Thinking of taking a road trip in an electric vehicle? Or are concerns about running out of battery power on a long drive keeping you from buying an EV?
Charging infrastructure has improved over the last few years, and newer vehicles are charging much faster than previous generations. But it still matters what you drive, where you're driving and how much you plan in advance.
Road trips can play a disproportionate role in the public conversation about EVs. The vast majority of EV charging happens at home, not at public fast chargers. Many EV-owning households also have a gas or hybrid vehicle they prefer for long trips.
And some EV owners shrug off range anxiety because they simply don't go on many road trips. Ford CEO Jim Farley, in a recent love letter to EVs, wrote that Ford’s research shows half of Americans go on 150-mile-plus drives "four days or fewer per year.” Owning a car that's cheaper and easier 361 days of the year, but a bit of a hassle on your yearly holiday drive, might beat out having the dream road-trip machine.
Still, being able to go on road trips is a priority for many people. Here are some tips on how to make a battery-powered long haul more relaxing.
Before you decide:
- Consider your vehicle. Aside from a few models (like older Nissan Leafs), most modern EVs can handle a long drive but the experience will vary widely. Some EVs, like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6, can charge very quickly, getting back on the road in less than 20 minutes. Others, like the affordable Chevy Bolt, charge slowly, taking an hour or more. Tesla’s routing software is excellent, and Tesla’s Supercharger network — now open to Fords and Rivians — is best in class. If you're renting a car for a road trip, opt for a Tesla or at least a fast-charging option. If you're taking your own car, get familiar with its capabilities.
- Consider your destination. California has abundant chargers, while parts of Wyoming are nearly chargerless. Charger availability can vary widely, not just state by state or city by city but interstate by interstate, neighborhood by neighborhood. Look up your specific route before making a judgment call about whether you'll do it on battery power.
Before you go:
- Prep your car. Just like with a gas car, it’s a good idea to check your tire pressure before you hit the road — although there's no need to check your oil, of course! And charge up. A lot of EV owners keep their car at a maximum of 80% charge for day-to-day driving, to extend the life of the battery. But road trips are when that full 100% charge comes in handy, and occasionally charging to 100% does not damage your battery. If you can, schedule the charge so you hit 100% shortly before you leave.
- Check your route. Plug your destination into your car’s on-board navigation or an EV routing app like A Better Route Planner to see which chargers are going to be available along the way. On a road trip, you'll be looking for DC fast chargers, not Level 2 chargers, and preferably chargers that can match or exceed your car's max charging speed. Check reviews, too, and opt for chargers with higher reliability scores. And even if you don’t drive a Tesla, you may want to download the Tesla app just in case there’s a supercharger with Magic Dock (meaning any EV can use it) along your route.
- Look for hotels with EV chargers (and decide if they’re worth it). Charging up overnight at hotels can be convenient, especially if you’re in a slower-charging car. But check reviews (like on the charger review app Plugshare) to make sure the hotel chargers are reliable. Check prices, too. Some hotel charges are free. Others might cost $30 or more to charge a mid-size battery — as much as a fast charger. And have a backup plan, especially if the hotel only has one plug, for another way to charge.
On your trip:
- Pack intentionally. You should never overload any vehicle. But even if you're within your EV's weight limit, if you load your vehicle down or pull a trailer, you’ll reduce your range significantly. That may not be a problem if you’ve planned for it, but don’t get caught by surprise!
- Watch your speed. Of all the things that can reduce your range — temperature, wind, elevation — your speed is the easiest to control. Going faster will mean more charging stops.
- Turn on the A/C. Yes, climate control affects your range — just like it affects fuel economy in a gas car. But A/C in the summer isn’t nearly as big of a drain as a heater in the winter, and a road trip is miserable without it. One thing that can help, in either cold or hot weather, is starting the climate control while your car is still charging. (On a winter road trip, you might also see a meaningful range boost if you rely more on heated seats and less on the heater.)
- Listen to your car. Because external factors can reduce your range — and because some cars are less accurate than others at identifying your probable range — you may need to stop and charge before you expected. If your vehicle is sending up warning signals that it can’t reach its destination without a charge, don’t ignore them.
- Charge to 80%. At a fast charger, charging speeds reduce rapidly after a car hits 80%. You'll save yourself a lot of time by unplugging and moving on once you hit that mark. At slower chargers, like overnight charges at hotels, you can go ahead and charge to 100% if you'll be using the car the next day.
- Multitask. Meal stops. Bathroom visits. Snack resupply runs. Stretching interludes. Playground visits. Shopping. Whenever possible, use your charging stops as a chance to get out of your car. That's not possible at all chargers. But increasingly, companies are vying to put chargers near amenities, which can make a charging stop feel less like a hassle and more like a break.
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