How difficult is it to get from Stockholm to the North Cape and back with an electric car? Equipped with a Volkswagen ID4 and a roof tent Åreskutan from Taktältarna, the adventurer and skier Ebba Forsgren has set out on the 350-mile journey in a project she named "Räckviddsångest".
The charging infrastructure in Sweden is improving all the time, but it can still be a challenge to travel around with an electric car. Ebba Forsgren could see how along the way they might have to make a panic stop and knock on someone's house to ask for some electricity.
But the range anxiety - which was severe before she set off - did not disappear during the trip itself.
- I had thought it would be so much more difficult, but it went surprisingly well, says Ebba Forsgren.
25-year-old Ebba Forsgren is from Åre and practically grew up on a mountaintop. With a great interest in adventure and outdoor life in all its forms, a great interest in environmental and sustainability issues has also emerged.
Something that made her want to try making a really long journey with an electric car and to find out how it works.
Planning before the trip is important
One reason why the trip went so smoothly was certainly that Ebba had planned a lot before the trip. Because it is something that really makes it easier when you are going on a long journey with an electric car. Ebba used the ChargeFinder app to find charging options along the way.
- I checked out posts along the way and had a rough plan for where we would stop and charge on the way.
At the same time, it is not possible to plan precisely. How much the electric car draws depends on many different factors such as driving style, how fast you drive and how hot it is.
However, Ebba Forsgren did not feel that the roof tent significantly affected the range of the electric car. The roof tent was picked up and left in Åre so she drove both with and without it.
• How do you think the combination of electric car and roof tent worked?
- It has really been a neat combo! The roof tent gave us the option to stop anywhere when we got tired and needed to sleep. You just have to take a small detour and see where you end up, we managed to find cozy places every time, says Ebba Forsgren.
The roof tent made the journey easier and freer
Holidaying with an electric car and roof top tent is also kinder to both the wallet and the environment than staying at a hotel along the way. In addition, the view from the rooftop tent beats most hotel rooms.
• Do you have any tips for people who are keen to make the trip to the North Cape with a roof tent?
Yes! To stop and experience the surroundings you pass on the way up. What happens to me when I drive an electric car is that I become calm, it is not possible to stress and you have to drive carefully. I think you should take advantage of that; make the journey to the destination and take it easy.
If I had more time, I would easily have gone into the mountains inland - hiked in Sarek and surfed on the coast. Then I would definitely go back down the coast in Norway and stop at Tromsö and Lofoten.
Project range anxiety is an assignment that Ebba did for Vattenfall. All photos are taken by photographer Emmett Sparling .
