This will be my last attempt at a Lightning Road Trip

[Rip]

I am in one hotel, and my lightning is languishing at another hotel, hooked up to a slow-ass Blink L1 charger because it was all I could find. I had to take an Uber back to my hotel, and will have to take an uber back to the other one tomorrow morning, and hope that it picked up enough miles to get me to a real charger.
Until Ford decides to get serious and actually build a freaking network I will confine my Lightning driving to local only. The Ford Pass "network" is just a list. It doesn't work. What i have now are two nav systems (Google and Ford). Google is flawed and unreliable when it comes to charging, but at least I can get somewhere with it. Ford can't find many locations, has all the functionality of Garmin 2004, and looks awful. The FordPass app can find chargers and sometimes feed them to Google Maps, but it's as likely to take me to the wrong place or to a charger that is not available or compatible. After two long days of driving 2 hours to charge for an hour (when I can actually find a charger close to the route), collecting charging apps so I can sit in an isolated spot with no rest rooms and no amenities, I have had it. My wife is ready to leave the Lightning at an airport and rent an ICE so we can finish driving to our vacation destination.
Ford, if you're listening, quit making us beta test your tech. Get it together.

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[Lightning Bronson]

To be fair, your Lightning doesn't have to be a road trip vehicle.

 

[lightspeed]

I am in one hotel, and my lightning is languishing at another hotel, hooked up to a slow-ass Blink L1 charger because it was all I could find. I had to take an Uber back to my hotel, and will have to take an uber back to the other one tomorrow morning, and hope that it picked up enough miles to get me to a real charger.
Until Ford decides to get serious and actually build a freaking network I will confine my Lightning driving to local only. The Ford Pass "network" is just a list. It doesn't work. What i have now are two nav systems (Google and Ford). Google is flawed and unreliable when it comes to charging, but at least I can get somewhere with it. Ford can't find many locations, has all the functionality of Garmin 2004, and looks awful. The FordPass app can find chargers and sometimes feed them to Google Maps, but it's as likely to take me to the wrong place or to a charger that is not available or compatible. After two long days of driving 2 hours to charge for an hour (when I can actually find a charger close to the route), collecting charging apps so I can sit in an isolated spot with no rest rooms and no amenities, I have had it. My wife is ready to leave the Lightning at an airport and rent an ICE so we can finish driving to our vacation destination.
Ford, if you're listening, quit making us beta test your tech. Get it together.

It does take some planning if you're going across rural areas. But I'm not sure why you are running into issues.

The FordPass app Public Charging section seems to be basically 100% accurate (where I've used it) in showing available chargers.

I turn on the: Ultra Fast Only, Available Now, BlueOval Charget Network filters.

You can see the chargers around you or anywhere on the map and click on them to see how many chargers are available and what rates and fees. When I find one that looks good, I just send it to apple maps and it all works fine.

The Tesla chargers are more likely to match the available number. The Electrify America usually has 1 or 2 chargers broken, so I avoid them unless it says 3+ are available. I rarely use other networks.

Since I restrict to Blue Oval Charge Network (Tesla, Electrify America, EVGo, etc..), I just drive up, plug-in and it works with Tesla and Electrify America and automatically bills through Ford. It would be nice if plug-n-charge worked on all of the networks. You are supposed to be able to manually 'activate' any non-plug-n-charge charger, from any supported charge network, on the FordPass app and it will still bill automatically through Ford, but I haven't tried it.

 

[Heliian]

Plugshare works really well for trip planning.

We also have access to tons of Tesla stations now too with the adapter.

You need to plan your trips.

 

[astrand1]

You have not stated where you are or going but I’m not sure why you’re having such issues unless you are in a super rural area. But even then you might be surprised where chargers are. I’ve driven my lightning from la to Michigan. Going back across the country in a few weeks and I’m on a job now in Missouri with my lightning. Chargers everywhere. Do you have your Tesla adapter? Have you downloaded plugshare and or ABRP? These are 2 excellent apps that will help you find chargers and plan a route. ABRP is a great tool to get an overall idea of charging on a trip before you leave. Having an electric vehicle does require a little pre planning in some cases. But I’ve found in my road trips no issues finding chargers. My thing when on a road trip is not an issue finding chargers but just like gas stations I’m looking for the best deal for the cheapest kWh.

 

[red2play]

If your going to take long trips, you need to buy a Tesla Adapter. Also, Google maps is far better than the Blue Network. These are basic things and don't just rely on a charger when your at 5%. Always plan to get to a charger at 15-20%. This stuff is just common sense. It's the same when your getting gas but some will never learn. I went on a trip from Atlanta To Jacksonville, FL and back. I have the A2Z adapter so I just went to Buc-ee's.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Sometimes, shortest routes aren't possible so plan legs moving in the general direction of your destination that include high capacity chargers, filter for only high speed in Ford navigation.

How low of an SOC have you been driving to? Getting to low could easily trap you in a charging desert.

 

[The Weatherman]

What @astrand1 said^^^^^.

I don’t think the Lightning (or any other EV) is the problem.

