DC to Canaan Valley West Virginia: Through a Charging Desert

[dan_meh]

I now own a MME and a Toyota Sienna. In my hybrid minivan, I don’t think about the infrastructure. It sort of fades into the background. My experience tells me that there will be a gas station when I need it, there will be a well-maintained road where I need it, and there will be a nav system from my phone to tell me how to get there. I’ve done the trip from DC to Canaan Valley, WV in that hybrid multiple times (and the tiny little econobox before that minivan).

We aren’t yet at that place with electric cars. Some places are difficult even for the vaunted Tesla infrastructure. Corridor H is one such place. It’s a charging desert with high winds, steep hills, and high speeds. Now that I’ve traversed Corridor H, I have a boost of confidence that comes with stretching out of your comfort zone. I’m old… it’s particularly good for me ?.

I set off at 3 PM from Alexandria in 65 F degree weather. After reading enough here, and a separate thread asking this fine community for advice on the trip, I charged to 100 percent and also set a departure time of 3 PM. Not that the departure time mattered a ton - it’s not like the batter was sitting at subzero temperatures, but I was trying to do everything right.

I arrived in Stephens City (greater Winchester) at the Electrify America in the Sheetz with about 65%. I didn’t baby the car in the I-66 leg because I didn’t have to. I knew I would be stopping before traversing the Great East Coast Charging Desert (GECCD). I set the Ford Nav to the EA station to precondition the battery and we arrived at about 5 PM. My traveling companion (10 year old daughter) and I got dinner at Arby’s (she the nuggets, I a chicken sandwich) and sat at the Sheetz charging and eating. Deets on that session:

• Plugged in at 65% and pulled 150kw for a hot second - amazing/weird - but it quickly fell.
• Settled in at 70-80 kw from about 70-80, getting the gradual taper.
• At 80%, the rate fell to 34 kWh/h and stayed there until 95% - Yes, I know… I went to 95%… charging desert.
• I unplugged at about 5:38 PM with 95% in the tank and continued on.

Because I was terrified about getting stuck in Canaan with too low a charge to get back OUT of Canaan, I went 60 MPH on US 48. I knew my consumption with the strong headwinds and terrain, and ABRP told me I needed at least 45% in Canaan to make it comfortably to a fast charger for my return trip. I needed to keep my miles/kwh at about 2.2-2.4. 60 MPH did the trick. I arrived with 48%.

I had also planned to find my way to one of the AC chargers at the state parks if I got myself into a pickle, but did I mention my 10-year-old? How much fun is it to sit at the charger with dad? So I was trying to avoid the AC chargers. And I did! It helps that the place we are staying has an outlet outside and I plugged the car in with the granny lead. Every little bit helps.

I haven’t done the return trip yet, but I must say that I feel a huge confidence boost. Previously, I did “easy” road trips in the MME Extended Range AWD 2024. I stuck to major corridors and the feeling was a lot like the hybrid minivan: I just used the Ford Nav, it told me where to stop, I did, and arrived just peaches at my destination. This was the first trip where I had to do real planning - had to pay attention to my consumption, had to make the Ford Nav do what I wanted, and so on.

I recognize that each new EV owner must learn lessons anew, which is why I’m posting this. If you’ve been around, you know this stuff. But newbies have lessons learned:

• Know whether you are on an easy course or a hard one. If you’re traveling on I-95, the infrastructure has caught up - maybe not to full gas levels - but to a place where you don’t need to think a ton about it.
• Get out of your comfort zone and do a hard one… when you’re ready. I feel like I lived what my dad talked about when he drove around the four corners area in the 50s and 60s. “Don’t pass a gas station without filling the tank - every time, and then ask where the next one is,” he’d say.
• Slow down to make it through a charging desert. The speed limit on 48 is 65 MPH, most people go 75, and I was going 60. It only cost me about 10 minutes in time to go a bit slower and it saved my consumption.
• The MME has cards for trips - the little context switcher at the bottom of the giant screen. The Trips card shows the current consumption of “this trip.” Know what your consumption limit is by playing with settings in ABRP and keep your consumption at or under that amount. It’s hard to get passed, but don’t let pride ruin your day. Slow the eff down.
• Use ABRP, especially to see what your consumption needs to be. You can change it in the settings. Plan with an assumption of 3.0 miles per kwh, 2.5, and 2. In retrospect, it’s obvious that efficiency matters when crossing a charging desert, but seeing the difference in ABRP… makes a difference.
• Don’t be afraid to charge deep into the pack if you must: it was hard for me to sit at a charging station and draw above 80%, but I did it because I had to. Fortunately, I didn’t keep anyone waiting, but it was a real concern. But I had to be selfish in this instance because I couldn’t get where I was going if I didn’t go deep into the pack.
• ABC (Always Be Charging): the little granny charger is going to be my buffer. It’s not going to radically change my route, but it’s going to be piece of mind. I’m not Kyle Conner. I need to arrive at a charging station with between 10-20% predicted!

