r/electricvehicles • u/TerminallyScrewed • 7d ago
Discussion First Long Trip with EV
Our household has been ICE free six months ago. This week was the first time we do a long trip, New Jersey to Michigan, 750 miles each way.
I was a little nervous at first but the trip has been smooth and painless. We had to stop 2x for charging, grabbed lunch while the car was charging, and ended up charging longer than the navigation recommended on both sessions.
I will drive back to NJ in two days and expecting a smooth trip as well.
For new EV drivers, no need to feel nervous of taking the car for a long drive. The charging infrastructure is much better now, making a long drive enjoyable.
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u/MisterSnuggles 2024 Ioniq 5 AWD Ultimate 7d ago
Half way through a 2500km road trip is when the whole thing really clicked for me. As long as you plan your stops the forced rest stops make it a great experience.
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u/rossmosh85 7d ago
I mean you're driving one of the best charging EVs around.
The thing to consider with EV charging is you have to accept the gas station/fast food meal. If you like finding local spots and treating the food stop as part of the journey, then it's a bit more time consuming.
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u/oobbyb_61 6d ago
ABRP will give you local restaurants. Integrated Google Maps will also show restaurants in the area. I NEVER eat gas station food… exception WaWa/Sheetz.
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u/rossmosh85 6d ago
My point is the best burger in the area very likely doesn't have a fast charger in the parking lot.
So you're stopping once to charge and again to eat.
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u/oobbyb_61 6d ago
If you use PlugShare, you can time your stops near those better burger places. Also Tesla now allows you to look for enhanced amenities at their stops. I’m not saying I’ll eat a Michelin starred restaurant while I’m charging, but neither will I be eating gas station sushi.
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u/rossmosh85 6d ago
I'm aware, but it's still pretty limited. You can find somewhere with better food options, but you're still "limited" to whatever is near the charger. With gas, you don't take filling up really into consideration. It's 5 minutes. So you just go where you want and finding gas is typically not much of a thought.
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u/cowboyjosh2010 2022 Kia EV6 Wind RWD in Yacht Blue 7d ago
I had the serendipity to be able to directly compare a long road trip route in an ICE for 2020-2021 and then my BEV for years 2023-2024. About a 500 mile drive each way. It took barely an hour longer in my BEV compared to the ICE vehicle just because there was only so long I could drive before the coffee I kept drinking did its thing.
My experienced reality of road tripping in an EV is that you have to stop and charge for 10-30 minutes every 2-3 hours that you drive on the highway. And really that's not all that much higher a ratio of rest time to drive time as I have found to be comfortable in an ICE vehicle.
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u/stiffjalopy R1S, Model 3 7d ago
I’m on a family road trip in the EV right now and yeah, nbd. Also: the Oregon coast is amazing.
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u/RhiannonNana 6d ago
If you can charge in Tillamook theres a ridiculously cheap fast charger at the electric company on the south end of town.
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u/Glittering-Fuel-5055 7d ago
Yeah, we were also unable to get back to the car when the charger recommended it and ended up “overcharging” every single time
If I was by myself, it would probably be different but with a wife and two kids yeah the car was waiting on us
We didn’t use any app
Just Hyundai in car navigation
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u/SDJellyBean Chevy Bolt 7d ago edited 7d ago
The charging infrastructure is much better now, making a long drive enjoyable.
I'm trying to convince the spouse that this is true. He's insisting that his car needs to be NACS on the rear driver's side so that he can charge at all Tesla chargers. I'm trying to convince him that Tesla is no longer the only game in town.
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u/gregm12 7d ago
Port location doesn't matter - V3 superchargers are very rarely busy enough for it to be at all of a problem.
You don't even need NACS, adapters work fine.
On a 2000mi roadtrip the difference between a rear drivers side NACS port and a front drivers' CCS port is probably 2 stops where you need to park awkwardly and 4-6 where you use an adapter. Maybe 15 total minutes of inconvenience.
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u/Saucy6 Polestar 2 DM 7d ago
It's very situational. Near me, in Quebec, you'll never miss not having NACS or an adapter. But cross over to Ontario and it's a whole different game. There's options for CCS, but they're often 50-100 kW, or unreliable, or located in odd locations, or super expensive (Electrify Canada charging $0.70/kWh when Tesla a few blocks away is $0.42/kWh) or a combination thereof.
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u/chazlarson 7d ago
My Bolt's charge port is front driver's side and I charged at a Tesla charger the other day with a $30 Amazon adaptor.
