First Mustang Mach E Road Trip ?

dbsb3233

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Friend "how do you plan a trip?" well, it's just like using waze or google maps. Sure the Sync app in the vehicle isn't great, I've seen some videos where the car tells people to charge for 9 hrs at 120v to make it to the next stop! Check out the apps, they make a huge difference!
Agree with the rest of your post, but this passage may leave the wrong impression IMO. Maybe you just meant the method of research is like using waze or google maps, but the degree of planning needed is a lot deeper. Depends on the route, of course, but it can easily take 5x-10x more research and planning for a long trip than it does in an ICE vehicle, if wanting to avoid the type of pitfalls he experienced.

I start with EA. That's the gold standard. If the route is covered by EA in the right spots, then easy-peasy. Then I drill into Plugshare for all the non-EA options available. And by "drill" I do mean drill, since finding the locations is only half of it. Gotta confirm hours, # of chargers, power levels, pricing, access control, dependability, etc. And I'm working with Google Maps throughout (which is always my go-to map.) If the route is long enough to require hotel stops, that adds another layer to research nearby chargers and choose hotel locations. Charging overnight is a big plus if available, but hotel chargers can be very hit-and-miss.

I liken the whole thing to filing a flight plan. Some people just like to wing it and just let the car tell them where to stop. That's fine if one has a higher tolerance for risk and not being very concerned about the consequences (Kyle Conner comes to mind for that style). But I'm the opposite. I'm a planner, and I want to know ahead of time that I have a solid plan, with plenty of safety buffer, and what the backup options are.
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They're actually closer to being right on that one. No way you're gonna get 4-4.5 hours of driving between charges on a road trip, unless only driving 35 MPH or something. Even 2-2.5 is a bit much at interstate speeds. 300 mile range isn't 300 miles of actual road trip distance. It's more like 150. 70-80 MPH speed cuts into range, arriving with at least 10% safety buffer cuts into range, starting at 80% after a DCFC cuts into range, climate control use cuts into range, etc.

And then we're slaves to the spacing of good chargers. On a recent 800 mile road trip, I averaged 117 miles between charges. That's less than 2 hours. But... the average charge was only about 25 minutes. So basically half hour stops. (That's at 150+ kW EA chargers. Would take a long longer on lower power.)
I’ve been driving my mach-e 140 miles from Chicago to Wisconsin on the highway and end up with about 70 miles of charge remaining. I’m happy for now but worried about what you are talking about when it gets cold.
 

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Only drive in 1PD and no one knows the difference. You just need to get used to it.

As to road trips it all depends on your route and your patience. The last 500 mile one way trip we took we actually thought felt shorter with the relaxing stops to charge and grab a snack.
 

dbsb3233

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I’ve been driving my mach-e 140 miles from Chicago to Wisconsin on the highway and end up with about 70 miles of charge remaining. I’m happy for now but worried about what you are talking about when it gets cold.
That'll definitely impact it, especially below 40F. That's where the numbers seem to really start shifting.

Wet roads too, and wind. And of course elevation differential makes a huge difference.

On a recent road trip I averaged 2.6 miles/kWh overall at 75-80 MPH, but one leg dropped to 2.0 in the cold (30F) and wet.

Having said that, 140 miles is probably still safe with the ER battery from 100%.
 

bellyer

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I’ve been driving my mach-e 140 miles from Chicago to Wisconsin on the highway and end up with about 70 miles of charge remaining. I’m happy for now but worried about what you are talking about when it gets cold.
Not sure where in Wisconsin you head to, but I drive a few times a year between the city of Chicago and Door County, WI. About 215 miles door to door. Made my first trip in my Mach-E back in March and found the Electrify America DC Fast Chargers in West Milwaukee to be terrific. If you head up that way and need to incorporate a charge into your trip up to WI or home from it, I highly recommend those chargers.
 


ARK

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As to road trips it all depends on your route and your patience. The last 500 mile one way trip we took we actually thought felt shorter with the relaxing stops to charge and grab a snack.
Yeah generally driving non-stop for hours on end is a pretty bad thing to put the human body through. Having to stop and get out every so often is a virtue. As a side note, also don’t see why having the car’s main screen act as an entertainment center is a good thing, last thing someone should want to do on a road trip after hours of driving with hours of driving still ahead is sit inside the vehicle and watch Netflix for 30-45 min - people need to go for a walk!
 

pt19713

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Their conclusions:
  • Electric cars are fine for commuting, but the technology isn’t advanced enough to take them on road trips of any length (to quote one friend “Nobody is going to want to stop for an hour or more every 2-2 1/2 hours and wait while their car recharges! That’s stupid.” I tried to point out that you’re probably going maybe 4-4 1/2 hours between charges and he wasn’t having it. His attitude was that people get on the road at 6, drive straight through until noon, except for bathroom breaks, grab lunch and fuel, then continue on until they stop for the evening. He didn’t see how an electric car could do that. Oh well. Not my problem :D
Not all EVs and also location dependent. The European infrastructure is pretty good compared to the US.

I have 2 Teslas and the charging network in the Mid-Atlantic region is very good. Trips up and down the Atlantic is not a problem. Trips to major cities are also easy to do.

Non-Tesla chargers will eventually get there. It doesn't happen overnight.

