Roadtrip to Retirement -- Our 1800 mile journey from IL to AZ

• With the exception of 2 charge faults from the car, EA was dependable and reliable. There are definite differences in Max Charge Rate between the Signet and ABB stations, especially when using those designated 350 kWh.
• Only saw one marginal instance of "icing" where an SUV parked a little too close to a charging station.
• All locations were convenient and well lit (except one that was visited during the evening).
• Noted quite a few connectors were cracked but still functioned.
• Was charged double on our first stop in Bloomington IL. Called EA Support and a ticket was opened with expected response in 7-10 business days. As of day 8, no response.
• Shout out to some very clean and neatly well stocked Walmart locations along the way.
• Thumbs down to some prominent fast food locations. To break the monotony, we tried different ones and were disappointed with stops at Freddy's, Arby's, Taco Bell and even McDonalds whose kiosks endlessly promoted other items before checkout. You can only chalk up so much due to Covid for wait times, but customer service and food prep/presentation are inexcusable.
• Reviewed PlugShare before and during the trip to avoid problematic locations and leverage recent checkins to use specific stations with favorable comments.
• While I had used ABRP before the trip for planning, I didn't use it on this trip and probably won't on the return trip.

• As noted in numerous other posts, range is influenced by temperature, wind, geography, and driving speed. Day 1 was rainy, day 2 was 20+ mph winds, day 3 was sunny and mostly uphill driving except the final 120 miles downhill covering 5400 ft vertical drop from Albuquerque to Peoria.
• Erring on the cautious side, we made extra stops going uphill based on the previous windy day and mi/kWh ranging from 2.1 - 2.3.
• Determine your own range comfort level when planning a trip. While I had identified planned stops hoping to average 2.7 mi/kWh, flexibility was required given the conditions of the day. I checked weather ahead at every stop which influenced charge time to provide enough reserve.
• Range anxiety is REAL but manageable. It's definitely a paradigm shift compared to driving an ICE vehicle. But I don't envision going back to a gas vehicle. For me, I keyed on mi/kWh from the previous stop when trying to determine the next charging stop.

• OK Tollway system has manned stations on the eastern half but 2 stations are unmanned west of Tulsa. Signs indicate you will be billed but haven't seen anything in the mail yet.
• EA app was sometimes slow to respond for stopping charging sessions. Yes, I know that can be done by pressing the button on the station itself.
• Only saw one MME on the trip and that was on the 2nd stop in Collinsville IL in the rain at a busy EA station at lunchtime. And after 1 week in AZ, have only seen one MME on I-17.
• Saw max 4.9 mi/kWh going 80 mph downhill from Albuquerque !
• Continually checked tire pressure and saw 45-46 psi. Before leaving on trip, double checked pressure (39 psi) in our insulated garage before leaving on a 47 degree morning. Curious what other owners have done regarding tire pressure while on lengthy road trips.
• Being a Hilton member, we stayed at Hampton Inns that were pet friendly and used their app to check in, choose room, and use digital key to avoid the front desk. Picked rooms close to the side door so dogs weren't a potential nuisance to other guests.
• Navigation was great for directions to each station and return to expressway (except 2 instances). I opt to look at satellite views of each location to have that visual in my mind before arrival for those instances where navigation is slightly off.

@kWhpony said:

After 44+ years in various technology roles, I’m fortunate to recover from a 6-month healthcare curveball and conclude a fulfilling career spanning multiple industries with domestic and global Fortune 100/500 companies.

So now it’s time to check off items on the bucket list and start the actual roadtrip to retirement. With the electric pony charged to 100%, we loaded our retired/rescued racing greyhounds and took historic Route 66 to our 2nd home in the Arizona desert.

We left NW suburban Chicago early on a Tuesday morning, stayed overnight in Tulsa and Albuquerque, and arrived in our Peoria AZ home Thursday evening.

Before beginning our trip, I made sure to get the 21B36 CSP Software Update applied which expanded the charging curve above 80%. Decided to wait on the glass recalls until after our return trip in May. Purchased a TeslaTap and Modern Spare for peace of mind and didn't need to rely on either (knock on wood!). Spare stored well behind passenger seat.