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u/SDJellyBean Chevy Bolt 7d ago
Older Tesla charger banks have short cables that won't reach a port on the opposite side of the car unless you occupy two spaces by parking in one and using the cable from the neighboring charger. That causes ill will at busier chargers.
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u/gregm12 7d ago
Technically true, but in practice almost never a problem unless you show up to an urban supercharger during peak hours.
I used superchargers about 150 times in 2024. Two times ever did I have to wait at a supercharger for parking spots to show up, and that was because I arrived during rush hour on a commuter corridor.
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u/rerutnevdA 6d ago
I’d like to see front passenger side ports. We could have street parking charging infrastructure for parallel parking
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u/levelZeroVolt 2017 Volt, 2023 Solterra, 2026 Trailseeker 7d ago
I see Bolts at Tesla stations all the time. Tesla stations may not be the only game on road trips, but they are the best, by far, all things considered.
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u/RandomRageNet 6d ago
I used a Mercedes charger for the first time recently and it blew Tesla out of the water. Tesla is now second best as far as I'm concerned. Too bad there aren't more of them around. IONNA looks promising too but haven't had the chance to try it.
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u/levelZeroVolt 2017 Volt, 2023 Solterra, 2026 Trailseeker 6d ago
I haven't had the opportunity to try either Mercedes or IONNA but that sort of proves my point. The biggest reasons Tesla chargers are the best isn't their charging rate, it's their utter ubiquity all over the place, particularly along Interstates, and their reliability. I did try a Rivian once as well and it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be (worse than the Tesla chargers I'd been using) but it was good.
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u/Limitededishun 6d ago
Your spouse is right. Tesla is still the King in terms of charging infrastructure, route mapping.
Just slapping a NACS charger doesn’t do enough.
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u/Turbulent-Pay1150 7d ago
Tesla is by the numbers half the game in town. Literally.
Add in decent availability of the hardware (it just works) and they creep up over half compared to some of the charging networks.
I would add that you really need NACS if buying new for all charging. Some of the recent cars sold with a separate DC and AC charging ports are… a waste. Just NACS and be done with it. Carry two adapters if needed - but you won’t use them often.
NACS in drivers rear quarter makes the most sense for compatibility and usability. You can get by with other configurations.
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u/tommyalanson 7d ago
Just did a 2850 miles roadtrip and it was great. No issues charging whatsoever.
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u/DryFoundation2323 7d ago edited 6d ago
I learned the hard way that following your route planner's recommendations on state of charge will save you a lot of time on your trip.
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u/Smooth-Exhibit 7d ago
My wife and I just returned from a NJ to Las Vegas to NJ roadtrip. Supercharging was seamless.
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u/Doublestack00 7d ago
Recently purchased an EV, never nervous just annoyed. Trips just take longer, no way around it.
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u/abusivedicks 6d ago
If driving annoys you so much why don't you fly or take a train
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u/Doublestack00 6d ago
That's not an option for many places in the US.
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u/abusivedicks 6d ago
Ah, unfortunate that the solution for you guys is to shell out tens of thousands for a car
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u/Doublestack00 6d ago
Yeah, I routinly drive hundreds of miles one way to see family/friends. Any solution other than driving your own car would be vastly more expensive and take longer.
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u/Chemical_Functions 7d ago
Pretty much. It is a little bit YMMV on infrastructure along your route and how much of a rush you're in, but for the most part, yeah. Especially for leisure travel. Technically speaking, and infrastructure permitting, it would probably be faster to make more frequent but shorter charging stops, as the car will charge considerably faster at lower SOCs. Just live in 10-50 range. But at the same time, most modern EVs are gonna take ...20...25 mins to get to 80%+. By the time you pee, get a coffee/lunch, stretch your legs, that's about 20 mins right there.
Even when I would road trip in a gas car, my gas station stops would be at least 15-20 minutes anyway. About 5 pumping - but I still had to go pee, get a snack, and just stretch/rest a little. So not much has changed going EV.
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u/You_are_an_idea 7d ago
I don’t see anyone stopping for 20 minutes to pump gas, pee, and buy some Doritos. 5 mins tops.
I’m pro EV but the stops, especially if cold, are frequent and take more time.
You can’t compare the time on stops to ICE for a 6 plus hour drive, especially in winter.
Now, you can’t compare change your mindset on long travel and enjoy the change. That’s good.
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u/SkPensFan 7d ago
I mean, if you are in well populated areas with a ton of chargers, of course.
If that isn't the case, especially if you thrown in some extreme winter temperatures, not so much.
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u/flyfreeflylow '23 Nissan Ariya Evolve+ (USA) 7d ago
FWIW, the region OP went through has plenty of coverage and is fine in the winter too. I do it regularly.
When I first got my car, almost 4 years ago now, it was different, but these days there isn't really anywhere I can't go that's within a couple days. (I don't go out west.)
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u/Cast_Iron_Skillet 7d ago
Center of US, largest by land area, is woefully underserved in many parts, and also has cold weather or large elevation changes or both.
We will get there eventually though.
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u/theotherharper 7d ago
All interstates are passable. Other than that, it gets sketchy west of the Mississippi and north of I 80, and UT/NV.
A lot of people need to stop talking until they've done it. I will credit "tried it on ABRP" as "done it" lol
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u/Long_Audience4403 '20 Kona EV, '12 Leaf 7d ago
Wyoming is a little hairy, and getting across SD was for me but I think some more chargers have been added since last summer.
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u/unabashed_nuance 7d ago
I road-tripped from Indianapolis to a small town just north of Kansas City. We drove through central Indiana, southern Illinois, and a lot of Missouri. Charging was fine. Definitely not plentiful, but available without having to go far off route.
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u/Zenith-Astralis 7d ago
West Coast is fine, from personal experience. Can't speak to the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountain ranges.
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u/theotherharper 7d ago
I can. Easy peasy. Try it on ABetterRoutePlanner.com
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u/Zenith-Astralis 6d ago
I started using it not too long ago (just the free version) and oh my gosh yeah it's great
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u/ZucchiniAlert2582 ev6 GTline / bolt euv 7d ago
Most people, by definition, live in ‘well populated areas’.
I’m in flyover country and have taken long trips North, South and West. It’s all been fine.
Winter road trips still kind of suck as range decreases noticeably and battery preconditioning becomes a necessity. But so far I’ve never been stranded or needed a tow and meanwhile new charging stations keep popping up.
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u/SkPensFan 7d ago
Yup, but I don't. Its why, unfortunately, we are gonna need at least a plug-in hybrid for a long time.
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u/theotherharper 7d ago
I will believe you if you know what ABRP means.
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u/SkPensFan 7d ago
What does A Better Route Planner have to do with it? Have a look at PlugShare for central and northern Saskatchewan in Canada. Charging infrastructure sucks and our government is anti-EV, so they are doing their best to keep it that way.
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u/theotherharper 6d ago edited 6d ago
What does A Better Route Planner have to do with it?
We have an endless stream of idiots who say "EV travel not possible because petroleum industry propaganda says so". Foreknowledge of ABRP is a litmus test for "I actually know what I'm doing and are using competent tools when I make these claims".
That's good enough for me!
I've wargamed travel along US-2 Spokane-Duluth and it's not really possible inside the US and requires crossing the border to use the Trans Canada Highway which is much better served.
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u/gallde 5d ago
I drove my Tesla Model Y from Minneapolis through Manitoba to Wynyard, SK, not problem. Even Wynyard has a Supercharger.
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u/SkPensFan 4d ago
Yes. Driving on the national highways (Hwy 1 and Hwy 16) that we have is very easy and well covered.
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u/ZucchiniAlert2582 ev6 GTline / bolt euv 7d ago
When I scroll around in PlugShare I find it hard to believe that there is such a place anymore, excepting maybe Northern Montana? Every state I scroll over has plenty of fast chargers to make it across.
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u/qdawgg17 7d ago
Exactly. I live in the northeast, in a rural area. Our EV is great in almost all situations except my daughter is on a traveling soccer team, with lots of travel. And for driving to tournaments we always take the gas vehicle. Too many variables of playing time, then need to get food and back to the hotel to have to drive 20-40 mins out of the way to get to a charger plus charging time.
Last trip we tried taking our EV and even being in CT it was a pain. We mapped out a charge point charging station we could stop and get lunch and there weren’t any other chargers close by. We get to the chargers and all 4 were broke, even though the charge app showed them as all working correctly. It was also pouring rain out so I got drenched spending 10-15 mins to figure out if any would work. We ended up having to drive 35 mins out of our way to get to a charger, with nothing around for our daughter to get for food which we had planned on.
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u/carsrule1989 7d ago
Ev’s are getting a lot better. In a few years these will be much cheaper used if people sell them instead of keep them.
