Road trips are filled with adventures to planned and unplanned destinations. Some of the best places to end up in a place you didn’t even know existed, whether it’s a small town in the middle of nowhere or a big city that you stopped in to get gas and decided to stay awhile.
Most people plan on taking at least one road trip every year – they save you money on flights and fill your trip with adventures that you would never have imagined. But best of all, they have a way of strengthening relationships through experiences, deep meaningful conversations and singing loudly to your favorite songs.
Let’s be honest for a moment; going on a road trip with an electric car is going to be different. After all, you’ll have less of a range as far as miles you can travel before needing to recharge, and charging stations aren’t going to be at every stop. The average conventional car has a range of up to 400 miles, while most EV’s average 100 miles, and with far fewer charging stations than gas stations, planning is going to be crucial to a fun road trip.
And remember, just because it’s different doesn’t mean it won’t be fun or filled with adventure.
Let’s take a look at what planning your road trip with an electric car will look like. While there are going to be a few extra steps to take and a little time getting used to, it’s worth it. Here are some things that you’ll need to plan and look for when taking a road trip with an EV,
Planning your route around fast chargers
Most EVs have a range of 60 – 100 miles, but newer models have a larger range. Be sure that you know the range for your car and then plan your driving route around it. There are plenty of public chargers near highways, expressways, and in various towns. You can easily find a Tesla charger as well with a charging locator app. There are different levels of charging stations, and choosing the fastest chargers will keep you from spending hours at a single charger. Some charging stations can take 2 hours, while fast chargers will get you back on the road in just 30 to 40 minutes.
Hotels that offer charge points save time.
Charging overnight while sleeping is becoming easier while on the road, with many hotels now offering charging stations in the parking lots. This is often free for guests, or there will be a small fee. Overnight garages are another option to charge. Be sure that when you’re charging overnight that you’re using a Level 2 charger, they are the best for charging overnight, but a Level 1 charger will work as well.
Traffic won’t be an issue.
Don’t worry about getting stuck in traffic along the way. EV actually does better in traffic than they do driving at high speeds. With gas-run cars, you know that crawling at slow speeds can waste a ton of gas, but electric cars allow them to recapture the energy and prolong the battery. This means running out of juice is unlikely, which is great news.
Get used to apps and charging networks for public chargers.
As an EV owner, you’ll want to be sure that you have access to public chargers, and in order to do that, you’ll need to download one of the charging network apps. These apps help you to locate the different level charging stations, find parking garages and parking lots that offer charging stations, and keep your EV charged. You’ll be shocked to find that there are many non-networked public chargers in parking garages and on city streets.
Owning an EV doesn’t mean that you cannot go on long trips. It simply means that you care about the environment. And you’re smart, saving money on gas, oil changes, maintenance, and repairs.
Start planning your next road trip without fear when driving your electric car on highways and backroads. Just be sure that you know the range of your vehicle and have an app on your phone to see where the nearby charging stations are.
