33 Months of EV driving...

[SpaceEVDriver]

This is my summary of our EV driving.
We've been driving EVs for most driving since February 2022 when we picked up our Ford Mustang Mach-E (43,791 miles). We went all-EV in April of 2024 when we traded our Tacoma for a Lightning (11,748 miles). We've been to 10 states, and plan to go to at least a few more in the next year.

We've chosen the Lightning over the Mustang for most of our long-distance driving since April. The Lightning is just so much more comfortable.

This map shows all the places that I can remember we've taken one or the other of our EVs since late February 2022.

• Would I buy another EV? Yes, without question. We won't go back to gas.
• Would I buy another Ford EV. Yes. We're not brand loyalists. The Lightning was the only truck option that we could afford when we bought it. The Mustang was the best SUV option when we bought it. When the Mustang reaches 100k-150k miles, we'll probably retire it and get something else. What brand we buy will depend on what is being offered. The top of the list are the Scout Traveler and the Rivian R2.
• Any regrets?
  • I would have preferred a Lightning Pro with the extended range battery, but that wasn't available to us. We got the Lariat at a too-high, but reasonable price for an EV.
  • I wish we'd had the Lightning at least a few months earlier than we got it. We would have been able to put Arkansas on the map too.
• What could be better?
  • Lots of things.
  • The prices could be better.
  • The Mustang has too harsh a ride, even with low pressure in its tires. It's better than most cars we'd had before it, but nowhere near as nice as the Lightning
  • The Lightning is bigger than I'd prefer--I would prefer a Maverick- or Tacoma-sized electric truck.
  • I'd like a simple way to tell the battery to warm up or cool down before I drive.
  • I'd like to have a little more efficient heater for the cabin.
  • I wish BlueCruise was more reliable and dependable. It's too aggressive with its slow-downs at curves and it doesn't give me enough information when it turns itself off.
  • I'd like a faster interface in the tablet. I would remove all the entertainment apps, games, karaoke, and Alexa--perhaps that would speed up the interface a bit.
  • The stock tires that came with the Lightning are pretty soft and allow too much body roll. The soft ride is nice, but the tires aren't conducive to a reliable working truck. I have to baby it when I'm towing or hauling because of the soft sidewalls.
  • The dealership experience is unpleasant at best.
  • Probably a few other things.
• Major problems?
  • None.
  • The Mustang had the a high-voltage junction box recall, which I finally acquiesced to have done. It was mostly painless. It didn't change my willingness to take the car anywhere, just put to rest the nagging from Ford. The first dealer we went to failed to even try to replace the hardware, so we went to another dealer an hour and a half away. They completed the job as expected.
  • Got a flat in the Lightning. No problems.
  • Had a slight shudder in the Lightning while accelerating between about 45 mph and 55 mph. Rotated and balanced the tires myself and the shudder is gone.
  • Got a flat in the Mustang. It's probably time to get my repair job fixed--I think we're losing a small amount of air over a few weeks.

Overall, we are incredibly happy with both of our EVs.

 

[KarlT]

This is my summary of our EV driving.
We've been driving EVs for most driving since February 2022 when we picked up our Ford Mustang Mach-E (43,791 miles). We went all-EV in April of 2024 when we traded our Tacoma for a Lightning (11,748 miles). We've been to 10 states, and plan to go to at least a few more in the next year.

We've chosen the Lightning over the Mustang for most of our long-distance driving since April. The Lightning is just so much more comfortable.

This map shows all the places that I can remember we've taken one or the other of our EVs since late February 2022.

• Would I buy another EV? Yes, without question. We won't go back to gas.
• Would I buy another Ford EV. Yes. We're not brand loyalists. The Lightning was the only truck option that we could afford when we bought it. The Mustang was the best SUV option when we bought it. When the Mustang reaches 100k-150k miles, we'll probably retire it and get something else. What brand we buy will depend on what is being offered. The top of the list are the Scout Traveler and the Rivian R2.
• Any regrets?
  • I would have preferred a Lightning Pro with the extended range battery, but that wasn't available to us. We got the Lariat at a too-high, but reasonable price for an EV.
  • I wish we'd had the Lightning at least a few months earlier than we got it. We would have been able to put Arkansas on the map too.
• What could be better?
  • Lots of things.
  • The prices could be better.
  • The Mustang has too harsh a ride, even with low pressure in its tires. It's better than most cars we'd had before it, but nowhere near as nice as the Lightning
  • The Lightning is bigger than I'd prefer--I would prefer a Maverick- or Tacoma-sized electric truck.
  • I'd like a simple way to tell the battery to warm up or cool down before I drive.
  • I'd like to have a little more efficient heater for the cabin.
  • I wish BlueCruise was more reliable and dependable. It's too aggressive with its slow-downs at curves and it doesn't give me enough information when it turns itself off.
  • I'd like a faster interface in the tablet. I would remove all the entertainment apps, games, karaoke, and Alexa--perhaps that would speed up the interface a bit.
  • The stock tires that came with the Lightning are pretty soft and allow too much body roll. The soft ride is nice, but the tires aren't conducive to a reliable working truck. I have to baby it when I'm towing or hauling because of the soft sidewalls.
  • The dealership experience is unpleasant at best.
  • Probably a few other things.
• Major problems?
  • None.
  • The Mustang had the a high-voltage junction box recall, which I finally acquiesced to have done. It was mostly painless. It didn't change my willingness to take the car anywhere, just put to rest the nagging from Ford. The first dealer we went to failed to even try to replace the hardware, so we went to another dealer an hour and a half away. They completed the job as expected.
  • Got a flat in the Lightning. No problems.
  • Had a slight shudder in the Lightning while accelerating between about 45 mph and 55 mph. Rotated and balanced the tires myself and the shudder is gone.
  • Got a flat in the Mustang. It's probably time to get my repair job fixed--I think we're losing a small amount of air over a few weeks.