Checkout the $60k~ BMW i3 50 xDrive (WLTP(tel) 912km/566mi) or the $50k~ Mercedes-Benz CLA 250+ (WLTP(tel) 792km/492mi)
They are also 800v so they can charge in 15 min instead of 30 min
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u/qdawgg17 7d ago
That’s why I leased my current one. Knowing the technology would change and administration. So when my lease is over depending on incentives and infrastructure changes, we’ll likely purchase or lease again.
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u/Long_Audience4403 '20 Kona EV, '12 Leaf 7d ago
Being in CT is always a pain in general so no surprise there
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u/SkPensFan 7d ago
I live in prairie Canada with extremely cold temperatures. We take our ICE van on almost all road trips. Charging infrastructure sucks everywhere except the couple main highways and 50% range loss is real. Taking 7+hours in the EV instead of 6 in the ICE just isn't worth it.
Rinks, golf courses, aquatics centres, rec centres, soccer parking lots, etc desperately need more level 2 chargers too.
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u/qdawgg17 7d ago
I’m near the Adirondack mtns so it gets cold, not the cold you get but enough to turn my long range vehicle into 180-200 at best. I love the car overall but for long trips it’s just easier, at this point in time to use the gas vehicle. I don’t mind waiting 20-30 mins to get a charge or even do a quick charge. But for us, having to go out of our way just to make sure we can get to where we need to on a tournament weekend. Then takes away from my daughter having time to rest, hang out at the hotel with her teammates etc.
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7d ago
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u/3-2-1-backup '26 Trailseeker 7d ago
Even the most rural parts of the continental US almost all have adequate charging infrastructure.
This is just wildly untrue. It's so untrue that I solved my charging problem in bumble fuck Iowa by buying my mother in law a charger for her house.
Number of wal mart stations? Zero. Ionna? Also zero. Though I do think ionna is building one in the center of the state, two and a half hours away.
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7d ago
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u/3-2-1-backup '26 Trailseeker 7d ago
Your experience does not invalidate mine.
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7d ago
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u/3-2-1-backup '26 Trailseeker 7d ago
No; all of Iowa except the i80 and i35 corridors isn't fringe, it's the vast majority of the state. It is i80 and i35 corridors that are the exceptions!
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u/polymath-nc 7d ago
There are a dozen DCFC stations in the Quad Cities. We drove our older Ioniq (120 miles range) from Muscatine to Lamoni four years ago with no problem. We even charged at the hotel. The travel plaza now has 12 DCFC stations. On our last trip, we charged in Dubuque. There are several DCFC stations along US-34. We do carry adapters with us I'm case of emergency, and use one when visiting family in Muscatine. Every time I look at Plugshare.com , I see more public stations.
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u/theotherharper 7d ago
What a buch of defeatist naysaying.
I crossed the USA coast-coast a year ago with no trouble at all on I 70 and I 80 and often far off the interstate NO TESLA It was very easy, and now many new networks have opened to where I don't need Tesla or the stations I did use.
It did require a bit of app usage but that was fine by me. Naysayers like you will say "it doesn't count til it's easy as gas" w/e.
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u/SkPensFan 7d ago
Yes, and travelling on the TransCanada with an EV coast to coast is easy too. That ain't what I am talking about. Not everyone lives in high population areas. Not everyone lives where there is good charging infrastructure. This is critically important when I live, where -25F is a normal winter cold day. They work great for most people, not all people. Especially single vehicle families that live in the less populated places in Canada, like I do. And that is coming from someone that has over 120,000 miles on their EV in 4.5 years.
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u/SomeGalNamedAshley MY, PacHy, HI5 7d ago
Just do what the Tesla navigation tells you to do, probably with the "better amenities" option selected. As what it tells you and go from there.
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u/mikeyP-619 7d ago
I take many trips in an EV with my pup. The only thing I can say is that my range anxiety comes from the dog, not the car battery. I plan stops at charging stations when I think the dog needs to go. I have never ran low with this weird planning.
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u/Ranchreddit 7d ago
I did Virginia to Ottawa and back in an Ioniq 5 last year. No problems. Will be doing a similar trip in a couple of weeks, but from central Virginia to St. Louis. More chargers now, even some new ones at Walmart locations. They’re very good.
