EV tourist guide to Denmark
By Hans Steffensen and Lotte Mygind, August
Denmark is a great destination if you are planning to travel by electric vehicle (EV). Here are a few tips and tricks you should know before setting off on your Danish EV adventure. This guide has been written to help you drive your electric vehicle throughout Denmark and it will help you on your way in your Danish EV adventure!
Public parking and charging
The main rule is that EVs must pay the same parking fee as ICE cars. In Denmark you will find more than 1,300 public charging points with AC charging 11 – 22 kW. A number of the charging points have reserved parking for EV and PHEV with this sign. If there is no additional text you may park without charging, but this is not recommended, as you will block the charger. At some places you will find additional text saying parking for charging only, and in some cases a time limitation.
Charging network operators
The main charging networks in Denmark are Tesla, E.On, Clever and Ionity. The smaller operator, Sperto, is also worth noting for their significantly lower rates.
Tesla has super chargers in several locations and numerous destination chargers around the country. Many of these are located at hotels and other tourist facilities. Some of them are restricted to Tesla vehicles only. You have to ask the staff at the specific location whether the charger is open for everyone.
For non-Tesla chargers there are several ways to start the charging and pay for electricity. Since rates are highly dependent on the payment method and may be adjusted over time, we recommend that you check the rates. With the right choice of payment methods you should be able to charge your car for approximately:
- Approximately 5.5 DKK per kWh at E.On, Clever and Ionity
- Approximately 3.5 DKK per kWh at Sperto
- 2.6 DKK per kWh for Tesla supercharging
We suggest that you bring one or more of the following payment methods:
- Eins E-Mobil (currently good prices for E.On)
- Maingau EinfachStromLaden
- Plugsurfing (currently good prices for Sperto)
- Shell Recharge Newmotion
Fast charging
Along the Danish highways and at some bigger malls, fast chargers can be found. These often feature 50 kW DC (Chademo and CCS) and up to 43 kW AC. Furthermore, the main highways have high power charging stations with several chargers in each location. For Tesla fast charging (Tesla vehicles only), the main routes are covered by supercharger stations.
Charging from standard electrical outlets
At all campsites and at many marinas (which Denmark has a lot of), you will find standard CEE power outlets, both 1 (the blue one) and 3 phases (the red one).
For very slow charging it is also possible to use a standard 230 volt power outlet. In that case the following is VERY IMPORTANT: For EV charging over several hours (from a standard 230 volt outlet) do not charge with more than 8 amps. High and continuous charging will result in overheating and possible damage to the electrical fittings.
To use a Schuko based charging unit, you need an adapter, which can be bought for a relatively low price in many hardware stores. Be aware of correct phase / neutral connection.
If you have any questions or additional information, that should be added to this guide, then please contact us on sekretariatet@fdel.dk. We wish you all a pleasant trip to Denmark, we look forward to seeing you.
