me again, even after choosing a different language earlier when starting the session. Details, but that’s where life gets interesting, right?!

FREE IONITY CHARGING!

Many people don’t seem to know this, still. Ionity is still offering free charging at Nieuwegein. If you don’t believe me, watch me swiping no charging card at all in the video.

This marks the end of the #TourDeChargeNL, the first April 2020 edition.

All charging sessions except for the one at Tango Electric have topped the 100kW+ mark easily. I never stayed for longer than 10 minutes and made it home safe day after day. Never used an AC charger and almost drove 1000km over the course of a couple of days with the UFODRIVE Tesla Model 3 SR+. Fast charging in The Netherlands has never been this easy!

When you rent a vehicle at UFODRIVE, the vehicle comes with a Plugsurfing charging card included so you never have to worry about a thing.

We will meet again! Want to know where I’m headed next? https://electricfelix.com/trips

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Here you can find the full video playlist of the whole #TourDeChargeNL.

See you at a fast charger soon!