Atlanta to Las Vegas

[Sezary]

My wife and family moved to Vegas for work and took the lightening (Lariat ER) and our second car(Tiguan) across the country.

We drove South to Destin to visit friends and family so we took I-10 all the way to Phoenix then hitting HW-60 to 93 to Kingman and then to Vegas using the trip planner in the Ford Pass app and ABRP for cross check with Plug Share to see the health and state of the EA chargers.

Leg 1: ATL to Destin
No issues with the network or charging along the way.

Leg 2: Destin to Lafayette
EA only had 1 charge location in Pensacola, this was my first time having an issue with EA since taking delivery of the truck. The EA station locked out and the cable got stuck in the lighting. I used the manual disconnect pulley inside the frunk and called EA. I had to charge there to start our leg so that added about an extra 2 hours.

Lessons learned, if plug and charge doesn’t work activate the charger from the Ford Pass App, no dice? Activate from the EA App. No dice? Hail Mary to EA tech help line. If I had checked Plug share I would have seen the issues at the station ahead of time and could have planned to avoid this

Leg 3: Lafayette to San Antonio
Averaging around 1.8kw going 65-70ish, 1.4-1.6kw when doing 80mph trying to keep up with the wife. No issues with charging.

Leg 4: San Antonio to Van Horn
If you find yourself in Van Horn eat at Moms kitchen.

Leg 5: Van Horn to Phoenix.
The cold weather hit us the morning we left. My range at 80% dropped to about 170mi from 250mi. None issue, trip planned added one additional charging stop. I will say today I started charging to 80% regardless of what trip planner said. Not due to weather or driving habits but with three kids charging for 18 minutes or from 23-67% wasn’t enough time to get out and change diapers and stretch legs.

Leg 6: Phoenix to Las Vegas
I do NOT recommend HW-63 to 93 to Kingman from Phoenix. There is only one charger between PHX and Kingman in Wickenburg at a Ford Dealership that is broken a capped at 22kw. This was my first non-EA charger I was routed too. I figured it being at a Ford Dealership it would be fine but it was an AWEFUL POS. Plug share did mention this but avoid this charger at all costs unless you must use it. I don’t know how Jones Ford of Wickenburg can be EV certified because their 1 charger is atrocious.

This drive already stretched the trucks range to its limit due to below freezing weather and I rolled into Kingman with single digit range.

Overall thoughts:

EA network worked fine, but not the reliability I expected to see. Ford Pass Trip planner was rock solid and minus the 1 non-EA charger was always within 1% of the estimated charge state rolling up to EA chargers. Speaking of charging, I do not know what it is with VW I.D 4 drivers….but they love to take 350kw stalls…that they can’t fully use….and charge to 100% . Nearly every single time I rolled up to a EA station some ID 4 is sitting there charging at 74kw to 118kw (max)on a 350 stall.

edit 1; corrected I-5 to I-10

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[MacMike]

I-5? I'm sure you meant IH-10. Good write-up of your trip.

 

[Sezary]

I-5? I'm sure you meant IH-10. Good write-up of your trip.

Oh yea! You are correct

 

[AZT9]

My wife and family moved to Vegas for work and took the lightening (Lariat ER) and our second car(Tiguan) across the country.

We drove South to Destin to visit friends and family so we took I-10 all the way to Phoenix then hitting HW-60 to 93 to Kingman and then to Vegas using the trip planner in the Ford Pass app and ABRP for cross check with Plug Share to see the health and state of the EA chargers.

Leg 1: ATL to Destin
No issues with the network or charging along the way.

Leg 2: Destin to Lafayette
EA only had 1 charge location in Pensacola, this was my first time having an issue with EA since taking delivery of the truck. The EA station locked out and the cable got stuck in the lighting. I used the manual disconnect pulley inside the frunk and called EA. I had to charge there to start our leg so that added about an extra 2 hours.

Lessons learned, if plug and charge doesn’t work activate the charger from the Ford Pass App, no dice? Activate from the EA App. No dice? Hail Mary to EA tech help line. If I had checked Plug share I would have seen the issues at the station ahead of time and could have planned to avoid this

Leg 3: Lafayette to San Antonio
Averaging around 1.8kw going 65-70ish, 1.4-1.6kw when doing 80mph trying to keep up with the wife. No issues with charging.