Overall, we are incredibly happy with both of our EVs.

On a general level, rather than needing to go into specifics, how would you compare refueling of EV vs ICE. Finding a station, paying, time it takes, safety of stations, are stations working? Thainks.

 

[pwrofgrayskull]

On a general level, rather than needing to go into specifics, how would you compare refueling of EV vs ICE. Finding a station, paying, time it takes, safety of stations, are stations working? Thainks.

Agreed. I have these same questions. Thanks!

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

On a general level, rather than needing to go into specifics, how would you compare refueling of EV vs ICE. Finding a station, paying, time it takes, safety of stations, are stations working? Thainks.

Assuming one is willing to use the tools available, they're about the same. Road tripping with an EV for me has been cheaper than gas.

• Finding a station: Easy if you use the tools available.
• Paying: Super easy (plug and charge) or easy (use app to pay)
  • Some stations have flakey internet connections, but I haven't had this issue in a long time
• Time: About the same (for us)
• Safety: About the same
• Working: Haven't had an issue in more than a year

TLDR; EV road tripping has been about the same level of effort, cost, safety, and time as it was road tripping with a gas vehicle. But we have always done things differently from what a lot of people say they do. We like to stop and go for a walk after 3 hours of driving. We like to eat in a restaurant or picnic or whatever instead of in the car. We don't do pee-bottle kind of driving. We take care of our bodies while road tripping. We've done this for decades, so for us road tripping with an EV adds no more than about 10% more time to our drives and we feel far more refreshed when we arrive than we did when pushing a drive.


---

It takes me about the same time to stop because I have for decades planned my stops according to my body's needs rather than the vehicle's needs. So I stop at a place to stretch, use the restroom, eat, etc., and refuel while doing these things. This tends to save time because we only have to stop once to plug in the car then we head to a nearby restaurant instead of get in a gas line, refuel, pay, etc., then find a restaurant. I don't eat in the vehicle unless there's a compelling reason to do so.

Most stations are pretty safe, though the few in the back lot of a Walmart are sometimes questionable, especially for a woman on her own, late in the day (for example). I've only ever been accosted by anti-EV people, never by general people. Most EV drivers are friendly and I've only ever once had two be jerks, one because I inadvertently skipped in line (I moved back to my proper place in line) and the other unplugged me while I was charging at a T stop. Note that I haven't experienced a line to charge in more than a year.

EV refueling is very poorly advertised, so you generally can't look up at an upcoming exit and say, "oh, there's a station here, let's stop."

I use the tools that are available. I plan my next stop just before I leave my current stop. I usually plan for between 2.5 and 3 hours of driving before stopping again. I ask Google to plan to go to my ultimate destination and then look at what it thinks is the appropriate next stop. I will sometimes accept the stop and sometimes reject it. When we're about 20 minutes out, we'll double-check the station's availability. If it's a brand-T station that's half-full or more, we'll skip it if possible because of the peculiar way many T drivers park in every other spot and make it impossible for our Fords to charge. If it's an EA station that looks like it only has one station left, we might skip it and go to another--it's usually fine, but sometimes it'll be taken before we arrive.

Paying is generally done via app or the car just takes care of it for you once you set up your account and payment method. Most new chargers have CC readers (with the exception of brand-T), but sometimes communications can be flakey, just like at a gas station.

If you're a cash-only person, you won't be able to pay for EV charging while on a road trip. You can still charge at home, but you'll be limited in your range.

 

[MaddMatt]

Assuming one is willing to use the tools available, they're about the same. Road tripping with an EV for me has been cheaper than gas.

