Eric_C_Boston
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Eric
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2021
- Threads
- 51
- Messages
- 530
- Reaction score
- 713
- Location
- North Shore, MA, USA
- Vehicles
- 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD ER
- Occupation
- Retired Software Engineer
- Thread starter
- #1
My second road trip was originally similar to the first, but I was going to use US Route 1 instead of I-95. I planned on attending a Car and Coffee event at the Seal Cover Auto Museum and stay for a couple of days at the Seawall Motel in Seawall, ME again. The plan changed when Canada opened the border the Monday before the museum event. I decided to take a long delayed trip to Halifax, NS with a brief stop in Saint John, NB. I planned to travel through the charger desert of Eastern Maine!
A few things did not go to plan at the start. I got a late start with a SOC of 98% instead of the planned 100%. There was a heatwave with the outside temperature showing 103 degrees as I was stuck in traffic on Route 1 in Peabody. There were other slowdowns in tourist places, like Oqunquit, ME. I missed a turn in Portsmouth, NH, but got back on route after a couple of miles. There were occasional signs luring me back to Interstate 95.
The temperature steadily dropped into the 80s as I headed northeast though the nice scenery. I stopped at the Hannaford Supermarket in Belfast, ME for a break. No sign of the fast chargers. In Ellsworth, Maine I turned south to Mt Desert Island. This leg of the trip was 265.5 miles and the SoC went from 98% to 31%.
The Cars and Coffee event was great. I met another Mach-E owner with a Select. I drove around Mount Desert Island after the event and charged at Northwest Harbor while visiting the town. Even through it was a dual EVSE, it seemed like it was setup for a single charging spot. The charger was offset to the right and the space to the left was a handicap space. There was a Chevy Bolt EV when I returned and the other EVSE cable did reach. I charged for 42 minutes and gained 5% SoC. I got to do more driving at slower than highway speeds, so I was seeing efficiency values of up to 5.4 miles/kW while on the island. It seems like you could get away with mainly overnight Level 1 charging for traveling around the island.
I charged using the Seawall Motel EVSE via the Accessory Mode trick, although it did fault early in the overnight charge session. I unplugged and the EVSE reset after about five minutes. I had a SoC of 100% by the next morning and continued on to Saint John. I followed US Route 1 to Calais, Maine. I was seeing efficiency values of 4.1 to 4.4 miles/kW. I stopped in Calais for lunch after 140.3 miles and the SoC dropped to 63%. There are Level 2 EVSEs along Route 1, but none along my typical Route 9 route.
I had no problems crossing the border at Ferry Point. I made sure I had all the required documents and registered using the ArriveCAN app. The time on my phone and car both instantly changed to Atlantic Time when I was midway across the river. Saint John was another 66.5 miles and the SoC dropped to 41%. The highway driving through hills dropped the efficiency to 3.5 miles/kW
I spent the next day in the Saint John area. Saint John only has one DC fast charger, a 25kW available at a Chevy dealer during business hours. I was hesitant to charge at a dealership. There were no Level 2 EVSEs where I traveled. I figured I would charge on the way to Halifax at Quispamsis, NB. I left for Halifax with a SoC of 35%.
The EVSEs in NB are mostly managed by FLO. Some were installed by NB Power and are 25kW or 50kW. I discovered upon reaching the one in Quispamsis, that it was not in the Ford Blue Oval Network. I found during my trip that only some FLO EVSEs are part of the Ford network. I hesitate joining EVSE networks as I do not want a wallet full of cards and my phone loaded with Apps. Since FLO was the major player in the area, and with future trips in mind, I joined FLO and downloaded the app. I ended up not charging because I could not get the phone app to activate the charger! No problem since I had range to get to the next one in Sussex, NB. I got there with a SoC of 17%.
The Sussex EVSE was behind a Shopper's Drug Mart, so I could do some shopping and browsing while charging. I charged for 26 minutes and continued on with a SoC of 40%. The traffic flow was fast, and with the hills the range was dropping faster than expected. I got to the CF Champlain Mall in Dieppe, NB with a SoC of 22% after 52 miles. I had to wait for a few minutes as the charger was in use, and charged while having lunch and browsing. After 52 mimutes of charging, I left with a SoC of 62%. This is now feeling like a real road trip.
I started to feel slightly nervous when I was not quite to Halifax and the SoC got closer to 10%. I should have charged for more time in NB, but thought I would make it with over 10%. I ended up in Halifax with a SoC of 9% after 156.7 miles with an efficiency of 3.3 miles/kW. This is the first time dealing with these lower efficiency values.
I charged at a dealership for the first time, O'Regan Nissan in Halifax while having supper. After 51 minutes I left after the SoC went from 8% to 51%.
A couple of days later I did a loop trip from Halifax to Digby, and Yarmouth via the Fundy side, then back to Halifax via the South Shore. I charged to 80% the night before at Atlantic Superstore while getting supper. I started out with a SoC of 79%.
The SoC was 31% when I stopped to charge at the Digby Sobey's. I walked down to the waterfront and explored for an hour and 27 minutes. I was surprised to see the SoC at 85% when I got back. I charged from 65% to 80% in Yarmnouth. I got back to Halifax with a SoC of 21%.