If you’re going to change your mode of transportation, you need to know how to operate it. For an EV that means learning the ins and outs of refueling it.

PlugShare and ABRP!!

 

[Pioneer74]

I've seen more fast chargers, and charging options, now more than ever since we bought our EV's over 2 years ago. I don't think this is a Blue Oval Network problem.

Plugshare and A Better Route Planner is all you need to make a successful road trip.

 

[Mashedtators]

PlugShare, Tesla adapter, ABRP. No issues here.

 

[Firn]

I am in one hotel, and my lightning is languishing at another hotel, hooked up to a slow-ass Blink L1 charger because it was all I could find. I had to take an Uber back to my hotel, and will have to take an uber back to the other one tomorrow morning, and hope that it picked up enough miles to get me to a real charger.
Until Ford decides to get serious and actually build a freaking network I will confine my Lightning driving to local only. The Ford Pass "network" is just a list. It doesn't work. What i have now are two nav systems (Google and Ford). Google is flawed and unreliable when it comes to charging, but at least I can get somewhere with it. Ford can't find many locations, has all the functionality of Garmin 2004, and looks awful. The FordPass app can find chargers and sometimes feed them to Google Maps, but it's as likely to take me to the wrong place or to a charger that is not available or compatible. After two long days of driving 2 hours to charge for an hour (when I can actually find a charger close to the route), collecting charging apps so I can sit in an isolated spot with no rest rooms and no amenities, I have had it. My wife is ready to leave the Lightning at an airport and rent an ICE so we can finish driving to our vacation destination.
Ford, if you're listening, quit making us beta test your tech. Get it together.

First of all, sorry to hear your trip is not going as well as you would like. Been there, it sucks.

I will agree that the Ford Nav SHOULD be all you need, but honestly I don't use mine because I cannot trust it.

It would be helpful if you could tell us where you are going. Maybe the route, major city to major city, something like that. I won't say I am a frequent road tripper, but I did 3,000 miles of road trips in the first month (which was my first ever EV too). This was up in the rural areas of Michigan, and across Wisconsin, and didn't have an issue.

I am going to assume you do not have the Tesla adapter. It makes a big difference.

FWIW, maybe my technique will help.
I much prefer to use the Website or App "A Better Route Planner" (ABRP) to find my charging stops. It will tell you WHERE to stop, and then the app "Plugshare" is awesome to tell you how good the charger is and what is around.
I map my entire route in ABRP to see how long between stops I will be traveling, roughly where each stop is, how long each charging session is, etc. Then using Plugshare I may adjust some stops because there is a better charger nearby.
I then run Google for my Nav. I also keep ABRP up as a secondary nav since it tracks battery percent and can tell you if you are using the battery faster or slower than expected.

Best of luck. In the end I don't think it needs to be as bad as it has been, but your technique may be off. Best of luck.

 

[Charge_Rob]

Neither FordPass nor Connected Navigation should route you to or display incompatible chargers, and both will suppress chargers that are known to be non-functional. Are you searching for the fastest chargers (Use the speed filters?).

There's a big how-to for EV road trips at https://go.ford/evroadtrip with lots of tutorials.

Where is this road trip to or from? Do you have a NACS adapter? Did you look for hotels with chargers ahead of time?

It's a slight mindshift change to EV road trip. I've done over 10k miles of road trips in my Lightning in the first 6 months and I've loved every minute of them. Wouldn't road trip any other way but electric.

 

[hturnerfamily]

- it sounds like this is not a Ford LIGHTNING issue, but an OWNER issue
- no matter WHAT EV you drive, or travel with, YOU have to plan accordingly... blaming Ford or Google or anyone else is naive... "(of a person or action) showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment."
- the vast majority of us owners have no issues with traveling
- you might want to 'blame' the charging infrastructure, along your Travel path, yes, if you feel it is lacking, but making general assumptions about this being your problem 'everywhere', is, well, absurd

- 50,000 miles on mine, and 1/2 of that towing a 3,800lb camper, and I've NEVER once 'ran out of power', or found myself 'lacking' Level 2 or DC Fast Charging options - but, I also plan. Plan. Plan. and then have plan B.

 

[Brons2]

I was going to make some snarky comment, but you guys have it pretty well covered. OP, the information is out there, you just have to use it. Are charging stations as ubiquitous as gas stations yet? No, but there are lots of tools to find them.

I am taking a trip to a charging desert this weekend with no DCFC within about 50 miles. Theoretically, I should have enough juice to get there and back on a 100% charge if I don't drive around a lot at the remote destination. But I have hedged my bets and found an RV park with 14-50 spots about a 300 yard walk from our hotel, for $30 per night. I'm going to call over there this morning and see if they have space available.

With regard to your wife's grousing, my wife and I have an understanding that I will be the one to plan out the trip. My wife loves her Mach-E because it doesn't make any noise and it gets filled up in the garage. But any time we go out of town, she doesn't want to make any calculations, and because I put in the work, she doesn't have to.

 

[mrau]

Seems the OP is just venting his frustration (which is OK).
Don't believe he is looking for any help/advice at this point.

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