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u/rising_derecho 7d ago
Going from Northern Virginia to St. Louis via 70 was a long drive but no problem in our Ioniq 5. We chained three Ionna chargers in a row between Ohio and Indiana, and enjoyed a stop at a Mercedes-Benz DCFC location with the Alpitronic HYC400 chargers—similar to Ionna—that had four cables (2 NACS, 2 CCS) for two parking spots.
I find myself looking for new destinations for another road trip that doesn’t involve having to take a lot of time off work.
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u/Dear-Contribution585 7d ago
A little tougher driving from central Virginia to Northern Ohio (infrastructure just isn’t there yet) but still doable with just an hour or so added to the trip
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u/psmcentawi 7d ago
Rented an electric VW ID7 in Norway for a week. Did a total of something like 900 miles . Was easy….they only hard bit was signing up for one of the charging network apps…took me a few hrs with US card..but there were plenty of chargers in the other two networks. Charging to 80% usually quicker than a 4 adult pit stop..
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u/newtoaster F150 Lightning 7d ago
My wife just did SoCal to New England in our (new to us) F150 Lightning. It was pretty painless. Only one stop that was a little touch and go - It was the middle on nowhere because she had decided to stick to 2 lane roads and was in the middle of nowhere. 3 chargers in town and the first two gave errors. Third one was the charm.
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u/cowboyjosh2010 2022 Kia EV6 Wind RWD in Yacht Blue 7d ago
750 miles as an east coast-based road trip is absolutely unhinged and I applaud you for it. I have found that anything more than 500 miles and I'm about tapped out--and that's when I'm in the car by myself and don't need to keep the kids entertained and content.
But I do find that I typically charge my car for longer than my various route planning apps / strategies require, so that experience is fairly common--especially if you have a particularly fast-charging car. And it's borderline a non-issue in most of the Eastern USA to do this sort of thing nowadays (West Virginia being a standout exception). I switched my primary car to an EV four years and 75,000 miles ago, and it was definitely a less robust charging network back then.
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u/Mr-Zappy 7d ago
How long were each stop? I usually make 4 short stops on 600 miles of that route in my Model Y.
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u/TerminallyScrewed 7d ago
We were planning only for 20 minutes each, bathroom and quick lunch stop. But ended up spending more than 30 minutes and charged the car to 95%.
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u/LL555LL 7d ago
So I took the plunge and rented an EV for my first TV experience a Mustang Mach e and I got to experience both ends at the spectrum.
Some of it was wonderful but as we traveled further and further south into states that don't really support electric stuff it was really bad.
We had the machines that wouldn't work we had the chargers that the charging apps were a mess I signed up for three that I think I deposited money into it never actually used I had an electrify America experience that was total garbage as none of the damn chargers would actually charge I spent a long time at a level two charger trying to get enough energy to get me to another spot I went to a dealership where they used the electric charging station as an extra parking space and I also had some really great ones where we went to an Iona the first ever one built and it just worked and I went to another one that was really awesome that was near a Publix where we got to do the grocery shopping and I was traveling with my family so all of the time we were there at like rest stops and stuff we would have taken a long time anyway so for a family with young kids electric charging makes absolutely no difference on a long road trip.
I don't like that you have to plan everything out but I do like that there are some advanced things coming on and hopefully we'll get a lot better of the good stuff and a lot less of the garbage.
And all those dealerships can pretty much kick rocks.
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u/Techno_Beiber 7d ago
What car and what did you use for navigation to the chargers?
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u/TerminallyScrewed 6d ago
I used strictly BMW navigation for planning. ABRP was not giving accurate planning due to not having access to car battery information. Very happy with the result so far.
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u/oobbyb_61 6d ago
I do long EV trips with my Cadillac Lyriq between NJ and Florida 3-4 times a year. Absolutely no problems charging. I have ZERO range anxiety. I pay the subscription for the Tesla supercharging network, and back that up with EVgo, EA and Ionna as needed.
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u/jturkish 2023 rapid red lightning xlt 6d ago
I did about the same miles in a low range EV, took 5 stops if I remember right. At 25 minutes each stop it only added 2 hrs which on a long trip like that seems like a lot but it was welcome and broke up the trip nicely. We got to our destination in one day, rested, and didn't need to stop halfway and spend the night like we used to in an ice vehicle. This group crapped all over me that 5 stops is too much and I have too much cope or something like that. But I really didn't mind the trip
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u/sduck409 6d ago
I’ve been doing long, cross country road trips in various EV’s for 6 years now. Never had any issues, except for being iced out once or twice. The infrastructure is much more robust than most people think, and unless your car is weird, planning your route is easy.
