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2024. 11. 22. péntek

Traveling to Hungary with an electric car

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If you travel to, or through Hungary as a foreigner with an electric car, you may be wondering what local apps you need to charge, or even where the chargers themselves are located. Lucky for you, we here at Villanyautósok.hu, the biggest Hungarian EV community, have put together a guide for travelers like yourself.

Here is your free guide to Hungarian EV charging!

Electric car charging in Hungary

Hungary has a great coverage of electric chargers, one can reach every part of the country even if their car only has a smaller (20-30 kWh) battery. Along the main roads multiple service providers offer high performance DC chargers, while 11-22 kW AC chargers are available in public parking lots of bigger cities, as well as in parking lots of shopping malls, tourist attractions, and hotels, which can be used as destination chargers. Most of the chargers are not free, but the biggest networks can be easily accessed via roaming through the mobil apps and RFID cards of most international service providers.

Most 22 kW AC chargers only equipped with a socket (no cable). Always bring your own cable. 43 kW AC charging is often priced by the minute, therefore it can be expensive with slow charging cars.

Tesla Superchargers in Hungary

Tesla owners can charge their vehicles at 10 locations in the country, along the busiest highways, in the parking lots of shopping malls and accommodations near the highway. Entire Hungarian Supercharger network is available for non-Tesla charging.

Locations:

  • Budapest, Szentendrei út 115., 12 stalls of V3, there is no V2, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M0 highway, Törökbálint, 8 stalls of V2 and 4 stalls of V3, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M0 highway, Szigetszentmiklós, 12 stalls of V3, there is no V2, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M1 highway, Győr, 10 stalls of V3, there is no V2, highway resting place with gas station
  • Near the M3 highway, Fót, 8 stalls of V2 and 4 stalls of V3, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M3 highway, Debrecen, 8 stalls of V2, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M3 highway, Miskolc, 8 stalls of V2, Auchan supermarket, KFC
  • Near the M5 highway, Szeged, 8 stalls of V2, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M7 highway, Székesfehérvár, 12 stalls of V3, there is no V2, Auchan supermarket
  • Near the M7 highway, Sormás, 8 stalls of V2 and 4 stalls of V3, restaurant

As of January 12, 2024

Ionity chargers in Hungary

Ionity operates 5 charging stations in the western part of Hungary, however there is no Ionity charging station east of Budapest.

  • M1 highway, Bábolna, accessible from both sides, 4 stalls, OMV gas station, McDonald’s
  • M0 highway, Szigetszentmiklós, accessible from both sides, 4 stalls, Shell gas station, KFC
  • M7 highway, Kajászó, accessible from both sides, 4 stalls, OMV gas station
  • M7 highway, Balatonkeresztúr, there are 4-4 stalls on both sides of the highway, Shell gas station, no over or underpass at the highway so the other side is only accessible by a detour.
  • Near the M7 highway, Sormás, 4×350 kw + 2×150 kW

The chargers can be started with Ionity’s own application, or with the apps and RFID cards of most roaming providers. The price of the service is similar to that of Western Europe.

As of January 12, 2024

Mobiliti, e-Mobi chargers in Hungary

Mobiliti operates the most charging stations (approx. 1500 locations) in Hungary. The chargers can be accessed under three brand names:

  • Mobiliti network (primarily 50 kW DC chargers and 22 kW AC)
  • e-Mobi network (22 kW AC, 22 kW, 44 kW and 50 kW DC chargers, mainly destination chargers)
  • some Shell Recharge chargers are operated also by Mobiliti

The chargers can mostly be found in cities, in parking lots of supermarkets, and hotels. Many 50 kW DC chargers are installed near the highways, so those are helpful even on longer trips. Mobiliti is part of several roaming associations, so the service can be used by most of the applications or RFID cards of the international service providers. The service is cheaper through Mobiliti’s own application after registration. The application is available in all app stores and can be switched to English by clicking the cogwheel icon at the bottom right of the screen. (Mobiliti Apple Store (iOS), Mobiliti Google Play (Android))

E.ON

Though the well now European energy giant operates chargers in Hungary, you have to use the localized app for the country. E.ON apps meant for other European countries will neither list nor start these chargers.

Chargers are usually

  • 11 kW and 22 kW AC, or
  • 25-300 kW DC.

Most of these chargers can be found at parking lots of ALDI stores.

Initiating the charging session:

Click here to see E-ON’s chargers in Hungary on the map.

Shell Recharge

Shell Recharge chargers in Hungary are located at some Shell filling stations and parking lots of Tesco supermarkets. Some (older) charger are operated by Mobiliti,  those can be used with the Mobiliti application or via roaming from the Shell Recharge application, the rest can be started by credit card or from Shell Recharge application.

TEA.

