Using Mach-E for long trips

[alexgorod]

By long trips I mean the ones that require one or multiple charging stops on the road.

When I ordered my Mach-E three months ago I decided that it requires too much planning and too much lost time to use an electric car for any trip that requires recharging stops on the way, so I only planned to use it for local driving, and didn't even order an extended battery option. I still think that it will work just fine for me, especially after we replaced my wife's 15-year old minivan with a new CR-V (we used it already for a trip and I really liked adaptive cruise control and lane centering features in it that I don't have in my 2-year old X3). I'm sure that driving in Mach-E is much more pleasant, but still don't like losing time on the road and gambling with charging stations availability. At the same time it's clear that many people use their Mach-Es for long trips. Why?

Sponsored

 

[TruWrecks]

Why not. Why are people in such a hurry to drive 7 hours straight. That is why most people get driving fatigue and start making mistakes. Our bodies are not made to go that long without a break. It is not healthy or safe. Ask a doctor sometime what the health risks are for sitting in a chair for 7 or 8 hours without moving.

 

[JGuske23]

I'm in sales, driving all over Michigan and Ohio, have put about 3,500 miles on my Mace E PER MONTH. My work car is my Mach E. It took me a whole week to get adjusted from never thinking twice about gas stations vs planning my routes looking for chargers. In fact I don't even think twice about looking for Chargers anymore as there always seems to be a charger somewhere for me to use at whatever city I visit if need be. The time I spend at chargers just gets put into answering emails or figuring out my next moves, really hasn't slowed me down in any sort of fashion nor prolonged my day. I do miss bathroom breaks at gas stations, I will say that, and my speedy rewards points, but that's about it ha.

People get too hung up on hard numbers for Charging, you only need enough charge to get home or your next charging point in the leg of your journey. And you very rarely enter a charging station at below 10% needing to get all the way to 80 for that full 40 min.

Obviously everyone is different, and time is money, but I feel like I'm a case study on switching to electric. If I can adapt easily I'm sure 95% of us all can without changing their day to day routines. the amount of money I save on gas vs electric has been a no brainer, and getting in my car everyday charged up is amazing

 

[hybrid2bev]

The longest trip I made was 500 miles round trip in one day. It was 3 charging stops at 2 EA locations. I read the reviews on PlugShare, seemed all good (and it was). The longest I waited to charge was about 10 minutes, didn't mind stopping because we were ready to use the restroom and grab a snack anyways. The other times the car was ready to go before we were (plug in, walk into the store, restroom, walk back out, unplug and go), don't need to charge to 80% at each stop, only needed 55% to 60% to reach the next charger/home.

 

[TruWrecks]

We can point a laugh when the gas pumps are out of fuel between deliveries. They claim we are stuck if the power goes out. Gas pumps need power too.

My house is getting solar very soon so power/fuel for my car will be even cheaper.

 

[timbop]

You need to make it multiple choice: I love my mach e and hate my wife's durango, and I don't mind the stops because I like the break from driving.

 

[HuntingPudel]

I don’t have a Mach-E yet. My Fusion’s battery is so freaking tiny that I can’t make the round trip to and from work (10.4 miles each way). So, work is a long trip for me since I have to charge upon leaving work in order to make it home. Yeah, I could burn gas, but I prefer to use the battery juice.

FWIW, since I do not own an MME yet I did not vote.

 

[alexgorod]

You need to make it multiple choice: I love my mach e and hate my wife's durango, and I don't mind the stops because I like the break from driving.

I'm pretty sure that most people have multiple reasons, but I'd like to see what they consider the most important.

 

[phidauex]

There is a bit of a change in mindset, but it isn't as much as you'd think. There is also a need for a bit more reliability (particularly from EA), but that is a solvable problem, not an inherent part of owning the car.

The big thing for me is that the breaks are fine (measure how long you REALLY spend at a stop in a gas car with some family with you, it isn't as fast as you'd think), the chargers have all been reliable (for me), and the car is just so much more damn pleasant to drive in. I've only owned it for 2 months but already all ICE vehicles sound like riding lawnmowers to me. The MachE, between the quiet cabin, comfortable seats, intelligent cruise control and instant power is far nicer to drive on trips.

