San Jose to LA trip -- not so good

mwsno

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Every time I ready posts like this I get nervous switching to EV, knowing very well how much I actually drive. Plus the weekend trips up into the mountains with no cell service.
 

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Every time I ready posts like this I get nervous switching to EV, knowing very well how much I actually drive. Plus the weekend trips up into the mountains with no cell service.
Preflight planning is essential for longer trips. You also need to be aware of the idiosyncrasies of the Ford nav system such as pointed out by the op. With that said, there are areas that will be hard or impossible to round trip in an EV. That’s where the planning comes in. Electron stations are far scarcer than petroleum stations atm.
 

mwsno

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Preflight planning is essential for longer trips. You also need to be aware of the idiosyncrasies of the Ford nav system such as pointed out by the op.
Should not be a concern when spending 50+k on a car. And yes, I know this is an all things EV "quirk" and willing to give it a go myself.
 

t12g

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You might want to stick to ICE if you want to drive at those speeds. No current EV will be able to handle those speeds for extended periods of time.
Admittedly it's not the most efficient way to go from point A to point B, but it's definitely doable with enough fast charging stations along the route. I just did the exact same trip a few days ago in a BEV without having to maintain an "efficient" cruising speed. OP's experience definitely highlights the importance of charging infrastructure. On a road trip, a BEV is only as good as the surrounding infrastructure. It's hard to beat the energy density of dino juice.
 


jksu

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thanks for this real world report.

i have family in the bay area and i'm in LA. while i'd love to make that drive in the mach-e, i'm hesitant. in a pinch and if i was in no hurry, i think it'd be fine in the mach-e. i've only fast charged once with EA and it was a piece of cake (plug & charge worked). and i've played with ABRP and the panoche and country villa EA stations were definitely the EA stops I saw repeatedly and would target if i attempted the drive.

but i know i can make the drive in about 5hrs in our minivan, with 1 stop for bathroom/food, averaging 80mph. so is it really worth an additional approx 2 hours round trip for the luxury of traveling in the mach-e? not for me. which i anticipated. it's actually why i didn't bother getting the extended battery because using the mach-e for long distance travel just isn't worth it right now....

i'm hoping when my lease is up in 3 years, either battery tech, battery cost, charging speed, chargers availability, etc will make the long-travel comparison to ICE more competitive.
 

deadduck

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Every time I ready posts like this I get nervous switching to EV, knowing very well how much I actually drive. Plus the weekend trips up into the mountains with no cell service.
This is why I wish there were better PHEV options available, it's pretty close to RAV4 Prime or nothing right now. Except, I don't fit in a RAV4, they are marked up like a Mach E and they aren't that great of a vehicle.

I could cut my gas usage by 80% and still have the range and accessibility of gas with a good PHEV.
 

BMT1071

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Quite Frankly, Ford and all other manufacturers EV marketing materials do not tell you about the "cons" or let's say "challenges" of EV ownership, which are all well highlighted here. Folks are on their own when it comes to that. It is just a different experience that you must adapt to. I can just imagine what original Leaf Owners in New England discovered when their 80 mile range became 53 or less miles in the Winter. And when degredation set in, 43, 33, 23 miles.
I think you'd have a hard time finding marketing materials for any product that address the 'cons'. That's not what marketing does.
With all of the information available to consumers these days if you blindly wander into an emerging technology that's on you.
 

mwsno

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This is why I wish there were better PHEV options available
Personally, I feel like PHEVs are a compromise made of sacrifices. But if they suit your needs, then that's awesome!
 
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EVS

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I thought I was screwed. I dropped the speed to 60mph, turned off the AC, and navigated to the charger arriving with 1 mile on GOM left. Fortunately the charger worked fine.
Wow, that must have been a nerve wrecking experience! If you were traveling with the family, they might just call it quits on long distance driving with the Mach-e. You may need a few mid-range trips to rebuild confidence. :)

Did you consider I-99 instead? I believe that is the route that Electrify America converted to an electric corridor with plenty of DC fast chargers. I-5 is very challenging for EVs due to high speed, high wind and the tall LA mountains. I-99 or coastal 101 are probably better routes. Or a lot of planning on I-5 till there are more fast chargers.

I assume, you are a new EV driver? EV drivers are used to planning and slower driving to cope with these. With experience, it will get better but never equal gas/hybrid/PHEV driving for these quick long distance drives. Yet in a few years, if California govt. has its way everyone will be forced to drive only electric for ALL distances and ALL purposes.
 
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JSW

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I agree with the main thrust of your post - that the MMe is not (on a relative or absolute basis), a great road trip car.

What makes some of us agree is our dislike to “waste” precious time by driving slower than we want, veering from our desired route and then stopping for extended periods of time to charge, etc. I’d rather drive our Blazer and avoid the inconvenience (and save money vs expensive DC electricity).

Others will disagree, in small part because no one likes it if you call their baby ugly, and in large part because what you/I view as inconvenience they view as part of the “experience” of road tripping in an EV. They actually enjoy planning the route, planning what to do while charging, slowing down and coasting into the charging station with 1 mile left, etc. It’s a whole thing… This is cool as well, it’s just not for me.

To thine own self be true.
 

mkhuffman

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Fast? Are you kidding? That's an average of the traffic, even large trucks are driving 70 mph. Fast would be at least 90 mph.
I have always been someone who likes to be one of the fastest cars on the road. But then my speed limit regulator nicely asked me to agree not to exceed 78 mph. Because I happen to love my speed limit regulator, I told her I would do that. No more 100 mph sprints when I can see far enough to know I won't get a ticket. Now I just set my cruise and relax.

So when my MME arrives, I am already acclimated to many cars passing me, and my manly competitive spirit is easily controlled. I think I can set it at 75 mph and be OK, except for when that 18 wheeler or dump truck gets ready to pass.

My speed limit regulator was OK with 80 when we were in Utah and the speed limit was 80, so there are exceptions...
 
 




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