In our Bucharest to Madrid EV duel, the Aiways U5 beats the BMW i3 42kWh by 222 minutes, completing the 3142km route in 40h 16min. The key advantage? 4 fewer charging stops. Route calculated on September 4, 2026 using real-time charging station data.
Despite costing 3,007 less, the Aiways U5 beats the BMW i3 42kWh by 222 minutes on this route.
The Aiways U5 needs only 24 charging stops compared to 28 for the slowest vehicle, saving valuable time.
Winner
Aiways U5
- Total time: 40h 16min (222 min faster)
- Charging stops: 24
- Charging time: 7h 12min
- Energy: ~589 kWh
- Distance: 3142km
Quick Comparison
| Metric |
Aiways U5 |
BMW i3 42kWh |
| Travel time |
40h 16min |
43h 58min |
| Charging time: |
7h 12min |
10h 42min |
| Charging stops: |
24 |
28 |
| Energy used |
~566 kWh |
~568 kWh |
Charging Strategy Breakdown
Aiways U5 Route
- Start: Bucharest (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Rompetrol (31 min, 23% → 42%)
-
Stop 2:
Lidl Bulevardul Mihai Viteazul (70 min, 10% → 82%)
-
Stop 3:
JP Putevi Srbije (10 min, 10% → 37%)
-
Stop 4:
OMV Dobrinci (12 min, 15% → 42%)
-
Stop 5:
Odmorište Rastovica Sjever (12 min, 10% → 27%)
-
Stop 6:
Tesla Supercharger (28 min, 10% → 68%)
-
Stop 7:
IONITY Shell (15 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 8:
Petrol (18 min, 10% → 56%)
-
Stop 9:
Smatrics Risparmio Casa (16 min, 10% → 52%)
-
Stop 10:
Ricarica Limenella Nord (13 min, 10% → 45%)
-
Stop 11:
Electriease Monte Alto Nord (12 min, 10% → 44%)
-
Stop 12:
Conad (18 min, 10% → 48%)
-
Stop 13:
Area di Servizio Stura Ovest (17 min, 10% → 53%)
-
Stop 14:
Castellaro Nord (20 min, 10% → 58%)
-
Stop 15:
Aire de Vidauban Nord (13 min, 10% → 45%)
-
Stop 16:
Aire de Lançon de Provence Est (12 min, 10% → 44%)
-
Stop 17:
Aire de Nabrigas (15 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 18:
Aire de Gasparets (11 min, 10% → 41%)
-
Stop 19:
ibis Styles Figueres Ronda (16 min, 10% → 49%)
-
Stop 20:
IONITY Mas de la Sala (10 min, 10% → 39%)
-
Stop 21:
IONITY Vila Sana (24 min, 10% → 63%)
-
Stop 22:
Calle Gaspar Torrente (14 min, 10% → 48%)
-
Stop 23:
Zunder Avia (15 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 24:
Supercharger Estación de Servicio Repsol (10 min, 10% → 37%)
- Arrival: Madrid
BMW i3 42kWh Route
- Start: Bucharest (100% charge)
-
Stop 1:
Kaufland (28 min, 15% → 67%)
-
Stop 2:
Lidl Bulevardul Mihai Viteazul (43 min, 10% → 79%)
-
Stop 3:
Stop Shop (26 min, 10% → 36%)
-
Stop 4:
OMV BS Bubanj Potok (13 min, 10% → 36%)
-
Stop 5:
OMV Dobrinci (21 min, 10% → 52%)
-
Stop 6:
Odmorište Rastovica Sjever (31 min, 10% → 67%)
-
Stop 7:
Odmorište Novska Sjever (24 min, 10% → 57%)
-
Stop 8:
Kaufland (13 min, 10% → 36%)
-
Stop 9:
Starine north (Krško - Novo Mesto) (19 min, 10% → 49%)
-
Stop 10:
Lom west (Ljubljana - Koper) (21 min, 10% → 52%)
-
Stop 11:
IONITY Risparmio Casa (29 min, 10% → 64%)
-
Stop 12:
Ricarica Limenella Nord (23 min, 10% → 55%)
-
Stop 13:
Electriease Monte Alto Nord (22 min, 10% → 54%)
-
Stop 14:
Conad (26 min, 10% → 59%)
-
Stop 15:
Area di Servizio Stura Ovest (30 min, 10% → 66%)
-
Stop 16:
Castellaro Nord (19 min, 10% → 48%)
-
Stop 17:
IONITY Aire de Bréguières Nord (13 min, 10% → 36%)
-
Stop 18:
Aire de Vidauban Nord (17 min, 10% → 45%)
-
Stop 19:
Supercharger Mercure Beaumanoir (16 min, 10% → 42%)
-
Stop 20:
Avenue Jean Monnet (19 min, 10% → 49%)
-
Stop 21:
Aire de Gigean Nord (18 min, 10% → 47%)
-
Stop 22:
Aire de Gasparets (20 min, 10% → 50%)
-
Stop 23:
ibis Styles Figueres Ronda (26 min, 10% → 60%)
-
Stop 24:
IONITY Mas de la Sala (24 min, 10% → 57%)
-
Stop 25:
Optimotor 4x4 (33 min, 10% → 70%)
-
Stop 26:
Calle Gaspar Torrente (26 min, 10% → 59%)
-
Stop 27:
AVIA (27 min, 10% → 61%)
-
Stop 28:
Supercharger Estación de Servicio Repsol (15 min, 10% → 41%)
- Arrival: Madrid
Why the Aiways U5 Won
The Aiways U5 achieved a 222-minute advantage over BMW i3 42kWh on this 3142km route. Key factors:
- Fewer charging stops: 24 stops vs 28 for the slowest vehicle means less time spent finding and connecting to chargers.
- Faster charging: Total charging time of 7h 12min vs 10h 42min thanks to higher peak charging speeds or better charging curve.
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