I want to take a trip from West Tennessee to Northern Virginia this spring or summer and I have so much FUD. My biggest fear is that when I arrive at a charging station it will be out of service. But, when the time comes to make the trip it will be done in my Bolt or not at all.
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Renting an ICE instead
I got my EUV in late 2022 and have about 5500 miles on it. I love almost everything about it, except for the lack of reliable fast chargers on road trips in the Northeastern U.S. I’ve read what others have posted about their long trips and the strategizing that goes into what was once pretty straightforward with my old ICE vehicle. With that in mind, I think renting an ICE vehicle is the most practical way for me to travel by car for a few hundred miles.
Anyone else already reached the same conclusion?
Anyone else already reached the same conclusion?
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I am ashamed of even thinking of using our ice car for anything and can't wait to dump the last ice car I will ever own.
FF cars are just filthy things.
Anybody with doubts should walk across the George Washington Bridge (or any bridge) to get a concentrated whiff of those vile, poisonous smells.
Or, when you walk along the street, take a look at all the oil stains on the road and think about the120 preceding years of spilling FF into our water supply.
Even if I need to take a 50 mile range EV and have to stop to charge every 40 miles, I will do that, no problem.
Comments that people use their Bolts to go buy milk and their F-150's to road trip put a sardonic smile on Rex Tillerson's face.
Do you remember when Father Karras met the devil in the Exorcist? The devil is what ice cars are to me.
I think my grandchildren will thank me.
FF cars are just filthy things.
Anybody with doubts should walk across the George Washington Bridge (or any bridge) to get a concentrated whiff of those vile, poisonous smells.
Or, when you walk along the street, take a look at all the oil stains on the road and think about the120 preceding years of spilling FF into our water supply.
Even if I need to take a 50 mile range EV and have to stop to charge every 40 miles, I will do that, no problem.
Comments that people use their Bolts to go buy milk and their F-150's to road trip put a sardonic smile on Rex Tillerson's face.
Do you remember when Father Karras met the devil in the Exorcist? The devil is what ice cars are to me.
I think my grandchildren will thank me.
Have you checked your tire pressure? The 38 psi is absolute overnight, cold minimum. I want to see several pounds higher when running down the highway.Fair point. But recent experience on 700 mile round trip at 20 degrees F leaves me highly skeptical of any claims of >3 mi/kWh at even modest highway speeds.
We keep a bronco sport for trips outside the norm. Can you do longer trips in a bolt sure, but why?
A year ago, we were doing this stretch. We stayed in Little Rock, then up through Memphis to Nashville, then up to Stafford, VA. We had no issues with DCFC, but I-81 was a real grind with truck traffic.I want to take a trip from West Tennessee to Northern Virginia this spring or summer and I have so much FUD. My biggest fear is that when I arrive at a charging station it will be out of service. But, when the time comes it will be in my Bolt or not at all.
My most interesting stop was the Wytheville EA (Sheetz) where a guy walked over to ask how much it was going to cost to "fill up". I replied $10, the EV6 driver next to me said $0 (free charging for 2 years). The guy's reply was, "well don't you two look like absolute geniuses, I just spent $125 to fuel my pickup".
I notice that this Wytheville site is down, apparently Sheetz is doing a total remodel on the site. So, that could make things a little difficult as Bristol to Blacksburg/Christiansburg is going to require a fairly high SOC to make that stretch. Maybe it will reopen before you attempt this route?
Wytheville is interesting no matter what my friend.A year ago, we were doing this stretch. We stayed in Little Rock, then up through Memphis to Nashville, then up to Stafford, VA. We had no issues with DCFC, but I-81 was a real grind with truck traffic.
My most interesting stop was the Wytheville EA (Sheetz) where a guy walked over to ask how much it was going to cost to "fill up". I replied $10, the EV6 driver next to me said $0 (free charging for 2 years). The guy's reply was, "well don't you two look like absolute geniuses, I just spent $125 to fuel my pickup".
I notice that this Wytheville site is down, apparently Sheetz is doing a total remodel on the site. So, that could make things a little difficult as Bristol to Blacksburg/Christiansburg is going to require a fairly high SOC to make that stretch. Maybe it will reopen before you attempt this route?
@yippee Maybe, but you GG children will most likely curse us and our ancestors to H3LL.
Yes it is. Especially where I-64 coming from West Virginia joins until it splits going to Richmond.but I-81 was a real grind with truck traffic.
Thank you for the information. I may end up calling a tow truck to take me somewhere to charge, but everything will be OK in the end.
I received a speeding ticket there several years ago. This was when the national speed limit was 55 and I was going downhill at 70. The judge reduced the speed to 60 so I wouldn't have a careless and wreckless on my record.Wytheville is interesting no matter what my friend.
