kdonnel
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 31, 2021
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- Location
- Metro Atlanta
- Vehicles
- 2022 CA Route 1, 2020 Bolt EV
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- #1
I have had a Bolt EV for a couple years but we quickly decided it was a great commuter car but not a road trip car from a purely comfort perspective. As a result in the 2 1/2 years we have owned it, we have only DCFC once. All other charging has been at home.
The Mach e replaced our ICE car that we used for road trips so we are now committed to either using an EV for our road trips or renting an ICE car.
Two successful small trips have really helped our confidence
For the first trip we went to my wife's brothers house in middle Georgia, the only place we have previously taken the Bolt. It is 165 miles to her brothers so well within the range of the CA Route 1 we own. Her brother lives very close to a college that offers free level 2 charging so the plan was to top off at the college and then leave the car plugged into the 110 outlet at his house otherwise. The next day we drove from his house into Savannah (160 miles) for a funeral. This day we would need to DCFC to be able to get back to his house. I picked out a couple options but then I found out we were going to eat with several others after the funeral so my charging plans had to change.
Luckily they changed for the better. The restaurant that was picked happened to share the parking lot with an EA station. I dropped everyone off at the restaurant, went to the EA station, and walked back to the restaurant. While we were eating the car charged to 98% giving us plenty of range to make it back to her brothers house. Once again we charged at the college and at her brothers using a 110 outlet.
The next day when it was time to go home we just drove home without needing to stop anywhere.
In the end charging only added a little annoyance since we had to drop the car at the college and pick it back up but did not add any time to the trip since the DCFC was done while we were eating.
For the second trip we took the car from Metro Atlanta to Panama City Beach, about 350 miles. Once again I planned out the trip using ABRP and PlugShare.
Panama City Beach is a DCFC charging desert. There is a DCFC at the Harley Davidson dealership but that is only 20 kW so not really that fast. The plan was to get enough energy in Chipley, FL to make it to our condo and back to Chipley, FL.
The first stop in Columbus went well. We pulled up to the Georgia Power run station and there were no cars charging at the DCFC station we picked. We plugged in, walked to the restaurant and ate. When we returned the car was charged about 6% more than ABRP said we needed to reach our next stop. This station was supposed to do up to 125 kW if only one car was there but it never got above 62 kW. It did not matter though as it charged fast enough at the lower rate while we ate. Total cost $7.78. That is in fact the total cost for both trips described here since the other stations used were either free or subtracted from our 250 KwH bundle given at purchase.
On both trips ABRP was very conservative. Off by 5-10% on the arrival percentage so I knew we would have no trouble reaching the EA station in Chipley.
Here our plan was to do the shopping for the condo, breakfasts and lunches, while the car charged. Something we would have normally waited to do until in Panama City Beach but instead made sense to do now while at Walmart and the EA station to make the best use of our time. There was no one else at the station when we arrived and all four appeared functional. There was a Rivian R1T next to me when we left. When we got back out to the car it took a little to convince my wife that we had enough energy and could leave before it got to 100%, we were at 89% I had researched level 2 options in Panama City Beach we could use if needed.
We arrived at the condo with 75%, plenty to drive around some and get back to Chipley, Fl and the EA station.
We lucked out at the condo. As I was parking I saw a Tesla driver leaving. He was putting away his EVSE. I pulled into the spot he left and there was a 110 outlet. I plugged in and we ended up always getting that spot. As a result we were at 100% when we left to go home.
For the return trip we again planned to stop in Columbus but wanted to eat somewhere different, somewhere without a DCFC station knowing this would add time to our trip. We ate and then headed to the station we used on the way down only to find it fully occupied, a Porsche Tycan and a VW ID4. There were two other options in Columbus but they could have also been occupied and were in the wrong direction.
We decided instead to detour slightly to the AL-GA border and the GA welcome station. There is a free DCFC station there that Plugshare said was unoccupied. We figured we would continue making forward progress rather than wait an unknown amount of time for the station in Columbus to become available. Plus we knew we had enough energy to get to the welcome station and if there was a problem there just enough energy to make it to LaGrange where there were another couple options.
We arrived at the welcome station and the charger was still available. 22 mins later we unplugged and drove the rest of the way home. Lots of people stared at the car at the rest station but no one asked about it.
All in we added about 30 minutes to the trip home because we ate somewhere without DCFC and had to detour slightly out of the way to go to an alternate station.
My wife mentioned she is much more confident in the road trip abilities.
We have a trip to Orlando, FL and to Cherokee, NC coming up next month.
The Orlando trip will present a little challenge in where will we get our Orlando driving around energy and our initial return up energy. It looks like there are many DCFC and level 2 options though they will require some planning and time to use. The condo we are staying at does not have level 2 available and I doubt I will get so lucky to be right by a 110 outlet again. I have booked a dining reservation at a restaurant for one of the nights that is walking distance to a DCFC station and hope that works out.
The Cherokee, NC trip is again a DCFC desert but many level 2 options. The hotel we are staying at has 14 level 2 J1772 stations so we should be able to drive up and drive back getting the energy we need during one or both of the two nights we are spending.
Middle Georgia, western North Carolina, and the Florida Panhandle are DCFC deserts and the places we visit the most.
I-16 has a couple stations in Metter and Dublin but there are often 2-3 car lines to use the stations according to a family member who drives a Tesla and often stops at the Supercharger in Metter.
Once you get away from I-10 on the panhandle there are not a lot of DCFC options.
