Wrap up of 3 long range trips in a 2023 Mach-E RWD standard range

[EVCheese]

(Link to my full write-up at the very end of this post.)

The TL;DR: "Lots to love, though planning is still important."

• I stopped every 2 hours for 30 minutes to charge, and there were plenty of stations.
• The EV worked fine across the US and Canada.
• Current-model EVs have great tech in them, and plenty of apps add support.
• Access to the Tesla Supercharger network saved time, but not always.

I think now at 14K miles on the odometer the car has broken in well. The seats feel like they fit, the super bouncy ride is now just "a little bouncy", and Blue Cruise seems pretty smooth.

The last road trip took me from Northern California to Canada and across ferries. My partner and I swapped driving responsibilities (thank goodness for multiple driver profiles because he doesn't like 1PD). We used a 3rd party NACS adapter (which took a while to break in). There were some moments of "our range seems to be getting low" but we made some judgment calls and instead charged early.

Surprising things to me on this last West Coast 2,200-mile trip:

• I had thought EA chargers were slower than Tesla but on average not that much:*
  • 25 total charging stops, average 24 min/stop
  • 20 Telsa Superchargers at 71 kW rate
  • 3 EA DCFC at 74 kW rate
  • 2 ChargePoint at 5.6 kW rate (these were obviously destination chargers)
• Waiting at malls is a pain for all makes (line of Teslas, also a line at the EA)
• Almost no wait at Tesla DCFC on the highway (there are just more charging stalls)
  • No waiting to DCFC is the real Supercharger advantage
  • But finding the open end spot was challenging a couple times (because you need to take 2 stalls or the other stall's plug)
• I averaged out at about 3 kWh/mile efficiency probably thanks to long downhills
  • We had climate control running all the time
  • There were chilly days in the 40s, plenty of hill climbing, and a good bit of rain
• Teslas with rear bike racks also have charging problems with the short cables
  • I met a guy driving a CT who took up 3 stalls
• We didn't use Ford nav preconditioning, and it didn't seem to matter (but outside temps were in the 40F-100F range, and daytime was usually 60F+)

*I know I get my math wrong, so I might update some numbers later.

Here's some other photos (yes, Superchargers are overrepresented here):

Full text of the write-up:

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[rreddy3]

Nice trip, nice summary.

 

[Homestead]

Thanks for the writeup. So after these trips, which apps do you favor using now?
How were you received at the tesla charging station by tesla owners?

 

[EVCheese]

Thanks for the writeup. So after these trips, which apps do you favor using now?

Generally-speaking, I just use the EA app to find a DCFC, or if I know I specifically want a Tesla I'll actually just search Apple Maps for "superchargers near [city name here]". That's been pretty reliable; I'll check the location against the Tesla app to confirm it's a compatible V3/V4. There were a couple times I used PlugShare, then at the station my ChargePoint wallet card to activate.

How were you received at the tesla charging station by tesla owners?

One couple with a Tesla was intensely curious how it all worked: did I have to use the Tesla app, how did I get billed, how did I find this Supercharger. A couple instances people didn't understand why I was blocking the space next to my car by standing in it, and then me explaining I was using their plug. Most Tesla owners were gracious and just interested in how a non-Tesla was actually appearing at their station. (I did not meet any other non-Teslas at Superchargers.)

 

[RKinWA]

(Link to my full write-up at the very end of this post.)

The TL;DR: "Lots to love, though planning is still important."

• I stopped every 2 hours for 30 minutes to charge, and there were plenty of stations.
• The EV worked fine across the US and Canada.
• Current-model EVs have great tech in them, and plenty of apps add support.
• Access to the Tesla Supercharger network saved time, but not always.

I think now at 14K miles on the odometer the car has broken in well. The seats feel like they fit, the super bouncy ride is now just "a little bouncy", and Blue Cruise seems pretty smooth.

The last road trip took me from Northern California to Canada and across ferries. My partner and I swapped driving responsibilities (thank goodness for multiple driver profiles because he doesn't like 1PD). We used a 3rd party NACS adapter (which took a while to break in). There were some moments of "our range seems to be getting low" but we made some judgment calls and instead charged early.

Surprising things to me on this last West Coast 2,200-mile trip:

• I had thought EA chargers were slower than Tesla but on average not that much:*
  • 25 total charging stops, average 24 min/stop
  • 20 Telsa Superchargers at 71 kW rate
  • 3 EA DCFC at 74 kW rate
  • 2 ChargePoint at 5.6 kW rate (these were obviously destination chargers)
• Waiting at malls is a pain for all makes (line of Teslas, also a line at the EA)
• Almost no wait at Tesla DCFC on the highway (there are just more charging stalls)
  • No waiting to DCFC is the real Supercharger advantage
  • But finding the open end spot was challenging a couple times (because you need to take 2 stalls or the other stall's plug)
• I averaged out at about 3 kWh/mile efficiency probably thanks to long downhills
  • We had climate control running all the time
  • There were chilly days in the 40s, plenty of hill climbing, and a good bit of rain
• Teslas with rear bike racks also have charging problems with the short cables
  • I met a guy driving a CT who took up 3 stalls
• We didn't use Ford nav preconditioning, and it didn't seem to matter (but outside temps were in the 40F-100F range, and daytime was usually 60F+)

*I know I get my math wrong, so I might update some numbers later.

Here's some other photos (yes, Superchargers are overrepresented here):

Full text of the write-up:

Great write up (here and on Medium). Very helpful for someone thinking about getting an EV.

 

[VaporTrails]

Very well written, as others have said. I would add that the Medium version is also illustrated well. I liked that you posted the TLDR version here. I could definitely point the Medium version out to folks who were more interested in the spirit of a road trip. We don’t get as many Standard range stories. I still think a Standard range is 95% of what you need once we have infrastructure. Glad you are enjoying the Mustang Mach-e! Those stripes really make your MME stand out!

 

[EVCheese]

Glad you are enjoying the Mustang Mach-e! Those stripes really make your MME stand out!

I'm happy you like them! They were a little more effort thank just putting pure black stripes but I like details.

 

[roundandround]

Thanks for the great post. This is giving me reassurance because I also have the awd std battery and it’s giving me range anxiety most of the time. It felt limiting to me and I’ve been debating back and forth whether to upgrade to the extended range.
the biggest gripe I have is just the limited range and the inconvenience of constant charging especially on long trips.

 

[EVCheese]

Thanks for the great post. This is giving me reassurance because I also have the awd std battery and it’s giving me range anxiety most of the time. It felt limiting to me and I’ve been debating back and forth whether to upgrade to the extended range.
the biggest gripe I have is just the limited range and the inconvenience of constant charging especially on long trips.

I am interested in hearing what other people's experiences are though. W/out a NACS adapter, getting good at looking at PlugShare or ChargePoint is helpful.

I think summertime is probably going to be easier for most people. Winter is where things get interesting: I'm curious how the new LFP batteries fare during US holiday traveling.

 

[OON7]

I enjoyed reading this! I feel like this has to be one of the most extensive uses of Tesla Superchargers for a road trip so far by a MME.

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