Hi - Remember that Friday the world IT system went mad a few weeks back? Well we were at Manchester Airport and our flight was cancelled! After checking out multiple air options that wouldn’t work we decided to drive! We were going to a funeral and family wake which started at 1100 am Saturday and set off via Folkestone at around 1400 our shuttle train was 00.15 on Saturday so this was gonna be very tight indeed!
I will put a few replies on different aspects of the trip..
Unplanned Road Trip Manchester Hamburg
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Ian Thompson
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:36 pm
Navigation
This was unexpectedly the biggest problem!
I was using Apple Carplay which was always excellent won’t show in the Heads Up. Also sometimes it lost connection then I didn’t know where I should be going..
..So I also set up the internal navigation as well (do this second since CarPlay overrides it). That gave me heads up.
Mostly internal and CarPlay (google maps) were aligned but at intersections and in complex road stretches the internal navigation would deviate - I always followed the CarPlay and let the internal system ‘catch up’ which it always did even though it would persist in suggesting turn around for quite a while at first.
The internal navigation is really bad - I could see it was suggesting weird routes going off motorways and there is zero awareness of road closures or traffic jams.
I always had internal navigation on fastest route, but it was suggesting some unusual options like leaving motorway and going on a parallel road for a few Kilometres then rejoining.
Advice: Don't use internal navigation, stick to google maps with CarPlay & hard wire it using a cable not Bluetooth. Have a back up like a friend who has the same route in their phone then ask them to turn the data off so the route on that phone won’t change, even if you lose signal.
Or a backup paper map remember those?
This was unexpectedly the biggest problem!
I was using Apple Carplay which was always excellent won’t show in the Heads Up. Also sometimes it lost connection then I didn’t know where I should be going..
..So I also set up the internal navigation as well (do this second since CarPlay overrides it). That gave me heads up.
Mostly internal and CarPlay (google maps) were aligned but at intersections and in complex road stretches the internal navigation would deviate - I always followed the CarPlay and let the internal system ‘catch up’ which it always did even though it would persist in suggesting turn around for quite a while at first.
The internal navigation is really bad - I could see it was suggesting weird routes going off motorways and there is zero awareness of road closures or traffic jams.
I always had internal navigation on fastest route, but it was suggesting some unusual options like leaving motorway and going on a parallel road for a few Kilometres then rejoining.
Advice: Don't use internal navigation, stick to google maps with CarPlay & hard wire it using a cable not Bluetooth. Have a back up like a friend who has the same route in their phone then ask them to turn the data off so the route on that phone won’t change, even if you lose signal.
Or a backup paper map remember those?
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Ian Thompson
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:36 pm
Charging
Virtually no problems despite zero planning!
Charged first at Maidstone M20, then a couple of times in Netherlands once in Germany.
I set the units to Km that was a good idea for road signs & distances to services/charge points. I just drove as fast as I could then when I got to less than 100k on the guessometer looked out for service station signs with the plug in symbols. That’s a sensible idea instead of advertising Costa Coffee and leaving you wondering if Uk service stations have charging or not!
On the main route itself the car always started with 120 kW then tailed off slowly I normally stopped at 90% or so when it fell below 50 KW.
FastNed in Netherlands was excellent, only had one queue that was Germany the 150kW units were occupied so I used a 50 KW instead that was annoying because we were approaching destination and running out of time.
Off the main routes I easily found a couple 150 KW charger in Hamburg just 3 km away from our hotel using ZapMap, couldn’t get first one to take payment but the second no problem it was at a retail park.
On the way back we stayed overnight in Amsterdam that had a low power overnight charger, so we had full charge as we set off for Calais. Once there we used the Tesla chargers very good except the charge point is on the wrong side and you have to drive right over the stopper rubber because the cables are so short. I would recommend the Flexi Ticket there is a lounge where you get Goodies and also more Tesla chargers right there.
Back in the UK was in the habit by then of just stopping at services when we needed a rest and taking pot luck if there would be charger there or not. There always was, but once only 50 KW.