It was easier to do opportunity charging in Halifax. I stopped at the Atlantic Superstore to charge while visiting the area, but a Tesla was using it with a CHAdeMO adapter. I monitored my phone and returned to the car when the Tesla left. I started the charging session and continued walking along the Halifax waterfront. The SoC went from 13% to 27% in 34 minutes. A Chevy Bolt was parked waiting when I returned to the car. The driver was also monitoring the charger status as he walked over to his car as I was leaving the parking lot.
The trip home was complicated by TS Henri, but I decided on a two day trip back home. Petro-Canada has installed 200kW and higher DC Fast Chargers along the Trans-Canada highway down to Halifax. I decided to sign up and download yet another app.
Unfortunately the 350kW charger in Halifax was partially broken. I charged the night before leaving while having supper.
The charger only supplied 20kW and I got to a SoC of 52%. I started the trip home with a SoC of only 51%, but used the Petro-Canada 200kW charger at Stewiacke for 23 minutes to get the SoC to 80%. It is too bad that Petro-Canada is not part of the Ford Blue Oval Network. The Petro-Canada charger at Moncton was broken, so I charged at a FLO 50kW at Youngs Cove One Stop. The Soc went from 23% to 51% in 36 minutes.
The plan was to overnight at Iveys Motor Lodge in Houlton, Maine and charge to 100% using their Clippercreek Level 2 EVSE. As a backup I used the Petro-Canada 200kW charger in Meductic, NB to take the SoC from 19% to 80%. I got to Iveys with a SOC of 72% and was able to charge to 100%.
There are actually four EVSEs in the picture as two are mounted on the back of the posts.
A SoC of 100% was important, since the next fast charger near I-95 is in Augusta, Maine. I did simulations using ABRP later and I would need to charge to a SoC of at least 89% at Meductic to get to Augusta, Maine. I will be glad when they get the fast charger in Bangor installed. They should install another one between Bangor and Houlton on I-95 as well.
I decided to do the speed limit (75 MPH) leaving Houlton, ME and saw 2.6 miles/kW efficiency. The SoC was 56% when I reached Bangor. The efficiency increased to 3.0 miles/kW as the speed limit went down to mostly 70 MPH. The Ford Navigation decided to take me a bit off the highway to charge on a Chargepoint 50kW at Hannaford Supermarket in North Windham, ME. The SoC was at 14% and I thought a better choice was the EA Charger in Scarborough, ME. Still, there are a number of good restaurants around the area and I had lunch for an hour and five minutes while the SoC went to 80%.
I reached home before the rain from TD Henri with a SoC of 48%. I traveled 2026.5 miles with an efficiency of 3.9 miles/kW. It was a fun trip and I gained experience in road tripping with an EV. Since I now have a Petro-Canada Account, I will try and use their chargers when possible in Canada. I plan on joining Circuit Electrique for my future Quebec travels.
A few things did not go to plan at the start. I got a late start with a SOC of 98% instead of the planned 100%. There was a heatwave with the outside temperature showing 103 degrees as I was stuck in traffic on Route 1 in Peabody. There were other slowdowns in tourist places, like Oqunquit, ME. I missed a turn in Portsmouth, NH, but got back on route after a couple of miles. There were occasional signs luring me back to Interstate 95.
The temperature steadily dropped into the 80s as I headed northeast though the nice scenery. I stopped at the Hannaford Supermarket in Belfast, ME for a break. No sign of the fast chargers. In Ellsworth, Maine I turned south to Mt Desert Island. This leg of the trip was 265.5 miles and the SoC went from 98% to 31%.
The Cars and Coffee event was great. I met another Mach-E owner with a Select. I drove around Mount Desert Island after the event and charged at Northwest Harbor while visiting the town. Even through it was a dual EVSE, it seemed like it was setup for a single charging spot. The charger was offset to the right and the space to the left was a handicap space. There was a Chevy Bolt EV when I returned and the other EVSE cable did reach. I charged for 42 minutes and gained 5% SoC. I got to do more driving at slower than highway speeds, so I was seeing efficiency values of up to 5.4 miles/kW while on the island. It seems like you could get away with mainly overnight Level 1 charging for traveling around the island.
I charged using the Seawall Motel EVSE via the Accessory Mode trick, although it did fault early in the overnight charge session. I unplugged and the EVSE reset after about five minutes. I had a SoC of 100% by the next morning and continued on to Saint John. I followed US Route 1 to Calais, Maine. I was seeing efficiency values of 4.1 to 4.4 miles/kW. I stopped in Calais for lunch after 140.3 miles and the SoC dropped to 63%. There are Level 2 EVSEs along Route 1, but none along my typical Route 9 route.
I had no problems crossing the border at Ferry Point. I made sure I had all the required documents and registered using the ArriveCAN app. The time on my phone and car both instantly changed to Atlantic Time when I was midway across the river. Saint John was another 66.5 miles and the SoC dropped to 41%. The highway driving through hills dropped the efficiency to 3.5 miles/kW
I spent the next day in the Saint John area. Saint John only has one DC fast charger, a 25kW available at a Chevy dealer during business hours. I was hesitant to charge at a dealership. There were no Level 2 EVSEs where I traveled. I figured I would charge on the way to Halifax at Quispamsis, NB. I left for Halifax with a SoC of 35%.