• Finding a station: Easy if you use the tools available.
• Paying: Super easy (plug and charge) or easy (use app to pay)
  • Some stations have flakey internet connections, but I haven't had this issue in a long time
• Time: About the same (for us)
• Safety: About the same
• Working: Haven't had an issue in more than a year

TLDR; EV road tripping has been about the same level of effort, cost, safety, and time as it was road tripping with a gas vehicle. But we have always done things differently from what a lot of people say they do. We like to stop and go for a walk after 3 hours of driving. We like to eat in a restaurant or picnic or whatever instead of in the car. We don't do pee-bottle kind of driving. We take care of our bodies while road tripping. We've done this for decades, so for us road tripping with an EV adds no more than about 10% more time to our drives and we feel far more refreshed when we arrive than we did when pushing a drive.


---

It takes me about the same time to stop because I have for decades planned my stops according to my body's needs rather than the vehicle's needs. So I stop at a place to stretch, use the restroom, eat, etc., and refuel while doing these things. This tends to save time because we only have to stop once to plug in the car then we head to a nearby restaurant instead of get in a gas line, refuel, pay, etc., then find a restaurant. I don't eat in the vehicle unless there's a compelling reason to do so.

Most stations are pretty safe, though the few in the back lot of a Walmart are sometimes questionable, especially for a woman on her own, late in the day (for example). I've only ever been accosted by anti-EV people, never by general people. Most EV drivers are friendly and I've only ever once had two be jerks, one because I inadvertently skipped in line (I moved back to my proper place in line) and the other unplugged me while I was charging at a T stop. Note that I haven't experienced a line to charge in more than a year.

EV refueling is very poorly advertised, so you generally can't look up at an upcoming exit and say, "oh, there's a station here, let's stop."

I use the tools that are available. I plan my next stop just before I leave my current stop. I usually plan for between 2.5 and 3 hours of driving before stopping again. I ask Google to plan to go to my ultimate destination and then look at what it thinks is the appropriate next stop. I will sometimes accept the stop and sometimes reject it. When we're about 20 minutes out, we'll double-check the station's availability. If it's a brand-T station that's half-full or more, we'll skip it if possible because of the peculiar way many T drivers park in every other spot and make it impossible for our Fords to charge. If it's an EA station that looks like it only has one station left, we might skip it and go to another--it's usually fine, but sometimes it'll be taken before we arrive.

Paying is generally done via app or the car just takes care of it for you once you set up your account and payment method. Most new chargers have CC readers (with the exception of brand-T), but sometimes communications can be flakey, just like at a gas station.

If you're a cash-only person, you won't be able to pay for EV charging while on a road trip. You can still charge at home, but you'll be limited in your range.

Really helpful, thanks!

 

[CourseCorrect]

Assuming one is willing to use the tools available, they're about the same. Road tripping with an EV for me has been cheaper than gas.

• Finding a station: Easy if you use the tools available.
• Paying: Super easy (plug and charge) or easy (use app to pay)
  • Some stations have flakey internet connections, but I haven't had this issue in a long time
• Time: About the same (for us)
• Safety: About the same
• Working: Haven't had an issue in more than a year

TLDR; EV road tripping has been about the same level of effort, cost, safety, and time as it was road tripping with a gas vehicle. But we have always done things differently from what a lot of people say they do. We like to stop and go for a walk after 3 hours of driving. We like to eat in a restaurant or picnic or whatever instead of in the car. We don't do pee-bottle kind of driving. We take care of our bodies while road tripping. We've done this for decades, so for us road tripping with an EV adds no more than about 10% more time to our drives and we feel far more refreshed when we arrive than we did when pushing a drive.


---

It takes me about the same time to stop because I have for decades planned my stops according to my body's needs rather than the vehicle's needs. So I stop at a place to stretch, use the restroom, eat, etc., and refuel while doing these things. This tends to save time because we only have to stop once to plug in the car then we head to a nearby restaurant instead of get in a gas line, refuel, pay, etc., then find a restaurant. I don't eat in the vehicle unless there's a compelling reason to do so.

Most stations are pretty safe, though the few in the back lot of a Walmart are sometimes questionable, especially for a woman on her own, late in the day (for example). I've only ever been accosted by anti-EV people, never by general people. Most EV drivers are friendly and I've only ever once had two be jerks, one because I inadvertently skipped in line (I moved back to my proper place in line) and the other unplugged me while I was charging at a T stop. Note that I haven't experienced a line to charge in more than a year.

EV refueling is very poorly advertised, so you generally can't look up at an upcoming exit and say, "oh, there's a station here, let's stop."

I use the tools that are available. I plan my next stop just before I leave my current stop. I usually plan for between 2.5 and 3 hours of driving before stopping again. I ask Google to plan to go to my ultimate destination and then look at what it thinks is the appropriate next stop. I will sometimes accept the stop and sometimes reject it. When we're about 20 minutes out, we'll double-check the station's availability. If it's a brand-T station that's half-full or more, we'll skip it if possible because of the peculiar way many T drivers park in every other spot and make it impossible for our Fords to charge. If it's an EA station that looks like it only has one station left, we might skip it and go to another--it's usually fine, but sometimes it'll be taken before we arrive.

