I am frequently asked if such EV journeys even need to be made and reported. Why bother at this stage of adoption when everyone is aware that an EV can travel any distance? After all, you can do it now comfortably and travel for less money than when you had to pump up vile oil to put into a foul-smelling gasmobile. Well, not everyone is aware of what I mean. Beyond the pure enjoyment of completing an EV expedition, the goal is consistently to persuade skeptics (who still outnumber believers) that you can travel anywhere in an EV. You can accomplish it quickly, in great comfort, and for less money than you would pay to pump gas for a gasmobile.
In order to explore another region of Europe in the Hyundai Kona Electric, the journalists from WysokieNapiecie.pl leave their devoted companions and forego thrilling work hours. They arrived in the Bosphorous Strait, as you could see in the two earlier articles (which was voted the easternmost point of Europe). That concluded a 4-year-long attempt to develop an electric vehicle. To recap, they visited the northernmost point of Europe, Nordkapp, as well as the westernmost point, Cabo da Roca, the southernmost point, and the current location, Bosphor. So let’s have some fun and brag about some more EV information.
A DAY WITH 4 SEAS Nobody on this journey can disagree with the views, that much is certain. After departing from the Black Sea and traveling 945 kilometers along the Marmara Sea and Aegean Sea, we arrived at the coast of the Ionian Sea (587 miles). Even though we spent the most of the time on expressways and highways, the trip took us just under 11 hours. The lengthy border delay, several speed limits on Turkish highways, the lengthy route out of Istanbul, and the three charging sessions were to fault (instead of possibly 2, but the team gave in to the fear of unavailable Greek stations). The ElpeFuture Greek network, which is not available as part of roaming and might not be fully functioning in the laid-back spirit of hot Southern Europe, worried the WysokieNapiecie.pl drivers a little because the Shell Recharge card had spoiled them. They ultimately decided to halt charging three times, just to be cautious.
After three hours of traveling, the first stop was made while still in Turkey to conduct some modest shopping. With a 120 kW ZES rapid charger, it took 25 minutes. When they stopped for dinner in Greece after another three hours of driving, it took 55 minutes, so even a slower charge of 50 kW was adequate. The crew decided to make the third charging stop after 2 hours of driving in order to absorb all of the available kWh because they were a bit worried about the anticipated charging situation in Greece. This decision resulted in an additional 55 minutes of charging time. The team only had to wait for the car to charge once, in contrast to the other two times when it was waiting for them to conclude their errands. This is remarkable. The additional time was 3040 minutes as compared to an ICE automobile because the rest of the trip was typical regardless of the vehicle you were driving.
The Balkans are fairly expensive in terms of prices. Fast charging may be deemed expensive in Turkey (0.53/kWh) and Greece (0.65/kWh). The Greek hotel, on the other hand, only charged a nominal 1 to refuel the Kona, making the average cost of electricity over the four seas 0.41/kWh. If you calculate the cost per 100 kilometers as normal, it comes out to 7.60, but that same amount would only get you 4 liters of fuel (gasoline costs 1.95 per liter and diesel costs 1.87). Fuel is unquestionably more expensive today than it was for Europe before Russia began the conflict in the east, and energy prices are also continuing to rise.
Watch this space for the release of the fourth article chronicling this voyage. And do contact us if you have any inquiries about using a Hyundai Kona EV for a road trip or charging in these nations!
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