Leg 4: San Antonio to Van Horn
If you find yourself in Van Horn eat at Moms kitchen.

Leg 5: Van Horn to Phoenix.
The cold weather hit us the morning we left. My range at 80% dropped to about 170mi from 250mi. None issue, trip planned added one additional charging stop. I will say today I started charging to 80% regardless of what trip planner said. Not due to weather or driving habits but with three kids charging for 18 minutes or from 23-67% wasn’t enough time to get out and change diapers and stretch legs.

Leg 6: Phoenix to Las Vegas
I do NOT recommend HW-63 to 93 to Kingman from Phoenix. There is only one charger between PHX and Kingman in Wickenburg at a Ford Dealership that is broken a capped at 22kw. This was my first non-EA charger I was routed too. I figured it being at a Ford Dealership it would be fine but it was an AWEFUL POS. Plug share did mention this but avoid this charger at all costs unless you must use it. I don’t know how Jones Ford of Wickenburg can be EV certified because their 1 charger is atrocious.

This drive already stretched the trucks range to its limit due to below freezing weather and I rolled into Kingman with single digit range.

Overall thoughts:

EA network worked fine, but not the reliability I expected to see. Ford Pass Trip planner was rock solid and minus the 1 non-EA charger was always within 1% of the estimated charge state rolling up to EA chargers. Speaking of charging, I do not know what it is with VW I.D 4 drivers….but they love to take 350kw stalls…that they can’t fully use….and charge to 100% . Nearly every single time I rolled up to a EA station some ID 4 is sitting there charging at 74kw to 118kw (max)on a 350 stall.

edit 1; corrected I-5 to I-10

Okay so it’s not just me. I’ve learned to cringe when I roll up to a charger to see and ID4 for the EXACT SAMER REASONS!! Come on people! Furthermore. The kias and Hyundais literally ALWAYS charge to 100% regularly regardless of the line of EVs waiting to charge! Let’s be curtious to our fellow drivers!

great write up. Thanks

 

[Oafy44]

My wife and family moved to Vegas for work and took the lightening (Lariat ER) and our second car(Tiguan) across the country.

We drove South to Destin to visit friends and family so we took I-10 all the way to Phoenix then hitting HW-60 to 93 to Kingman and then to Vegas using the trip planner in the Ford Pass app and ABRP for cross check with Plug Share to see the health and state of the EA chargers.

Leg 1: ATL to Destin
No issues with the network or charging along the way.

Leg 2: Destin to Lafayette
EA only had 1 charge location in Pensacola, this was my first time having an issue with EA since taking delivery of the truck. The EA station locked out and the cable got stuck in the lighting. I used the manual disconnect pulley inside the frunk and called EA. I had to charge there to start our leg so that added about an extra 2 hours.

Lessons learned, if plug and charge doesn’t work activate the charger from the Ford Pass App, no dice? Activate from the EA App. No dice? Hail Mary to EA tech help line. If I had checked Plug share I would have seen the issues at the station ahead of time and could have planned to avoid this

Leg 3: Lafayette to San Antonio
Averaging around 1.8kw going 65-70ish, 1.4-1.6kw when doing 80mph trying to keep up with the wife. No issues with charging.

Leg 4: San Antonio to Van Horn
If you find yourself in Van Horn eat at Moms kitchen.

Leg 5: Van Horn to Phoenix.
The cold weather hit us the morning we left. My range at 80% dropped to about 170mi from 250mi. None issue, trip planned added one additional charging stop. I will say today I started charging to 80% regardless of what trip planner said. Not due to weather or driving habits but with three kids charging for 18 minutes or from 23-67% wasn’t enough time to get out and change diapers and stretch legs.

Leg 6: Phoenix to Las Vegas
I do NOT recommend HW-63 to 93 to Kingman from Phoenix. There is only one charger between PHX and Kingman in Wickenburg at a Ford Dealership that is broken a capped at 22kw. This was my first non-EA charger I was routed too. I figured it being at a Ford Dealership it would be fine but it was an AWEFUL POS. Plug share did mention this but avoid this charger at all costs unless you must use it. I don’t know how Jones Ford of Wickenburg can be EV certified because their 1 charger is atrocious.

