Tesla Model 3 Road Trip to Germany, Part 2: How Does a High-Mileage Battery Handle Superchargers?
Day two of my Tesla Model 3 road trip to Cologne: from western Romania through Hungary to Austria. How much range the battery still shows after 124,000 km, how the car planned my Supercharger stops, the charging power I saw, and what the highway taught me about gas and diesel cars.
After day one, when I crossed Romania's mountains to Timișoara near the western border, it was time to leave the country. In part two of my road trip to Cologne, Germany, I drove my Tesla Model 3 from Timișoara through Hungary to Parndorf in Austria, and then on past Vienna. Along the way I wanted to answer three questions: how much range the battery still has after 124,000 km (about 77,000 miles), how well the car plans its own Supercharger stops, and whether it's really only EVs that drive slowly on the highway. Every number below is what I read on the dashboard or the charger, and you can see it all in the video on my "Mașina Timpului" channel.
Leaving Timișoara on a full battery
In Timișoara I caught up with a friend I hadn't seen in ages and used the break to charge to 100% on cheap electricity. I left at around 3:10 pm, in a proper heatwave, with a headwind coming in at an angle.
At 100%, the car showed 508 km of estimated range. When it was new, the same charge showed 550 km. From that difference I estimate the battery's state of health at roughly 92% after 124,000 km. It isn't a lab measurement, just a simple comparison of the dashboard estimate, but it's a useful hint for anyone worried about battery degradation.
The math for this leg was simple. Navigation showed about 491 km to Parndorf, and a little later I had 440 km to go and 440 km of range. If I stayed under 140 Wh/km (about 225 Wh/mile), I could make it without stopping and arrive with at least 1%. Above that, I'd have to charge on the way. For reference, since leaving home the trip computer showed 726 km driven at an average of 138 Wh/km.
Vignettes, and a useful update for Germany
Before the border I stopped to buy highway vignettes for Hungary and Austria. Hungary's is electronic, while the Austrian one went on the windshield, right next to an old Swiss one from an earlier trip. Worth knowing for future trips: according to "ASFINAG", 2026 is the last year Austria sells the windshield sticker, and from 2027 only the digital vignette, tied to your license plate, will be available.
In the video I also talk about Germany's environmental stickers (Umweltplakette), which you need to enter low-emission zones in many big cities. One important update: according to "TÜV NORD" and a September 2026 "Bundesrat" document, since October 1, 2026 vehicles with a German electric license plate (the "E" plate) no longer need the sticker. For everyone else the rule still applies. If you're driving a foreign-registered EV into cities like Cologne, check before you go whether you need a green sticker. You can get one from inspection bodies such as TÜV or DEKRA, even online, using your registration document.
The speed myth: gas and diesel cars are slower than you think
A story I hear a lot is that gas and diesel cars cruise at 130 km/h (81 mph) non-stop while EVs crawl. On the highway in Hungary I saw something different. Lots of cars were sitting behind trucks or cruising around 110–115 km/h. I filmed a Volkswagen Passat TDI on Romanian plates doing 93 km/h (58 mph), clearly saving diesel on a long trip. Some groups were doing 130, but not many.
I drove on cruise control at 120 km/h (75 mph), sitting comfortably behind cars going about the same speed. Above 120 I just don't feel good on a long drive. My takeaway: plenty of combustion drivers also drive for economy, and the time difference against a well-driven EV is much smaller than people claim.
On the way I also passed the construction site of BYD's factory in Szeged. It wasn't easy to see from the highway, but it's huge. It's BYD's first passenger car plant in Europe, and according to "Reuters", series production is due to start in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The car tells me where to stop and for how long
I let Tesla's navigation plan the whole route to Cologne. At first the plan looked like this: 9 minutes of charging in Tatabánya, 14 minutes in Parndorf and 14 minutes in Amstetten, with roughly two-hour driving stints in between. The numbers kept adjusting on the road. At one point the car said I'd arrive at the first charger with 17% and only needed to stay 7 minutes.
You can, of course, choose to stay longer or shorter. Charge more at one stop and sometimes one of the later stops disappears entirely. After Budapest the roadworks and heavier traffic started, and a few minutes before the charger the battery began preconditioning on its own.
Tatabánya: 7 minutes and done
At the Tatabánya Supercharger in Hungary, several cars were already charging. Power climbed to about 152 kW, and the car told me I had 7 minutes before I could continue. That's exactly how long I stayed. The screen immediately showed what I paid: 2,390 forints for about 15 kWh.
What I liked: when I left, the arrival estimate for Parndorf was 7%, but once traffic eased it rose to 13%. On the leg into Austria I covered 134 km in an hour and 14 minutes at 157 Wh/km, and the average since home rose to 143.4 Wh/km. Wind and traffic pace show up in the numbers.
Parndorf: arriving at 5%, over 200 kW on the charger
The Parndorf Supercharger sits right by the highway, with plenty of free stalls, a Burger King that was open, and restrooms nearby, which matters a lot when you travel alone. I rolled in with just 5%. By the time I got back in the car after plugging in, charging had already started, with no card and no app.
Power went past 200 kW: the charger showed 205 kW and the car 206–207 kW. According to "Tesla Romania", Model 3 can Supercharge at up to 250 kW. I haven't seen that peak in summer for a while, and with a warm battery on this trip I stayed around 200–210 kW. I charged for 13 minutes and reached 50%.
Why I don't charge to 80% or 100%
On long trips I prefer short, frequent stops. In Parndorf I only charged to 50%, enough to arrive at the next stop with about 10%. The bottom half of the battery charges fastest, so the extra minutes from 80 to 100% aren't worth it, especially in the evening, when fatigue kicks in and you won't drive three hours straight anyway.
A quiet cabin and a nap by a gas station
On the Vienna ring road, inside a tunnel, I ran a little test: windows slightly open, then closed. The difference is big, and the cabin went quiet. Tesla says the new Model 3 has 360-degree acoustic glass, meaning every window, not just the front ones.
At around 8:28 pm I pulled into a large gas station with restrooms, found a darker spot next to some bushes and slept for a few hours. In the morning I headed on toward Cologne, in part three.
What it means for drivers
- High mileage isn't a deal-breaker. After 124,000 km, my estimate is a battery health of around 92%, and the car still charges at over 200 kW.
- The car's trip planner does the heavy lifting. It tells you where to stop, how long to stay and what you'll arrive with, and it updates as you drive.
- Short stops are more efficient. Seven minutes in Tatabánya and 13 in Parndorf, about the length of a coffee and a restroom break.
- Speed matters less than you think. On the highway, many gas and diesel drivers cruise below 120 km/h, so a steady 120 doesn't make you the slowest car out there.
- Sort out the paperwork before crossing borders. Buy Hungarian and Austrian vignettes before you hit their highways, and check Germany's environmental sticker rule.
If you missed the start, read part one of the Cologne road trip, across Romania's mountains.
