I drove 7 hours yesterday without issue in my ev. Even at the highest EV charger cost its about 80% cheaper at the moment, but mostly I charge at home for free.
I travel nationwide constantly.
I drove 7 hours yesterday without issue in my ev. Even at the highest EV charger cost its about 80% cheaper at the moment, but mostly I charge at home for free.
I travel nationwide constantly.
God it makes me sad how propaganda has convinced people that EVs aren't good for long distance. I've done many toad trips with mine no problem, and if for some reason felt one trip would be too long I'd just rent one. A full "tank" of electricity is $6 total for me, and I just saw one gallon of gas here is about $5.50. Haven't thought about gas prices in years now.
The biggest issue is that you'll have to stop for an extended period of time to charge up. Having multiple 5 minute stops along your trip is different than having multiple 30-45 minute stops. It does add up.
Personally that isn't the reason I didn't get an EV. I briefly considered it last time I was in the market for a new car...but I don't live in a single family home and my complex doesn't have charging stations. So I decided against it. Imo lack of at home charging infrastructure in multi family housing blocks is the biggest barrier to more widespread EV adoption.
Edit: charity -> charging
The US really needs Chinese EV technology. Chinese EVs are selling super well in Australia compared to the legacy brands because their much better cars for less money. Mine can charge 10-80% in 13 minutes. If anyone needs a bathroom break and a coffee the car is pretty much good to go before you are. You don't been have to charge to 80%, just go when you're ready. The car can drive further than my bladder in most cases.
quick charging should get you from 20 to 80 pretty fast. stop to pee, drink coffee and stretch your legs and it's good to go. (depending on the car and availability of fast chargers)
By planning stops at places that provide electric charging. You know, like how you plan a regular road trip with stops at places to fill up the car.
Y'all plan that?
Some do. Some rely on the ubiquity of gas stations. And the truth is that charging stations aren't frequent enough everywhere to handle long trips in rural areas. There's cities where you have to hunt one down.
That being said, it is getting easier to find them all the time. People want evs, the money is there, so infrastructure will follow. It's still at the point where an ev isn't realistic for everyone, everywhere, but it shouldn't be long before nobody has to plan for charging expect for places where they'd also have to plan heavily for gas.
Depending on how often these road trips are it might have made sense to rent a fuel vehicle for the trip. It would need to be a part of the overall calculations, but could make sense for some.
AFAIK EV chargers are getting much more ubiquitous, I live in a small town and we went from having 1 place that offers charging to like 14 in just the last 2 years. It's all about planning
Some EVs like Teslas have it built into navigation to stop and find charging stations along the way. It’s essentially like having someone beside you that helps you map out your route and it gives you estimated ranges so if you choose this charging station, you’ll have about 10% left on the battery if driving conditions are normal. You can choose instead something closer if 10% is too low for you or you can find something farther if you feel you can stretch it more.
This is how I did a drive across state lines last year in my Model Y. It wasn’t too bad. A lot of Superchargers along the route that helped me make the trip. I stopped 4 times for 350 miles. My estimated range is 244 each day at 100% but I would only charge up to 80% at each station because the 80 to 100 takes a long time so as to not damage your battery. But 80% is like 200 miles for me so it’s fine.
I enjoy the time spent stopping. Take a break and stretch and get food and use the restroom or play a video game and then back on the road. A lot of people don’t like stopping to charge and the time to wait. I say find ways to entertain yourself. I bring my Steam Deck with me and game.
There’s also apps that help you do the same thing and even provide free charging stations that can help save money. Just expect to spend more time charging at those stations usually and the reliability can be spotty due to vandalism and neglect like public libraries. I use PlugShare on my iPhone for this. Does the same thing as my Tesla but has more options and designed for more than just Tesla EVs.
I find that Tesla superchargers are the most reliable because they charge you up quickest and they charge people for sticking around so you don’t usually have people hogging it while they go watch a movie or something. They are also usually kept up much better than others. I rarely find damaged or busted cables anymore unlike other public chargers and the rates feel cheaper.
But range anxiety is a thing for most new EV owners. You get more comfortable with your car the more you drive and knowing your limits.
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