11/08/2026
Thirty days, thirty countries, and one electric experiment on a living organism. 🌍⚡
Time for a fresh, quick recap of the 30/30 EV Challenge.
Over 14,000 electric kilometers across the length and breadth of Europe. From Lapland to Mediterranean beaches, and from the Atlantic to the Balkans. Our family of four became the first in history to complete such an extreme route at such a relentless pace.
When any driver hears about successfully finishing a journey through thirty countries in thirty days, they usually start frantically calculating gas prices, service costs, and wondering how on earth anyone convinced their family to join this madness. Add the fact that this entire 14,000 km escapade happened behind the wheel of an electric Hyundai Ioniq 9 – and suddenly die-hard petrolheads see red, while EV fans start holding their breath for every charger along the way.
A month on the road, a new country every day, changing currencies, cultures, and wall sockets. Is it crazy? Absolutely. Did it prove something important? Without a doubt. Electric mobility in Europe is no longer just sales brochure theory, even if we’re still missing a few pieces of the puzzle for total peace of mind.
For us, deciding to go was natural. It wasn't our longest distance or longest time on the road. But the pace and strict rules were a bit intimidating. This time, there was no room for flexibility or spontaneous detours. Though I have to admit, reality turned out much easier than planning.
Any trip of this scale is a testing ground where expectations meet reality – both regarding technology and our patience with infrastructure.
A patchwork of systems and moody apps is the picture painted by anti-progress media and self-proclaimed influencers looking for cheap drama. While petrolheads chuckle into their sleeves thinking "you need a hundred cards and apps to charge", reality brings a pleasant surprise. In less EV-developed regions, you still hear that charging is a hassle and finding a plug is black magic. But let's be honest — driving an EV doesn't require complex tactical planning or route calculations anymore. At breakfast, you plug your destination into the app and just drive. The car handles the rest.
First was Western Europe — a smoothly running, unified system built on solid roaming. While driving across the West and North is pure pleasure in good cars, hopping between foreign operators can still give drivers of Stellantis, Tesla, or Chinese brands a few gray hairs. In the second phase, we crossed Central and Southern Europe, where chaos and fragmentation still rule. Payment standardization in Europe is still limping, sometimes feeling like medieval barter trade.
👇 [ FIRST SURPRISE ]
Infrastructure in the most unexpected places. Every EV hater is convinced that once you leave the main highway, your only option is a socket at a local farm. Meanwhile, ultra-fast charger networks pop up right where you’d expect a gas station from the 1980s. The electrons flow freely, and infrastructure is growing faster than skeptics care to admit.
Driving an EV is a bit different from driving an ICE car. Driving long-distance in an EV is very different. And honestly, much more enjoyable. Of course, not every car (regardless of powertrain) offers supreme comfort or performance. But any EV can handle the trip. Even an extreme one. Even the biggest skeptic has to admit that the smoothness, silence, and instant torque of an electric motor do magic. Covering hundreds of kilometers a day without fumes, engine vibrations, or noise means you step out of the car at the end of the day in much better shape than the logistics suggested.
👇 [ SECOND SURPRISE ]
Dynamics and travel comfort. Our Ioniq 9 was a great summer companion. Sure, it was huge and drew way too much attention, but you get used to it. The car turned out to be a magnet for people. Questions about real-world range, charging times, and costs came up at every stop — from curious hybrid owners to die-hard petrolheads. Turns out, in real life, the tech sparks far more genuine curiosity than online debates. The big Hyundai won us over with comfort, quietness, and performance. Standard features like a sliding bench or HUD are nice, but massage seats, active noise cancellation, and V2L make every kilometer a reward.
The myth of range anxiety. Every hardcore petrolhead fears range, believing that even with a massive battery, your subconscious plays tricks on you, making you feel like you're constantly on empty. Plus, the phantom fear of arriving at an occupied charger or a broken plug in a foreign country spikes your adrenaline faster than double espresso on an empty stomach. Meanwhile, actual EV drivers are completely free from these fears. Curious and strange, isn't it?
