MetrowestZ
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2021
- Threads
- 11
- Messages
- 154
- Reaction score
- 181
- Location
- Boston
- Vehicles
- California AWD
- Thread starter
- #1
Trip Report from the Waltham, MA area to Corolla (OBX), NC. Approximately 660 miles each way going down through NY, NJ, and following the Eastern Shore of DMV to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Norfolk and then onto the Outer Banks.
Model: 2022 California RT 1 AWD (I guess after 2023 I don't need to differentiate between AWD or RWD)
Travel Planning apps used: All of them (Ford Navigation, Waze, ABRP, Plugshare, even some Apple and Google Maps). Turned on the Blue Oval Charging Network prior to leaving so I could use the 250 KW Electrify America credit for the trip. Is it just me or is Waze not as good anymore?!
*Mach-Es seen while driving: 1 GT (non PE) that even though we were stuck in traffic side by side around the GW Bridge refused to acknowledge us.
*saw more at the various chargers
Porsche Panamera drivers that rolled down their window to ask me what I was driving and give a nod of approval: 1
Contents of vehicles: Two adults and two teenagers plus clothes, food and beach gear. It fit everything we packed even with my less than optimal packing style.
Temperature: Summer temps but actually not the hottest it has been this August, in the Northeast, this summer. We did hit a big rainstorm from Norfolk down to our final destination.
Trip Down to NC:
Leaving Home at 100% showed 328 miles on the GOM (will remember that in January when it shows ??) with the first top at the Electrify America in the Ferry Plaza in Newark (chose that since the EA one a little closer to the highway showed they were all occupied).Learned quickly that Ford Navigation does not really know the exact location of the charger but eventually found it. Seamless Plug and Charge experience, pulled up, plugged in and filled it up to 80% and some of the free credits were deducted without any issues. Leaving that charger we had to take Christie Street which was probably the worst maintained road I have seen in a really long time (not sure if that was Newark's dig at the former governor or just poor municipal road maintenance).
Next Charging stop was in New Castle, Delaware which was important since it was the last DCFC on the Eastern Shore before Norfolk. Managed to snag the last spot and once again, a flawless Plug and Charge experience. Always neat seeing what vehicles are there while glaring at the other side of the parking lot where the Tesla chargers were with their mostly empty spaces.
Last charge for the day was in Norfolk at an EVGo facility (two chargers). One of them was broken (failed for the previous car, our car and an ID4 after us) but luckily the Leaf charging in the other one ws finishing and went over and started charging. A thunderstorm was just starting as we were finishing up our charge so I felt bad for the woman in the ID4 who was charging after us. Definitely would be nice if the chargers are undercover and/or not so isolated in the parking lots.
Total time from home to Corolla: No real traffic so we made good time. (13.5 hours including charging)
While in Corolla:
Only saw Teslas. I still remember seeing my first one down there about 5 years ago, with NH plates, and thinking to myself how the heck did they do that. Charged at the rental house using my normal L1 Ford Supplied Charger. Didn't really drive so it was easy enough to work the charge back up to 100%. I will note that I received the recall OTA update while there and that seemed to reset my GOM back to its starting average. Therefore, 100% stae of charge was showing 278 miles which matched what I had when I first bought the car.
Return Trip:
As mentioned, it started with 100% but with GOM giving the lower mileage and thus Ford Navigation wanted an earlier stop. As with the trip down, depended on ABRP to give a general route plan. We decided that the first stop would be Salisbury University (old enough to remember it as Salisbury State) in Maryland where there was a 50kwh charger (two of them) as we wouldn't make it back up to the fast charger in New Castle. Ford navigation put us on the other side of the campus from where the chargers were so we had to use Plug Share to figure out where they exactly were. Also, since EVsmart is yet another network we had to download another app to use with it. Anyway, once again, we found an open charger next to a Leaf (guy who didn't know what the Mach-E was) and just beat out an EV6. I will say again that the EV6 is a sharp looking car.
Another stop at the EA stop at a Walmart in Somerdale, NJ (kudos to Walmart having these chargers as their stores usually have good bathrooms and obviously shopping) and then one more late charge in Stratford, CT at the EA station to get back to 200 miles for the final run back home.
Total Time: 17.5 hours with charging due to traffic both around NYC and then construction around Hartford and further along on I-84
Overall impression:
Great vehicle to make this trip. This was the first time we did one day trips both ways. Previously we had made the trip with a Gen II Prius and a Toyota Camry Hybrid and this was the most comfortable and as mentioned earlier, we didn't want for lack of space to take down our normal load. Not to shill for SiriusXM but we love having it and flipping around stations instead of finding stations along the way. The Blue Cruise was especially useful as the return trip dragged on late into the night. The charging situation, especially that last charge getting to Norfolk, was definitely nerve-racking so it will be interesting to see how it improves next year when we most likely will take the trip again. It will improve, right?!