I’ll reply with the return trip, but I’m already going to buy an OBD dongle. I’m sold on ABRP for the “difficult” runs!

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[gutowscr]

I’m sold on ABRP also. Planed a route and it was on the conservative side (said I would arrive to the first charger on the route with 18%). Used an OBD2 connected to ABRP and arrived with 29%, just driving speed limit. Just wish ABRP could start a precondition in cold weather.

 

[dan_meh]

I’m sold on ABRP also. Planed a route and it was on the conservative side (said I would arrive to the first charger on the route with 18%). Used an OBD2 connected to ABRP and arrived with 29%, just driving speed limit. Just wish ABRP could start a precondition in cold weather.

I agree. ABRP is totally worth it. Ford is integrated with Apple and Android maps…. Why not ABRP?

I would pay a subscription for a ford/ABRP connected service. You could imagine a subscription I could manage in my FordPass app.

 

[Tampamike]

Not to pass judgement on anyone, just technique. I don’t use ABRP. I tried it early on and I didn’t like it. I use the car’s nav and back it up with a little math on the fly. I have an extended range battery (91kw) so I use 90 for 100%. I’ll use 2.5m/kw as a baseline for highway driving at 79mph. I use that little “my trip” tile to see how I’m doing relative to that. A full charge should get me 90x2.5=225 miles and 80% gets 72x2.5=180 miles. I’ll do a more math on the fly if that “my trip” tile or the GOM are telling me a different story.

Good recap by the way. Sounds like a successful trip with your future EV driver. Maybe by the time you hand over the fob, things will be much easier for her road trips.

 

[gutowscr]

I agree. ABRP is totally worth it. Ford is integrated with Apple and Android maps….

I don’t think ford charging/preconditioning is integrated with Apple Maps, is it?

 

[RickMachE]

Been using ABRP for years, the free version. I've seen no reason to buy the paid version. I use my dongle for CarScanner to watch things like actual energy available and battery temp.

ABRP won't be integrated because it's owned by Rivian...

One of the dangers of using the Trip odometer miles per kWh is that it's an AVERAGE for the trip. So, you start out at say 3.0, and then hit a headwind, but you really don't notice it. You've already driven a bunch of miles on this leg. Miles per kWh drops to 2.9, then 2.8. If you've already done a bunch of miles, that tells you that your CURRENT and EXPECTED efficiency is really poor, because you're pulling down the average that fast...

CarScanner shows you the energy, as well as an instant readout. As you're going along on the first part, you saw 2.9, 3.0, 3.1, and a bunch of other numbers. Now, you're seeing 2.0, 2.1, 2.0, 1.9. That means 1.9 x energy left is your range. You pick up on this much faster.

 

[gutowscr]

One of the dangers of using the Trip odometer miles per kWh is that it's an AVERAGE for the trip. So, you start out at say 3.0, and then hit a headwind, but you really don't notice it. You've already driven a bunch of miles on this leg. Miles per kWh drops to 2.9, then 2.8. If you've already done a bunch of miles, that tells you that your CURRENT and EXPECTED efficiency is really poor, because you're pulling down the average that fast...

I ‘think’ ABRP is using real time info from OBD2 port to do the calculations, not using averages, if you have a dongle connected like car scanner. Have to admit I switch between both all the time based on where I’m going.

