Anyone who wants to travel with their family in an environmentally conscious and electric way will now find a large selection of suitable models. The market overview reveals which ones achieve the perfect balance between range, space and price.
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Storage space, range and safety are important
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There are currently over 25 family-friendly electric models on the market
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Electric high-roof station wagons and electric SUVs, not station wagons, not vans
Vans, station wagons and high-roof station wagons are still considered that classic family cars, especially with an efficient diesel engine. The situation looks a little different on the electric market: station wagons and vans are (almost) in vain.
Families who traveling electrically If you want to be, you have to look among the other cars, high-roof station wagons and SUVs to see whether there is something suitable. And ask yourself, for example: Does your daughters’ ice hockey equipment fit in the trunk? And do three child seats have to be installed side by side on the back seat or is one baby seat at the back and one child seat at the front sufficient?
Electric car for the family: This is what you need to consider
When it comes to electric cars for the family, there is also the question of whether the battery capacity and charging performance meet the respective requirements. Although a small battery would easily be enough for the city, it could be enough for a holiday trip to the IJsselmeer numerous charging stops on the route lead to a bad mood in the back seat and a long journey. And last but not least, the individual budget plays a major role. New electric cars are comparatively expensive to purchase, and the used car market for the relevant models is (still) manageable.
What makes a good family car?
When selecting electric vehicles that are particularly suitable for families, the experts therefore applied the following criteria:
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Security: All selected cars achieved at least 70 percent of the possible points in the standardized test procedure Euro NCAP in the child safety category. Head and side airbags can also be deactivated in the vehicles on the list so that child seats can be safely installed.
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Space available: At least one stroller can be stowed in the trunk of each of the selected vehicles. In addition, a minimum load capacity of 350 kilograms must be possible.
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Price: Only family-friendly cars that cost less than 55,000 euros were taken into account in the table: Vehicles like the BMW iX or the Mercedes EQV combine good space with a long range, but were not qualified due to their high costs.
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Range: At least 250 kilometers (according to the manufacturer, measured using the WLTP test method) should be possible.
Overview of current electric family cars
High-roof station wagons: space, little range
High-roof station wagons, which impress as combustion engines with an excellent price-performance ratio, lose some of their appeal as electric vehicles: the Opel Combo-e Life, for example, is like its identical brothers Citroën e-Berlingo, Peugeot e-Rifter and Toyota Proace City Verso and Fiat Doblo are comparatively cheap to purchase and, with 2126 liters of trunk volume (roof-high), offer a lot of storage space for families.
But the range falls to 285 kilometers according to the WLTP standard poor. In the realistic Ecotest it is even lower. Here the Combo-e Life only traveled 215 kilometers. That’s not much, especially since, as is so often the case with electric cars, even this low value cannot be achieved when driving on the highway in winter and with a lot of luggage on board.
Aiming for a holiday destination far away is like that practically no longer possible, unless you extend the journey over several days. However, you can easily cope with everyday life in the city or across the country, even with the short range. If you regularly need to carry a lot of luggage on board or up to six passengers, the high-roof station wagon is still a good option for families.
Electric SUVs: Expensive all-rounders
A good Mixture of high range and storage space Offer SUVs, for example the VW ID.5. It creates a very good range – bettered only by the Škoda Enyaq – and combines this with a trunk volume of 549 liters, a very decent value for an SUV. With the real range of 400 kilometers confirmed by the Ecotest, the stops that you should plan for when traveling with small children are enough for a holiday trip to charge.
But of course this good overall package also has its price: the basic model costs 48,000 euros, 10,000 euros more than the Citroën e-Berlingo, which is not very suitable for long distances.
Decide your own needs
The overview shows that the vehicles sometimes differ greatly from one another in terms of range and space. Determining the “one” ideal family car is therefore difficult. Decide your own requirements and needs. Weigh it Advantages and disadvantages against each other, the choice can therefore fall on either a high-roof station wagon or an SUV.
The relatively inexpensive electric station wagon MG5 has a rather small trunk. And the larger models BMW i5 Touring and Nio ET5 Touring are quite expensive. That leaves the VW ID.7 Tourer, which is currently being offered for just under 55,000 euros and has therefore just slipped into the list.
We will probably have to wait longer for a large selection of family-friendly and inexpensive electric station wagons or electric vans. Although there is now the electric Opel Astra Sports Tourer (station wagon), it does not achieve the required crash test result for children. The same applies to the electric Peugeot e-308 SW.
Tips for battery-powered vacation travel
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Charging stations are often still too rare in Germany and Europe to always be able to make a spontaneous stop when the battery level is low. That’s why one is needed better planning than with a petrol engine: available charging stations on the route should be scouted out in advance. Abroad, the density of the usual charging stations is often lower or your own charging card is not compatible with the local offerings. A new account with a suitable provider could be worthwhile for your vacation.
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Difficult conditions on a skiing holiday: For the battery of the electric car, very cold weather is no reason to be happy, unlike for the occupants Range is often significantly reduced, also because the heating puts additional strain on the battery. When planning the route, you should allow for a little more buffer in winter.
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Also a camping holiday is possible with an electric car; a caravan can easily be attached to some models. Tip: When planning your trip, you should plan for plenty of buffers, as power consumption increases significantly due to the trailer load and targeted charging stations are surprisingly often defective. The technical team undertook a test trip with a caravan and also recorded it on video.
Technical advice: Maximilian Bauer, Technology Center