Paying is generally done via app or the car just takes care of it for you once you set up your account and payment method. Most new chargers have CC readers (with the exception of brand-T), but sometimes communications can be flakey, just like at a gas station.

If you're a cash-only person, you won't be able to pay for EV charging while on a road trip. You can still charge at home, but you'll be limited in your range.

I appreciate your insight and approach to prioritizing your needs over the vehicles. Thanks for sharing.

 

[N Wilson]

Assuming one is willing to use the tools available, they're about the same. Road tripping with an EV for me has been cheaper than gas.

• Finding a station: Easy if you use the tools available.
• Paying: Super easy (plug and charge) or easy (use app to pay)
  • Some stations have flakey internet connections, but I haven't had this issue in a long time
• Time: About the same (for us)
• Safety: About the same
• Working: Haven't had an issue in more than a year

TLDR; EV road tripping has been about the same level of effort, cost, safety, and time as it was road tripping with a gas vehicle. But we have always done things differently from what a lot of people say they do. We like to stop and go for a walk after 3 hours of driving. We like to eat in a restaurant or picnic or whatever instead of in the car. We don't do pee-bottle kind of driving. We take care of our bodies while road tripping. We've done this for decades, so for us road tripping with an EV adds no more than about 10% more time to our drives and we feel far more refreshed when we arrive than we did when pushing a drive.


---

It takes me about the same time to stop because I have for decades planned my stops according to my body's needs rather than the vehicle's needs. So I stop at a place to stretch, use the restroom, eat, etc., and refuel while doing these things. This tends to save time because we only have to stop once to plug in the car then we head to a nearby restaurant instead of get in a gas line, refuel, pay, etc., then find a restaurant. I don't eat in the vehicle unless there's a compelling reason to do so.

Most stations are pretty safe, though the few in the back lot of a Walmart are sometimes questionable, especially for a woman on her own, late in the day (for example). I've only ever been accosted by anti-EV people, never by general people. Most EV drivers are friendly and I've only ever once had two be jerks, one because I inadvertently skipped in line (I moved back to my proper place in line) and the other unplugged me while I was charging at a T stop. Note that I haven't experienced a line to charge in more than a year.

EV refueling is very poorly advertised, so you generally can't look up at an upcoming exit and say, "oh, there's a station here, let's stop."

I use the tools that are available. I plan my next stop just before I leave my current stop. I usually plan for between 2.5 and 3 hours of driving before stopping again. I ask Google to plan to go to my ultimate destination and then look at what it thinks is the appropriate next stop. I will sometimes accept the stop and sometimes reject it. When we're about 20 minutes out, we'll double-check the station's availability. If it's a brand-T station that's half-full or more, we'll skip it if possible because of the peculiar way many T drivers park in every other spot and make it impossible for our Fords to charge. If it's an EA station that looks like it only has one station left, we might skip it and go to another--it's usually fine, but sometimes it'll be taken before we arrive.

Paying is generally done via app or the car just takes care of it for you once you set up your account and payment method. Most new chargers have CC readers (with the exception of brand-T), but sometimes communications can be flakey, just like at a gas station.

If you're a cash-only person, you won't be able to pay for EV charging while on a road trip. You can still charge at home, but you'll be limited in your range.

Thank you! This is super informative and helpful for those of us contemplating making the switch to EV. In my case, my first one will be the Scout Terra full EV I have reserved.

Here in MA , and I think the Northeast in general, charging infrastructure is pretty good so I don't anticipate any issues with finding a place to charge.

 

[chucchinchilla]

For me the biggest difference between ICE and EV road tripping is having to plan stops. With a gas car you can exit the highway into a random town and be pretty much guaranteed a gas station. With an EV you just have to research your charge stop ahead of time. Considering most our road trips are maybe 1 or 2 charges worth of distance, that's not a big deal.

 

[Variable430]

This is my summary of our EV driving.
We've been driving EVs for most driving since February 2022 when we picked up our Ford Mustang Mach-E (43,791 miles). We went all-EV in April of 2024 when we traded our Tacoma for a Lightning (11,748 miles). We've been to 10 states, and plan to go to at least a few more in the next year.

We've chosen the Lightning over the Mustang for most of our long-distance driving since April. The Lightning is just so much more comfortable.

This map shows all the places that I can remember we've taken one or the other of our EVs since late February 2022.