 

[Glen Boise]

Where is trip planning in FordPass these days?
Used to be that Ford had their own trip planning in FordPass were you could plan a trip and download your planned trip to your car. No longer.
More recently, opening trip planning in FordPass gave you the option of ABRP or Google Maps. (I have an android phone.)
Today, after reading the previous comments, I checked FordPass, version 5.13.0, to see what options were still available. I could not find ANY trip planning. Not that this will be problem as I have ABRP, Plugshare and Chargeway trip planning app's on the phone. It does mean that next time I plan a trip I will need to sit in my car planning it using the built in Navigation app and compare the results with what my other apps planned. Something I used to do in the comfort of my home.

 

[RickMachE]

Where is trip planning in FordPass these days?
Used to be that Ford had their own trip planning in FordPass were you could plan a trip and download your planned trip to your car. No longer.
More recently, opening trip planning in FordPass gave you the option of ABRP or Google Maps. (I have an android phone.)
Today, after reading the previous comments, I checked FordPass, version 5.13.0, to see what options were still available. I could not find ANY trip planning. Not that this will be problem as I have ABRP, Plugshare and Chargeway trip planning app's on the phone. It does mean that next time I plan a trip I will need to sit in my car planning it using the built in Navigation app and compare the results with what my other apps planned. Something I used to do in the comfort of my home.

Went away like a year ago.

I plan my trips on ABRP on my PC. Save them, and open the app on my phone.

 

[rreddy3]

I now own a MME and a Toyota Sienna. In my hybrid minivan, I don’t think about the infrastructure. It sort of fades into the background. My experience tells me that there will be a gas station when I need it, there will be a well-maintained road where I need it, and there will be a nav system from my phone to tell me how to get there. I’ve done the trip from DC to Canaan Valley, WV in that hybrid multiple times (and the tiny little econobox before that minivan).

We aren’t yet at that place with electric cars. Some places are difficult even for the vaunted Tesla infrastructure. Corridor H is one such place. It’s a charging desert with high winds, steep hills, and high speeds. Now that I’ve traversed Corridor H, I have a boost of confidence that comes with stretching out of your comfort zone. I’m old… it’s particularly good for me ?.

I set off at 3 PM from Alexandria in 65 F degree weather. After reading enough here, and a separate thread asking this fine community for advice on the trip, I charged to 100 percent and also set a departure time of 3 PM. Not that the departure time mattered a ton - it’s not like the batter was sitting at subzero temperatures, but I was trying to do everything right.

I arrived in Stephens City (greater Winchester) at the Electrify America in the Sheetz with about 65%. I didn’t baby the car in the I-66 leg because I didn’t have to. I knew I would be stopping before traversing the Great East Coast Charging Desert (GECCD). I set the Ford Nav to the EA station to precondition the battery and we arrived at about 5 PM. My traveling companion (10 year old daughter) and I got dinner at Arby’s (she the nuggets, I a chicken sandwich) and sat at the Sheetz charging and eating. Deets on that session:

• Plugged in at 65% and pulled 150kw for a hot second - amazing/weird - but it quickly fell.
• Settled in at 70-80 kw from about 70-80, getting the gradual taper.
• At 80%, the rate fell to 34 kWh/h and stayed there until 95% - Yes, I know… I went to 95%… charging desert.
• I unplugged at about 5:38 PM with 95% in the tank and continued on.

Because I was terrified about getting stuck in Canaan with too low a charge to get back OUT of Canaan, I went 60 MPH on US 48. I knew my consumption with the strong headwinds and terrain, and ABRP told me I needed at least 45% in Canaan to make it comfortably to a fast charger for my return trip. I needed to keep my miles/kwh at about 2.2-2.4. 60 MPH did the trick. I arrived with 48%.

I had also planned to find my way to one of the AC chargers at the state parks if I got myself into a pickle, but did I mention my 10-year-old? How much fun is it to sit at the charger with dad? So I was trying to avoid the AC chargers. And I did! It helps that the place we are staying has an outlet outside and I plugged the car in with the granny lead. Every little bit helps.

I haven’t done the return trip yet, but I must say that I feel a huge confidence boost. Previously, I did “easy” road trips in the MME Extended Range AWD 2024. I stuck to major corridors and the feeling was a lot like the hybrid minivan: I just used the Ford Nav, it told me where to stop, I did, and arrived just peaches at my destination. This was the first trip where I had to do real planning - had to pay attention to my consumption, had to make the Ford Nav do what I wanted, and so on.

