The best EV road trips for summer 2025

From UK coastal routes to stunning European mountain passes, we’ve compiled our list of some of the best EV road trips for summer 2025

Summer and road trips go together like the seaside and ice cream, bank holidays and beer gardens or socks and sandals (okay, maybe not that one). With longer days and better weather, the next few months are the perfect time to get out and enjoy time behind the wheel.

So we here at EV Powered got to thinking about the road trips we’d like to take in our EVs. From those right on our own doorsteps to adventures in far-flung places.

Our main priority has been to pick routes that drivers and passengers can enjoy, whether that’s through thrilling roads, stunning scenery or fascinating stops along the way. This being an EV-specific list, though, we’ve also given consideration to the infrastructure in place to support electric vehicles en route.

We’ve also kept our list to European destinations. There are amazing EV adventures to be had all around the world but, for this list at least, we have stuck to routes that don’t require jumping on a plane or hiring a car.

North Coast 500

You can’t have a list of UK road trips without including the North Coast 500. The ever-changing roads of this 516-mile route are a driver’s dream and something to be relished in an Alpine A290 or Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. But to race around it like your hair’s on fire is to miss so much more. Running in a loop from Inverness Castle, the NC500 follows the northern coastline of Scotland, encompassing the Highlands at their most spectacular. From soaring mountains and deep lochs to towering cliffs and white-sand beaches, the route is a nature-lover’s paradise. But it’s also famous for the wealth of food, drink, history and culture to be discovered along the way.

Infrastructure along the route is still variable and many chargers are limited to 50kW but there are enough of them dotted along the way to allow top-ups. It’s also only 500 miles, which is less than two full charges in something like a Skoda Elroq. And if you’re taking it easy to appreciate the views (or stuck behind a rental motorhome), you won’t be racing through your energy anyway.

The Coastal Way

From the tip of mainland Britain to its western edge, and the Coastal Way. Like the NC500, this tour along the twisting Welsh coastline offers a blend of great driving routes, fascinating history, food, culture and more.

Nestled between the mountains of Snowdonia and the beaches of Cardigan Bay, the 180-mile route runs from the pretty fishing town of Aberdaron to Britain’s smallest city, St Davids. Along the way it passes through the Llŷn Peninsula – an official area of outstanding natural beauty – winds past golden beaches and picturesque fishing villages where you can enjoy fresh-caught seafood, and takes in colourful Portmeirion and bustling Aberyswyth. Like the NC500, you can spend as little or as much time as you like exploring the route, enjoying everything from neolithic remains to adventure sports.

EV infrastructure along the way is ‘adequate’ rather than generous but slower chargers just mean you’ve got more time to enjoy the scenery and attractions as you stop. And at less than 200 miles in length, you can probably do it on a single charge anyway.

The Great West Way

The Great West Way can, in theory, be driven in about three hours and without a single stop but that would be to miss the point. One of England’s historic “Great Roads”, it runs from Bristol to London (or vice versa) through some of the most picturesque parts of the country. The route itself largely follows the line of the A4/M4 but invites you to use smaller parallel roads. From there you can embark on myriad detours to explore its picture-postcard Cotswolds villages and country lanes. History buffs can dive into the past of Hampton Court Palace or Stonehenge; foodies can indulge themselves at Michelin-starred restaurants and film fans can geek out at locations used in everything from Paddington to Poldark.

At around 150 miles long, it’s easily manageable on a single charge for an average EV. But even if you spend days getting lost among the lanes, its location in some of the more densely populated parts of the UK means there’s no shortage of public charging.

Snake Pass

Most of our routes are about taking things easy and enjoying the scenery, culture and things to do along the way. But the Snake Pass is all about the driving experience.

This 14-mile stretch of Tarmac links the market town of Glossop in Derbyshire with Ladybower Reservoir, snaking (as the name suggests) over the hills and moors of the Peak District. While you absolutely can enjoy the panoramic views of the National Park while bimbling along in a Kia EV9 or Citroen E-C4, the Snake Pass is more about grabbing something like an Abarth 600e by the scruff of the neck and enjoying how it dances along the twisting, undulating road. At just 14 miles long, you’ll have plenty of charge for a return run, or you can extend your route, linking up with the nearby Cat and Fiddle. Named after the famous pub at its summit, this runs from Buxton to Macclesfield and offers another bite-sized chunk of challenging motoring thanks to its combination of steep ascent and decent and tightly packed sharp bends.

