Avoid charging queues during Christmas

During Christmas, there's high pressure on roads and charging stations. But fear not, with Elton's Christmas rules for EV charging, you'll minimize the chance of charging queues during the holidays!

"The increased charging traffic throughout December mainly stems from two factors. We travel beyond our usual short daily routines, and get less range from charging due to colder weather and increased friction from winter tires. We recommend checking which charging stations are near your route, and preheating the battery if possible," says Jørgen Elton, CEO of Elton.

Where is charging traffic heaviest? Traffic to mountain cabins and classic ski destinations increases, with particularly high pressure on routes to places like Trysil, Hemsedal, Gudbrandsdalen, and Dovre. But it's not just mountain traffic that increases. Planning to drive from Oslo down to Southern Norway or towards Bergen? You're not alone – we see a significant increase in charging traffic here.

Elton recommends using the charging map in the app to find stations that aren't among the most visited on popular routes. By clicking on the station, you can see how busy we estimate it will be on specific days and times. Planning a bit before you drive solves a lot!

Quick extra tip: Many people take city holidays during Christmas. If you're charging in Oslo, double-check your favorite charger, it might suddenly be occupied!

Which days are best for driving? The busiest days are the weekend before Christmas Eve, the days between Christmas and New Year's, and the days after New Year's Eve. But there's also consistently high pressure after New Year's.

Elton recommends driving on a weekday before Christmas if you can, or actually on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve itself - this minimizes your chance of ending up in a charging queue. (Even though it might be close to the celebration, plan well!)

What time of day should you charge? It might be tempting to drive mid-day after Christmas breakfast has settled, but driving between 12 and 4 PM often sees the highest charging pressure.

Elton recommends scheduling your drive for early morning or evening if possible, so you can start charging along the way more quickly.

Of course, conditions will vary from place to place and year to year, but if you remember to check Elton, you're better equipped to master charging during Christmas!