In conclusion charging was no problem, I reckon the one way trip to Hamburg probably only took about an 45 mins longer than a diesel car. You need to stop & rest a bit.
We arrived 12.00 German time although we just missed the funeral service my mother in law still had some quite time at the graveside and threw her rose on the coffin before they filled it in. It had taken about 9hr 45min to do the 800 km from Calais, but we lost an hour in stationary traffic in Hamburg since it was their major holiday period & absolutely everyone was on the road.
Conclusion: charging in Europe don’t stress about it fast chargers are everywhere and easy to use.
Virtually no problems despite zero planning!
Charged first at Maidstone M20, then a couple of times in Netherlands once in Germany.
I set the units to Km that was a good idea for road signs & distances to services/charge points. I just drove as fast as I could then when I got to less than 100k on the guessometer looked out for service station signs with the plug in symbols. That’s a sensible idea instead of advertising Costa Coffee and leaving you wondering if Uk service stations have charging or not!
On the main route itself the car always started with 120 kW then tailed off slowly I normally stopped at 90% or so when it fell below 50 KW.
FastNed in Netherlands was excellent, only had one queue that was Germany the 150kW units were occupied so I used a 50 KW instead that was annoying because we were approaching destination and running out of time.
Off the main routes I easily found a couple 150 KW charger in Hamburg just 3 km away from our hotel using ZapMap, couldn’t get first one to take payment but the second no problem it was at a retail park.
On the way back we stayed overnight in Amsterdam that had a low power overnight charger, so we had full charge as we set off for Calais. Once there we used the Tesla chargers very good except the charge point is on the wrong side and you have to drive right over the stopper rubber because the cables are so short. I would recommend the Flexi Ticket there is a lounge where you get Goodies and also more Tesla chargers right there.
Back in the UK was in the habit by then of just stopping at services when we needed a rest and taking pot luck if there would be charger there or not. There always was, but once only 50 KW.
In conclusion charging was no problem, I reckon the one way trip to Hamburg probably only took about an 45 mins longer than a diesel car. You need to stop & rest a bit.
We arrived 12.00 German time although we just missed the funeral service my mother in law still had some quite time at the graveside and threw her rose on the coffin before they filled it in. It had taken about 9hr 45min to do the 800 km from Calais, but we lost an hour in stationary traffic in Hamburg since it was their major holiday period & absolutely everyone was on the road.
Conclusion: charging in Europe don’t stress about it fast chargers are everywhere and easy to use.
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Ian Thompson
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:36 pm
Comfort & Consumption
This car is super comfy, driving experience excellent. Aircon was on it was 30 C outside. Ventilated seats are great. Once the car was cool turned the auto off but left fan in low with Aircon working.
Drove with adaptive cruise on most of the time with lane assist. Top tip drive one handed in normal mode then turn on cruise - stay driving one handed for a minute or so - then turn the lane assist on. The car then only asks you to keep one hand on the wheel instead of two, many fewer red steering wheel alerts! Set the speed to 140 km/hr in Germany, no problem rock steady felt very safe.
Passenger in back seat couldn’t really get their feet under the front ones, they were comfy but relaxed sideways take pillows & blankets for your rear passengers on a long drive. Also clip in all the seat belts otherwise they sound an annoying alarm if the weight sensors detect you rear passenger stretching sideways across the centre seat!
Consumption when gunning it at 140 km/hr went down to 24 kWh per 100 km that is around 2.5 miles per kWh, where speeds were down to around 100-120 km/ hr max plus some traffic consumption increased to 17 kWh / 100 km which is around 3.6 miles/kWh. I was driving about 350-400 km between charging stops that’s over 3 hours so you are ready for a break!
Overall this is really good car for a long trip! Hope these posts help others who are thinking of taking their car on a long trip to distant parts.
This car is super comfy, driving experience excellent. Aircon was on it was 30 C outside. Ventilated seats are great. Once the car was cool turned the auto off but left fan in low with Aircon working.