This young, Hungarian provider operates more then 100 chargers around the country, some of these are 90 kW DC. They stand out among the other providers due to their favorable pricing.

Chargers are usually

  • 3,7-22 kW AC, 5-10 cars can be charged at the same time, destination chargers,
  • 30-160 kW DC chargers.

Initiating the charging session:

MOL Plugee chargers in Hungary

MOL, the Hungarian oil company, has the most extensive traditional refueling station network in Hungary. The company has excellent locations along highway rest stops, and some of these locations also have electric car chargers (80 chargers, mostly 50 kW DC, with a few places 75 and 150 kW DC). MOL’s charging network extends beyond Hungary, to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Romania. Click here to see MOL Plugee’s chargers in Hungary on the map.

MOL did not yet connect to the international roaming systems, but the chargers can be started by any of the localized (Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Croatian, Romanian) MOL Plugee applications (MOL Plugee Apple Store (iOS), MOL Plugee Google Play (Android)), so if someone is coming from one of these countries, and they use MOL’s chargers there, they can charge their cars the same way in Hungary as well. Charging can be started one of two ways:

  1. after registration in the MOL Plugee application,
  2. purchasing prepaid charging packages at the cashier of the gas station. Caveats:
    • available only during opening hours,
    • the operator starts the charging session,
    • predefined packages of 10 kWh (AC), or 20 and 40 kWh (DC)
    • valid for a single charging session only, the unused part of the package (battery on full) can not be used later.

Lidl

Chargers can be found in larger cities in the parking lots of Lidl stores. From 05.09.2023 they are not free any more.

Chargers are usually

  • 22 kW AC,
  • 20 kW or 50 kW DC.

Initiating the charging session:

  • via the Lidl Plus application,
  • from Lidl’s website
  • roaming

Chargers which can not be accessed via roaming services

Penny Market

The European supermarket chain has installed chargers at select Hungarian stores.

Chargers are usually

  • 22 kW AC

Initiating the charging session:

Price of charging

Last updated: October 23, 2023. Click here for printable version.

 

Finding the chargers, route planning

Plugshare is by far the most popular among the community maintained charger databases in Hungary. ABRP is aware of most charging locations in Hungary, therefore it is a great way to plan a route in and across the country.

Charging etiquette

  • Do not block the charger if you are not charging!
  • Move your car to another parking spot once you finished charging! The spot assigned to the charger should only be used while actively charging.
  • Be careful not to block the other connection of the charger from being used!
  • Confirm the connection of the cable and the start of the charging!
  • Should you leave your car on the charger overnight, and it finishes charging during the night, make sure you move your car as early in the morning as possible!
  • Take care of the integrity of the charger and the cleanliness of its surroundings.

Highway tolls

In Hungary highways are marked by a standard European highway sign at the start of the on-ramp. All drivers must pay to use the highways by buying an e-vignette, there is no discount or exception for EVs! A few city bypass sections, and newly built sections of the network may be used free of charge.

E-vignette can be purchased:

  • at gas stations,
  • online (eg. Nemzeti Útdíjfizető),
  • via an SMS text message (might not be available from foreign phone providers),
  • via local smartphone apps such as the Mobiliti application you may have already downloaded for EV charging (see above).

Vehicle categories:

  • D1M (motorcycle)
  • D1 (cars up to 7 seats – driver included – below the total weight of 3500 kg)
  • D2 (cars over 7 seats below the total weight of 3500 kg)
  • B2 (bus)
  • U (for trailer in case of D2 and B2 categories, it is not needed in case of D1)

The e-vignettes are good for a certain predefined period:

  • annual vignette (valid for the calendar year and not for the next 365 days, but you can use it until the midnight January 31st of the next year.)
  • weekly vignette (valid for the day of the purchase plus 9 more consecutive days, until midnight of the last day)
  • monthly vignette (from the day of the purchase till the midnight of the same day next month)

If a driver forgets to buy a vignette prior to entering the highway, they have a 60 minute grace period to do so and avoid the penalty fee. The paid sections are marked with red, while the free sections are marked with green on the map below (as of April, 2022).

Traffic regulations

For cars without a trailer, the speed limit, unless marked otherwise, is

  • in populated areas 50 km/h,
  • outside populated areas 90 km/h,
  • on semihighways 110 km/h,
  • on highways 130 km/h.

Vehicles must have their daytime running lights or low beam lights on at all times when outside of populated areas, even if visibility is good.

Discounts for electric cars

  • Parking discount is available only with a Hungarian green license plate, according to local decree, there is no unified, national regulation.
  • Without a Hungarian green license plate foreign electric car users must pay for parking.
  • There is no other discount
    • electric cars have to pay to use the highway as well
    • the bus lane can not be used by electric cars either