• Would I buy another EV? Yes, without question. We won't go back to gas.
• Would I buy another Ford EV. Yes. We're not brand loyalists. The Lightning was the only truck option that we could afford when we bought it. The Mustang was the best SUV option when we bought it. When the Mustang reaches 100k-150k miles, we'll probably retire it and get something else. What brand we buy will depend on what is being offered. The top of the list are the Scout Traveler and the Rivian R2.
• Any regrets?
  • I would have preferred a Lightning Pro with the extended range battery, but that wasn't available to us. We got the Lariat at a too-high, but reasonable price for an EV.
  • I wish we'd had the Lightning at least a few months earlier than we got it. We would have been able to put Arkansas on the map too.
• What could be better?
  • Lots of things.
  • The prices could be better.
  • The Mustang has too harsh a ride, even with low pressure in its tires. It's better than most cars we'd had before it, but nowhere near as nice as the Lightning
  • The Lightning is bigger than I'd prefer--I would prefer a Maverick- or Tacoma-sized electric truck.
  • I'd like a simple way to tell the battery to warm up or cool down before I drive.
  • I'd like to have a little more efficient heater for the cabin.
  • I wish BlueCruise was more reliable and dependable. It's too aggressive with its slow-downs at curves and it doesn't give me enough information when it turns itself off.
  • I'd like a faster interface in the tablet. I would remove all the entertainment apps, games, karaoke, and Alexa--perhaps that would speed up the interface a bit.
  • The stock tires that came with the Lightning are pretty soft and allow too much body roll. The soft ride is nice, but the tires aren't conducive to a reliable working truck. I have to baby it when I'm towing or hauling because of the soft sidewalls.
  • The dealership experience is unpleasant at best.
  • Probably a few other things.
• Major problems?
  • None.
  • The Mustang had the a high-voltage junction box recall, which I finally acquiesced to have done. It was mostly painless. It didn't change my willingness to take the car anywhere, just put to rest the nagging from Ford. The first dealer we went to failed to even try to replace the hardware, so we went to another dealer an hour and a half away. They completed the job as expected.
  • Got a flat in the Lightning. No problems.
  • Had a slight shudder in the Lightning while accelerating between about 45 mph and 55 mph. Rotated and balanced the tires myself and the shudder is gone.
  • Got a flat in the Mustang. It's probably time to get my repair job fixed--I think we're losing a small amount of air over a few weeks.

Overall, we are incredibly happy with both of our EVs.

How fast do you typically drive in the f150? Does your efficiency degrade materially at 75mph plus? Asking as an EV sedan owner (EQS and bmw i4).

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

How fast do you typically drive in the f150? Does your efficiency degrade materially at 75mph plus? Asking as an EV sedan owner (EQS and bmw i4).

On the freeway, I typically stay at 72-73 mph unless there's a compelling reason to go a different speed. Yes, the brick-of-a-vehicle has a huge issue with efficiency at excessive speed.

A lot of people like to quote the velocity squared law for energy cost, but it's actually cube of velocity.

Kinetic energy is equal to 1/2 mass * v^2.
But that's just to get the vehicle up to a velocity.
You also need to move the air. That contributes another velocity multiplier after all the maths are worked out.
Energy cost at freeway speeds is dependent on velocity cubed. But also on the front cross-section of the vehicle.

The coefficient of drag applies to the part where you're shoving air out of the way, so it's not quite a linear relationship between the Cd and energy cost once you factor in all the forces, but it's still an important parameter. Enough so that there's only a small difference in expected range and real range when you account for battery size and coefficient of drag between the Lightning and Mustang. I'd expect a similar experience with your EQS or BMW i4 and the Terra or Traveler.

 

[04Ram2500Hemi]

On the freeway, I typically stay at 72-73 mph unless there's a compelling reason to go a different speed. Yes, the brick-of-a-vehicle has a huge issue with efficiency at excessive speed.

A lot of people like to quote the velocity squared law for energy cost, but it's actually cube of velocity.

Kinetic energy is equal to 1/2 mass * v^2.
But that's just to get the vehicle up to a velocity.
You also need to move the air. That contributes another velocity multiplier after all the maths are worked out.
Energy cost at freeway speeds is dependent on velocity cubed. But also on the front cross-section of the vehicle.

The coefficient of drag applies to the part where you're shoving air out of the way, so it's not quite a linear relationship between the Cd and energy cost once you factor in all the forces, but it's still an important parameter. Enough so that there's only a small difference in expected range and real range when you account for battery size and coefficient of drag between the Lightning and Mustang. I'd expect a similar experience with your EQS or BMW i4 and the Terra or Traveler.

So in a less elegant way, you’re saying you got to pay to play?

The same can be said for a gas vehicle. The faster you go, the less range you get. I know in my truck once I get over 70mph and kind of fuel economy goes away. It comes down to how far I have to travel in a day, and how much I’m willing to pay for gas.

With an EV range is more interesting or complicated because of the charging time. How much range do I lose at 80mph vs 70mph, and how much more charging time will that add to the trip?

This is where the Harvester really becomes interesting to me. We still don’t know if this is a gas and go setup, or after the EV and gas is gone, do we have to charge the battery before going again?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

So in a less elegant way, you’re saying you got to pay to play?

The same can be said for a gas vehicle. The faster you go, the less range you get. I know in my truck once I get over 70mph and kind of fuel economy goes away. It comes down to how far I have to travel in a day, and how much I’m willing to pay for gas.

With an EV range is more interesting or complicated because of the charging time. How much range do I lose at 80mph vs 70mph, and how much more charging time will that add to the trip?

