First real road trip PA to Fl and back

[Scc18603]

So I finally did it I took the 22RWD Select on the road.
it has been great as a daily driver and the occasional 2 hour getaways, but this was going to be different based on the videos I watched and the articles I read.
So I left PA at 100% SOC on Thursday 8/3 and headed out of PA on I81 / I83 and US 15. My wife and I stoped in Camp hill for dinner and there was level 2 Volta charger that really didn’t add much but it was free. My first real DCFC was at the Clarksville Premium Outlets in Maryland EA center nice place and chargers worked great. About 183 miles from home.
We stayed the night at True by Hilton in Ashland Va. 115 Miles. The Hotel had a level 2 charger, but super slow 3kw so I was not at 100% SOC when we left. Hotel was nice, and breakfast + some charge so can’t complain.

Day 2 to Florida

Still along ride
So we left the hotel and the first charge stop the car wanted was at a shell station. So i guess I missed the car telling me it was out of network. So my wife goes into the station and I get the charger to work when she informed me that it was a good place to me mugged. Meanwhile the charge should have had a hand crank. So I decided this was a giant waste of time and we should go on to the Carolina outlets at Exit 95 in North Carolina . Leaving the charger gave my wife range anxiet, but some quick math and yep we could make it, but not much more. So off we went.

At the outlets the EA chargers worked right out of the gate and we went from 12% to 80% by the time we found the bathrooms and walked the pooch. Back on the road we stoped at an EA station in South Carolina, and Georgia, then in Florida 1 ea station and 2 Florida Power station. FPL stations gave my car the best charging rates. We arrived at my daughter’s at 11pm.

So for my first trip to Fl in my Mach e it went well, however if it wasn’t for the charge credits I think my 22 Jeep Grand Cherokee L would have been pretty equal in cost and definitely faster trip. So I don’t think I will do it again.

The return trip was equally uneventful except it seems the car preferred chargers on the right and passed closer ones on the left.
An example the car wanted me to to go to a charger 12 miles off the highway when at the previous exit there was and EA station and Volta dc fast chargers at an outlet. We ended up stopping about every 197 miles and it was about 4 hours charging plus the on and off highway time.
Again stayed at a hotel and got 100% charge. Left Fl at 6am on Saturday and got home 7pm Sunday. Blue Cruise worked great.


Again it is a great car but not a road trip car, and I feel the savings isn’t there for the extra tIme needed to road trip.

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[Billyk24]

More challenging in rural areas off the interstate where charging stations are few in number and spread out 100+ miles apart. UP of Michigan features mostly slow 50 and 62.5kW chargers.

 

[chesteroberto]

Okay, I'm curious ----- which EA stations did you use in South Carolina and Georgia?

Thanks, and congrats on a successful trip, even if it was a bit slow.

 

[Logal727]

Are people still buying $60k cars for savings?

 

[RickMachE]

So I finally did it I took the 22RWD Select on the road.
it has been great as a daily driver and the occasional 2 hour getaways, but this was going to be different based on the videos I watched and the articles I read.
So I left PA at 100% SOC on Thursday 8/3 and headed out of PA on I81 / I83 and US 15. My wife and I stoped in Camp hill for dinner and there was level 2 Volta charger that really didn’t add much but it was free. My first real DCFC was at the Clarksville Premium Outlets in Maryland EA center nice place and chargers worked great. About 183 miles from home.
We stayed the night at True by Hilton in Ashland Va. 115 Miles. The Hotel had a level 2 charger, but super slow 3kw so I was not at 100% SOC when we left. Hotel was nice, and breakfast + some charge so can’t complain.

Day 2 to Florida

Still along ride
So we left the hotel and the first charge stop the car wanted was at a shell station. So i guess I missed the car telling me it was out of network. So my wife goes into the station and I get the charger to work when she informed me that it was a good place to me mugged. Meanwhile the charge should have had a hand crank. So I decided this was a giant waste of time and we should go on to the Carolina outlets at Exit 95 in North Carolina . Leaving the charger gave my wife range anxiet, but some quick math and yep we could make it, but not much more. So off we went.

