should I or shouldn't I

[ChasingCoral]

It has been that easy in the past, but I don't think we can expect it to always be so easy. Many more people are driving BEVs and charger congestion should not be shrugged off IMO. Especially at hotels.

I don't ever plan to use a charger at a hotel without a backup plan because most hotels have a very small number of chargers for all their guests. If that a-hole fully charged Tesla sits there all night, you will need a DCFC nearby to keep the trip going.

It isn't as easy as driving a ICE, and most normal people don't want to deal with all the extra planning. Like my wife. Those of us who post frequently here are not normal, including me.

In a way I relish the challenge of taking my car on a trip. Except that one six hour drive that required a slow 1 hour charge at a crappy EA station just to make it there. If I had been alone, it would have been OK, but I was not.

I found on the last trip that the difference in price between charger-equipped hotels near Savannah and the cheap hotels in southern SC was enough that I didn't charge overnight.

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[generaltso]

charging is not that big a deal unless you frequent WV or Vermont.

I knew I was doing something wrong! ?

 

[Dparke55]

I am considering going from NY to Florida
I have a 2022 GT (April 22 build}
What are my chances, I have only charged at home.
never tried the fast DC chargers yet,
should I attempt or what are my chances of getting stranded somewhere ?
should I go or should I stay ?

Fl turnpike ev stations are duke energy and fpl you should get apps ready if you will be counting on turnpike chargers.

 

[Phil Martin]

All of it during an extended road trip. Have zero interest to carefully plan and revolve my trip dependent on charging locations, F that

Can't blame you. Wife and I decided not to buy a BEV for now because of the dismal state of the public fast charging. We have a plugin hybrid, it's great. Drive EV local and not have to worry at all about charging on road trips, zero planning required. We have 90K miles on it total and have done about 70K miles of those miles electric.

 

[Phil Martin]

It has been that easy in the past, but I don't think we can expect it to always be so easy. Many more people are driving BEVs and charger congestion should not be shrugged off IMO. Especially at hotels.

I don't ever plan to use a charger at a hotel without a backup plan because most hotels have a very small number of chargers for all their guests. If that a-hole fully charged Tesla sits there all night, you will need a DCFC nearby to keep the trip going.

It isn't as easy as driving a ICE, and most normal people don't want to deal with all the extra planning. Like my wife. Those of us who post frequently here are not normal, including me.

In a way I relish the challenge of taking my car on a trip. Except that one six hour drive that required a slow 1 hour charge at a crappy EA station just to make it there. If I had been alone, it would have been OK, but I was not.

Agree. That's what keeps us from buying a BEV. Chargers that are suppose to work that don't or are slow and getting to a hotel only to find that the two chargers that have are taken. I already have zero patience and get angry quick, as my wife says. We both don't want to deal with the added stress. And running around treasure hunting for a working charger isn't fun, IMO.

 

[mkhuffman]

Agree. That's what keeps us from buying a BEV. Chargers that are suppose to work that don't or are slow and getting to a hotel only to find that the two chargers that have are taken. I already have zero patience and get angry quick, as my wife says. We both don't want to deal with the added stress. And running around treasure hunting for a working charger isn't fun, IMO.

Yep. I have told my wife that when I have to start waiting for a charge, I will be taking her car on my 150 mile (one way) commute. As of today, I have been able to find a spare charger in my office building, but that is getting harder and harder. And the a-holes who plug in and stay plugged in long after they stop charging are still doing it. I know some of it is inexperience, but seriously. Are those people really that self-centered?

I love driving my MME. So giving it up to drive my wife's XT5 will be very sour grapes. Very.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Yep. I have told my wife that when I have to start waiting for a charge, I will be taking her car on my 150 mile (one way) commute. As of today, I have been able to find a spare charger in my office building, but that is getting harder and harder. And the a-holes who plug in and stay plugged in long after they stop charging are still doing it. I know some of it is inexperience, but seriously. Are those people really that self-centered?

I love driving my MME. So giving it up to drive my wife's XT5 will be very sour grapes. Very.

We hope you get to drive your Mach-E again, Mike.

 

[Tampamike]

I found on the last trip that the difference in price between charger-equipped hotels near Savannah and the cheap hotels in southern SC was enough that I didn't charge overnight.

I’m not sure where the hotel charger situation is going to go. The current standard, sparse as it is, seems to be 2 charger ports, either old and broken or brand new. I haven’t seen any larger banks so I’m not sure if they are going to keep up with the EV market. Are they going to just stop installing them figuring that everyone is getting an EV and we’re not going to charge them all for free or are they going to actively beef up the network to attract EV drivers? I think maybe the former.
On my, just completed trip up and down the east coast, I got zero hotel charges in four hotel nights. One Tru hotel had two working chargers that I just missed out on. One Courtyard had two, very old and broken units. A Staybridge suites had no chargers ( but an EA nearby). A B&B had nothing - only charger in town was at another B&B.
I just don’t plan on them - to me, currently, they’re a bonus if available.

 

[mkhuffman]

I’m not sure where the hotel charger situation is going to go. The current standard, sparse as it is, seems to be 2 charger ports, either old and broken or brand new. I haven’t seen any larger banks so I’m not sure if they are going to keep up with the EV market. Are they going to just stop installing them figuring that everyone is getting an EV and we’re not going to charge them all for free or are they going to actively beef up the network to attract EV drivers? I think maybe the former.
On my, just completed trip up and down the east coast, I got zero hotel charges in four hotel nights. One Tru hotel had two working chargers that I just missed out on. One Courtyard had two, very old and broken units. A Staybridge suites had no chargers ( but an EA nearby). A B&B had nothing - only charger in town was at another B&B.
I just don’t plan on them - to me, currently, they’re a bonus if available.

I agree. Relying on hotel chargers without a backup plan is a big mistake.

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