Most of my charging sessions are 20-25 minutes except in winter, where it'll take 30-35 minutes. Charging starts in 10 seconds, reliable, and L3 chargers are every 10-15 miles. Sometimes it's hard to decide which one to use and is usually dependant upon the food choices.
Ford Mustang Mach-E First Mustang Mach E Road Trip ? 20210509_121959
 

malba2366

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Also don’t forget when the EA chargers become more frequented you could end up with long waits. This will probably start happening late next year with the flood of new EVs. EA probably won’t keep expanding the way Tesla has once the $2 billion VW had to put in is used up.
 

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I was just about to start a thread but I'll respond to this. Right now I'm stuck at a Dunkin donuts waiting for my car to charge at a 50kw EVGO station. How much is it costing me even though it's"in network" ? $18.00 hour

Why am I doing this? Cuz my normal drive from Columbus Ohio to Cleveland which is normally 136 miles and I charged to 100% night before encountered freezing temperatures instead of rain as weather said and depleted battery down to 40 miles. Now my wife and I are limping home at an estimated 5 hours versus 2 if I filed up with gas in our other car. I can't justify taking trips on this car as much as I want to. This sucks and the charging network is pathetic and expensive
 

dbsb3233

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I was just about to start a thread but I'll respond to this. Right now I'm stuck at a Dunkin donuts waiting for my car to charge at a 50kw EVGO station. How much is it costing me even though it's"in network" ? $18.00 hour

Why am I doing this? Cuz my normal drive from Columbus Ohio to Cleveland which is normally 136 miles and I charged to 100% night before encountered freezing temperatures instead of rain as weather said and depleted battery down to 40 miles. Now my wife and I are limping home at an estimated 5 hours versus 2 if I filed up with gas in our other car. I can't justify taking trips on this car as much as I want to. This sucks and the charging network is pathetic and expensive
That sucks. I'm a little confused on the details. Not sure where you're at now, but if you haven't arrive in Mansfield yet, there's an EA station at the Walmart just off 71 @ 13 that would be a lot faster. Just put in enough at the slow EVgo station to get you there, and save some time.

But yeah, there's far more things that have a bigger impact on range, with limited charging options. It'll keep getting better, but road trips can be a lot trickier than ICE.
 

Greddy1

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That sucks. I'm a little confused on the details. Not sure where you're at now, but if you haven't arrive in Mansfield yet, there's an EA station at the Walmart just off 71 @ 13 that would be a lot faster. Just put in enough at the slow EVgo station to get you there, and save some time.

But yeah, there's far more things that have a bigger impact on range, with limited charging options. It'll keep getting better, but road trips can be a lot trickier than ICE.
The 50kw charger allowed us to get to a 29kw fast charger in Medina to to of while we are dinner and make the 110 Mike journey home with 40 miles to sister but it was a 6 hour journey that normally takes 2 and that is just unacceptable for any type of road trip
 

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The 50kw charger allowed us to get to a 29kw fast charger in Medina to to of while we are dinner and make the 110 Mike journey home with 40 miles to sister but it was a 6 hour journey that normally takes 2 and that is just unacceptable for any type of road trip
Yah, totally not worth the drama. There are some who enjoy driving around looking for charging stations but I am definitely not in that camp. For a road trip, I will take my SUV filled up with 22 gal of gas any day of the week. The EV is an amazing commuter vehicle for my wife, and to use around town, taking the kids to activities etc.
 
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Thanks for all the feedback. I’m planning on sticking with 1 pedal drive and trying to get it nailed down. It was just good to get independent feedback on the behavior.
I’m personally pretty adventurous, so the charging issues didn’t bother me too much (except the inn not being straightforward about the location we were at NOT being the one with chargers). For me, this was a chance to try it out, and it didn’t really bother me that much. Hopefully the Ford nav will improve over time. I do have ABRP on my phone e as a backup.
 

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Yah, totally not worth the drama. There are some who enjoy driving around looking for charging stations but I am definitely not in that camp. For a road trip, I will take my SUV filled up with 22 gal of gas any day of the week. The EV is an amazing commuter vehicle for my wife, and to use around town, taking the kids to activities etc.
Couldn’t agree more. I’m looking forward to my GTPE, but I don’t see it as a road trip car.
 

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All kinds of thoughts.

Chargers need a national standard, ASAP. The free market isn't some divine diety of perfection, it can be a damn mess a lot of the time. This is something that cries out for standardization, especially if the infrastructure bill goes through.

I agree with the post about this becoming a mess in the near future. I live in a heavy tourist area. The other day I drove by a Tesla charging station that was packed. I swear every 10th car is a Tesla around here on the weekend (I've seen several MME's in the wild here too) and as Covid fades it's gonna get slammed around here. In past summers I've been 100% locked in, unable to leave the area. The average charging station has the same or fewer outlets of a small gas station but 5 to 10 times slower through put. It's just not enough for the volume.

I get the complaints about trips. It's definitely an inconvenience, and the cars range is definitely not 300 miles, and weather, and speed, etc. But, that inconvenience will be made up massively over time with the time you save elsewhere. It's no contest.

Finally, when some jag off starts navigating, in my non-legal opinion, you should be able to toss their phone, followed by the offender, out the window, at high speed. I've had that done to me and it's one of the most annoying things, ever. It should be a law.

However, you really should be using Google or Apple Maps. Vendor supplied GPS sucks.

No idea about the bouncing, only barely noticed that on the test drives. My car can bounce like a boat in ECON mode, which is mostly what I drive in, so I'd probably never notice it.
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