At the outlets the EA chargers worked right out of the gate and we went from 12% to 80% by the time we found the bathrooms and walked the pooch. Back on the road we stoped at an EA station in South Carolina, and Georgia, then in Florida 1 ea station and 2 Florida Power station. FPL stations gave my car the best charging rates. We arrived at my daughter’s at 11pm.

So for my first trip to Fl in my Mach e it went well, however if it wasn’t for the charge credits I think my 22 Jeep Grand Cherokee L would have been pretty equal in cost and definitely faster trip. So I don’t think I will do it again.

The return trip was equally uneventful except it seems the car preferred chargers on the right and passed closer ones on the left.
An example the car wanted me to to go to a charger 12 miles off the highway when at the previous exit there was and EA station and Volta dc fast chargers at an outlet. We ended up stopping about every 197 miles and it was about 4 hours charging plus the on and off highway time.
Again stayed at a hotel and got 100% charge. Left Fl at 6am on Saturday and got home 7pm Sunday. Blue Cruise worked great.


Again it is a great car but not a road trip car, and I feel the savings isn’t there for the extra tIme needed to road trip.

Great trip report. Using ABRP and PlugShare, you don't tend to waste time at non-working or slow chargers. Ford's navigation isn't great.

Anyone who uses an EV for a trip and thinks they're saving money (paying to charge on the trip) is in for a rude awakening. Of course, the payback on a $60,000 car is forever.

The advantages of traveling with an EV are many, but saving time isn't one of them. But using BlueCruise handsfree driving is very relaxing, and stopping every 3 - 3.5 hours to charge/pee/stretch, and walk around makes for a much more relaxing trip.

We've driven Michigan to Florida twice now, Michigan to SC 2 or 3 times, ...

 

[Logal727]

I honestly wish I had more road trips to do in this car, to each their own

 

[kennethjk]

Great trip report. Using ABRP and PlugShare, you don't tend to waste time at non-working or slow chargers. Ford's navigation isn't great.

Anyone who uses an EV for a trip and thinks they're saving money (paying to charge on the trip) is in for a rude awakening. Of course, the payback on a $60,000 car is forever.

The advantages of traveling with an EV are many, but saving time isn't one of them. But using BlueCruise handsfree driving is very relaxing, and stopping every 3 - 3.5 hours to charge/pee/stretch, and walk around makes for a much more relaxing trip.

We've driven Michigan to Florida twice now, Michigan to SC 2 or 3 times, ...

While I was thinking of driving down to Florida, a 1250 mile trip I calculated roughly 500 miles would be basically free, charging at hotels for free, leaving my house at 100%.

the other 750 miles would run about $125 based on 3 miles per KW at .50 per KW

compared to driving an ice car getting 25 mpg at 3.30 a gallon which is $165.

MME is still cheaper, even if my number are off a bit it wouldn’t be more expensive.

time-wise, no comparison ICE wins by a landslide , but I planned on stopping in a few places to site see etc.

 

[Scc18603]

Okay, I'm curious ----- which EA stations did you use in South Carolina and Georgia?

Thanks, and congrats on a successful trip, even if it was a bit slow.

The Walmart EA station on the pooper parkway in GA, and the Walmart in Florence at the i95/ I20 interchanges

 

[Scc18603]

FYI my Mach e was way under $60k, and I did enjoy driving it, however i guess time was way more valuable on this trip than anything else. We probably should have just taken the Jeep as I can do that run in 15 to 18 hours, rather than the 31 hours and saved 2 day with my daughter.

We thought we would try it in the Mach e and again I am not a hater by any means. I just wanted to share my experience on driving and charging which I felt was very positive, except like I said I think the car did not want to go to chargers on the opposite side of the highway. (Just an observation. Maybe a coincidence)
f
I am also sure the 100+ temps in GA and FL didn’t help.
72/73 mph didn’t seem to cause the range to drop like a rock, but 74/75 did. It is just so hard to be good in the right lane with a Mustang and the power that even my Select RWD has.

And maybe just maybe I was missing the ventilation massaging seats of the Grang Cherokee.

 

[chesteroberto]

The Walmart EA station on the pooper parkway in GA, and the Walmart in Florence at the i95/ I20 interchanges

Okay, thanks! I assume you mean Pooler Parkway in the Walmart parking lot.

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