Phoenix to Disneyland Trip - Mach-E Guide

[Fins160]

Took the family to Disneyland, and took the MachE.

Spoiler alert- it went great. But a couple notes for those of you in the Southwest who are considering the same trip…

Overall Stats:
2022 Select SR RWD with 19” Aero Wheels
708.1mi
12hr 41min
3.3mi/kWh

Energy used:

• Home charging: 25.2kWh, $2.02 ($0.08 per kWh)
• L2/L3 charging: 171kWh, $94.15

My Odyssey, which gets about 20mpg at its age, would have used about $124 in gas, so a modest $28 savings.

At my wife’s request, I picked up an A2Z NACS adapter before the trip. I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these, made for a very smooth trip not having to stress about dealing with Electrify America chargers. I might have been able to save a few dollars if I was diligent about the lowest price per kWh, but the convenience of using Tesla’s chargers was worth it.

Plus it fits great into the little pocket in the trunk (pic below).

On the I-10, we mostly drove using BlueCruise Hands Free between 75-80mph, once in CA on the 91 it was closer to 65mph with BC HF. BC 1.3 was great! Rarely disconnected, and made the drive so much more enjoyable.

• Started at 100% charge at home in Tempe
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Supercharger at Quartzite (36% to 83%)
  • Use the charger next to Terribles, NOT the one next to Carl’s Jr.
  • This feels like an embarrassment of riches to those of us used to Electrify America to have over 100 chargers at one freeway exit, but only the ones next to Terrible’s work with the MachE and an adapter. I tried the chargers next to Carl’s Jr first, and couldn’t get them to work, before checking Plugshare again and seeing they are V2 Tesla only.
  • Lots of food and beverage options right nearby, and 84(!) chargers to choose from, including several that are oriented for easy access with the MachE.
    charging rate started over 100kW and scaled back to 60 before crossing the 80% threshold and settling to 30.
• Charged 48kWh at Tesla Supercharger Morongo Trail in Cabazon, CA (9% to 80%)
  • Location is up on a hill by a travel center convenience store. Several chargers oriented for easy access on the MachE.
  • Great food options nearby. Check the map, all within a 5min walk. shorter if you can navigate a shortcut down the steep hill.
  • Fast charge rate.
  • Talked with a couple that were charging their Tesla. They said they were thrilled to see a non-Tesla charging with an adapter, because it meant they didn’t have to buy a Tesla for their next vehicle.
• Disneyland! 32kWh (56% to 100%)
  • Stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, they have a bunch of ChargePoint L2 chargers in the self parking area, so I was able to charge up to 100% overnight.
• Charged 27kWh at Tesla Cathedral City (60% to 97%)
  • Charger is at a Sonic. You can order and eat in your car while charging, or sit on the patio. No food policy in the MachE meant we ate on the patio ?
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Quartzite (34% to 80%)
  • Maybe 6-7 chargers out of 84 were in use. 1 other MachE, but didn’t get a chance to meet the owner.
• Returned home with 10% remaining

The 2 hour drive between charges was perfect, and I don’t know that any more range would have saved us any time. With kids, that’s about the max we can go at one time anyway. If you have an ER, you can likely make it with one charge in Blythe, but there’s no Tesla that’s accessible there (that I could find).

The one complaint was the GOM was wildly inaccurate. My rule of thumb with the RWD SR is to double the battery percentage shown, and that’s the range in miles (conservatively, in mild weather). ABRP is accurate to within a few percent battery. The GOM, even with the destination programmed, often underestimates range by 20-30mi and recommends unnecessary stops. So, for better or worse, trust your kWh/mi and your battery percentage.

Well, hope this helps someone in Phoenix on their Disney vacation!

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[andyrross]

thanks for the trip report. I stopped at the SuperCharger in Quartzite and couldn't believe what I was seeing. So many chargers, brightly lit (I was there at night), Terribles right there for any extra needs.
Thanks for the tip for charging at the Disneyland Hotel. Thought about driving there, so that's helpful.

 

[WallyS56]

Took the family to Disneyland, and took the MachE.

Spoiler alert- it went great. But a couple notes for those of you in the Southwest who are considering the same trip…

Overall Stats:
2022 Select SR RWD with 19” Aero Wheels
708.1mi
12hr 41min
3.3mi/kWh

Energy used:

• Home charging: 25.2kWh, $2.02 ($0.08 per kWh)
• L2/L3 charging: 171kWh, $94.15

My Odyssey, which gets about 20mpg at its age, would have used about $124 in gas, so a modest $28 savings.

At my wife’s request, I picked up an A2Z NACS adapter before the trip. I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these, made for a very smooth trip not having to stress about dealing with Electrify America chargers. I might have been able to save a few dollars if I was diligent about the lowest price per kWh, but the convenience of using Tesla’s chargers was worth it.