This is where the Harvester really becomes interesting to me. We still don’t know if this is a gas and go setup, or after the EV and gas is gone, do we have to charge the battery before going again?

I tend to go into too much detail, yes. Here's some more of the too much detail...

In my vehicles, I do not arrive any earlier if I drive 80 mph compared to if I drive 73 mph.

I take an 1100+ mile road trip (round trip) about once a month or every other month. This is a freeway drive that I do in one day each direction. I spend a few days to a week or more at the remote location (work and family). The freeway distance is 480 miles. If I drive 80 mph on the freeway, I have to stop three times (sometimes two if the winds are calm). If I drive 73 mph, I have to stop once, but usually stop twice, once for lunch, and once for dinner.

I've always done this trip with two stops even when I was driving a gas vehicle, and those stops have always been for lunch and for dinner.

When I drive at 73 mph, the drive takes no more time in my Mustang or Lighting than it did when we had gas cars. We stop for a charge, plug in, grab lunch, and by the time we're done with lunch, the vehicle is charged up beyond what we needed for the next leg. In fact, it might have taken longer in the gas cars because gassing up didn't include leaving the vehicle where it was being refueled while grabbing lunch--we also had to re-park.

If I drive 80 mph, that third stop can add between 15-30 minutes to the trip (getting off the freeway, going to the charger, charging, getting back on the freeway, etc). And usually will add $20-$50 to the price of the trip.

At 80 mph average, it's a 6 hour drive if driven in one long day with no stops.
At 73 mph average, the 480 miles would take 6.6 hours; 0.6 hours is 36 minutes.
If we ignore the other stops because they would happen regardless of speed, that one extra stop for driving 80 mph removes all measurable benefit of driving faster (10 minutes or so is in the noise of traffic).

This particular drive has always taken me 7 to 7.5 hours because of our stops, and the EV aspect of the vehicle doesn't play into the road trip other than the fact that it's quieter (so less tiring on a long drive) and it changes where I stop (and I also pay less to make the drive). Speed does impact the drive, though. It's just as fast and cheaper to go slightly slower. I chose 72-73 after doing a bunch of measurements and determining that's the optimal speed for my time, cost, and comfort.
If I am going on a longer road trip, driving faster starts to increase the length of the driving day, not reduce it, and it increases the cost of the drive.

 

[J Alynn]

I tend to go into too much detail, yes. Here's some more of the too much detail...

In my vehicles, I do not arrive any earlier if I drive 80 mph compared to if I drive 73 mph.

I take an 1100+ mile road trip (round trip) about once a month or every other month. This is a freeway drive that I do in one day each direction. I spend a few days to a week or more at the remote location (work and family). The freeway distance is 480 miles. If I drive 80 mph on the freeway, I have to stop three times (sometimes two if the winds are calm). If I drive 73 mph, I have to stop once, but usually stop twice, once for lunch, and once for dinner.

I've always done this trip with two stops even when I was driving a gas vehicle, and those stops have always been for lunch and for dinner.

When I drive at 73 mph, the drive takes no more time in my Mustang or Lighting than it did when we had gas cars. We stop for a charge, plug in, grab lunch, and by the time we're done with lunch, the vehicle is charged up beyond what we needed for the next leg. In fact, it might have taken longer in the gas cars because gassing up didn't include leaving the vehicle where it was being refueled while grabbing lunch--we also had to re-park.

If I drive 80 mph, that third stop can add between 15-30 minutes to the trip (getting off the freeway, going to the charger, charging, getting back on the freeway, etc). And usually will add $20-$50 to the price of the trip.

At 80 mph average, it's a 6 hour drive if driven in one long day with no stops.
At 73 mph average, the 480 miles would take 6.6 hours; 0.6 hours is 36 minutes.
If we ignore the other stops because they would happen regardless of speed, that one extra stop for driving 80 mph removes all measurable benefit of driving faster (10 minutes or so is in the noise of traffic).

This particular drive has always taken me 7 to 7.5 hours because of our stops, and the EV aspect of the vehicle doesn't play into the road trip other than the fact that it's quieter (so less tiring on a long drive) and it changes where I stop (and I also pay less to make the drive). Speed does impact the drive, though. It's just as fast and cheaper to go slightly slower. I chose 72-73 after doing a bunch of measurements and determining that's the optimal speed for my time, cost, and comfort.
If I am going on a longer road trip, driving faster starts to increase the length of the driving day, not reduce it, and it increases the cost of the drive.