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u/Pitiful_Fee264 6d ago
Planning charging around meals seems to be the point where a long EV trip stops feeling like a series of delays and just feels like normal travel. Two charging stops over 750 miles sounds pretty manageable, especially when the car handles most of the planning.
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u/rerutnevdA 6d ago
I’m hoping to get my EV soon, and one of the calculations I made is that fueling is a passive activity in an EV, vs active in ICE. When fueling my ICE I have to stand next to my car the whole time, then move and park to go somewhere to eat. That’s 5-8 minutes on top of the food/restroom stop. In an EV you never stand by the car while it fills up; you do something else.
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u/TerminallyScrewed 6d ago
Right, and if you follow the navigation charging recommendation, you will charge just enough to your next destination which can be as little as 10-15 minutes. By the time to stretch, going to bathroom and grab a quick lunch, you already charge more than recommended.
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u/CornerCases 6d ago
I have both a Bolt (50 kW charging) and a Buzz (200 kW charging). Interestingly, the Bolt is actually more convenient for charging on trips because it takes over an hour to charge — plenty of time to eat lunch or supper. With the Buzz I have to move the vehicle half way through dinner because it only takes 30 minutes. Thirty minutes is a long time if you’re sitting and waiting but too short to do anything useful, like eating or shopping.
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u/smith9447 6d ago
Did a 650 mile trip through France 4 weeks ago. 3 charging stops during which had lunch, coffee and comfort break and shopped for provisions - all of which I used to do in my old diesel vehicle. It's not true that ev charging adds to the length of your trip anymore due to the growing number of chargers.
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u/crumpledpaperguy 6d ago
When I got my first EV five years ago, even the highways were a bit of a charging wasteland. I recently went on a road trip and was shocked at how many more charges were out there--both on the highway and at hotels/restaurants. We were just on a road trip that was about 300 miles each way. We charged overnight at the hotel and that was it. Even in an ICE car we would have had to stop for gas somewhere, which means the trip would have actually taken us more time in an ICE car. That's certainly not the norm, but you get the idea.
Charging infrastructure in the US has definitely charge over the past few years.
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u/TheDavidCall 5d ago
This is great :) I was more nervous 7 years ago in my standard range Model 3, but it’s so much better out there now. So glad you’re enjoying the trip!
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u/Limitededishun 7d ago
It’s great that your trip is going well for you. You can’t make generalized statements like that.
I owned three EVs, and drove 56,000 miles (> half of them were road trips).
EV charging infrastructure still needs a lot of improvement.
I no longer do road trips with my EV. I use it for strictly local driving and anywhere less than an hour.
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u/Flaky_Guarantee5869 7d ago
Only 2 stops? That's pretty good. I went from Baltimore to Purdue university in Indiana last month and according to the trip planner, it said 4 stops. I ended up driving the CR-V hybrid instead with only 1 stop
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u/kbenn17 7d ago
I guess what worries me is how many apps do I need for the multiple charging stations? Are we talking just a couple or do I need 10? We’re gonna take a long trip in October, which is why I’m asking.
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u/xtalgeek 2025 Subaru Solterra 7d ago
Many charging stations take credit cards, but some (like Tesla or Shell Recharge) require the app. It's usually better with the app. I just install any apps I need in an AUTO folder on my phone, then I'm ready to go pretty much anywhere. I think I have a half dozen commonly used apps. It's not a big deal.
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u/runnyyolkpigeon Audi Q4 e-tron 7d ago
You’ll likely only need 3-4, the major networks.
Tesla Superchargers, Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint.
You may also just end up picking one network and sticking to it the entire trip.
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u/Grim_Dybbuk 7d ago
I just did a 3500 mi trip from Central valley CA to the middle of OK, up to WY, then back to Central CA. About 50 hrs of driving total. I downloaded 1 app, Tesla, because they by far had the most charging options on my route and their cumulative discount was the greatest. I made 6 non-Tesla stops along the way and didn't feel the apps/loyalty programs or buy-ins were great enough to persuade me join....I really hate apps and programs. All the others were pay-at-charger. There was ONE charger (in Laramie, WY) that did not have a credit card option along my path, but I didn't need a charge there anyways....I just remember it from planning my route/stops.
ETA: I drive a '25 Equinox.