Plus it fits great into the little pocket in the trunk (pic below).

On the I-10, we mostly drove using BlueCruise Hands Free between 75-80mph, once in CA on the 91 it was closer to 65mph with BC HF. BC 1.3 was great! Rarely disconnected, and made the drive so much more enjoyable.

• Started at 100% charge at home in Tempe
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Supercharger at Quartzite (36% to 83%)
  • Use the charger next to Terribles, NOT the one next to Carl’s Jr.
  • This feels like an embarrassment of riches to those of us used to Electrify America to have over 100 chargers at one freeway exit, but only the ones next to Terrible’s work with the MachE and an adapter. I tried the chargers next to Carl’s Jr first, and couldn’t get them to work, before checking Plugshare again and seeing they are V2 Tesla only.
  • Lots of food and beverage options right nearby, and 84(!) chargers to choose from, including several that are oriented for easy access with the MachE.
    charging rate started over 100kW and scaled back to 60 before crossing the 80% threshold and settling to 30.
• Charged 48kWh at Tesla Supercharger Morongo Trail in Cabazon, CA (9% to 80%)
  • Location is up on a hill by a travel center convenience store. Several chargers oriented for easy access on the MachE.
  • Great food options nearby. Check the map, all within a 5min walk. shorter if you can navigate a shortcut down the steep hill.
  • Fast charge rate.
  • Talked with a couple that were charging their Tesla. They said they were thrilled to see a non-Tesla charging with an adapter, because it meant they didn’t have to buy a Tesla for their next vehicle.
• Disneyland! 32kWh (56% to 100%)
  • Stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, they have a bunch of ChargePoint L2 chargers in the self parking area, so I was able to charge up to 100% overnight.
• Charged 27kWh at Tesla Cathedral City (60% to 97%)
  • Charger is at a Sonic. You can order and eat in your car while charging, or sit on the patio. No food policy in the MachE meant we ate on the patio ?
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Quartzite (34% to 80%)
  • Maybe 6-7 chargers out of 84 were in use. 1 other MachE, but didn’t get a chance to meet the owner.
• Returned home with 10% remaining

The 2 hour drive between charges was perfect, and I don’t know that any more range would have saved us any time. With kids, that’s about the max we can go at one time anyway. If you have an ER, you can likely make it with one charge in Blythe, but there’s no Tesla that’s accessible there (that I could find).

The one complaint was the GOM was wildly inaccurate. My rule of thumb with the RWD SR is to double the battery percentage shown, and that’s the range in miles (conservatively, in mild weather). ABRP is accurate to within a few percent battery. The GOM, even with the destination programmed, often underestimates range by 20-30mi and recommends unnecessary stops. So, for better or worse, trust your kWh/mi and your battery percentage.

Well, hope this helps someone in Phoenix on their Disney vacation!

As a new Mach E owner, please alleviate my ignorance. What is ABRP and GOM? Thanks.

 

[evfinder]

As a new Mach E owner, please alleviate my ignorance. What is ABRP and GOM? Thanks.

ABRP is A Better Route Planner - an ap that can be used by EV drivers to plan charging stops on a road trip.

GOM is the Guess-O-Meter which is the name given to the range display on EVs which tend to be somewhat off, especially when a car normally driven on surface streets is taken on a long trip on the freeway.

 

[BMT1071]

Took the family to Disneyland, and took the MachE.

Spoiler alert- it went great. But a couple notes for those of you in the Southwest who are considering the same trip…

Overall Stats:
2022 Select SR RWD with 19” Aero Wheels
708.1mi
12hr 41min
3.3mi/kWh

Energy used:

• Home charging: 25.2kWh, $2.02 ($0.08 per kWh)
• L2/L3 charging: 171kWh, $94.15

My Odyssey, which gets about 20mpg at its age, would have used about $124 in gas, so a modest $28 savings.

At my wife’s request, I picked up an A2Z NACS adapter before the trip. I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these, made for a very smooth trip not having to stress about dealing with Electrify America chargers. I might have been able to save a few dollars if I was diligent about the lowest price per kWh, but the convenience of using Tesla’s chargers was worth it.

Plus it fits great into the little pocket in the trunk (pic below).

On the I-10, we mostly drove using BlueCruise Hands Free between 75-80mph, once in CA on the 91 it was closer to 65mph with BC HF. BC 1.3 was great! Rarely disconnected, and made the drive so much more enjoyable.

