First "Trip" needing to fast charge

[sean7512]

....was extremely uneventful.

We have been a MachE only family since end of August when we bought 2, 2023 MachE GTs and bid farewell to gas. Since then we have never needed to use public charger -- our farthest round trip is about 130 miles, which is easily done. Yesterday we took the kid and my father-in-law down to Cumberland, MD (from Pittsburgh, PA) for a Polar Express train ride. It is about 125 miles each way from our house and would maybe be fine in the summer, but definitely not winter in high 20/low 30 degree temperatures. Given the horror stories of everything, I was incredible anxious and kept thinking we'd get stranded because of broken chargers or something.

Cumberland, MD doesn't really have a robust charging network, as there is almost nothing there. Luckily for us, the train station has 2 Chargepoint 62.5kWh chargers. I have been monitoring them the days leading up to ensure both were still working, but I still feared that they would be in use or broken when we got there. We pulled into the parking lot with 46% battery and I plugged in, paying with Apple Pay (Plug & Charge only works at EA, right??) and viola! Ramped up very quickly to 61 kW. We got on the train (it's only about a 1 hour round trip ride) and about halfway into the ride, I got notified that my car was at 100%. Got off the train and drove back on a full battery, getting home with 44% charge. I did keep an eye on the ChargePoint app and the other charger never went to in-use, so I was glad I wasn't blocking anyone from getting charged (thankfully). Total cost was $16.04 for 51.7479 kWh.

I averaged 2.6 mi/kWh each way (different routes, which is why the way home used more battery), which I think is pretty great for a day that was hovering at or below freezing the entire time and in a GT. All in all, a huge sigh of relief that everything was super smooth.

And now to find a trip to take so I can use up some of my free EA credits.

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[21st Century Pony]

....was extremely uneventful.

We have been a MachE only family since end of August when we bought 2, 2023 MachE GTs and bid farewell to gas. Since then we have never needed to use public charger -- our farthest round trip is about 130 miles, which is easily done. Yesterday we took the kid and my father-in-law down to Cumberland, MD (from Pittsburgh, PA) for a Polar Express train ride. It is about 125 miles each way from our house and would maybe be fine in the summer, but definitely not winter in high 20/low 30 degree temperatures. Given the horror stories of everything, I was incredible anxious and kept thinking we'd get stranded because of broken chargers or something.

Cumberland, MD doesn't really have a robust charging network, as there is almost nothing there. Luckily for us, the train station has 2 Chargepoint 62.5kWh chargers. I have been monitoring them the days leading up to ensure both were still working, but I still feared that they would be in use or broken when we got there. We pulled into the parking lot with 46% battery and I plugged in, paying with Apple Pay (Plug & Charge only works at EA, right??) and viola! Ramped up very quickly to 61 kW. We got on the train (it's only about a 1 hour round trip ride) and about halfway into the ride, I got notified that my car was at 100%. Got off the train and drove back on a full battery, getting home with 44% charge. I did keep an eye on the ChargePoint app and the other charger never went to in-use, so I was glad I wasn't blocking anyone from getting charged (thankfully). Total cost was $16.04 for 51.7479 kWh.

I averaged 2.6 mi/kWh each way (different routes, which is why the way home used more battery), which I think is pretty great for a day that was hovering at or below freezing the entire time and in a GT. All in all, a huge sigh of relief that everything was super smooth.

And now to find a trip to take so I can use up some of my free EA credits.

I use the ChargePoint 62.5 kW DC charging stations in Friendsville MD, just up the road, routinely on my way to the MidWest from Virginia. Right off I-68 just before the West Virginia border. They always work and the little burg is nice to amble across and stretch legs while charging. Never a crowd at the ChargePoints either.

Just watch for the mountain elevation changes and the resulting battery drain, especially during the Winter. This is a spot where I routinely switch my Ford NAV screen to show Elevation on the bottom bar.

 

[Tampamike]

“What? Me worry?”

Life isn’t all bad. Glad to hear it all worked out.

