Electric mobility · Everyday driving
Your journeys. Your charging options.
Look at a typical week, your reliable charging locations and occasional longer trips. Turn the general question of range into a decision that fits your everyday life.
01 · Understand your routine
Start with your typical week.
Record your journeys over seven typical days. Include work, shopping, caring responsibilities and leisure. Three details for each day are enough: distance, parking location and the start of your next journey.
- Distances: How far do you drive in total? Which journey must you complete without charging along the way?
- Parking times: Where is the car parked for longer periods, and can it actually be plugged in there?
- Reliability: Which charging option is regularly available? Which might be unavailable during holidays, after a shift change or when a space is occupied?
Identify the longest gap between two reliable charging opportunities. This gap is particularly important in determining how much energy you need to carry in the vehicle.
Go straight to charging locations · winter and range · longer journeys.
An example to think through
210 kilometres in a week: what does that mean for charging?
Illustrative assumptions: You drive 30 km on each of five days and 60 km in total over the weekend. Assumed electricity consumption is 20 kWh per 100 km, measured at the charge point and including charging losses.
One week with two charging windows
Illustrative example: 210 km travelled and 42 kWh required at the charge point.
Calculation values as a table
| Quantity | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly distance | 5 × 30 km + 60 km | 210 km |
| Energy required | 210 km × 20 kWh / 100 km | 42 kWh |
| Two charging windows | 2 × 6 h × 3.7 kW | 44.4 kWh |
| One charging window | 6 h × 3.7 kW | 22.2 kWh |
| Energy shortfall if one window is missed | 42 ? 22.2 kWh | 19.8 kWh |
42 kWh required
5 × 30 km + 60 km = 210 km. 210 km × 20 kWh / 100 km = 42 kWh.
44.4 kWh theoretically available
Two usable charging windows of 6 hours each at a constant 3.7 kW provide 2 × 6 h × 3.7 kW = 44.4 kWh.
The weekly total is only part of the picture. The energy must be available before each journey and fit within the vehicle’s usable battery capacity. Charging interruptions, variable power and additional demand can use up the small margin.
What happens if one charging window is missed?
In this example, 22.2 kWh remains available. That leaves a shortfall of 19.8 kWh against the assumed weekly demand. A battery that starts full can cover this once; for recurring weeks, you need another charging opportunity or less driving. Check your backup plan too.
This is a simplified energy balance, not a vehicle recommendation. Replace the assumptions with your own figures. When using the calculator, check whether the consumption you enter already includes charging losses.
Try your own week.
Enter your distances and actual charging windows. Then compare a regular week with a missed session and a backup window.
02 · Organise charging
Which charging route suits your housing situation?
Your own house
Charging on your own property
Have the connection assessed and plan your charger with a qualified installer. The guide takes you from your charging needs to handover.
Tenants or flat owners
One parking space, several people involved
Agree the approach, responsibilities and billing with your landlord or homeowners’ association.
No private parking space
Use charging locations in Ulm
Compare accessible locations, operating hours, tariffs and a backup location for when chargers are occupied.
Charging at work: Ask about access rights, available spaces, operating hours and billing. Having a charger on site does not guarantee it will cover your regular charging needs. Record an alternative for days off and a change of workplace.
03 · Assess the vehicle
Range depends on the conditions.
For a specific model, compare range and consumption tests with a clearly described driving profile. City driving, motorways and outdoor temperature affect the result. A single brochure figure only tells you so much about your own week.
Find out more: ADAC: consumption and range in vehicle tests
How should I plan for winter?
Heating and cold batteries affect energy demand and charging behaviour. The effects vary by vehicle and journey; short trips with repeated cooling can be particularly significant. Check a winter test for your preferred model and also calculate your week using an appropriately higher consumption figure.
Find out more: ADAC: winter measurements and test conditions
Your question when choosing a vehicle: Can I complete my longest necessary journey in less favourable conditions with an appropriate reserve? If this is uncertain, consider a charging stop or a different vehicle.
What about longer trips?
Choose two real occasional journeys, such as a regular family visit and a holiday trip. Plan both with the vehicle you are considering. Note charging stops, breaks, an alternative along the route and charging at your destination.
For rapid charging, the power delivered throughout the charging session matters. The highest kW rating alone tells you little about the length of your stop. Battery temperature and state of charge also matter. Check the model’s charging curves and instructions for battery preconditioning.
Find out more: ADAC: rapid charging and long-distance tests
What if an occasional trip is difficult?
Compare options for that particular trip: an extra charging stop, the train, car sharing or a rental car. Record the effort, availability and costs. This helps you decide which compromise you are willing to make for a few days each year.
What will your charging routine cost?
Estimate the shares of charging at home, at work and at public chargers. Use the relevant tariffs and check fixed fees, time-based charges and parking costs. The charging electricity calculator helps you assess electricity costs.
Your vehicle decision also involves purchase or leasing costs, depreciation, insurance, maintenance and possibly charging infrastructure. Low electricity consumption alone does not answer the total cost question. For two purchase options, or keeping your current car versus buying another, you can compare total vehicle costs; leasing needs a separate calculation. Understand costs and funding.
04 · Try it in practice
Turn your test drive into an everyday trial.
Take your weekly plan with you and, where possible, arrange enough time for a typical journey and a charging session. These five tasks offer more insight than a short drive around the showroom:
- Drive a route you regularly need and record the weather, displayed consumption and remaining battery charge.
- Check getting in and out, seating position, luggage, child seats and anything else you need to carry.
- At a charging location you intend to use, try access, handling the cable, starting, paying for and ending a session.
- Plan one of your longer journeys in the vehicle. Are the charging stops and alternatives easy to understand?
- Discuss outstanding questions: usable battery capacity, home charging, rapid charging, winter use and, for a used car, battery condition.
One test drive cannot replace winter or long-term testing. It can show which controls and routines already work for you and which questions to resolve before deciding.
A used electric car: four questions before buying.
- Battery condition: What test report is available, when was it carried out and what was assessed?
- Remaining warranty: What battery warranty still applies to this vehicle, with which conditions and required documentation?
- Charging: Which AC and DC charging options does this exact version support, and do they suit your charging locations and parking times?
- Test drive and documents: Can you test your route and a charging session? Are servicing, damage, repairs and supplied cables documented?
Find out more: ADAC: checking used electric cars. With two specific quotes, you can then compare total vehicle costs.
Your result
What have you established, and what is still missing?
- Your routine appears to be covered: Your key journeys, charging windows and backup options fit together. Now compare specific vehicles and total costs.
- A requirement remains unresolved: For example, permission for your parking space or access to workplace charging. Resolve that specific issue first.
- A recurring difficulty remains: Consider another charging location, different parking times or an alternative way to travel. Note what would improve the situation.
Take these notes with you: Weekly distance, longest journey, two reliable charging locations, a backup plan and your three main outstanding questions. These provide a concrete basis for a conversation with the vehicle supplier or relevant installer.
Sources, example calculation and editorial date
- ADAC: vehicle tests, consumption and range
- ADAC: electric cars in winter
- ADAC: charging curves and long journeys
Editorial and source review: 18 September 2026. Test results apply to the models and conditions examined. The weekly example and decision tasks were developed for this guide; they are not measurements from Ulm. The example consumption includes charging losses, so these must not be added again.