• Started at 100% charge at home in Tempe
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Supercharger at Quartzite (36% to 83%)
  • Use the charger next to Terribles, NOT the one next to Carl’s Jr.
  • This feels like an embarrassment of riches to those of us used to Electrify America to have over 100 chargers at one freeway exit, but only the ones next to Terrible’s work with the MachE and an adapter. I tried the chargers next to Carl’s Jr first, and couldn’t get them to work, before checking Plugshare again and seeing they are V2 Tesla only.
  • Lots of food and beverage options right nearby, and 84(!) chargers to choose from, including several that are oriented for easy access with the MachE.
    charging rate started over 100kW and scaled back to 60 before crossing the 80% threshold and settling to 30.
• Charged 48kWh at Tesla Supercharger Morongo Trail in Cabazon, CA (9% to 80%)
  • Location is up on a hill by a travel center convenience store. Several chargers oriented for easy access on the MachE.
  • Great food options nearby. Check the map, all within a 5min walk. shorter if you can navigate a shortcut down the steep hill.
  • Fast charge rate.
  • Talked with a couple that were charging their Tesla. They said they were thrilled to see a non-Tesla charging with an adapter, because it meant they didn’t have to buy a Tesla for their next vehicle.
• Disneyland! 32kWh (56% to 100%)
  • Stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, they have a bunch of ChargePoint L2 chargers in the self parking area, so I was able to charge up to 100% overnight.
• Charged 27kWh at Tesla Cathedral City (60% to 97%)
  • Charger is at a Sonic. You can order and eat in your car while charging, or sit on the patio. No food policy in the MachE meant we ate on the patio ?
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Quartzite (34% to 80%)
  • Maybe 6-7 chargers out of 84 were in use. 1 other MachE, but didn’t get a chance to meet the owner.
• Returned home with 10% remaining

The 2 hour drive between charges was perfect, and I don’t know that any more range would have saved us any time. With kids, that’s about the max we can go at one time anyway. If you have an ER, you can likely make it with one charge in Blythe, but there’s no Tesla that’s accessible there (that I could find).

The one complaint was the GOM was wildly inaccurate. My rule of thumb with the RWD SR is to double the battery percentage shown, and that’s the range in miles (conservatively, in mild weather). ABRP is accurate to within a few percent battery. The GOM, even with the destination programmed, often underestimates range by 20-30mi and recommends unnecessary stops. So, for better or worse, trust your kWh/mi and your battery percentage.

Well, hope this helps someone in Phoenix on their Disney vacation!

Two questions:

• Do you have the Tesla membership or were you paying full price at the Superchargers?
• Did you have to pay for the L2 charging at the hotel or was it complimentary?

Thanks.

 

[Fins160]

Two questions:

• Do you have the Tesla membership or were you paying full price at the Superchargers?
• Did you have to pay for the L2 charging at the hotel or was it complimentary?

Thanks.

You do not need a Tesla membership if you have enabled Plug and Charge with Ford. Just plug in and it starts, no apps or screens.

You have to pay. It cost $12 for 34kWh, so that’s about $0.35 per kWh, more expensive than home but cheaper than L3.

 

[BMT1071]

You do not need a Tesla membership if you have enabled Plug and Charge with Ford. Just plug in and it starts, no apps or screens.

You have to pay. It cost $12 for 34kWh, so that’s about $0.35 per kWh, more expensive than home but cheaper than L3.

You need the Tesla membership to get the discounted rate. If you use Ford P&C, or the Tesla app without the membership, you pay full price.

 

[Fins160]

I misread the question. ? I did not use the Tesla membership, I paid full price using P&C.

 

[AZBill]

I have done several Phoenix to SoCal trips, but I have an ER. One stop each way. If I am taking I-10 I hit the EA at Indio on the way, then hit Quartzsite on the return. 60% at Quartzsite gets me home easily. Having Tesla now available at Quartzsite is a plus, because the EA is always very busy.

When taking I-8 to San Diego I charge in El Centro, which now has EA and Tesla. On the return I hit Dateland, which has EA, but also now a 40 charger Tesla site. I am actually going to San Diego on Tuesday.

 

[TheSeg]

For folks driving and parking at either Mickey & Friends, Pixar Pals, or Toy Story lots:

When you pull up to the entry booth, ask for electric charging. If it isn't too late in the day, you'll either be directed to or given a blue slip of paper to get to the ChargePoint chargers. You'll pay for charging via ChargePoint, so make sure you have that app ready to charge.

For Mickey & Friends before 8:30am, you'll park on the ground floor and closest to security. Honestly I find it criminal that it's better than preferred parking. As the time implies, this lot's chargers are filled up very quickly.

I hear that Toy Story Lot's charging is more forgivable, but I have not experienced that lot to know for sure.

If you go in to only visit Downtown Disney, the Simba lot has a large number of chargers and are decently available. This lot is for short-term (not park visit or hotel) parking.