Here's some trip metrics from our charging stops done exclusively at EA using their app to initiate sessions before plugging in:

Number of stops: 16
Avg Driving MPH: 65
Avg mi/kWh: 2.7 (from Ford navigation)
Avg Temperature: 55 degrees Fahrenheit
Avg Max DCFC Rate: 126 kWh
Avg DCFC Rate: 93 kWh/hr

Notes about Electrify America/locations

• With the exception of 2 charge faults from the car, EA was dependable and reliable. There are definite differences in Max Charge Rate between the Signet and ABB stations, especially when using those designated 350 kWh.
• Only saw one marginal instance of "icing" where an SUV parked a little too close to a charging station.
• All locations were convenient and well lit (except one that was visited during the evening).
• Noted quite a few connectors were cracked but still functioned.
• Was charged double on our first stop in Bloomington IL. Called EA Support and a ticket was opened with expected response in 7-10 business days. As of day 8, no response.
• Shout out to some very clean and neatly well stocked Walmart locations along the way.
• Thumbs down to some prominent fast food locations. To break the monotony, we tried different ones and were disappointed with stops at Freddy's, Arby's, Taco Bell and even McDonalds whose kiosks endlessly promoted other items before checkout. You can only chalk up so much due to Covid for wait times, but customer service and food prep/presentation are inexcusable.
• Reviewed PlugShare before and during the trip to avoid problematic locations and leverage recent checkins to use specific stations with favorable comments.
• While I had used ABRP before the trip for planning, I didn't use it on this trip and probably won't on the return trip.

Observations on performance and range

• As noted in numerous other posts, range is influenced by temperature, wind, geography, and driving speed. Day 1 was rainy, day 2 was 20+ mph winds, day 3 was sunny and mostly uphill driving except the final 120 miles downhill covering 5400 ft vertical drop from Albuquerque to Peoria.
• Erring on the cautious side, we made extra stops going uphill based on the previous windy day and mi/kWh ranging from 2.1 - 2.3.
• Determine your own range comfort level when planning a trip. While I had identified planned stops hoping to average 2.7 mi/kWh, flexibility was required given the conditions of the day. I checked weather ahead at every stop which influenced charge time to provide enough reserve.
• Range anxiety is REAL but manageable. It's definitely a paradigm shift compared to driving an ICE vehicle. But I don't envision going back to a gas vehicle. For me, I keyed on mi/kWh from the previous stop when trying to determine the next charging stop.

Miscellaneous

• OK Tollway system has manned stations on the eastern half but 2 stations are unmanned west of Tulsa. Signs indicate you will be billed but haven't seen anything in the mail yet.
• EA app was sometimes slow to respond for stopping charging sessions. Yes, I know that can be done by pressing the button on the station itself.
• Only saw one MME on the trip and that was on the 2nd stop in Collinsville IL in the rain at a busy EA station at lunchtime. And after 1 week in AZ, have only seen one MME on I-17.
• Saw max 4.9 mi/kWh going 80 mph downhill from Albuquerque !
• Continually checked tire pressure and saw 45-46 psi. Before leaving on trip, double checked pressure (39 psi) in our insulated garage before leaving on a 47 degree morning. Curious what other owners have done regarding tire pressure while on lengthy road trips.
• Being a Hilton member, we stayed at Hampton Inns that were pet friendly and used their app to check in, choose room, and use digital key to avoid the front desk. Picked rooms close to the side door so dogs weren't a potential nuisance to other guests.
• Navigation was great for directions to each station and return to expressway (except 2 instances). I opt to look at satellite views of each location to have that visual in my mind before arrival for those instances where navigation is slightly off.

Final thoughts
Our Premium ER RWD was comfortable for both humans and canines. Small underseat carryon luggage fit in the frunk with room to spare. We'll make some adjustments on our return trip to IL in May for overnight locations and unnecessary tolls in OK.

Hope everyone finds these comments helpful for your trips !

Click to expand...

@kWhpony said:

After 44+ years in various technology roles, I’m fortunate to recover from a 6-month healthcare curveball and conclude a fulfilling career spanning multiple industries with domestic and global Fortune 100/500 companies.

So now it’s time to check off items on the bucket list and start the actual roadtrip to retirement. With the electric pony charged to 100%, we loaded our retired/rescued racing greyhounds and took historic Route 66 to our 2nd home in the Arizona desert.

We left NW suburban Chicago early on a Tuesday morning, stayed overnight in Tulsa and Albuquerque, and arrived in our Peoria AZ home Thursday evening.

Before beginning our trip, I made sure to get the 21B36 CSP Software Update applied which expanded the charging curve above 80%. Decided to wait on the glass recalls until after our return trip in May. Purchased a TeslaTap and Modern Spare for peace of mind and didn't need to rely on either (knock on wood!). Spare stored well behind passenger seat.

