Long-Distance Charging Plan: A Step-by-Step Ankara–İzmir Example

Range anxiety is a planning problem

A long EV trip is no different from a petrol one — you just need to know your stops in advance. Planned properly, a 600 km journey costs about half an hour of extra time.

Step 1: Work out your real range

Catalogue WLTP figures are measured in ideal conditions. At 120 km/h on the motorway, real range is usually 70–80% of WLTP. In winter that drops to 60–70%.

Step 2: Choose stops on the 20–80% logic

Two short stops are almost always faster than running near empty and filling to 100%, because charging power drops sharply above 80%.

Rule of thumb: plan to arrive at the next station with 15–20% in reserve. That is both safe and the point where the battery charges fastest.

Step 3: Example — Ankara to İzmir

On this roughly 590 km route, with a car of 450 km real range:

1. Departure: leave Ankara at 90–100% (at home or a city station).
2. First stop: a DC station around Afyonkarahisar, after 250–300 km. 20% to 80% takes ~25–30 minutes — the same as a coffee and lunch break.
3. Arrival: the remaining ~300 km in one go; you reach İzmir at around 15–20%.
4. In the city: top up overnight on an AC unit at your accommodation.

Total extra time: one break. A break you were going to take anyway.

Step 4: Have a backup

• Pick an alternative for every stop — a second option within 30–50 km if the first is busy or out of service.
• Check availability in the app before setting off and before each stop.
• Confirm the connector. CCS Combo 2 is the DC standard; check in advance if your car differs.
• Sort out payment — make sure your app account works before you leave.

Winter notes

In the cold the battery gives less range and charges more slowly. Two simple measures help: preheat the cabin while still plugged in (it costs no range), and use battery preconditioning before a DC stop if your car has it — a warm pack charges noticeably faster.

You can map your route now using our station map.