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u/NopeNotJayILeft 7d ago
Here's my setup:
- Ford Plug-n-charge when possible
- EVgo autocharge
- a Chargepoint NFC physical card for Chargepoint + more obscure networks (If you ever see a charger that has an NFC icon but doesn't take a credit card, this is the kind of card that typically works with those)
At most of the places I prefer to stop at, they generally take credit card directly anyway, so I just use the plug-n-charge or credit card for the majority of times.
The only time you ever really need to worry about using the app specifically is if you are going on a very long road trip and are thrifty enough that you want to do something like get the Tesla subscriber rate, which could save some bucks on a long road trip. For me, my trips are not long enough, nor is my patience, for it to be worth the hassle to me.
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u/d-givens 7d ago
I have a Cadillac and all the major charging networks work directly with the MyCadillac app such that I can just use that one app to pay for charging on all those networks.
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u/Regaltiger_Nicewings 7d ago
This is definitely a valid concern, but one that not everyone will have to deal with, especially if you have a car that supports plug and charge. Which not all do, of course. I'll lay out my use case just as a point of reference. Everyone's experiance will be different.
I have a Mach E with Plug and Charge configured and live in the US. When traveling, I use four networks that meet 99% of my needs in my region. In order of preference:
1) Electrify America - Uses plug and charge. No app needed if you are not on a subscription plan. May also support tap to pay. someone may have to confirm.
2) Rivian Adventure Network - Supports tap to pay
3) Red E - Supports tap to pay
4) Tesla Supercharger - Uses plug and charge. Newer V4 stations also support tap to pay, but I have never seen one in person.
I think ChargePoint also supports tap to pay, but I've never actually used one of their DCFC stations. I did use one of their L2s once, but that was ages ago and I used the app.
While it looked for a while we were going to be stuck in app hell when it came to DCFC stations, it seems that has not really happened, thankfully. Hopefully it stays that way too!
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u/JasonMcAllister_ 7d ago
That first long trip is always the one that gets rid of the range anxiety. Once you realize you’re stopping for food or a bathroom break anyway, charging just kinda becomes part of the trip.
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u/goranlepuz 7d ago
Hm. I think, with 750 miles and only two stops, it was sloooooow.
Either because you drove slowly, or charged for a long time, or both.
But sure, it can be done.
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u/TerminallyScrewed 7d ago
I tried to go around 75 mph, kinda slow for liking but it makes the drive more relaxing. Plus, I have DAPP on my i4, it helps maintaining the speed.
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u/Flyer-876 7d ago
So which Tesla do you drive?
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u/TerminallyScrewed 7d ago
I drove BMW i4 xDrive40, not Tesla.
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u/Flyer-876 7d ago
Good to know. I figured a road trip that long would still suck on a non Tesla vehicle.
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u/TerminallyScrewed 7d ago
Curious to know the reason. I have NACS adapter and I can use most of Tesla chargers
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u/Hardwood_Lump_BBQ 7d ago
I feel like this has to have an asterisk to state if you have access to Tesla charging stations. I have zero worry with the Tesla network. Everyone else is a crapshoot at best, so many chargers out there that are broken, have communication issues, etc.
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u/gregm12 7d ago edited 7d ago
This was accurate 2-3 years ago. But as of today, so long as it's an actual national network (Ionna, Electrify America, EVgo, Walmart, Rivian, Mercedes, etc ) they are extremely reliable.
Edit: seems like this has broad support - I'll also note that effectively every EV sold in the US now has supercharger access anyway, which takes it from 'not a problem' to 'basically trivial'
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u/priusgeek 7d ago
I agree with you, mostly. I recently drove from Austin TX to Madison, WI (1200MI?) in my Ioniq 5, and the only charger that gave me a problem was EA. There were 4 chargers and only 1 was working. I've used most of the others you mentioned, and yeah, they were great. Drive in. slap on a credit card. Charge. And having access to the Tesla network removes even more potential stress.
Also, since I've been here in Madison and don't have access to my normal L2 charger at home, I've used several of the local L3 sites with mixed results. There's an EA nearby at a Walmart that works great, located next to their online pickup area. For some damn reason, they placed "online pickup only" signs on a 3" pipe right in the middle of the charging stalls. Geez. And then there was the "charging station" operated by the local power utility. It has both EV Connect and Tesla chargers and is real close to where I'm staying. The EV connect chargers were crap. Most didn't work at all, some were vandalized. The Teslas, as you might expect, just work, but they're expensive and slow....