👇 [ THIRD SURPRISE ]
Too much range. We literally never used the full range of the Ioniq. It was physically impossible. Driving local backroads, we watched the range drop painfully slowly. After several hours of driving, we had to pull over for food or a bathroom break long before the car showed the slightest need for a charge. Most of the time, we just plugged into whatever charger we stumbled upon, following the Scandinavian ABC rule (Always Be Charging). Charging from 60–70%, we probably looked like total amateurs.
📌 COSTS, PRICES & TARIFFS
What about highway energy consumption? Couldn't tell you — we almost always stuck to backroads. Over 14,000 km, our average consumption was 22 kWh/100 km. But physics is physics — a big SUV cruising at high highway speeds will devour electrons at the speed of light. I noted prices at charging stations and compared them to petrol. On average, driving on electricity cost about half as much as petrol. Energy prices ranged from free at hotels and promos up to about €1 in Italy. A subscription with any Charge League member pays off immediately, and after that, it's pure savings.
GreenWay was the partner of our expedition, and I want to pause here. Instead of reducing our relationship to simple sponsorship, we received something far more valuable — genuine partnership, peace of mind, and full roaming support across the entire route.
Was roaming the cheapest option? No.
Was roaming the most convenient option? Yes.
Does GreenWay have the best roaming? No.
Did everything go smoothly? No.
It's worth noting that we pitched this partnership to twenty of the largest operators in Europe, and they either gave up immediately or doubted their own capabilities. GreenWay had the courage and confidence to jump in without hesitation. We can be proud to have an operator like that in Poland.
I won't quote toll prices because we avoided highways. This was a vacation, not a race.
🏆 SUMMARY OF THE 30/30 EV CHALLENGE
All in all, the whole endeavor was a massive success on every level. We more than doubled the previous record for countries visited at a rate of one per day, showed a united Europe without borders, erased white spots from the charger map, and silenced the skeptics once and for all.
Thirty countries in thirty days proved one more thing: European electromobility is ready for big adventures, even if it still asks for a little flexibility from the driver. The Ioniq 9 swallowed this route without a hitch, proving to skeptics that the future is already here — and to fans that it was worth the wait. And if we had to drink a cup of mediocre coffee under a roadside charging pole along the way — well, even that has its undeniable charm.
I know why nobody has done this before and why nobody will likely repeat it. Too many people live in fear of progress, novelty, and stepping outside their comfort zone. Even though insurance calculations gave us a 2.1% chance of success, and institutions like the EU, Team Guinness, or major insurers doubted us, going forward was our only choice. Especially since official records sound like a joke compared to our private family trips...
The tech didn't fail us once. It was the human factor that tested us a few times — physical fatigue and mental exhaustion were the only real threats to the project. Thankfully, we made it to the finish line safe and sound.
During preparation and on the road, we were blown away by the near 100% enthusiasm of everyone who crossed our path. The offers of help, partner ideas, sightseeing tips, meetups, and genuine kindness still overwhelm us. Especially since we kept this strictly a family project from day one and firmly turned down traditional motoring media. Interestingly, family was the main topic of conversation in person, with the most common question being: "How do the kids survive with the parents, and how do the parents survive with the kids?" Is spending a few hours together as a family really that extraordinary?
Of course, there were a few sad haters and toxic internet experts like Tesla-Vladko, Beach-side-Andrew, Diesel-Hans, or Chinese-car-Adam, but that's just background noise that couldn't touch our good mood.
On the other hand, massive applause and huge thanks go out to the EV community across Europe! In many countries, drivers and local EV clubs gave us spontaneous welcomes at chargers or in cities we visited. Sometimes it was a quick chat, a coffee powered by V2L, a shared lunch, a free charge, or even a place to sleep for the four of us. I have a strong feeling that electromobility attracts truly great people.
Now it's time for the next chapter: interviews, presentations, and recaps. It’s been just one day since we got back, so it’s time to plan the next adventure. Any ideas?