Here's some trip metrics from our charging stops done exclusively at EA using their app to initiate sessions before plugging in:

Number of stops: 16
Avg Driving MPH: 65
Avg mi/kWh: 2.7 (from Ford navigation)
Avg Temperature: 55 degrees Fahrenheit
Avg Max DCFC Rate: 126 kWh
Avg DCFC Rate: 93 kWh/hr

Notes about Electrify America/locations

• With the exception of 2 charge faults from the car, EA was dependable and reliable. There are definite differences in Max Charge Rate between the Signet and ABB stations, especially when using those designated 350 kWh.
• Only saw one marginal instance of "icing" where an SUV parked a little too close to a charging station.
• All locations were convenient and well lit (except one that was visited during the evening).
• Noted quite a few connectors were cracked but still functioned.
• Was charged double on our first stop in Bloomington IL. Called EA Support and a ticket was opened with expected response in 7-10 business days. As of day 8, no response.
• Shout out to some very clean and neatly well stocked Walmart locations along the way.
• Thumbs down to some prominent fast food locations. To break the monotony, we tried different ones and were disappointed with stops at Freddy's, Arby's, Taco Bell and even McDonalds whose kiosks endlessly promoted other items before checkout. You can only chalk up so much due to Covid for wait times, but customer service and food prep/presentation are inexcusable.
• Reviewed PlugShare before and during the trip to avoid problematic locations and leverage recent checkins to use specific stations with favorable comments.
• While I had used ABRP before the trip for planning, I didn't use it on this trip and probably won't on the return trip.

Observations on performance and range

• As noted in numerous other posts, range is influenced by temperature, wind, geography, and driving speed. Day 1 was rainy, day 2 was 20+ mph winds, day 3 was sunny and mostly uphill driving except the final 120 miles downhill covering 5400 ft vertical drop from Albuquerque to Peoria.
• Erring on the cautious side, we made extra stops going uphill based on the previous windy day and mi/kWh ranging from 2.1 - 2.3.
• Determine your own range comfort level when planning a trip. While I had identified planned stops hoping to average 2.7 mi/kWh, flexibility was required given the conditions of the day. I checked weather ahead at every stop which influenced charge time to provide enough reserve.
• Range anxiety is REAL but manageable. It's definitely a paradigm shift compared to driving an ICE vehicle. But I don't envision going back to a gas vehicle. For me, I keyed on mi/kWh from the previous stop when trying to determine the next charging stop.

Miscellaneous

• OK Tollway system has manned stations on the eastern half but 2 stations are unmanned west of Tulsa. Signs indicate you will be billed but haven't seen anything in the mail yet.
• EA app was sometimes slow to respond for stopping charging sessions. Yes, I know that can be done by pressing the button on the station itself.
• Only saw one MME on the trip and that was on the 2nd stop in Collinsville IL in the rain at a busy EA station at lunchtime. And after 1 week in AZ, have only seen one MME on I-17.
• Saw max 4.9 mi/kWh going 80 mph downhill from Albuquerque !
• Continually checked tire pressure and saw 45-46 psi. Before leaving on trip, double checked pressure (39 psi) in our insulated garage before leaving on a 47 degree morning. Curious what other owners have done regarding tire pressure while on lengthy road trips.
• Being a Hilton member, we stayed at Hampton Inns that were pet friendly and used their app to check in, choose room, and use digital key to avoid the front desk. Picked rooms close to the side door so dogs weren't a potential nuisance to other guests.
• Navigation was great for directions to each station and return to expressway (except 2 instances). I opt to look at satellite views of each location to have that visual in my mind before arrival for those instances where navigation is slightly off.

Final thoughts
Our Premium ER RWD was comfortable for both humans and canines. Small underseat carryon luggage fit in the frunk with room to spare. We'll make some adjustments on our return trip to IL in May for overnight locations and unnecessary tolls in OK.

Hope everyone finds these comments helpful for your trips !

Click to expand...

grandizer52 said:

Love the grey hounds, did they sleep most of the trip?

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Mathington said:

Great overview, I love seeing people sharing their experiences on road trips, especially when travelling with their dogs! Did you happen to take any photos of how you had the inside of the car (particularly the back seat) setup to make it comfortable?

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Old Guy said:

Greyhound!! Great on trips except for the gas attacks.

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@kWhpony said:

Rear seat backs were put down and headrests removed. Modern Spare fit between back seat and front passenger seat which still left plenty of leg room. Traveled very light so besides the luggage in the front, laptop backpack went in the back, cooler bag for refreshments, and one other bag for the dog essentials.

Let me know if you want a picture if that wasn't enough of a virtual image, will only take a few moments.

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RickMachE said:

Good info.

Why didn't you use your free charging hours?

Did you not charge at hotels?

We left on our recent trip with 39 pounds all around, and saw similar to what you did. Cold in the morning was 41/42. Left it alone. Right now back in our garage it's showing 40 all around.

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