 

[sean7512]

“What? Me worry?”

Life isn’t all bad. Glad to hear it all worked out.

Why on earth did you think I was worried?! haha

I really didn't want to be stranded with a. 5 year old, my wife, and my father-in-law.

 

[Tampamike]

Why on earth did you think I was worried?! haha

I really didn't want to be stranded with a. 5 year old, my wife, and my father-in-law.

Funny story …
I actually got stranded once with my Father-in-law on a cold night in the middle of nowhere. My Jeep ran out of gas showing a quarter tank left. I knew I should have stopped at that last gas station but, … well … As it started sputtering, a restaurant appeared and I coasted into the parking lot. The owner ended up driving up the road (only a mile - almost made it!) and bringing me back a tank. I didn’t score any points that night, but hey, stuff happens, right? Haven’t run out of electrons yet (knock on wood!).

 

[sean7512]

Funny story …
I actually got stranded once with my Father-in-law on a cold night in the middle of nowhere. My Jeep ran out of gas showing a quarter tank left. I knew I should have stopped at that last gas station but, … well … As it started sputtering, a restaurant appeared and I coasted into the parking lot. The owner ended up driving up the road (only a mile - almost made it!) and bringing me back a tank. I didn’t score any points that night, but hey, stuff happens, right? Haven’t run out of electrons yet (knock on wood!).

Yikes, That sounds like an adventure. I can only imagine the feeling in your stomach as it started to sputter. At least it was easily solved. Running out of electrons isn't nearly as easy of a solution.

 

[MadManMoon]

Did you take a trip on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway? Wife and I did a dinner train a few months ago and loved it!

We ended up taking my wife's F-150 PowerBoost, since we weren't sure about the reliability or availability of those chargers, and our hotel didn't have a Level 2 charger either.

 

[DCC233]

I use the ChargePoint 62.5 kW DC charging stations in Friendsville MD, just up the road, routinely on my way to the MidWest from Virginia. Right off I-68 just before the West Virginia border. They always work and the little burg is nice to amble across and stretch legs while charging. Never a crowd at the ChargePoints either.

Just watch for the mountain elevation changes and the resulting battery drain, especially during the Winter. This is a spot where I routinely switch my Ford NAV screen to show Elevation on the bottom bar.

I visited that station at 4:30 am on my way back from Reston, VA to Columbus, OH on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Was so worried about getting caught waiting at chargers given the limited number on the route through western MD that I woke the family up at 3:00 am to hit the road. Rolled into that station around 4:30 am and surprisingly there was another car there charging. Wasn't expecting a hunter to pop out of the Audi e-tron, but then it hit me that rifle season started at dawn. That "station" is a lifesaver but it would have been nice to have it at least paved any maybe another street light. <Sorry to hijack the thread>.

 

[21st Century Pony]

I visited that station at 4:30 am on my way back from Reston, VA to Columbus, OH on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Was so worried about getting caught waiting at chargers given the limited number on the route through western MD that I woke the family up at 3:00 am to hit the road. Rolled into that station around 4:30 am and surprisingly there was another car there charging. Wasn't expecting a hunter to pop out of the Audi e-tron, but then it hit me that rifle season started at dawn. That "station" is a lifesaver but it would have been nice to have it at least paved any maybe another street light. <Sorry to hijack the thread>.

Yeah sometimes I see another car and often there's no one there.

Two ChargePoint DC charging points and some Level 2 points as well. A Portapotty at the end of the gravel parking lot. A general supply store just up the road, visible from the charging stations.

The town put this basic parking and charging site in, AFAIK by talking to locals, to help (and attract) Summer river rafters.

 

[sean7512]

Did you take a trip on the Western Maryland Scenic Railway? Wife and I did a dinner train a few months ago and loved it!

We ended up taking my wife's F-150 PowerBoost, since we weren't sure about the reliability or availability of those chargers, and our hotel didn't have a Level 2 charger either.

Yep, thats the one we did!

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