@SpaceEVDriver
This is great info and I really appreciate your “too much info” approach. Being new to EV AND realizing my typical road trips are 6-8 hours when we do them with a lunch stop this post was really helpful to see the impacts of tested planning with an EV. Thanks for your continued posts-hoping others new to EV learn as much from your posts as I do.
It’s funny-for years I’ve driven sport sedans and faster cars and was always a spirited driver. When I got my Accord hybrid 14 months ago I eased up my driving habits learning to max my range (my goal was to prove to my wife that annually I could double my range while using less fuel and regular vs mid grade-all those savings were agreed to go toward the new Scout “extras”). Anyway-I’ve learned in the process, as you noted, I still get to places I’m going in nearly the same amount of time. This will ultimately help my next transition to traveler WITHOUT HARVESTER ?
THANKS ️️️

 

[chucchinchilla]

I chose 72-73 after doing a bunch of measurements and determining that's the optimal speed for my time, cost, and comfort.

I've been looking for this kind of information for a long time. I'm not driving 55mph but do need a reasonably fast but still efficient speed. That said how did you get to this conclusion?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

I've been looking for this kind of information for a long time. I'm not driving 55mph but do need a reasonably fast but still efficient speed. That said how did you get to this conclusion?

Like you, I'm not driving 55 on a freeway with a 75mph speed limit; I got enough of that as a kid.

I wanted a speed that was relatively safe, that gets me to where I'm going in a reasonable time, that didn't cost too much extra money or energy. I tested out a range of speeds for several regular trips: between 65 to 80 mph. I generally don't drive over 80 unless I need to do something to preserve my or someone else's safety. I tracked efficiency and time. I then extrapolated those data to longer trips.

The basic result is this: At ~73 ± 3 mph I find I can strike a reasonable compromise between safety, arrival time, and costs. At 80 mph, the arrival time is not much different from the arrival time at 73 mph and the costs are much higher. At slower speeds, I do save energy, but the slower speeds do start to add up and do start to interfere with the flow of traffic.

I could go through the math, but basically if you look at a realistic trip, the extra time required for more stops combined with the lower efficiency of higher speeds adds up to lost time when going to fast(er) on a road trip. If you aren't going far enough in any given day to need to stop more than once or twice, the higher speed doesn't cost you much more than money. If you're going on a longer trip, it starts to cost you time as well as money.

 

[chucchinchilla]

Like you, I'm not driving 55 on a freeway with a 75mph speed limit; I got enough of that as a kid.

I wanted a speed that was relatively safe, that gets me to where I'm going in a reasonable time, that didn't cost too much extra money or energy. I tested out a range of speeds for several regular trips: between 65 to 80 mph. I generally don't drive over 80 unless I need to do something to preserve my or someone else's safety. I tracked efficiency and time. I then extrapolated those data to longer trips.

The basic result is this: At ~73 ± 3 mph I find I can strike a reasonable compromise between safety, arrival time, and costs. At 80 mph, the arrival time is not much different from the arrival time at 73 mph and the costs are much higher. At slower speeds, I do save energy, but the slower speeds do start to add up and do start to interfere with the flow of traffic.

I could go through the math, but basically if you look at a realistic trip, the extra time required for more stops combined with the lower efficiency of higher speeds adds up to lost time when going to fast(er) on a road trip. If you aren't going far enough in any given day to need to stop more than once or twice, the higher speed doesn't cost you much more than money. If you're going on a longer trip, it starts to cost you time as well as money.

Love this. I set our EV to 75 so it feels like I'm somewhat in the zone however I'm curious if you calculated the benefits of going 73 vs 75?

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Love this. I set our EV to 75 so it feels like I'm somewhat in the zone however I'm curious if you calculated the benefits of going 73 vs 75?

As you decrease the difference in speeds, it's more difficult to measure the difference in energy cost and to separate issues like wind, acceleration for passing, slopes, etc.

The math says there's about an 8% difference in energy cost due to drag between 73 mph and 75 mph, all other variables being equal. But that doesn't translate directly to an 8% difference in energy cost for the full drive. I'd guess it's closer to about 1-4%, but it would depend on the specifics of the drive. Without doing the full analysis, I'd say you could expect anywhere from 1% to 8% increase in energy cost to go 75 vs 73.

 

[Dana]

On a general level, rather than needing to go into specifics, how would you compare refueling of EV vs ICE. Finding a station, paying, time it takes, safety of stations, are stations working? Thainks.

I’m a seven year EV driver , two different Teslas. Aggregate about 200,000 miles. Started living in Houston, last three years in Fargo, ND. I’ve made a lot of long trips, most recently Fargo to Yellowstone (there for ten days).

You never regret having more range. Ever. No one has ever said they wished they’d bought less range, lol.

Speed is your #1 range killer, just like in a gas car. EVs don’t care if it’s super hot or super cold. I see folks in the morning charging their ICE’s 12V battery. Not an issue for HV EV battery. Extreme cold, less than 40F, there’s a decrease in range. But speed (in my car now over 75mph) is #1 range killer though once temps hit 0F I definitely see a greater range loss than above 0F. But I’ve been stuck in 110F crawling in construction zone north of Houston and lost about 5 miles range/hour for climate control but no overheating, etc concerns like an ICE. I’ve also come out to airport parking lot after car has sat in a blizzard with a foot of snow blanketing her…start defrost cycle (mostly so frameless glass window doesn’t break opening door) during landing and 20 minutes later car is happy to go. Operationally they do great.