Norway – Bergen to Ålesund

Norway is famous for being Europe’s most pro-EV country. In April 97% of new cars registered there were all-electric and it has led the way for years on infrastructure and incentives.

That alone would make it worthy of an EV road trip, but Norway also happens to be stupendously scenic. There are 18 officially recognised “Scenic Routes” taking in the country’s wealth of fjords, mountains, waterfalls and more.

We’d recommend linking a few of these together on a route from the bustling coastal city of Bergen to Ålesund via the “snow road between the fjords” at Aurlandsfjellet, across Norway’s highest mountain pass at Sognefjellet then down to Lom. From there, loop up to complete the Geiranger to Trollstigen route, tackling the Troll’s Ladder, a hair-raising 38km stretch of road that writhes through the Romsdalen valley, encompassing 11 hairpin bends and gradients of 1 in 12. If your jaw is still attached to your head by the time you reach Ålesund, head north-east to the Atlantic Road. Arguably the most beautiful stretch of road on earth, this connects the island of Averøy to the mainland via a series of eight bridges spanning a series of tiny islands and islets.

France – Route Napoleon

History, great food, great driving, plentiful charging and sun-kissed sand, the Route Napoleon has everything you need for an EV road trip. Following the path the French emperor took back from exile in 1815, it starts at Golfe Juan on the south coast and heads into the Alps to finish in Grenoble. We would suggest running the other way, though, so you finish on the glittering Cote D’Azur.

Whichever direction you go, the Route Napoleon offers phenomenal driving roads that change from the flowing coastal stretches to sinuous Alpine paths clinging to (and cutting through) the side of mountains, with breathtaking views of the valleys far below. Whether you’re in a Taycan or a Toyota, you’ll get a kick out of the every-changing roads and scenery. But there’s also more to the route – from Grasse, the “perfume capital of the world” to the glamour of Cannes, the gastronomic delights of Provence and the rich history of the region, including Napoleon’s famous trek.

France has some of the best EV charging in Europe and apart from a stretch between Chateau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban and Grasse, the route is littered with high-speed chargers that will keep you topped up on this 200-mile adventure.

Germany – The Black Forest

We make no apologies for the scenery-heavy nature of our list. One of the best things about a road trip is seeing sights you don’t normally see. So Germany’s Black Forest is an obvious choice. Its smooth Tarmac sweeps between dramatic swathes of dark pine trees, emerging into broad sunlit valleys and diving up and down mountainsides via networks of hairpin bends.

We’d recommend starting in Stuttgart and ending in the spa town of Baden-Baden, taking in the world famously beautiful B500 Black Forest High Road along the way. The run from Stuttgart to Baden-Baden is less than 100 miles while the famous “High Road” is a mere 37 miles long, so range anxiety isn’t a concern. Although the B500 itself is light on charging options there are plenty of high-powered devices at either end, and between Stuttgart and the road’s start in Freudenstadt.

While the road can be tackled in a few hours, you can still lose days taking in the attractions along the way. Car fans can explore automotive history at the Porsche and Mercedes museums in Stuttgart, while there are endless walking and cycling routes through the magnificent countryside for nature lovers. Fairytale castles such as Hohenzollern offer something for the historically inclined, and there’s the small matter of the region’s famous cake…

Netherlands – Amsterdam to Rotterdam

The Netherlands is another leader in the European EV scene, which means you’ll have no problem staying mobile. In fact, it has more public chargers than anywhere else in Europe, so you can explore the whole country with ease. Also, it’s flat, so great for efficiency.

Being flat means the scenery isn’t as spectacular as other routes on our list, but taking a relaxed drive from Amsterdam to Rotterdam there’s still plenty to see. A short hop north of Amsterdam delivers the comically stereotypical windmills, canals and clog shops of Zaanse Schans, before heading toward trendy Rotterdam via the world-famous tulip fields of Keukenhof. Along the way there’s also a wealth of history and culture to explore. Before leaving Amsterdam you can overdose on art at the Riksmuseum or museums dedicated to Van Gogh or Rembrant, or get your science on at the NEMO centre. Once you arrive in Rotterdam, there’s more art to enjoy, plus experimental architecture and the achingly cool bars and restaurants of Witt de Withstraat.