Electric car route planner | charging station in germany route planner for electric cars comparison

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A long journey by car always needs to be well planned- especially if you are traveling with an e-car. It’s easy to find a gas station for diesel or gasoline-powered vehicles; charging stations for electric cars are much rarer so far. good planning before starting a longer trip is therefore essential. For route planning with an overview of the charging stations, not only various internet sites help, but also various apps for android and ios.

samira kammerer
24.11.2018

Route planning – covering longer distances with an e-car
Route planning with the electric car on the PC- route planner at a glance
route planning with electric car via app
working out the route: range& other aspects
Conclusion: E-car route planning with apps and online route planner?
reading tips on the topic of electric cars

Route planning – covering longer distances with the e-car

a good help for route planning with the electric car is not only offered by various internet sites like for example goingelectric or E-filling station finder, apps such as wattfinder or chargev can also help you plan your route. When selecting a suitable app for planning routes with the electric car, it is important and useful to display not only the charging power and the connections of the stations, but also the suitable charging stations for the respective car model. The app should also know the preferred payment method and be able to operate it if necessary.

With the growing number of charging stations, the network of e-charging stations is becoming denser and denser, and the widespread availability of mobile radio and roaming is making it easier and easier to get support from digital assistants across national borders. This makes it possible to extend the radius of action further and further, and even remote destinations can be reached more and more easily with the e-car. After all, you don’t just want to use your e-car for shopping or short trips. With a little planning, driving on vacation is also possible without any problems. Before you start, however, you should think about where you can find suitable charging stations along the way.

Route planning with the electric car on the PC- route planner at a glance

The various websites allow you to find the different stations and plan your trip.

The well-known route planner from falk offers the possibility to display gas stations along the route, but there is no option to display charging stations for electric cars.
Different are the route planners from ADAC and michelin: both internet sites offer the possibility to display charging stations for electric cars under popular additional information or options, electric filling stations or electric click. The charging stations located along the route are displayed. However, you have to tap on the individual filling stations to get information about suitable connections, for example.
goingelectric, a site specifically designed for electric cars, offers many more options compared to other route planners. If you enter the type of vehicle, the range of the car, the charging plug and some other information, suitable charging stations along the route are displayed directly. This makes planning easier and allows you to determine the rough route with breaks in advance.

Planning your route with an electric car via app

Route planning is easier with the help of an app. A wide range of apps are available for android and ios. After all, you are on the road and apps are optimized mobile smartphone applications.

If you have previously planned the route with goingelectric on your PC, the apps are suitable wattfinder and next plug. These two apps and the website get their information from the same charging station directory.
other options are the apps chargev and plugfinder, which are only available for ios, not for android.
google maps, an app that can be used as a navigation device on a smartphone, has recently started to find charging stations from chargepoint and tesla.

Elaboration of the route: range& other aspects

When working out the exact route, it is important to remember that the range of the electric car depends on several factors. Driving fast, running the air conditioner and winter cold shorten the distance you can travel. The fact that charging stations are overcrowded or simply used as parking spaces can be a problem on longer trips. This should also be taken into account during planning. In this case, the apps can help you to find an alternative if you have not planned for such cases beforehand.

For breaks that are used to charge the battery, you should allow more time. Starting early enough is therefore important. In some regions, charging stations are rare, while in more densely populated areas there are more opportunities to charge your electric car. Within germany, there are fewer problems finding the right charging station. If you are traveling abroad with your electric car, the situation can be quite different. In Ireland, for example, the infrastructure is not yet well developed, but in the Netherlands there are many charging stations.

Conclusion: e-car route planning with apps and online route planners?

Once you have worked out the exact route, the charging options and any possible alternative routes, there is nothing to stop you from taking a longer trip with the electric car. Beautiful places in germany and neighboring countries are just waiting to be explored. Thanks to a gradually growing network of charging stations and the possibility of planning a route for electric cars with the help of websites and apps, even a longer vacation trip with an electric car is possible without any problems.

Reading tips on the topic of electric cars

Going on vacation with an electric car – a good idea?
Wallbox | charging station for the electric car at home
buying an electric car | what to consider when buying a car

If you look closely, you will recognize them: a combination of numbers and letters stamped or molded onto the rim. This gives precise information about the rim. But what exactly is hidden behind the individual letters and numbers?? T-online.De explains the rim designation.

Overview

the rim designation consists of numbers and letters that give precise information about the nature of the rim, for example the diameter and the number of bolt holes. This can be confusing. In addition, some sizes are given in inches, others in millimeters. The rim designation is usually located in the hole circle of the rim, i.e. in the center of the rim.

Understand the numbers on the rim

Have you ever heard of the rim width, the offset or the rim flange?? All these terms play a role in the rim designation.

Rim flange: the rim flange is the edge of a rim that is bent or thickened either outward or inward. On bicycles, the rim is bent inward, while on car rims, the rim flange is bent outward and is used to attach the balance weights. The different types of rim flanges are marked with letters. There are J, H, P, K and JK. The most common shape for passenger cars is J. This corresponds to a height of 17.3 millimeters.

Offset code: the rim width is measured in inches and is also called the rim width. It indicates the distance between the rim flanges and is one of the factors determining the track stability of the tire. For each rim width there is a prescribed tire width.

Hump: the hump, also called the rim contour, is a hump in the rim structure that prevents the tire from slipping off the rim when cornering. There are different humps: H (hump), H2 (double hump), FH, FH2, CH (flat hump), EH2, EH2+ (extended hump). the various humps differ in their internal and external shape.

Graphic representation of a rim section (source: t-online)

Offset: the offset (ford also abbreviated as OS) is the distance between the center of the rim and the inner contact surface of the wheel flange. It is measured in millimeters. Offset can have both positive and negative values. The latter are marked with a minus (E T-15).

bolt circle code: The bolt circle code indicates the number and spacing of the threaded holes. The complete specification (for example LK 5×110) shows how many threaded holes (here: five) and therefore how many wheel bolts (also five) are present. the last number indicates the diameter of the hole circle in millimeters (here: 110 millimeters).

center hole centering: the center hole centering, also called hub bore, is measured in millimeters.

Here is an example:
7½J× 16 H2 ET15, LK 5×110 MZ57

71/2	rim width code (measured in inches)
J	rim flange design
X	drop center rim
16	rim diameter code (measured in inches)
H2	hump, both sides
ET15	offset, positive
LK	bolt circle
5x	number of bolt holes
110	diameter bolt circle (measured in millimeters)
MZ	center hole pitch circle

Which tires fit your rims?

If the car is equipped with factory-fitted rims, the vehicle registration document will provide the first answer to this question. Under the digits 15.1 and 15.2 you will find the information about the tires, which also allows you to draw conclusions about the rim size. If you have bought alternative rims for your car, then you need the exact measurements. If these are not supplied, the rim must be measured.

paint rims:this is how the wheel shines in new splendor
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tire change:how to mount tires correctly
Advantages and disadvantages:for whom all-season tires are suitable
Numbers and abbreviations on the tire:THAT MEANS

How to measure a rim?

In order to choose the right tire, it is important to determine the exact rim size. Usually you get this information when you buy the rims. If this data is not available, for example because the rims were bought second-hand from a private source, the rim must be measured. Diameter and width of the rim are the relevant values required. The diameter of the rim then corresponds to the inner diameter of the tire. The rim width is measured between the rim flanges.

you see them regularly on the road: cars whose headlights have just turned into a tealight. Older cars in particular suffer from dull headlights. In the past the headlights were made of glass, today they are made of plastic. A protective layer is applied over this plastic to protect against UV radiation and other external influences. However, this layer wears off over time due to rain, stone chippings and UV radiation. But you can do something about it!

Products for polishing headlights

Cartec has developed a special headlight repair kit for this purpose. This is the contents of the case:

Rodac grinder 75 mm
Rodac rotary polisher 75 mm
Abralon grinding wheels P500
Abralon grinding wheels P1000
Abralon grinding wheels P2000
Abralon sanding discs P4000
Refinish compound 5000
Refinish ultra finish 12000
Yellow and gray polishing pads

What to do before you start polishing

To make headlights bright again, it is first important that the car is clean. Wash the car and the headlights thoroughly. Make sure you are dry before you start so that the masking tape adheres well to the paint.

On some car models, the headlight units can be removed very easily. This makes the headlight even easier to reach during grinding and polishing. If this is not possible or difficult, tap the paint around the headlight well. Open the hood so that you have more working space.

Step 1. Roughly sand the headlight

Place the P1000 grinding disc on the rodac grinding machine and spray it with water. Spray the headlight with damp water as well.

Tip: fill a work bottle with water for easy and controllable spraying.

Be careful not to use too much water, as this will cause the grinding wheel to grind less. Too little water will not ensure that the dirt is removed properly. Move the sanding disc over the headlamp at medium speed and even pressure.

Make sure you hit all parts well. You will see that a milky substance is formed. This is the residue you will sand off the headlight. Clean and dry the headlight with a microfiber cloth after several sanding steps, overlapping fifty percent during sanding. You will see that the headlight is completely matted. Make sure that it has the same matting all over to achieve an even result.

When sanding headlights, start with a relatively coarse grit, P1000, just as you would when painting. The P stands for "particle", which means "particle". The more particles there are in the disc, the finer it grinds. If you now have extremely weathered headlights, you can also start with P500. Note that this will sand faster and remove more surface area.

Step 2. Lightly sand the headlight

Put the sanding pad P2000 on the sanding machine and spray the pad wet. Moisten the headlamp and grind the headlamp again. To completely remove sanding scratches, sand twice as long as in step 1. For example, have you sanded for 1 minute with P1000? then sand for 2 minutes with P2000. After sanding, clean and dry the headlight again. You will see that there is already clarity in the headlight.

Step 3. Sand the headlight to a high gloss

The last sanding step is to sand with P4000. This will refine the sanding scratches and make it easier to achieve high gloss and the highest possible brightness in the headlight. Spray the sanding pad again with a damp cloth, as well as the headlight. Sand the headlight until you have an even finish over the entire headlight. Clean and dry the headlight with a microfiber cloth.

Step 4. Rough polish the headlight

Put the yellow pad on the rodac polisher. Apply refinish compound 5000 to the pad and massage the entire pad well with the compound. This will give a better polishing effect.
then polish the headlight at medium arm speed with a 50% overlap. Wipe off the polishing residue with a microfiber cloth. Repeat the same step, but with refinish ultra finish 12000 and the gray polishing pad.

Protect the shine

to give your shiny headlights a little extra, you can protect them from wear and damage with the following treatments.

first degrease the headlight thoroughly with panel spray. Apply a protective coating afterwards. For example clearcoat spray. Note that clearcoat is very foggy and can cause spray mist. A good masking (or disassembly of headlights) is therefore recommended.

You can also treat (or have treated) the headlights with ceramic guard coating. The headlights look like new again and will shine for years!

Jeroen eggink

Started as a hobbyist and grew into the owner of a large car care company in the north of the netherlands. Always been a fan of cartec’s products and eventually became a product trainer. Has a lot of experience in the car care industry and likes to share practical tips& tricks.