I recognize that each new EV owner must learn lessons anew, which is why I’m posting this. If you’ve been around, you know this stuff. But newbies have lessons learned:

• Know whether you are on an easy course or a hard one. If you’re traveling on I-95, the infrastructure has caught up - maybe not to full gas levels - but to a place where you don’t need to think a ton about it.
• Get out of your comfort zone and do a hard one… when you’re ready. I feel like I lived what my dad talked about when he drove around the four corners area in the 50s and 60s. “Don’t pass a gas station without filling the tank - every time, and then ask where the next one is,” he’d say.
• Slow down to make it through a charging desert. The speed limit on 48 is 65 MPH, most people go 75, and I was going 60. It only cost me about 10 minutes in time to go a bit slower and it saved my consumption.
• The MME has cards for trips - the little context switcher at the bottom of the giant screen. The Trips card shows the current consumption of “this trip.” Know what your consumption limit is by playing with settings in ABRP and keep your consumption at or under that amount. It’s hard to get passed, but don’t let pride ruin your day. Slow the eff down.
• Use ABRP, especially to see what your consumption needs to be. You can change it in the settings. Plan with an assumption of 3.0 miles per kwh, 2.5, and 2. In retrospect, it’s obvious that efficiency matters when crossing a charging desert, but seeing the difference in ABRP… makes a difference.
• Don’t be afraid to charge deep into the pack if you must: it was hard for me to sit at a charging station and draw above 80%, but I did it because I had to. Fortunately, I didn’t keep anyone waiting, but it was a real concern. But I had to be selfish in this instance because I couldn’t get where I was going if I didn’t go deep into the pack.
• ABC (Always Be Charging): the little granny charger is going to be my buffer. It’s not going to radically change my route, but it’s going to be piece of mind. I’m not Kyle Conner. I need to arrive at a charging station with between 10-20% predicted!

I’ll reply with the return trip, but I’m already going to buy an OBD dongle. I’m sold on ABRP for the “difficult” runs!

Glad the trip has been a success! The trip from NoVA to Canaan Valley area is a nice one for the MME. I did it late October.

 

[Billyk24]

Not to pass judgement on anyone, just technique. I don’t use ABRP. I tried it early on and I didn’t like it. I use the car’s nav and back it up with a little math on the fly. I have an extended range battery (91kw) so I use 90 for 100%. I’ll use 2.5m/kw as a baseline for highway driving at 79mph. I use that little “my trip” tile to see how I’m doing relative to that. A full charge should get me 90x2.5=225 miles and 80% gets 72x2.5=180 miles. I’ll do a more math on the fly if that “my trip” tile or the GOM are telling me a different story.

Good recap by the way. Sounds like a successful trip with your future EV driver. Maybe by the time you hand over the fob, things will be much easier for her road trips.

In true winter weather 20's and below, you are not going to achieve such "range". Battery temperature drops fast and pulls down those numbers. In 19f weather today, I started out with a 58f battery temperture-yes I was plugged in overnight and set a departure time- drove 50 miles in just over 55 minutes and saw a 17f degree drop in battery temperature. That 50 miles of driving ate 90 miles of range.

 

[Tampamike]

In true winter weather 20's and below, you are not going to achieve such "range". Battery temperature drops fast and pulls down those numbers. In 19f weather today, I started out with a 58f battery temperture-yes I was plugged in overnight and set a departure time- drove 50 miles in just over 55 minutes and saw a 17f degree drop in battery temperature. That 50 miles of driving ate 90 miles of range.

Ok, yes, I did not base the my rule of thumb on cold temps. I live in Florida and most of my road trips are in mild to hot temps. I’ll adjust that down when I do go somewhere cold but that's my baseline.

 

[cheerioboy26]

I don’t think ford charging/preconditioning is integrated with Apple Maps, is it?

It is not. Google maps with Android Auto only.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Not to pass judgement on anyone, just technique. I don’t use ABRP. I tried it early on and I didn’t like it.

I’m with @Tampamike. I love ABRP for pre-planning but it’s bad for navigation and atrocious for a Lightning towing a trailer. I have a dongle and again just paid for two months of the paid version of ABRP. I won’t be paying again.

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