Model: 2022 California RT 1 AWD (I guess after 2023 I don't need to differentiate between AWD or RWD)
Travel Planning apps used: All of them (Ford Navigation, Waze, ABRP, Plugshare, even some Apple and Google Maps). Turned on the Blue Oval Charging Network prior to leaving so I could use the 250 KW Electrify America credit for the trip. Is it just me or is Waze not as good anymore?!
*Mach-Es seen while driving: 1 GT (non PE) that even though we were stuck in traffic side by side around the GW Bridge refused to acknowledge us.
*saw more at the various chargers
Porsche Panamera drivers that rolled down their window to ask me what I was driving and give a nod of approval: 1
Contents of vehicles: Two adults and two teenagers plus clothes, food and beach gear. It fit everything we packed even with my less than optimal packing style.
Temperature: Summer temps but actually not the hottest it has been this August, in the Northeast, this summer. We did hit a big rainstorm from Norfolk down to our final destination.
Trip Down to NC:
Leaving Home at 100% showed 328 miles on the GOM (will remember that in January when it shows ??) with the first top at the Electrify America in the Ferry Plaza in Newark (chose that since the EA one a little closer to the highway showed they were all occupied).Learned quickly that Ford Navigation does not really know the exact location of the charger but eventually found it. Seamless Plug and Charge experience, pulled up, plugged in and filled it up to 80% and some of the free credits were deducted without any issues. Leaving that charger we had to take Christie Street which was probably the worst maintained road I have seen in a really long time (not sure if that was Newark's dig at the former governor or just poor municipal road maintenance).
Next Charging stop was in New Castle, Delaware which was important since it was the last DCFC on the Eastern Shore before Norfolk. Managed to snag the last spot and once again, a flawless Plug and Charge experience. Always neat seeing what vehicles are there while glaring at the other side of the parking lot where the Tesla chargers were with their mostly empty spaces.
Last charge for the day was in Norfolk at an EVGo facility (two chargers). One of them was broken (failed for the previous car, our car and an ID4 after us) but luckily the Leaf charging in the other one ws finishing and went over and started charging. A thunderstorm was just starting as we were finishing up our charge so I felt bad for the woman in the ID4 who was charging after us. Definitely would be nice if the chargers are undercover and/or not so isolated in the parking lots.
Total time from home to Corolla: No real traffic so we made good time. (13.5 hours including charging)
While in Corolla:
Only saw Teslas. I still remember seeing my first one down there about 5 years ago, with NH plates, and thinking to myself how the heck did they do that. Charged at the rental house using my normal L1 Ford Supplied Charger. Didn't really drive so it was easy enough to work the charge back up to 100%. I will note that I received the recall OTA update while there and that seemed to reset my GOM back to its starting average. Therefore, 100% stae of charge was showing 278 miles which matched what I had when I first bought the car.
Return Trip:
As mentioned, it started with 100% but with GOM giving the lower mileage and thus Ford Navigation wanted an earlier stop. As with the trip down, depended on ABRP to give a general route plan. We decided that the first stop would be Salisbury University (old enough to remember it as Salisbury State) in Maryland where there was a 50kwh charger (two of them) as we wouldn't make it back up to the fast charger in New Castle. Ford navigation put us on the other side of the campus from where the chargers were so we had to use Plug Share to figure out where they exactly were. Also, since EVsmart is yet another network we had to download another app to use with it. Anyway, once again, we found an open charger next to a Leaf (guy who didn't know what the Mach-E was) and just beat out an EV6. I will say again that the EV6 is a sharp looking car.
Another stop at the EA stop at a Walmart in Somerdale, NJ (kudos to Walmart having these chargers as their stores usually have good bathrooms and obviously shopping) and then one more late charge in Stratford, CT at the EA station to get back to 200 miles for the final run back home.
Total Time: 17.5 hours with charging due to traffic both around NYC and then construction around Hartford and further along on I-84
Overall impression:
Great vehicle to make this trip. This was the first time we did one day trips both ways. Previously we had made the trip with a Gen II Prius and a Toyota Camry Hybrid and this was the most comfortable and as mentioned earlier, we didn't want for lack of space to take down our normal load. Not to shill for SiriusXM but we love having it and flipping around stations instead of finding stations along the way. The Blue Cruise was especially useful as the return trip dragged on late into the night. The charging situation, especially that last charge getting to Norfolk, was definitely nerve-racking so it will be interesting to see how it improves next year when we most likely will take the trip again. It will improve, right?!
Sponsored
Last edited by a moderator:
