We are driving from Barcelona to Pamplona, to France and back to Barcelona. There is a good deal on an electric car rental. Has anyone rented in Spain before, and is it easy enough to find charging stations? Thank you!
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
12520 posts
Are you accustomed to an electric car and its unique 'refueling' processes?
You want build into your schedule an extra 2( or more) hrs every time you need to recharge, to hunt down, wait your turn and then recharge?
Not done it and don't see a vacation as a time to 'learn'
The fact the electric car is such a 'good deal' is its own sign that they are not highly desired.
Posted by
OP
25 posts
Perfect. This was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!
Posted by
Utah via SF Bay Area
436 posts
You can map out the route and see where and what kind of chargers there are.
Spain appears to be very progressive in the EV space. Your post piqued my curiosity, because we are going there next week. I own a Tesla and I love using EV's and rent them whenever I need to rent a car. So I googled it....
"Spain, committed to sustainability and protecting its fascinating natural environments, offers a comprehensive charging infrastructure for electric cars and has tourist accommodation with electric parking in every region."
It appears that renting an EV in Spain is alot easier than renting them in the US. So you may want to consider it. Especially if the price is good. Charging a car takes about 15-20 minutes depending on what's going on-- it's also a nice way to take a break.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7498 posts
Where are you staying and how far will you drive each day? Modern electric cars have pretty long range and if you're able to charge the car overnight you might not have to worry about charging at all (as long as you plug it in every evening).
Posted by
Mid-Atlantic area
7694 posts
I’ll just say that I’ve come across back roads in Spain where I didn’t pass any fuel station, let alone a charging station, for over an hour. The infrastructure in many of the inland towns and villages isn’t as it might be if driving on motorways. When driving in the Alsace and Lorraine areas of France in 2023 I was glad I had a hybrid vehicle not an all electric one.
Take your route into consideration when determining which vehicle to rent.
Posted by
Barcelona (Catalonia)
3197 posts
A very useful link: the real-time map of charging stations when you're travelling in Barcelona and around Catalonia.