Summer holiday with Volkswagen - Tips for a climate-friendly road trip in an e-car

Summer, sun, holidays – anyone going on vacation with an electric car is helping to protect the climate. With a little planning, the journey can be virtually climate neutral. Tips and suggestions for a resource-saving and relaxed summer holiday.

Millions of people look forward to the holidays – however, vacations are also contributing to the heating of the planet. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), roughly 5 percent of global CO₂ emissions are created by tourism, of which 32 percent comes from the use of cars. However, if you travel to your holiday in an electric car, charged with sustainable electricity, then the CO₂emissions during your trip will be zero. Here are our tips for a climate-friendly holiday.

Climate-friendly holiday with Volkswagen’s e-car: five important tips

Charging your ID. model with green electricity – maybe even with electricity generated by solar panels on your own roof – before setting off on your journey is the ideal start. Incidentally, the air conditioning works best when the car is still connected to the charging cable. The necessary electricity comes from the network, meaning there is no need to eat into the range achievable with the power stored in the battery.

In the latest ID. models, drivers can use the central touch display to call the e-route planner in the navigation system. For long journeys, the e-route planner proposes a charging strategy to get the car to its destination as quickly as possible, whilst taking into account many factors like traffic and route data. The We Charge in-car app update makes it possible to search for nearby charging stations using such criteria as authentication methods and charging capacity. The in-car app is also integrated in the navigation.

Charging on the move: the trip is only environmentally friendly if the electricity is green.

Software generation 3.0 for the ID. family

Less luggage – less consumption

Sounds simple and reduces the weight of the car: don’t take too much luggage!

One important factor in the amount of energy consumed, and therefore the car’s range, is how much it is carrying. So, don’t take too much luggage. And you’d be better off hiring bikes at your holiday destination – if you transport them with you on the car, they not only increase the weight but also impair the aerodynamics. You should check the tyre pressure before and after a journey. Even if just 0.3 bar below the desired value, this measurably increases roll resistance and consumption.

Coast, don’t race

The way you drive is absolutely crucial when it comes to consumption: the more you think ahead, the higher the range. VW’s ID. models encourage a smooth driving style with smart technology, such as the selection between two driving modes. In the city, mode B (“Brake”) is recommended: when the driver takes their foot off the accelerator, the car decelerates with a relatively high amount of regeneration – the kinetic energy is converted into electricity and flows back into the battery. On highways and motorways, mode D “Drive” is ideal. In this case, when the driver takes their foot off the right pedal, the car uses its momentum to continue to roll on freely – this so-called coasting saves the most energy.

For the city and the motorway: driving modes “B”

Selecting the right driving mode makes it possible to optimise energy consumption. Eco mode slightly reduces the performance of the air conditioning and also saves some energy when accelerating. Furthermore, all ID. models have a particularly clever system on board – the Eco Assistant, which analyses navigation data and road signs. When the car is approaching a zone that requires a slower speed – such as a town, roundabout or corner – the system indicates that the driver should take their foot off the accelerator pedal. The Eco Assistant also automatically increases regeneration when practical and possible.

If you park up at your holiday destination and switch to hired bikes or e-scooters, you can save even more energy. In larger cities, it is possible to leave the car at a Park and Ride location with charging stations. This way, you no longer need to search for a parking place, and you get a better impression of the country and its people.

Despite one’s best efforts, it is not possible to entirely avoid CO₂ on holiday. Anyone wanting to know their carbon footprint can work it out with a climate calculator. If you use one of the many options to offset your CO₂, that figure will read zero at the end of your trip. And the only footprints you leave behind will be in the sand on the beach.