Help with planning a road trip

[Jtsuth]

First, let me start by saying i've never charged my car anywhere but my house.
So, i have an upcoming road trip to visit the in-laws (joy ). They live up in Michigan whereas i live in Texas, so pretty good size trip ~1,100 miles or so.
Anyway, looking through apple maps or a better route planner i can make a trip with charging stops, but when i actually search those stops on google, they all seem like sketchy secluded areas being business parks, or next to nothing, and i'm not thrilled about being stuck in places like that with my family for an hour at a time.
Are there better charging stations? are there better resources for finding them?

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[bgarrett4917]

I would recommend focusing on Electrify America stations since they are usually located in Walmart parking lots. Download the PlugShare app as that app is good at giving the condition of the stations and a lot of people post comments that are helpful. Lastly, I would recommend staying at a hotel that has a level 2 charger so you can have a 100% charge first thing in the morning. A lot of hotels won't charge if you're a customer.

I traveled from S. FL to NC in a Bolt a couple of years ago and didn't have any issues. Just have to be patient and try to charge when you stop of a bio break and/or lunch/snacks.

Safe travels!

 

[alexgorod]

i've never charged my car anywhere but my house.

Try to charge it in L3 before the trip, and if possible, use the same type you plan to use on your trip; preloading the apps could also be a good idea.

 

[hybrid2bev]

First, let me start by saying i've never charged my car anywhere but my house.
So, i have an upcoming road trip to visit the in-laws (joy ). They live up in Michigan whereas i live in Texas, so pretty good size trip ~1,100 miles or so.
Anyway, looking through apple maps or a better route planner i can make a trip with charging stops, but when i actually search those stops on google, they all seem like sketchy secluded areas being business parks, or next to nothing, and i'm not thrilled about being stuck in places like that with my family for an hour at a time.
Are there better charging stations? are there better resources for finding them?

Check your settings in ABRP.

Set Type of charges to CCS (not J1772)
Set Avoid and Prefer to Electrify America (I also prefer ChargePoint)

Set minimum number of stalls to 2. That should help you avoid those lonely 1 station business park locations and provide redundancy.

Check each charging location in PlugShare both in the planning phase and the day of your trip.

 

[JPT]

Hi John, I just did a BIG roadtrip and reported it here. Des Moines, Iowa to Seattle and back
Have a look. It fills in some blanks

 

[21st Century Pony]

I just completed a coast - to - coast, round trip of 10,515 miles this Summer.

My advice:
1. Load up on ChargePoint, EVGo, EA, EVConnect and any other charging app. Having a ready app saves a LOT of frustration. In one or two places, I found a DC charging station without a credit card reader, and thus that regional charging network app was the only way to charge.
2. Do not discount the ability to charge at "not DC stations". Many hotels offer free charging overnight with, for example, a Tesla Destination free L2 charging point. Some also offer RV-type charging, especially in the Western U.S.
3. Depending on your goals, i.e. "just getting there" or "having the time to enjoy the trip", you might seriously consider glamping / camping. Even if your goals center on "just getting there", remember that electricity, like water, is readily available... the key for some peace of mind is having the portable equipment to readily tap it when needed. I happen to have a 12-year old, modified Panasonic EVSE from an older outfit called Evse Upgrade... this will reliably charge the Mach E overnight at 240V, 20 amps. I carry several plug ends for it, a NEMA 14-50, a NEMA 6-50, a NEMA welder's plug etc.. During our coast - to - coast trip, we charged overnight at Tesla Destinations (in Winnemucca Nevada, and in one other place in the MidWest - I have a TeslaTap adapter), at state park RV campgrounds (Atlantic shore), at military base RV campgrounds (Pacific shore), at a hotel in Wyoming with one RV parking lot plug, at an old friend's Minnesota farm garage using my buddy's welder receptacle, and at a transient worker RV lot in the middle of nowhere in Munro South Dakota when its sole CCS DC charging station went bust. The Ford portable EVSE will also work for such occasional overnight charging, although its reliability is somewhat suspect from what I read here.
4. I have found that my built-in Ford Navigation system calculates chargers along the route pretty reliably. It also conditions the big traction battery some time before we reach a charger preselected on the route, which helps A). charging speed and B). health of the big battery.

Good Luck!

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