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Its good to see your hat is tilted on your head, as you forego one technology for another. But maybe you think your tilted hat is rakish. Most people on the planet can’t even afford one of those technologies, much less have a choice between two. If I can afford an EV(haven’t been able to since 2006), our family isn’t gettin’ rid of our standard but good MPG manual & automatic cars. EV charger companies are sucking money from former gasoline users at nearly the same rate as oil producers siphon money from people’s wallets. AND the EV charger companies do such, while forcing people to spend much greater time & frustration levels than oil companies caused. At the same time, EV charger companies promise fast charging, that is a guarantee to shorten battery life. Yeah, battery life could be stretched to 300,000 to 500,000 miles(more?), but not while pumping electrons at 250+ KW electric chargers.I am ashamed of…..using our ice car for anything……FF cars are just filthy things.…. The devil is what ice cars are to me.….I think my grandchildren will thank me.
😢 That does make it much harder on that stretch of 81. Makes the 50-mile requirement for NEVI-funded chargers seem that much more inadequate. I know there are uptime requirements for NEVI, but I worry about situations like this which are out of the hands of charging providers/reliance upon property owners that don't have the same incentives.I notice that this Wytheville site is down, apparently Sheetz is doing a total remodel on the site.
Good news is, EA and EVGo are expanding their divisions that allow site owners to own and operate DCFC equipment, giving the site owners a real stake in the game. So, along with ChargePoint, a growing number of CCS DCFC sites will have site owners with investment interests.😢 That does make it much harder on that stretch of 81. Makes the 50-mile requirement for NEVI-funded chargers seem that much more inadequate. I know there are uptime requirements for NEVI, but I worry about situations like this which are out of the hands of charging providers/reliance upon property owners that don't have the same incentives.
This is how EVGo is moving forward with GM on the Pilot/FlyingJ project, Mercedes with ChargePoint, and a few fast food chains too.
I would guess that if Sheetz had a financial interest in these EA chargers, they would leave that part of the property accessible. But NEVI may force networks to include accessibility clauses in future contracts which would force site owners to accommodate access.
Definitely not what I would do! A few hundred miles is nothing at all. For long trips (>500 miles at least), to make them optimal does take a little bit of planning but hardly days of effort. If you were going 1000 miles and were considering renting an ICE, why? Just fly probably cheaper and way faster. If you were going a couple hundred miles, why waste the money on an ICE car, easy trip.I got my EUV in late 2022 and have about 5500 miles on it. I love almost everything about it, except for the lack of reliable fast chargers on road trips in the Northeastern U.S. I’ve read what others have posted about their long trips and the strategizing that goes into what was once pretty straightforward with my old ICE vehicle. With that in mind, I think renting an ICE vehicle is the most practical way for me to travel by car for a few hundred miles.
Anyone else already reached the same conclusion?
I prefer my 9K lb. diesel truck for truck needs and long road trips alsoI haven't came to that conclusion. I still have a full size diesel pickup truck that are used for truck duties, towing, hauling, etc. But any trip less than 300 miles can be easily done with a single DCFC for about 30-40 minutes session. Even in the charging desert of rural Ohio, I can still find a fast charger.
I would not take my Bolt on trip more than 350 miles or so for one reason, the slow charge time. I would take my ID4 over the Bolt. If I didn't have the ID4, then rent or use my ICE if I had one.
Charge Point shows me if the charger is down, in use, or available.I want to take a trip from West Tennessee to Northern Virginia this spring or summer and I have so much FUD. My biggest fear is that when I arrive at a charging station it will be out of service. But, when the time comes to make the trip it will be done in my Bolt or not at all.
I'd rather drive, no matter what the distance. Flying on a US commercial air carrier is a miserable experience. Doing colonoscopy prep while getting a root canal would be more pleasant than flying. Airports suck, airlines suck, people suck. Just drive.Just fly probably cheaper and way faster.
I've had good luck in the Northeast. We took a 500-mile, door-to-door, trip from the DC beltway to Cape Cod. Three charging sessions, but we had to stop each time anyway. Lunch plus two extended bio-breaks. It was actually a quite relaxing trip.
Now, why the New Jersey Turnpike isn't wall-to-wall chargers yet, I can't understand.
Now, why the New Jersey Turnpike isn't wall-to-wall chargers yet, I can't understand.
I live in New Jersey and the DC fast charging situation for non-Teslas is very poor. There are a few 50 kW chargers at rest areas on the Jersey Turnpike, but for most charging you need to pull off to use EVGo or Electrify America. It's supposed to get better with the NEVI funding, but right now the situation is disappointing for anybody who isn't a hardcore Republican Tesla fanboy.I've had good luck in the Northeast. We took a 500-mile, door-to-door, trip from the DC beltway to Cape Cod. Three charging sessions, but we had to stop each time anyway. Lunch plus two extended bio-breaks. It was actually a quite relaxing trip.
Now, why the New Jersey Turnpike isn't wall-to-wall chargers yet, I can't understand.
Going up 295 instead of the NJTP was easy enough. I'd have thought the New Jersians would've wanted me to stay on the turnpike instead. The NJTP is such an iconic through-road.I live in New Jersey and the DC fast charging situation for non-Teslas is very poor. There are a few 50 kW chargers at rest areas on the Jersey Turnpike, but for most charging you need to pull off to use EVGo or Electrify America. It's supposed to get better with the NEVI funding, but right now the situation is disappointing for anybody who isn't a hardcore Republican Tesla fanboy.
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