This drive already stretched the trucks range to its limit due to below freezing weather and I rolled into Kingman with single digit range.

Overall thoughts:

EA network worked fine, but not the reliability I expected to see. Ford Pass Trip planner was rock solid and minus the 1 non-EA charger was always within 1% of the estimated charge state rolling up to EA chargers. Speaking of charging, I do not know what it is with VW I.D 4 drivers….but they love to take 350kw stalls…that they can’t fully use….and charge to 100% . Nearly every single time I rolled up to a EA station some ID 4 is sitting there charging at 74kw to 118kw (max)on a 350 stall.

edit 1; corrected I-5 to I-10

I’m a north Atlantian- marietta in particular. What route did you take to get to destin from Atlanta ?

We go down to 30a about 6 times a year and I usually take 1-20 to Montgomery then head south thru Troy - then go to Defuniack springs which will take you to 331 and eventually to 30a. If I were to use the lightning the way it looks is I go another way due to more chargers available ?

 

[Sezary]

Okay so it’s not just me. I’ve learned to cringe when I roll up to a charger to see and ID4 for the EXACT SAMER REASONS!! Come on people! Furthermore. The kias and Hyundais literally ALWAYS charge to 100% regularly regardless of the line of EVs waiting to charge! Let’s be curtious to our fellow drivers!

great write up. Thanks

I tried not judge to harshly at first but every single ID 4 driver was clueless about charge speed and battery health. It seemed all VW dealerships are telling people to just “charge to 100%” no matter what

 

[Sezary]

I’m a north Atlantian- marietta in particular. What route did you take to get to destin from Atlanta ?

We go down to 30a about 6 times a year and I usually take 1-20 to Montgomery then head south thru Troy - then go to Defuniack springs which will take you to 331 and eventually to 30a. If I were to use the lightning the way it looks is I go another way due to more chargers available ?

Here is what the trip planner is saying for your start point. Auburn and Chipley EA stations.

We took I-75 south through Cordele (visiting friends) then cut through Albany to Chipley for the final charge.

I’d would feel very comfortable making the trip via the recommend ford route. There aren’t any other routes using EA that I see that would add more chargers without a significant drive time increase

 

[Oafy44]

Here is what the trip planner is saying for your start point. Auburn and Chipley EA stations.

We took I-75 south through Cordele (visiting friends) then cut through Albany to Chipley for the final charge.

I’d would feel very comfortable making the trip via the recommend ford route. There aren’t any other routes using EA that I see that would add more chargers without a significant drive time increase

Perfect. Thanks so much. I like the auburn stop and have actually seen the chargers there. Tons of restaurants ect. They have built that up nicely.

Here is what the trip planner is saying for your start point. Auburn and Chipley EA stations.

We took I-75 south through Cordele (visiting friends) then cut through Albany to Chipley for the final charge.

I’d would feel very comfortable making the trip via the recommend ford route. There aren’t any other routes using EA that I see that would add more chargers without a significant drive time increase

 

[Lightning Rod]

Here is what the trip planner is saying for your start point. Auburn and Chipley EA stations.

We took I-75 south through Cordele (visiting friends) then cut through Albany to Chipley for the final charge.

I’d would feel very comfortable making the trip via the recommend ford route. There aren’t any other routes using EA that I see that would add more chargers without a significant drive time increase

This app looks nice. Is this the Fordpass app?

 

[Sezary]

This app looks nice. Is this the Fordpass app?

It is, you can send the route on your phone to your truck and you’ll find it under navigation, my trips, ford pass

 

[ChrisInVegas]

Former resident of GA and current resident of LV. Welcome to the dry heat! Hope you like it here. (We love it)

The stretch from Phoenix to Kingman is rough because there really is nothing between. We have made that drive a couple times in our ER Lariat, but it is a good idea to find the last charger in Phoenix and charge to 90% and then don't be a speed demon. For us, both trips along that leg were in the summer, so maybe in the winter even that won't work.

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