Drove with adaptive cruise on most of the time with lane assist. Top tip drive one handed in normal mode then turn on cruise - stay driving one handed for a minute or so - then turn the lane assist on. The car then only asks you to keep one hand on the wheel instead of two, many fewer red steering wheel alerts! Set the speed to 140 km/hr in Germany, no problem rock steady felt very safe.
Passenger in back seat couldn’t really get their feet under the front ones, they were comfy but relaxed sideways take pillows & blankets for your rear passengers on a long drive. Also clip in all the seat belts otherwise they sound an annoying alarm if the weight sensors detect you rear passenger stretching sideways across the centre seat!
Consumption when gunning it at 140 km/hr went down to 24 kWh per 100 km that is around 2.5 miles per kWh, where speeds were down to around 100-120 km/ hr max plus some traffic consumption increased to 17 kWh / 100 km which is around 3.6 miles/kWh. I was driving about 350-400 km between charging stops that’s over 3 hours so you are ready for a break!
Overall this is really good car for a long trip! Hope these posts help others who are thinking of taking their car on a long trip to distant parts.
That’s a great post with lots of different information for others to digest . I have two euro trips planned for next year . I’m gonna take the caravan ( Newcastle to IJmuiden ) and do Holland 
& Denmark 
. If that goes okay a trip to souther Spain next without caravan!!!! Wish me luck 
& Denmark 
. If that goes okay a trip to souther Spain next without caravan!!!! Wish me luck 
@Ian Thompson
Weird, internal navigation has been always great for me I use it over Google Maps, super good predicting traffic jams and closed roads, also the route prediction feature is awesome, wish Google Maps had it too, the car guesses where I'm going with your driving patterns to other places than home and work. Only complaint is SoC prediction, it's always very pessimistic.
Yours is an 87kWh battery according to your numbers, right?
Weird, internal navigation has been always great for me I use it over Google Maps, super good predicting traffic jams and closed roads, also the route prediction feature is awesome, wish Google Maps had it too, the car guesses where I'm going with your driving patterns to other places than home and work. Only complaint is SoC prediction, it's always very pessimistic.
Yours is an 87kWh battery according to your numbers, right?
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Ian Thompson
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:36 pm
Yes mine is 87 KWh e4orce Evolve and as for navigation then if you are happy with internal SatNav that is great because it links perfectly with the heads up.
My issues with it were - it won’t plan a route longer than the guesstimate range which is quite conservative & it can plan you to go off the motorway to go to chargers. Plus it has kind of shortest route logic for example advising you.to drive right through Calais rather than taking the ring road which leads straight to the Shuttle. I’m sure it would get me to destination, but not necessarily the easiest driving route.
Maybe when you set a route just give it a good check before you accept, if you are happy with the choices it makes that’s fine - the heads up is great bonus
My issues with it were - it won’t plan a route longer than the guesstimate range which is quite conservative & it can plan you to go off the motorway to go to chargers. Plus it has kind of shortest route logic for example advising you.to drive right through Calais rather than taking the ring road which leads straight to the Shuttle. I’m sure it would get me to destination, but not necessarily the easiest driving route.
Maybe when you set a route just give it a good check before you accept, if you are happy with the choices it makes that’s fine - the heads up is great bonus
That was a good trip report; very interesting. I normally find the internal sat-nav very good, though you have to watch it doing the occasional very odd thing such as taking you off a motorway, round the roundabout and back on again! However, the default setting for map info is "off" for some absurd reason. You need to switch it on to get functionality. Northern Europe is pretty good for chargers but less good further South. Spain has some big charging "blanks". Run Zarragoza to Valencia for example and you will need a good plan.
That route has chargers on it so charging shouldn't be an issue Cosmyc. Some big climbs though; around 900 metres near San Clemente. Do that sort of climb even at 110kph and the battery power disappears extremely quickly. I'm sure you must have factored that in. You clearly are a technical chap. If you look at the continuous rating of the motor, it is probable that a big climb at speed would surpass that. Any thoughts?