There are just not many options at all for DCFC in western North Carolina.
Even with those problems it appears that trips to and through those areas are possible with some planning. You definitely can't just hop in the car and hope for the best.
The Mach e replaced our ICE car that we used for road trips so we are now committed to either using an EV for our road trips or renting an ICE car.
Two successful small trips have really helped our confidence
For the first trip we went to my wife's brothers house in middle Georgia, the only place we have previously taken the Bolt. It is 165 miles to her brothers so well within the range of the CA Route 1 we own. Her brother lives very close to a college that offers free level 2 charging so the plan was to top off at the college and then leave the car plugged into the 110 outlet at his house otherwise. The next day we drove from his house into Savannah (160 miles) for a funeral. This day we would need to DCFC to be able to get back to his house. I picked out a couple options but then I found out we were going to eat with several others after the funeral so my charging plans had to change.
Luckily they changed for the better. The restaurant that was picked happened to share the parking lot with an EA station. I dropped everyone off at the restaurant, went to the EA station, and walked back to the restaurant. While we were eating the car charged to 98% giving us plenty of range to make it back to her brothers house. Once again we charged at the college and at her brothers using a 110 outlet.
The next day when it was time to go home we just drove home without needing to stop anywhere.
In the end charging only added a little annoyance since we had to drop the car at the college and pick it back up but did not add any time to the trip since the DCFC was done while we were eating.
For the second trip we took the car from Metro Atlanta to Panama City Beach, about 350 miles. Once again I planned out the trip using ABRP and PlugShare.
Panama City Beach is a DCFC charging desert. There is a DCFC at the Harley Davidson dealership but that is only 20 kW so not really that fast. The plan was to get enough energy in Chipley, FL to make it to our condo and back to Chipley, FL.
The first stop in Columbus went well. We pulled up to the Georgia Power run station and there were no cars charging at the DCFC station we picked. We plugged in, walked to the restaurant and ate. When we returned the car was charged about 6% more than ABRP said we needed to reach our next stop. This station was supposed to do up to 125 kW if only one car was there but it never got above 62 kW. It did not matter though as it charged fast enough at the lower rate while we ate. Total cost $7.78. That is in fact the total cost for both trips described here since the other stations used were either free or subtracted from our 250 KwH bundle given at purchase.
On both trips ABRP was very conservative. Off by 5-10% on the arrival percentage so I knew we would have no trouble reaching the EA station in Chipley.
Here our plan was to do the shopping for the condo, breakfasts and lunches, while the car charged. Something we would have normally waited to do until in Panama City Beach but instead made sense to do now while at Walmart and the EA station to make the best use of our time. There was no one else at the station when we arrived and all four appeared functional. There was a Rivian R1T next to me when we left. When we got back out to the car it took a little to convince my wife that we had enough energy and could leave before it got to 100%, we were at 89% I had researched level 2 options in Panama City Beach we could use if needed.
We arrived at the condo with 75%, plenty to drive around some and get back to Chipley, Fl and the EA station.
We lucked out at the condo. As I was parking I saw a Tesla driver leaving. He was putting away his EVSE. I pulled into the spot he left and there was a 110 outlet. I plugged in and we ended up always getting that spot. As a result we were at 100% when we left to go home.
For the return trip we again planned to stop in Columbus but wanted to eat somewhere different, somewhere without a DCFC station knowing this would add time to our trip. We ate and then headed to the station we used on the way down only to find it fully occupied, a Porsche Tycan and a VW ID4. There were two other options in Columbus but they could have also been occupied and were in the wrong direction.
We decided instead to detour slightly to the AL-GA border and the GA welcome station. There is a free DCFC station there that Plugshare said was unoccupied. We figured we would continue making forward progress rather than wait an unknown amount of time for the station in Columbus to become available. Plus we knew we had enough energy to get to the welcome station and if there was a problem there just enough energy to make it to LaGrange where there were another couple options.
We arrived at the welcome station and the charger was still available. 22 mins later we unplugged and drove the rest of the way home. Lots of people stared at the car at the rest station but no one asked about it.
All in we added about 30 minutes to the trip home because we ate somewhere without DCFC and had to detour slightly out of the way to go to an alternate station.
My wife mentioned she is much more confident in the road trip abilities.
We have a trip to Orlando, FL and to Cherokee, NC coming up next month.
The Orlando trip will present a little challenge in where will we get our Orlando driving around energy and our initial return up energy. It looks like there are many DCFC and level 2 options though they will require some planning and time to use. The condo we are staying at does not have level 2 available and I doubt I will get so lucky to be right by a 110 outlet again. I have booked a dining reservation at a restaurant for one of the nights that is walking distance to a DCFC station and hope that works out.
The Cherokee, NC trip is again a DCFC desert but many level 2 options. The hotel we are staying at has 14 level 2 J1772 stations so we should be able to drive up and drive back getting the energy we need during one or both of the two nights we are spending.
Middle Georgia, western North Carolina, and the Florida Panhandle are DCFC deserts and the places we visit the most.
I-16 has a couple stations in Metter and Dublin but there are often 2-3 car lines to use the stations according to a family member who drives a Tesla and often stops at the Supercharger in Metter.
Once you get away from I-10 on the panhandle there are not a lot of DCFC options.
There are just not many options at all for DCFC in western North Carolina.
Even with those problems it appears that trips to and through those areas are possible with some planning. You definitely can't just hop in the car and hope for the best.
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