Everything you need to know about charging your EV on the road in 3 minutes

New to electric vehicles? Whether you're coming from petrol and diesel, or completely new to cars altogether, it's worth mastering on-the-road charging as quickly as possible. Get ready to become a charging expert for life — in three minutes!

First of all: welcome to the EV world! More and more of us are joining every day, and at the same time it's getting easier to charge on the road across all of the Nordics. We've got some quick tips for you, and a few good reasons why you should consider Elton to handle your on-the-road charging needs.

Where do I find chargers I can use?

Many petrol stations now also offer EV charging. Where you used to look for petrol and diesel prices on the signs outside stations, you can now check whether they offer EV charging. Some places like Uno-X display charging prices, while others often have a sign indicating whether they have charging or not. You can also check one of the many charging maps available online.

With Elton, you can quickly find available chargers right on your phone. In addition to our charging map, where you can start chargers directly in the app, you can add your car so you only see compatible chargers, and plan a route that includes optimal charging stops for you.

What are slow chargers, fast chargers, and rapid chargers?

A slow charger, also known as a destination charger, delivers around 11 kW and is designed for longer stays while you shop or spend the night. Fast chargers deliver up to 150 kW, while rapid chargers deliver anything above 150 kW. The more kW a charger delivers, the faster the charge — as long as your car can accept it. That's why you may sometimes receive fewer kW than what's listed on the charger.

How do I start a charger?

About half of the chargers in Norway accept cards, while others can be started via a charging tag or the charge operator's own app.

With Elton, you can start charging at over 90,000 chargers across the Nordics — just as easily every time, no matter where you charge. Find a charger in the app, plug in your car, tap start in the app, and you're good to go. The advantage of an app with many chargers is that charging always works the same way, so you don't have to deal with lots of different charging solutions.

Slik lader du elbilen enklest — How to charge simply: Find a charger, plug in your car, start the charger in the app.

How fast does an EV charge?

Charging on the road typically takes around 20 to 45 minutes. To know exactly how long, check your car's user manual for how long it takes to charge from 10 to 80 percent. That said, there are a few things that can affect your charging speed: the type of charger, your car's capability, how much battery you have left, and temperature.

Think of it this way: kW from the charger + your car's capability − temperature (the colder, the slower) − battery level (the less battery remaining, the faster it charges) = your charging speed. If charging takes much longer than usual, one or more of these factors is usually to blame.

A quick tip: a warm battery charges faster than a cold one. If you can, save your charging stop for the end of your drive — that way you'll charge faster!

How much does on-the-road charging cost?

It varies from charger to charger and season to season. But an average charging session from around 20% battery to 80% typically costs between 150–250 NOK.

With Elton, you only pay per charge, and you can see the prices right in the app. We calculate prices independently of other providers, so they may differ from what you see on station signs or in other apps. You can also build up your own Elton discount, which applies at all stations where you can charge with Elton.

What should I use — app, tag, or card?

We won't hide the fact that we think the app solution is best. With the app, you can find chargers, check availability, start charging, and pay — all in one place — and you don't have to carry a tag that could get lost. There are also no subscription costs with the app; you simply pay per charge. (Unless you're interested in a business solution — in that case, check out Elton Business 🤫)

And that's it! You now know more about charging than most people in Norway. Hooray!