Best trip planner for charging stations

[Logal727]

Click the right side button on your steering wheel and tell it to Navigate to xxxx. It will program the fastest route including charging stops down to the minute. From there you can tap to drill down to see charger speeds, how many chargers are currently in use, typical peak times, and cost. It will dynamically change charging stations automatically if more efficient and precondition on the way.

Oh wait, that's my 3, not my E.

Plug in to your nav and go, and hope for the best.

All this is on the Ford Nav too..... it's actually pretty accurate through there.

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[kkriskal]

Get the Electrify America app - that will be your first choice, usually. Get the PlugShare app - that will be the one you will use to check operability of any desired charge sites. Read the check-in’s to see what‘s working or not. Some stations have maintenance issues.

When you’ve identified the desired charger, just keep that in mind. Use the car’s nav for the actual drive. If you want to charge on the way there, you’ll have to add a charger as a waypoint since the car won’t automatically add it because you have enough range to get there. Use the DCFC filter to only use fast chargers. The car may pick a charger that you didn’t know about. That may be ok, like a fast EVGo, but it could be a marginally fast ChargePoint or an EA that has bad reliability (double-check it on PlugShare). Just know that ahead of time so that you can decide whether that stop works for you or not and then change it or keep it. You can also use the FordPass app to look at a route ahead of time as well. You can even save the trip for use in the car.

You can start your trip with 100% charge.

 

[bwr1338]

After a year of owning the car I’m taking my first big trip which will require me to charge while out.
Right now due to weather conditions
It’s a 3 hour drive, 146 miles right now. At 90% charged and my GOM on the app is saying 174miles. It’s 33F right now. We do have snow on the ground. I expect the weather to be similar this weekend when taking the trip. I also will be making the same trip back same day and I don’t think there is a charger at the location I’ll be at so I’ll need to stop somewhere for the first time.

I usually use Apple Maps for my gpa route planning. I know we have the onboard nav. I have plug share and chargepoint. Honestly only ever used Apple Maps.
Thanks for the input.

I use Apple Maps and build guides for my trips.
I have the following apps on y phone to help find stations and hotels

Plugshare
EA app
Chargepoint
EVgo
ABRP
Chargeway - helps great basic plan I build on
Chargehub EV

 

[mkhuffman]

Back in the old days people would get a map from AAA or the local gas station and just hit the road, focused on the destination, not the refueling.

 

[RickMachE]

Back in the old days people would get a map from AAA or the local gas station and just hit the road, focused on the destination, not the refueling.

And, if they needed food, they'd stop at Big Boys and eat. At the right gas stations, they'd get S&H Green Stamps too!

 

[AhardFSU]

And, if they needed food, they'd stop at Big Boys and eat. At the right gas stations, they'd get S&H Green Stamps too!

I'm in my 40s but I do remember those S&H Green stamps. When I was younger I'd always find a book of them in one of the kitchen drawers at home.

 

[dbsb3233]

Another thing to consider is that I stay at my destination for x period of time. The cars going to cool down by the time I need to drive it again.

the ford trip planner says

Point A to B 2hr 51ml, 147 miles 35% battery
I plan to be here for 5+ hours and weather will be 20-30f
Point B to EA charger 27 min, 19 miles
Charge there from 27-68% 26 min
EA to point A 2 hr 12% charge

i guess any concerns with getting from Point B to the charging station.

As someone else noted, make sure you charge to 100% to start the trip. Can either use the override in FP, or simply turn off Charging Locations in the car (that will turn off your home 90% limiter). I do the latter since it's the most dependable way to make sure it charges to 100%. FP *usually* works but I want to be sure before a trip. Just turn Charging Locations back on the next day.

I wouldn't worry too much about it being cold at your destination. That'll cost a few extra %. But if you start at 100%, you should probably have enough to spare.

If you find you used more than expected on the way there, then I'd charge up to 80% at the EA station for the drive back rather than stopping at 68%. Always better to be safe than sorry, especially if it's your first EV road trip.

While you're looking in Plugshare, see if there's a backup DCFC station or two in the area just in case EA is full or down, or something unexpected happens. More peace of mind knowing a few of the backup options.

If you want to post your starting city and destination, we'd be happy to take a look if you want some extra assurance.

 

[21st Century Pony]

Remember that high terrain eats battery energy just as much if not more than cold weather... so if you're going deep into Northern New England or the Adirondacks, you'll likely see more rapid energy loss when you start climbing.

The Ford Nav can show you altitude on either side of the bottom "Street" bar if you click on it and select to show altitude for either the next waypoint or for the destination, or for right where you are at the moment.

 

[JoeBeach]

Get the Electrify America app - that will be your first choice, usually. Get the PlugShare app - that will be the one you will use to check operability of any desired charge sites. Read the check-in’s to see what‘s working or not. Some stations have maintenance issues.

When you’ve identified the desired charger, just keep that in mind. Use the car’s nav for the actual drive. If you want to charge on the way there, you’ll have to add a charger as a waypoint since the car won’t automatically add it because you have enough range to get there. Use the DCFC filter to only use fast chargers. The car may pick a charger that you didn’t know about. That may be ok, like a fast EVGo, but it could be a marginally fast ChargePoint or an EA that has bad reliability (double-check it on PlugShare). Just know that ahead of time so that you can decide whether that stop works for you or not and then change it or keep it. You can also use the FordPass app to look at a route ahead of time as well. You can even save the trip for use in the car.

I have version v5.0.2 of Ford pass and i do not see a trip planning function on it. watched the video and the map icon on the bottom right is not there. Any suggestions on how to find it?

 

[OWG]

I have version v5.0.2 of Ford pass and i do not see a trip planning function on it. watched the video and the map icon on the bottom right is not there. Any suggestions on how to find it?

That feature went away - we are left with pokeing it in to the center stack if we want to use the integrated Nav.

 

[CTZ]

The public charging option in the Energy tab will bring up a list of chargers that you can filter and will send you into Google Maps for navigation.

 

[Tampamike]

I have version v5.0.2 of Ford pass and i do not see a trip planning function on it. watched the video and the map icon on the bottom right is not there. Any suggestions on how to find it?

Yeah, that’s gone and several forum members have posted about how unhappy they are about it. I never really used it that much. Like I said, I pretty much know where I’m going to stop from doing a little research before leaving. Then I just plug in the destination in the car and let it do its thing. Sometimes we don’t agree on which charger to use. I either just replace it (tap on the charger, and select ”replace”) or I might consider it if it is a viable alternative.

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