PlugShare is about the best app for finding charging plugs. Read reviews. Get good at reading what kind of plug it is, have adapters (J1772, NEMA14-30 and NEMA 14-50 are awesome starters). Most hotels will have J1772 and/or NACS.

In a bind the NEMA adapters let you plug into RV posts…and those are most everywhere. That’s my emergency plan when traveling or plan A when visiting parks. Know where emergency plugs are in case plan A goes sideways/charger unavailable. Carry a 100ft commercial grade extension cord just in case. Do not skimp on this. EVs are continuous power…an extension cord is always a bad idea but if super desperate it can save the day but have a top quality one from Ridgid or similar name brand that can handle the current/heat.

Being considerate is key in the EV community. There’s been a general deterioration in consideration in last four years. Sometimes due to lack of knowledge…it’s what makes forums so awesome so folks can learn. As example (assuming we’ll be able to use Tesla superchargers) chargers will be labeled 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc. The same digit shares the amperage. This is why you’ll see Teslas parked every other spot…so everyone charges faster. Yellowstone has two chargers at Snow Lodge cabins. That isn’t much for a dozen EVs staying in the park. It works though when you charge, set a timer, and move at 10pm when you’re done… you’ll appreciate it when someone does it for you. And, if someone leaves a note with their phone number…let them know charger is free.

Time isn’t too bad but it is more than ICE. By the time I pee and get a Diet Dew I check email for 5-10 minutes while I finish charging. That again assumes that we can use superchargers. Level two chargers are really only appropriate for travel when staying overnight at a hotel. The onboard generator can help alleviate that concern but it still exists for a long trip as nobody’s gonna want to stop every 150 miles.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Dana]

Love this. I set our EV to 75 so it feels like I'm somewhat in the zone however I'm curious if you calculated the benefits of going 73 vs 75?

Not noticeable. My freeway is 75. 70 to 75 isn’t much change but you start an exponential curve. 75 to 80 is steeper, 80 to 85 is steeper still, etc.

 

[J Alynn]

I’m a seven year EV driver , two different Teslas. Aggregate about 200,000 miles. Started living in Houston, last three years in Fargo, ND. I’ve made a lot of long trips, most recently Fargo to Yellowstone (there for ten days).

You never regret having more range. Ever. No one has ever said they wished they’d bought less range, lol.

Speed is your #1 range killer, just like in a gas car. EVs don’t care if it’s super hot or super cold. I see folks in the morning charging their ICE’s 12V battery. Not an issue for HV EV battery. Extreme cold, less than 40F, there’s a decrease in range. But speed (in my car now over 75mph) is #1 range killer though once temps hit 0F I definitely see a greater range loss than above 0F. But I’ve been stuck in 110F crawling in construction zone north of Houston and lost about 5 miles range/hour for climate control but no overheating, etc concerns like an ICE. I’ve also come out to airport parking lot after car has sat in a blizzard with a foot of snow blanketing her…start defrost cycle (mostly so frameless glass window doesn’t break opening door) during landing and 20 minutes later car is happy to go. Operationally they do great.

PlugShare is about the best app for finding charging plugs. Read reviews. Get good at reading what kind of plug it is, have adapters (J1772, NEMA14-30 and NEMA 14-50 are awesome starters). Most hotels will have J1772 and/or NACS.

In a bind the NEMA adapters let you plug into RV posts…and those are most everywhere. That’s my emergency plan when traveling or plan A when visiting parks. Know where emergency plugs are in case plan A goes sideways/charger unavailable. Carry a 100ft commercial grade extension cord just in case. Do not skimp on this. EVs are continuous power…an extension cord is always a bad idea but if super desperate it can save the day but have a top quality one from Ridgid or similar name brand that can handle the current/heat.

Being considerate is key in the EV community. There’s been a general deterioration in consideration in last four years. Sometimes due to lack of knowledge…it’s what makes forums so awesome so folks can learn. As example (assuming we’ll be able to use Tesla superchargers) chargers will be labeled 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc. The same digit shares the amperage. This is why you’ll see Teslas parked every other spot…so everyone charges faster. Yellowstone has two chargers at Snow Lodge cabins. That isn’t much for a dozen EVs staying in the park. It works though when you charge, set a timer, and move at 10pm when you’re done… you’ll appreciate it when someone does it for you. And, if someone leaves a note with their phone number…let them know charger is free.

Time isn’t too bad but it is more than ICE. By the time I pee and get a Diet Dew I check email for 5-10 minutes while I finish charging. That again assumes that we can use superchargers. Level two chargers are really only appropriate for travel when staying overnight at a hotel. The onboard generator can help alleviate that concern but it still exists for a long trip as nobody’s gonna want to stop every 150 miles.

Just some thoughts.

Love these user insights. Thanks for taking the time to add yours and help teach us newbies !!!