I should have included this in the list of things we need: Chargers next to more cafes and restaurants (IKEA is a good location too, just not as much for a long road trip unless I suppose you want to sample their meatballs). Apparently, Starbucks and IKEA will be the new "gas stations" for electric car drivers https://nypost.com/2022/09/07/starbucks-ikea-are-the-new-gas-stations-for-electric-car-drivers.
Chargers next to movie theaters (especially on hot summer days & nights)! Seriously I do recommend loading lots of movies on a tablet. I flip an iPad (using Apple Smart Cover) over my steering wheel to watch a downloaded movie (as not all stops have free WiFi or adequate cellular data signals even if you have unlimited data).
So I found your newsletter thru the link you left in a comment you made on the backstory “serial” that Mary Trump & company are writing. This post resonated with me because last September I purchased a Kia EV6. It is my first ev & shortly after I bought it & when I say shortly I mean like a few weeks after lol I took a road trip from western NY to SE Iowa. It was definitely a learning curve. I learned one important lesson when it’s cold out never pass up a fast charger even if you think oh I’m fine I’ll make it to the next stop no problem. I rolled into my second charging stop with 10% battery! Which now that I’m experienced would not be nearly as anxiety inducing of course as long as at least one of the chargers was working which is where the anxiety comes in. Of course the only reason I had the 10% left that I did is because I had turned off climate control & severely decreased my speed. Things are starting to move in the right direction though as I’m sure you know. Tesla has finally started to open up their network to non Tesla albeit a slow progress for sure. In addition major car manufacturers have just announced that they are going to be adopting the Tesla charging port. All of these steps in the right direction. I could go on & on but I have already typed to much! Anyway I enjoyed your post & now I’m off to read more of your newsletter!
Yes, that's all progress! We were lucky to do our road trip at a warm time of year — I hadn't even realized how much the cold would affect battery charging, as I learned after we came home.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it!
Thank you so much, Antonio! So, you're not surprised to see that I'm detail-oriented, or you're not surprised that this trip required so much planning? ;-)
I should have included this in the list of things we need: Chargers next to more cafes and restaurants (IKEA is a good location too, just not as much for a long road trip unless I suppose you want to sample their meatballs). Apparently, Starbucks and IKEA will be the new "gas stations" for electric car drivers https://nypost.com/2022/09/07/starbucks-ikea-are-the-new-gas-stations-for-electric-car-drivers.
Chargers next to movie theaters (especially on hot summer days & nights)! Seriously I do recommend loading lots of movies on a tablet. I flip an iPad (using Apple Smart Cover) over my steering wheel to watch a downloaded movie (as not all stops have free WiFi or adequate cellular data signals even if you have unlimited data).
We didn't run out of things to do while charging! But some chargers were less close to good food and drink than others, for sure.
So I found your newsletter thru the link you left in a comment you made on the backstory “serial” that Mary Trump & company are writing. This post resonated with me because last September I purchased a Kia EV6. It is my first ev & shortly after I bought it & when I say shortly I mean like a few weeks after lol I took a road trip from western NY to SE Iowa. It was definitely a learning curve. I learned one important lesson when it’s cold out never pass up a fast charger even if you think oh I’m fine I’ll make it to the next stop no problem. I rolled into my second charging stop with 10% battery! Which now that I’m experienced would not be nearly as anxiety inducing of course as long as at least one of the chargers was working which is where the anxiety comes in. Of course the only reason I had the 10% left that I did is because I had turned off climate control & severely decreased my speed. Things are starting to move in the right direction though as I’m sure you know. Tesla has finally started to open up their network to non Tesla albeit a slow progress for sure. In addition major car manufacturers have just announced that they are going to be adopting the Tesla charging port. All of these steps in the right direction. I could go on & on but I have already typed to much! Anyway I enjoyed your post & now I’m off to read more of your newsletter!
Yes, that's all progress! We were lucky to do our road trip at a warm time of year — I hadn't even realized how much the cold would affect battery charging, as I learned after we came home.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I really appreciate it!
That makes sense, and I still appreciate your pioneering spirit>
Great to see you guys. A solid-gold, comprehensive, extremely well-written and concise guide.
I don't have an ev yet, but when I get one this guide will come in more than handy-a real life-saver!
Thank you sooo much and congratulations on the maiden voyage of your publication.
Ben
Thank you, Ben!! If you end up getting an EV in a few years, you likely won't even need this guide, because a road trip should be much easier.
Rosana, these are great tips, thanks for sharing your journey with us. The spread sheet is a great idea and not surprised with al the details in it.
Thank you so much, Antonio! So, you're not surprised to see that I'm detail-oriented, or you're not surprised that this trip required so much planning? ;-)
Actually I was referring to Rafael with that comment. If he's involved, there will be details...many details.
True! He started the spreadsheet, but I added way more details. I guess I'm prone to that, too!