dbsb3233
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- TimCO
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2019
- Threads
- 54
- Messages
- 9,299
- Reaction score
- 10,814
- Location
- Colorado, USA
- Vehicles
- 2021 Mustang Mach-E FE, 2023 Bronco Sport OB
- Occupation
- Retired
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.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!
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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