 

[ChasingCoral]

You left off an important one: I prefer to minimize the carbon footprint of my travel.

 

[Maquis]

I used to be a balls-to-the-wall road warrior. Get there as fast as you can, only stop for fuel and toilet.
I recently did that in my Explorer - couldn't take the Mach-E due to the cargo I was carrying. 735 miles in less than 11 hours, two stops. When I got home, I could barely walk and my back hurt so bad that I couldn't stand upright.
My next trip was 550 miles in the Mach-E. I charged four times (could have done just three), one of which was for lunch. I don't remember exactly, but I think it took me between 10-11 hours. When I arrived I felt so relaxed and not at all fatigued. It's definitely a more pleasant experience.
Even if I'm forced to take my Explorer next time, I'll stop more often and not push it.

 

[murphy62]

I drove from 40 miles north of Philadelphia, PA to Charlottesville, VA without charging. I had 66 miles left when I arrived. I have an AWD ER Premium. I charged to 100% before I left.

I couldn't charge to 100% for the return trip. I charged to 80% at an EVGo station in Charlottesville.
Then I went about 75 miles north to Haymarket, VA and charged to 80% at an EA station. No charging the rest of the way home.

My other car is a Tesla. I've been driving electric since 2014.

 

[TRP]

First of all, it's our only car, X-AWD. We do have a 2017 F150, costs $80+ to fill that thing up tho.

We have made several 1100 mile round trips in it with zero issues. Wife is currently on a 600 mile solo round trip and only experienced minor inconveniences at an EA location. So, it adds an 1 1/2 to 600 mile one way trip. We can certainly live with that.

I was a bit concerned when we made the switch but it took half a day to get over that. I bought the car in Iowa and immediately road tripped it back to TN, almost 700 miles and had no issues. All anxiety went away after that. I feel confident enough to drive this car almost anywhere. I say "almost" because I am well aware of charging deserts out there. It will get better with some time tho.

 

[alexgorod]

I like the answers so far - out of 23 travelers 19 use Mach-E by choice, and 10 of them - for pure love of the car! Who knows, maybe when I finally get the car I will join them too ?‍

 

[SnBGC]

.... At the same time it's clear that many people use their Mach-Es for long trips. Why?

I voted for saving money. My EVs have saved me a so much over the years that it boggles my mind.

I find the Mach-E to be a very pleasant vehicle to drive long distances. With the adaptive cruise and lane keeping assist it practically drives itself. Plus the navigation is very helpful and give me some level of comfort knowing my trip status at all times. I really like having the altitude displayed on the screen so I know if I am climbing or driving downhill. Cargo capacity is more than enough for my needs on long trips.

Stopping to charge for 35 minutes after the first 200 miles isn't really that much of an issue for me. As long at the DCFC stations work as advertised then it's pretty simple and low stress. It becomes very stressful and aggravating when the charging speeds are much slower than expected so that is the wild card at the moment.

As far as battery size....
Yeah, you will be fine with what you picked. I drove around for a couple years with a 33.5 kW battery and was mostly happy with it. Didn't feel like I needed anything more. Then I got the Mach-E and suddenly I started going places that I wouldn't travel to before. Why? Because I could I guess. It is very liberating to be able to go where I want when I want because I am not burning fuel.

Before I switched to a BEV as a daily driver I had no idea I spent so much time fueling up my ICE vehicle. I was always planning my route to align with a fuel stop along the way if needed. Sometimes I would actually have to divert off course to head to a fuel station and then get back to my route for a given destination. Now that never happens around town. I can head where I want at a moment's notice and I never have to wonder if I need to stop for fuel. I think filling up with gasoline was a 20-30 minute exercise most times. I would usually drive 5-10 minutes out of my way to get to a fueling station with lowest prices or easy access etc. Then fill up (30 gallons in my diesel truck) and then 5-10 minutes back to whatever route I needed to be on in the first place. It all added up to a lot of time.

For the most part, my car doesn't take any time to charge because it happens in my spare time while I am doing something else like sleeping or watching football etc. Pretty convenient. ?

Sponsored