planetmn
Member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2024
- Threads
- 5
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 36
- Location
- Massachusetts
- Vehicles
- 2023 F150 Lightning XLT
- Thread starter
- #1
I previously posted about my first trip in the Lightning to go skiing. This week we took the truck from Boston to the Adirondacks for the eclipse.
Loading up the truck with gear (sleeping bags, dog gear/crate, snowshoes) was easy. I love having the bed and tonneau cover. Clothes and electronics went in the frunk and the kids and two 65-lb dogs in the rear seat. Everybody had plenty of room. I'm ordering some flip down tray tables for the rear seats to give the kids a little more organization (especially when you have the dogs taking their space).
Charging was eventful for the first time. Apple Maps said to charge at the EA location at the Walmart in West Lebanon, NH. I checked the EA app before getting off the highway and it said there was a charger available. Pull into the lot and there are at least a dozen vehicles waiting to charge and a guy (not sure if an employee of Walmart or just a driver) walking around with a waitlist for chargers. We had plenty of charge (>50%) so we just kept going.
Ended up stopping at the Green Mountain Power in Bethel, VT. Pulled in, hooked up and started charging. Got there just in time because almost immediately after a Rivian pulled in, then left. Shortly thereafter an iD4 pulled in and connected to the L2 charger while waiting for my charger and a Lightning pulled in after them. Worked fine for us because we didn't have to wait, but felt bad for the others. It wasn't too fast, so it ended up taking about an hour to charge.
We ended up stopping again in Williston because the two hours from Burlington to our final destination is an absolute EV desert. Charged at the EVGo at the Hannaford, and went on our way. In retrospect, we probably didn't need this second charge, but didn't want to risk it driving through that area after midnight.
The way home was more interesting. We stopped at that same EVGo charger and started charging. A little while later, a Wrangler pulled up, plugged into the L2 charger located in the same area and immediately my charger had a fault. Called EVGo, and about five minutes later they remote reset it and I was back charging. But 15 minutes later, it had another fault and we just left. We were able to get home (with 11% remaining) after that.
Efficiency was much better coming home. Not sure if do to the weather (was 20 degrees warmer), the driver (I drove there, my wife drove back) or the route (may be net downhill on the way home). But we averaged about 1.8mi/kWh going there and about 2.2mi/kWh coming home.
So all-in-all, an interesting experience to help reduce my wife's range anxiety. This is a trip we take multiple times/year so it was good to see that we can do it in just one charging stop. Once I get my NACS adapter, there is actually a Supercharger at the same exit in Williston, VT which will enable us to do that single charge much faster and they have more stalls, so more reliable.
In the end, not bad. A 320-mile each way trip through the mountains, in a single 20-30 minute charge. Plenty of room for the kids, dogs, gear. I love the Lightning.
Loading up the truck with gear (sleeping bags, dog gear/crate, snowshoes) was easy. I love having the bed and tonneau cover. Clothes and electronics went in the frunk and the kids and two 65-lb dogs in the rear seat. Everybody had plenty of room. I'm ordering some flip down tray tables for the rear seats to give the kids a little more organization (especially when you have the dogs taking their space).
Charging was eventful for the first time. Apple Maps said to charge at the EA location at the Walmart in West Lebanon, NH. I checked the EA app before getting off the highway and it said there was a charger available. Pull into the lot and there are at least a dozen vehicles waiting to charge and a guy (not sure if an employee of Walmart or just a driver) walking around with a waitlist for chargers. We had plenty of charge (>50%) so we just kept going.
Ended up stopping at the Green Mountain Power in Bethel, VT. Pulled in, hooked up and started charging. Got there just in time because almost immediately after a Rivian pulled in, then left. Shortly thereafter an iD4 pulled in and connected to the L2 charger while waiting for my charger and a Lightning pulled in after them. Worked fine for us because we didn't have to wait, but felt bad for the others. It wasn't too fast, so it ended up taking about an hour to charge.
We ended up stopping again in Williston because the two hours from Burlington to our final destination is an absolute EV desert. Charged at the EVGo at the Hannaford, and went on our way. In retrospect, we probably didn't need this second charge, but didn't want to risk it driving through that area after midnight.
The way home was more interesting. We stopped at that same EVGo charger and started charging. A little while later, a Wrangler pulled up, plugged into the L2 charger located in the same area and immediately my charger had a fault. Called EVGo, and about five minutes later they remote reset it and I was back charging. But 15 minutes later, it had another fault and we just left. We were able to get home (with 11% remaining) after that.
Efficiency was much better coming home. Not sure if do to the weather (was 20 degrees warmer), the driver (I drove there, my wife drove back) or the route (may be net downhill on the way home). But we averaged about 1.8mi/kWh going there and about 2.2mi/kWh coming home.
So all-in-all, an interesting experience to help reduce my wife's range anxiety. This is a trip we take multiple times/year so it was good to see that we can do it in just one charging stop. Once I get my NACS adapter, there is actually a Supercharger at the same exit in Williston, VT which will enable us to do that single charge much faster and they have more stalls, so more reliable.
In the end, not bad. A 320-mile each way trip through the mountains, in a single 20-30 minute charge. Plenty of room for the kids, dogs, gear. I love the Lightning.
Sponsored
