Weekend Thanksgiving Trip

[jmc6020]

Made a trip this weekend from Southern NH to Mid-Coast Maine for a cousins only Thanksgiving get together of about 30. Everybody who saw the Lightning in the driveway when they arrived were intrigued by it and all had a bunch of questions as soon as they walked through the door. All the same questions I’m sure you’ve all heard before including the predictable “but how long will the battery last and how much will it cost to replace it?“ In the end no matter how much they were in awe of truck and how they were generally interested every single person would say in the end something like “they just like gas” and that they would never buy an EV.

Charged to 100% SOC immediately before we left on Friday and before leaving to come home today at 52% SOC I calculated that I would need to stop for about a 10 minute DCFC. A Chargepoint at the rest stop in Kennebunk looked like the best choice as it would be a quick off and on but my wife proclaimed that she “did not want to sit in a rest stop for 10 minutes” so the other option was at an EA at the WalMart in Scarborough. I dropped my wife off at the HomeGoods at the other side of the parking lot and the kids and I headed over to the EA chargers. Two of the four stalls were down and the other two stalls would only deliver 36 kW. So the charge ended up being closer to a half hour, just enough time for my wife to spend $100.

Back on the road $100 poorer and as my wife in kids napped I enjoyed a quiet and relaxing drive home with BlueCruise at 74 MPH and we arrived back home at 9% SOC and 1.9 kWh/mi.

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[RickLightning]

If my wife said she didn't want to sit at a rest stop for 10 minutes, she would be walking home...

 

[luebri]

So the charge ended up being closer to a half hour, just enough time for my wife to spend $100.

Back on the road $100 poorer and as my wife in kids napped I enjoyed a quiet and relaxing drive home with BlueCruise at 74 MPH and we arrived back home at 9% SOC and 1.9 kWh/mi.

Honest review that ICE propulsion can be more affordable (at times) for sure! When I told my wife the latest EA charger in Wisconsin to open was in a target parking lot her eyes gleamed with joy!

 

[Randall Stephens]

Honest review that ICE propulsion can be more affordable (at times) for sure! When I told my wife the latest EA charger in Wisconsin to open was in a target parking lot her eyes gleamed with joy!

I just witnessed a fistfight at a target EA charger…man people are crazy

 

[luebri]

I just witnessed a fistfight at a target EA charger…man people are crazy

For sure. No chance in hell in taking the ev over the ice on a holiday weekend trip anytime soon

 

[Toby57]

I just witnessed a fistfight at a target EA charger…man people are crazy

Yes they are. When these pickups start pulling into Tesla chargers, I predict many more posts worded similar to above. It ain't going to be pretty. Folks are already unplugging other buggies.

 

[Aaron]

I agree that once we can plug into Tesla chargers, I will plan to take trips in my lightning but until then kinda staying local

 

[Bills R Electric]

Made a trip this weekend from Southern NH to Mid-Coast Maine for a cousins only Thanksgiving get together of about 30. Everybody who saw the Lightning in the driveway when they arrived were intrigued by it and all had a bunch of questions as soon as they walked through the door. All the same questions I’m sure you’ve all heard before including the predictable “but how long will the battery last and how much will it cost to replace it?“ In the end no matter how much they were in awe of truck and how they were generally interested every single person would say in the end something like “they just like gas” and that they would never buy an EV.

Charged to 100% SOC immediately before we left on Friday and before leaving to come home today at 52% SOC I calculated that I would need to stop for about a 10 minute DCFC. A Chargepoint at the rest stop in Kennebunk looked like the best choice as it would be a quick off and on but my wife proclaimed that she “did not want to sit in a rest stop for 10 minutes” so the other option was at an EA at the WalMart in Scarborough. I dropped my wife off at the HomeGoods at the other side of the parking lot and the kids and I headed over to the EA chargers. Two of the four stalls were down and the other two stalls would only deliver 36 kW. So the charge ended up being closer to a half hour, just enough time for my wife to spend $100.

Back on the road $100 poorer and as my wife in kids napped I enjoyed a quiet and relaxing drive home with BlueCruise at 74 MPH and we arrived back home at 9% SOC and 1.9 kWh/mi.

Having travelled thru Pennsylvania, chargers are spotty. Some areas have none.
The ones you do find, may or may not work.

Think of your trip like a skipping stone. Stop early, and stop often. Skip across PA but stop and charge even if you don't "need" to.

Sorry, that is the state of CCS chargers in Central PA. Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving !

 

[mb0220]

Made a trip this weekend from Southern NH to Mid-Coast Maine for a cousins only Thanksgiving get together of about 30. Everybody who saw the Lightning in the driveway when they arrived were intrigued by it and all had a bunch of questions as soon as they walked through the door. All the same questions I’m sure you’ve all heard before including the predictable “but how long will the battery last and how much will it cost to replace it?“ In the end no matter how much they were in awe of truck and how they were generally interested every single person would say in the end something like “they just like gas” and that they would never buy an EV.

Charged to 100% SOC immediately before we left on Friday and before leaving to come home today at 52% SOC I calculated that I would need to stop for about a 10 minute DCFC. A Chargepoint at the rest stop in Kennebunk looked like the best choice as it would be a quick off and on but my wife proclaimed that she “did not want to sit in a rest stop for 10 minutes” so the other option was at an EA at the WalMart in Scarborough. I dropped my wife off at the HomeGoods at the other side of the parking lot and the kids and I headed over to the EA chargers. Two of the four stalls were down and the other two stalls would only deliver 36 kW. So the charge ended up being closer to a half hour, just enough time for my wife to spend $100.

Back on the road $100 poorer and as my wife in kids napped I enjoyed a quiet and relaxing drive home with BlueCruise at 74 MPH and we arrived back home at 9% SOC and 1.9 kWh/mi.

Hopefully you mean 1.9 mi/kWh!
(1.9 kWh/mi would be pretty bad...)

 

[OtterJohn]

If my wife said she didn't want to sit at a rest stop for 10 minutes, she would be walking home...

My wife grew up road-tripping with her family, so a 10 minute break at a rest stop is nothing. She just sees it as an opportunity to stretch and read a book!

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