The EVSEs in NB are mostly managed by FLO. Some were installed by NB Power and are 25kW or 50kW. I discovered upon reaching the one in Quispamsis, that it was not in the Ford Blue Oval Network. I found during my trip that only some FLO EVSEs are part of the Ford network. I hesitate joining EVSE networks as I do not want a wallet full of cards and my phone loaded with Apps. Since FLO was the major player in the area, and with future trips in mind, I joined FLO and downloaded the app. I ended up not charging because I could not get the phone app to activate the charger! No problem since I had range to get to the next one in Sussex, NB. I got there with a SoC of 17%.
The Sussex EVSE was behind a Shopper's Drug Mart, so I could do some shopping and browsing while charging. I charged for 26 minutes and continued on with a SoC of 40%. The traffic flow was fast, and with the hills the range was dropping faster than expected. I got to the CF Champlain Mall in Dieppe, NB with a SoC of 22% after 52 miles. I had to wait for a few minutes as the charger was in use, and charged while having lunch and browsing. After 52 mimutes of charging, I left with a SoC of 62%. This is now feeling like a real road trip.
I started to feel slightly nervous when I was not quite to Halifax and the SoC got closer to 10%. I should have charged for more time in NB, but thought I would make it with over 10%. I ended up in Halifax with a SoC of 9% after 156.7 miles with an efficiency of 3.3 miles/kW. This is the first time dealing with these lower efficiency values.
I charged at a dealership for the first time, O'Regan Nissan in Halifax while having supper. After 51 minutes I left after the SoC went from 8% to 51%.
A couple of days later I did a loop trip from Halifax to Digby, and Yarmouth via the Fundy side, then back to Halifax via the South Shore. I charged to 80% the night before at Atlantic Superstore while getting supper. I started out with a SoC of 79%.
The SoC was 31% when I stopped to charge at the Digby Sobey's. I walked down to the waterfront and explored for an hour and 27 minutes. I was surprised to see the SoC at 85% when I got back. I charged from 65% to 80% in Yarmnouth. I got back to Halifax with a SoC of 21%.
It was easier to do opportunity charging in Halifax. I stopped at the Atlantic Superstore to charge while visiting the area, but a Tesla was using it with a CHAdeMO adapter. I monitored my phone and returned to the car when the Tesla left. I started the charging session and continued walking along the Halifax waterfront. The SoC went from 13% to 27% in 34 minutes. A Chevy Bolt was parked waiting when I returned to the car. The driver was also monitoring the charger status as he walked over to his car as I was leaving the parking lot.
The trip home was complicated by TS Henri, but I decided on a two day trip back home. Petro-Canada has installed 200kW and higher DC Fast Chargers along the Trans-Canada highway down to Halifax. I decided to sign up and download yet another app.
Unfortunately the 350kW charger in Halifax was partially broken. I charged the night before leaving while having supper.
The charger only supplied 20kW and I got to a SoC of 52%. I started the trip home with a SoC of only 51%, but used the Petro-Canada 200kW charger at Stewiacke for 23 minutes to get the SoC to 80%. It is too bad that Petro-Canada is not part of the Ford Blue Oval Network. The Petro-Canada charger at Moncton was broken, so I charged at a FLO 50kW at Youngs Cove One Stop. The Soc went from 23% to 51% in 36 minutes.
The plan was to overnight at Iveys Motor Lodge in Houlton, Maine and charge to 100% using their Clippercreek Level 2 EVSE. As a backup I used the Petro-Canada 200kW charger in Meductic, NB to take the SoC from 19% to 80%. I got to Iveys with a SOC of 72% and was able to charge to 100%.
There are actually four EVSEs in the picture as two are mounted on the back of the posts.
A SoC of 100% was important, since the next fast charger near I-95 is in Augusta, Maine. I did simulations using ABRP later and I would need to charge to a SoC of at least 89% at Meductic to get to Augusta, Maine. I will be glad when they get the fast charger in Bangor installed. They should install another one between Bangor and Houlton on I-95 as well.
I decided to do the speed limit (75 MPH) leaving Houlton, ME and saw 2.6 miles/kW efficiency. The SoC was 56% when I reached Bangor. The efficiency increased to 3.0 miles/kW as the speed limit went down to mostly 70 MPH. The Ford Navigation decided to take me a bit off the highway to charge on a Chargepoint 50kW at Hannaford Supermarket in North Windham, ME. The SoC was at 14% and I thought a better choice was the EA Charger in Scarborough, ME. Still, there are a number of good restaurants around the area and I had lunch for an hour and five minutes while the SoC went to 80%.
I reached home before the rain from TD Henri with a SoC of 48%. I traveled 2026.5 miles with an efficiency of 3.9 miles/kW. It was a fun trip and I gained experience in road tripping with an EV. Since I now have a Petro-Canada Account, I will try and use their chargers when possible in Canada. I plan on joining Circuit Electrique for my future Quebec travels.