-- Speculation & Personal Wishes --

My hopes are for the all-but-confirmed Harbor St lot is they build in more infrastructure to support more chargers. I'd even go for paying a blanket up-charge for chargers if the charging was then included. That way there's a financial incentive for operations to add more chargers.

 

[Fins160]

I have done several Phoenix to SoCal trips, but I have an ER. One stop each way. If I am taking I-10 I hit the EA at Indio on the way, then hit Quartzsite on the return. 60% at Quartzsite gets me home easily. Having Tesla now available at Quartzsite is a plus, because the EA is always very busy.

When taking I-8 to San Diego I charge in El Centro, which now has EA and Tesla. On the return I hit Dateland, which has EA, but also now a 40 charger Tesla site. I am actually going to San Diego on Tuesday.

I was just telling my wife, if we made this trip regularly we would definitely have wanted an ER. Once every few years for us, so the SR is plenty.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Took the family to Disneyland, and took the MachE.

Spoiler alert- it went great. But a couple notes for those of you in the Southwest who are considering the same trip…

Overall Stats:
2022 Select SR RWD with 19” Aero Wheels
708.1mi
12hr 41min
3.3mi/kWh

Energy used:

• Home charging: 25.2kWh, $2.02 ($0.08 per kWh)
• L2/L3 charging: 171kWh, $94.15

My Odyssey, which gets about 20mpg at its age, would have used about $124 in gas, so a modest $28 savings.

At my wife’s request, I picked up an A2Z NACS adapter before the trip. I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these, made for a very smooth trip not having to stress about dealing with Electrify America chargers. I might have been able to save a few dollars if I was diligent about the lowest price per kWh, but the convenience of using Tesla’s chargers was worth it.

Plus it fits great into the little pocket in the trunk (pic below).

On the I-10, we mostly drove using BlueCruise Hands Free between 75-80mph, once in CA on the 91 it was closer to 65mph with BC HF. BC 1.3 was great! Rarely disconnected, and made the drive so much more enjoyable.

• Started at 100% charge at home in Tempe
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Supercharger at Quartzite (36% to 83%)
  • Use the charger next to Terribles, NOT the one next to Carl’s Jr.
  • This feels like an embarrassment of riches to those of us used to Electrify America to have over 100 chargers at one freeway exit, but only the ones next to Terrible’s work with the MachE and an adapter. I tried the chargers next to Carl’s Jr first, and couldn’t get them to work, before checking Plugshare again and seeing they are V2 Tesla only.
  • Lots of food and beverage options right nearby, and 84(!) chargers to choose from, including several that are oriented for easy access with the MachE.
    charging rate started over 100kW and scaled back to 60 before crossing the 80% threshold and settling to 30.
• Charged 48kWh at Tesla Supercharger Morongo Trail in Cabazon, CA (9% to 80%)
  • Location is up on a hill by a travel center convenience store. Several chargers oriented for easy access on the MachE.
  • Great food options nearby. Check the map, all within a 5min walk. shorter if you can navigate a shortcut down the steep hill.
  • Fast charge rate.
  • Talked with a couple that were charging their Tesla. They said they were thrilled to see a non-Tesla charging with an adapter, because it meant they didn’t have to buy a Tesla for their next vehicle.
• Disneyland! 32kWh (56% to 100%)
  • Stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, they have a bunch of ChargePoint L2 chargers in the self parking area, so I was able to charge up to 100% overnight.
• Charged 27kWh at Tesla Cathedral City (60% to 97%)
  • Charger is at a Sonic. You can order and eat in your car while charging, or sit on the patio. No food policy in the MachE meant we ate on the patio ?
• Charged 32kWh at Tesla Quartzite (34% to 80%)
  • Maybe 6-7 chargers out of 84 were in use. 1 other MachE, but didn’t get a chance to meet the owner.
• Returned home with 10% remaining

The 2 hour drive between charges was perfect, and I don’t know that any more range would have saved us any time. With kids, that’s about the max we can go at one time anyway. If you have an ER, you can likely make it with one charge in Blythe, but there’s no Tesla that’s accessible there (that I could find).

The one complaint was the GOM was wildly inaccurate. My rule of thumb with the RWD SR is to double the battery percentage shown, and that’s the range in miles (conservatively, in mild weather). ABRP is accurate to within a few percent battery. The GOM, even with the destination programmed, often underestimates range by 20-30mi and recommends unnecessary stops. So, for better or worse, trust your kWh/mi and your battery percentage.

Well, hope this helps someone in Phoenix on their Disney vacation!

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

 

[Homestead]

Nice report! How hot was it during the trip?
We used to live in Tempe many years ago.

 

[Fins160]

Nice report! How hot was it during the trip?
We used to live in Tempe many years ago.

It was over 110 in Tempe, and 100+ most of the drive until we got close to Anaheim. Lots of AC, but that doesn’t seem to affect range much.

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