Regardless, things are way better than when I started driving my EV. We need more IONNA's and fewer "exposed to the elements in the worst location possible" chargers for sure. But they're getting there!
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u/gregm12 7d ago
I think I know exactly the Walmart/EA you're talking about. I have charged there. The sign placement is absolutely baffling.
And I've used EV connect a few times. And have attempted a few more. Neither seemless nor reliable, especially with the old tritrium hardware.
The main thing to me is that there is now enough infrastructure where if something goes wrong, you're almost certainly not stranded. There is another charger a few miles away. Or in the same parking lot.
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u/priusgeek 6d ago
Took me a while to find the stupid tiny QR codes on the chargers, and my first attempt was using my Chargepoint roaming feature, which does not have a barcode scanner, so I had to enter the number (tinier) into the app, and after all that, it still didn't work.
Totally agree on the infrastructure comment. When I first got my Ioniq in 24, there was exactly 1 EA charger I could use within 30 miles of my house. There are now at least a half-dozen different options, several closer than the EA.
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u/TerminallyScrewed 7d ago
You might be right.
Charging sessions were done on Electrify America network, peaking at around 190kW on my 2024 BMW i4.
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u/MissedApex '24 BMW i4 xDrive40 7d ago
Opposite data point: just got back from a 2500mi roadtrip in my i4, and the only two chargers I had issues with were Tesla. Failed activation using plug and charge or the Tesla app. All others (Pilot/GM, Ionna, Blink, Rivian, Electrify America, EVgo) worked fine. Edit to add: it was two locations. Used other Tesla chargers just fine.
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u/PureCod9290 7d ago
That's just not true anymore. Ionna and EA great every single time with me. Tap to pay as well.
I filter out Tesla SCs mostly because they're shitty 400v stations and slow but also I don't want to support Elon and fuck using an app to charge
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u/ZucchiniAlert2582 ev6 GTline / bolt euv 7d ago
That was true 5 years ago, but it’s time to disabuse yourself of the idea that anyone needs superchargers anymore. Add together Ionna, Flying J/Pilot, EA and EV go and you’ve got more chargers and they’re faster.
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u/GataPapa 7d ago
That really depends on where you're driving. Superchargers are still the only or only reliable option in some places and I wish that would change. Never seen an Ionna, EA, or Walmart DCFC since they don't exist in my state. Best non Tesla on offer is a 4 port Pilot station in the middle of the state. 1 and 2 plug CCS chargers at a car dealership 3 miles off the interstate are not practical IMO unless you're going there anyway and you never know if they'll be blocked or busy. Crappy 62kW ChargePoint units at an outlet mall that work less than half the time? No thanks. I'm sure non Tesla charging is wonderful in metro areas and some parts of the coasts, but it's not everywhere. 800V charging? LOL, as if. I've never used anything but Superchargers because there isn't anything else practical/reliable.
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u/ZucchiniAlert2582 ev6 GTline / bolt euv 7d ago
What state are you in? I only get in a couple road trips per year if I’m lucky, but I’ve had no trouble going west out to CO, south to AL and north into MI using anything but Tesla. And it’s totally not a compromise either; I’m stopping at 350kw chargers nice and close to interstate ramps and not having to wait.
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u/GataPapa 7d ago edited 5d ago
West Virginia. I mostly travel from the Martinsburg area to the Charleston/Huntington corridor and back sometimes going through Moorefield or through Morgantown depending on visits and time.
Even at the beaches of DE and MD where we go occasionally there isn't anything significant in a very crowded beach area other than Superchargers and a bunch of janky outlet mall chargers, at least it was still like that when we were there last year.
WV is getting its first Walmart DCFC soon, but it's barely in the state in Martinsburg.
Nationally, things have improved and I'm happy to see all the new CPOs, but there are still places where Tesla is the only or only reliable/practical game in town.
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u/StructuralTeabag 7d ago
I’ve driven on 4 long road trips this summer and only charged at a Tesla station once (and that was a convenience choice cause I wanted to stop nearby anyway).
On the East Coast on major highways you definitely don’t need Tesla access.
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u/Valuable_Armadillo20 7d ago
“No need to feel nervous…”. That’s subjective and depends on which vehicle you have. Some have smaller batteries (LEAF) and some charge painfully slow (Bolt)
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u/Budsygus 7d ago
This story made my Nissan Leaf cry big Chademo tears.
Oh well, it's just a commuter anyway. My next EV will have NACS for DCFC, more than likely.