3,000 km in a small EV without major issues

The trunk is full, the tailgate is difficult to close, and the vacation begins before even reaching Morbihan. From Strasbourg, a BYD Dolphin Surf Comfort covered more than 3,000 km with its family to Pluméliau, near Lorient, and back again, without the driver encountering any major issues. Nearly 1,000 km were driven on the way there and the same distance on the return, without optimizing every recharge or trying to set a consumption record.

The route was planned as a vacation journey rather than a race. Google Maps suggested a toll-free route, with a break planned roughly every 2 hours 30 minutes. Stops were located in or near Nancy, Troyes, Orléans, Le Mans and Rennes, depending on the share of departmental roads, national highways or free motorways. Chargemap was then used to choose charging stations, prioritizing large charging hubs and nearby shops.

The car tested was the Comfort trim, listed from €25,990. It comes with a 43.2 kWh Blade LFP battery, supports up to 85 kW on direct current and claims a 10 to 80% charge in 30 minutes. Its WLTP combined range—the standardized measurement used to compare vehicles—is rated at 310 km, with consumption of 16 kWh/100 km.

So, what does that mean in practice? This journey shows that a small EV can be used to cross France for a family vacation, provided you accept an itinerary organized around breaks and have a charging solution at your destination. Here, charging was integrated into the stops, and the holiday rental had a dedicated socket, limiting preparation to a few route and station choices.

The result remains that of an individual test, carried out under particular conditions and with driving that was not aimed at maximum optimization. The available excerpt does not provide the trip’s total cost or a complete breakdown of the charging sessions, so it cannot be used to precisely compare this experience with a trip in a combustion-engined car. It nevertheless offers a concrete reference point for a family considering a long journey in a small electric car.