Whether it's the rushing waves on the Baltic Sea or the majestic mountains of the Black Forest - many wonderful places to relax are often very remote. For most of them, this means: a long, stressful and often greenhouse gas-rich vacation trip. Does it really have to be? About alternatives that allow you to go on vacation emission-free and relaxed at the same time.

Option 1: Long journey with an overnight stay

Those who live in the south of Germany often feel the longing for a week at the sea with the sound of waves and sand between their toes in summer. Smaller idyllic villages on the coast in particular are often not easily accessible by train and those who still have extensive luggage with them will come across when looking for resource-saving means of transport Electric car hardly over.

The challenge: The journey can take eight hours or more, which strains the nerves and the battery of the e-mobile. The solution: Divide the arrival and departure into two days and plan an overnight stay in a beautiful city. On the way from Munich to Rügen, for example, one stop per trip in hip Leipzig or Berlin is a good idea. Alternatively, historic Weimar could be roughly in the middle of the route. The driving time is only half the time and one or two stops should be enough, depending on the state of the battery and charging capacity. In addition, long journeys into the mountains, nature and the surrounding countries are possible. Many different car rental companies now offer e-cars that can be booked very flexibly online.

Variant 2: Medium distance with short stops

The range of every battery currently has its performance limits. However, instead of seeing the necessary stops at the charging points as an obstacle, the main effect of the regular breaks is to slow down the entire journey. At a fast charging point, the charging time is between twenty and thirty minutes - perfect for a coffee break. With the conventional combustion engine, you usually don't take this important break, but rush stressed across the highway and just want to arrive. The regular stops at the charging station therefore contribute to both a resource-saving and a nerve-saving journey. Closer goals can easily be mastered in one day. More and more conventional filling stations already have charging points for e-cars, and there are already more than 17.000 charging stations across Germany. From 2030 onwards every gas station even to provide a charging station for e-cars by law.

Only with green electricity does the trip become emission-free

The expansion of the charging infrastructure is therefore increasing, making traveling by electric car within Germany much easier. However, one thing above all is necessary to ensure that driving an e-car on vacation causes as few emissions as possible: green power. Only if the electricity comes from wind energy, solar energy or hydropower will there be no unnecessary emissions of co₂. Electricity from conventional energy sources such as coal and gas power plants produces a lot of carbon dioxide when it is generated. "Only those who charge their electric vehicle with electricity from renewable energies really make a contribution to environmental protection," emphasizes Oliver Hummel. He is a board member of NATURSTROM AG, which also supplies many charging stations across Germany with its green electricity. The company offers one on the NATURSTROM website Online map where users can find many more besides the green electricity charging points. NATURSTROM customers can also have their own Charging card request that, in addition to the activation of the charging stations supplied by the company, also offers access to the largest charging network in Europe. How much energy is actually consumed per trip depends not only on the length and speed of travel, but also on the size of the electric car. Because the heavier and bigger the car, the more energy it consumes.