Electric Vehicle Travel Checklist: NPR’s Guide: NPR

Thinking of taking a road trip in an electric vehicle? Or are concerns about running out of battery on a long drive holding you back from buying an EV?

Charging infrastructure has improved over the past few years and newer vehicles are charging much faster than previous generations. But it still matters what you drive, where you drive, and how much you plan ahead.

Road trips may play a disproportionate role in public conversations about EVs. The vast majority of EV charging happens at home, not at public fast chargers. Many households that own electric vehicles also have a gas or hybrid vehicle that they prefer for long trips.

And some EV owners shrug off range anxiety because they simply don’t go on many road trips. Ford CEO Jim Farley, in a recent love letter to EVs, wrote that Ford research shows that half of Americans drive 150 miles plus “four days or less per year.” Owning a car that’s cheaper and easier 361 days of the year, but a bit of a hassle on your annual vacation trip, can beat having the road trip dream car.

However, being able to go on road trips is a priority for many people. Here are some tips on how to make a long battery trip more relaxing.

Before you decide:

1. Consider your vehicle. Apart from a few models (like older Nissan Leafs), most modern EVs can handle a long drive, but the experience will vary greatly. Some electric vehicles, like the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Kia EV6, can charge very quickly, getting back on the road in less than 20 minutes. Others, like the affordable Chevy Bolt, charge slowly, taking an hour or more. Tesla’s routing software is excellent, and Tesla’s Supercharger network — now open to Fords and Rivians — is best in class. If you’re renting a car for a road trip, choose a Tesla or at least a fast-charging option. If you are taking your own car, familiarize yourself with its capabilities.
2. Consider your destination. California has plenty of chargers, while parts of Wyoming are almost without chargers. Charger availability can vary widely, not just from state or city to city, but interstate by interstate, neighborhood by neighborhood. Research your specific route before making a judgment call about whether to run it on battery power.

Before you go:

1. Prepare your car. As with a gas car, it’s a good idea to check your tire pressure before you hit the road – although there’s no need to check your oil, of course! And load it. Many electric vehicle owners keep their car at a maximum charge of 80% for daily driving, to extend battery life. But road trips are when a full 100% charge is useful, and occasionally charging to 100% doesn’t hurt your battery. If you can, plan to charge so that you reach 100% shortly before you leave.
2. Control your way. Plug your destination into your car’s on-board navigation or an EV route app like A Better Route Planner to see which chargers will be available along the way. On a road trip, you’ll want fast DC chargers, not Level 2 chargers, and preferably chargers that can match or exceed your car’s maximum charging speed. Also check reviews and choose chargers with higher reliability scores. And even if you don’t drive a Tesla, you might want to download the Tesla app just in case there’s a Magic Dock charger (meaning any EV can use it) along your route.
3. Look for hotels with EV chargers (and decide if they are worth it). Overnight charging in hotels can be convenient, especially if you’re in a slower-charging car. But check reviews (like the Plugshare charger review app) to make sure hotel chargers are reliable. Check the prices too. Some hotel fees are free. Others can cost $30 or more to charge a medium-sized battery — as much as a fast charger. And have a backup plan, especially if the hotel only has one outlet, for another way to charge.

On your trip:

1. Pack deliberately. You should never overload any vehicle. But even if you’re within your EV’s weight limit, loading your vehicle or towing a trailer will significantly reduce your range. This may not be a problem if you have planned it, but don’t be caught off guard!
2. Watch your speed. Of all the things that can reduce your range—temperature, wind, altitude—your speed is the easiest to control. Going faster means more charging stops.
3. Turn on the air conditioner. Yes, climate control affects your range – just like it affects fuel economy in a gas car. But air conditioning in summer is not as great as a heater in winter, and a road trip is miserable without it. One thing that can help, whether in cold or hot weather, is to turn on the climate control while your car is still charging. (On a winter road trip, you might also see a significant increase in range if you rely more on the heated seats and less on the heater.)
4. Listen to your car. Because external factors can reduce your range—and because some cars are less accurate than others at identifying your potential range—you may need to stop and charge before waiting. If your vehicle is sending warning signals that it can’t get to its destination for free, don’t ignore them.
5. Charge up to 80%. With a fast charger, the charging speed drops rapidly after a car reaches 80%. You’ll save yourself a lot of time by unplugging and moving on once you reach that point. With slower chargers, such as overnight rates in hotels, you can go ahead and charge up to 100% if you’re going to use the car the next day.
6. Many tasks. The meal stop. Bath visit. The snack supply goes. Extended interventions. Visit to the playground. Bargain. Whenever possible, use your charging stops as a chance to pick up OUTSIDE of your car. This is not possible on all chargers. But increasingly, companies are racing to put chargers next to devices, which can make stopping charging feel less like a hassle and more like a break.