Tips for smooth EV charging in Midsummer based on ChargEye data

This coming weekend is Midsummer, what means that in Finland we celebrate summer. Midsummer is one of the most important holidays in Finland, and for many working people their summer vacation begins right after the Midsummer weekend.

Midsummer is a celebration of the summer solstice and the longest days of the year, and it’s traditionally spent with family and friends enjoying swimming, sauna and food, such as barbecue, fish and new season’s fresh potatoes and strawberries at a summer cottage somewhere far from the city.

On the roads, Midsummer brings heavy traffic as people head out of the cities to the peace of the countryside and to summer cottage. This year, the Finnish traffic management company Finntrafic has again predicted that the busiest traffic will occur on the outbound trip from Thursday afternoon through the evening and on the return trip from Sunday noon through the evening.

Since there are more and more electric cars on the road, we decided to take a look at what our ChargEye software reveals about EV charging on public charging sites during last year’s Midsummer week, and what learnings we possibly could get for this year.

Based on the data, the following is clear:

• Public charging stations located along major highways already showed charging spikes from Wednesday afternoon through the evening, so thanks to the ability to work remotely, many people left earlier for the weekend in order to avoid Thursday’s peak traffic.
• The highest charging spikes coincided with peak traffic times on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday
• Among the busiest charging stations are those located along Highway 4, which runs through the country. Fun fact: Kempower’s Lahti factories are located along this main highway.
• On Thursday’s outbound trips, charging took longer, and cars remained connected to the charger for significantly longer after charging was complete, especially at supermarket charging stations, so it appears many people combined charging their cars with a trip to the store.
• On Saturday, people aren’t charging their EVs – they’re enjoying Midsummer
• During Sunday’s return traffic, it appears that everyone’s goal is to get home quickly, as charging times are significantly shorter than on the outbound trip, and charging plugs are unplugged from the car immediately after charging is complete, without any waiting time.

What are the takeaways for this Midsummer?

• You can help your fellow EV divers by freeing up the charger once your car is ready without delays and by charging only the amount of battery power needed for the trip   
• If you want to avoid lines at charging stations, it’s a good idea to charge your car and do your shopping the day before, away from busy routes
• As Finntrafic reminds us: “A safe Midsummer trip starts with good preparation and being in good driving condition. A proactive driver plans their route, allows plenty of time for the trip, and focuses on driving”

We wish everyone safe travels and a happy Midsummer!