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After taking an EV on a ~6500 mile road trip a couple months ago, I never want to road trip in a gas car ever again. Highlights: - by the 2.5-3.5 hour mark bet

by elif 3y ago

After taking an EV on a ~6500 mile road trip a couple months ago, I never want to road trip in a gas car ever again. Highlights: - by the 2.5-3.5 hour mark between charges, I'm ready for a 25-35 min break and its somewhere nice and not a gas station - stop anywhere and sleep with air conditioning for free - never have to use gas station bathroom - never have to calculate any routes or fuel stops - also no gas cars drive themselves as well as EVs can yet so driving fatigue is so much better There were times it felt like I was on my own private train where I got to set the route through national parks, scenic routes, etc and not deal with strangers.

Affric 3y ago
You make it sound like a dream. Where were you road tripping?
- elif 3y ago
  From Atlanta to Vegas to SF, up the coast to Washington, then back east though the middle of the country and back to Atlanta, going through Grand canyon, petrified forest, Yosemite, Shasta, redwood forest, Columbia River gorge, Yellowstone, Badlands, and car camping at some state parks on the way. I think it was 27 states total, 99.9% self driving and zero planning on my part.
  - elif 3y ago
    Oh, and only one hotel night on the way west, and another hotel night heading back east. The only reason we did that was for showers basically. (We stayed with friends in Oregon for a week)
Hugsun 3y ago
Which bathrooms were you using instead? How much charge do you get on these breaks? I assume they aren't charging stations.
- fnordpiglet 3y ago
  Most charging stations are at restaurants or shopping malls. Yes, they are high power charging stations. I usually get 300 or so miles in my bathroom / beverage breaks. A full charge if I’m eating.
  - Hugsun 3y ago
    That sounds convenient.
    - fnordpiglet 3y ago
      It is! That’s why most EV owners look askance at the ICE/hybrid apologists claiming charging is such a horrific burden.
- elif 3y ago
  They are all charging and bathroom stops. On the Tesla charging network, you are stopping at: malls, hotels, target, grocery stores, or occasionally restaurants. In the absolute worst case they are at a place like buc-ees or those highway access 'travel hubs' with a food court in the middle of the highway. I've only had one stop ever where the bathroom was a hassle, it was a 'locked for paying customers', at a mall Starbucks in Arizona.
wolverine876 3y ago
How are these easier in EVs than in ICE cars? > - by the 2.5-3.5 hour mark between charges, I'm ready for a 25-35 min break and its somewhere nice and not a gas station What does that have to do with the power source? You can take breaks anywhere in an ICE vehicle too. > - never have to use gas station bathroom Can't you use the same bathrooms in ICE vehicles? Are they EV only? Does your EV include a half-bath? > - never have to calculate any routes or fuel stops I don't do that in ICE vehicles; gas stations are so common that I just find one when I need it. Is your EV's range greater? Also, aren't EV chargers harder to find that gas stations? > not deal with strangers To each their own, but back to our primate ancestors we are social beings.
- lukas099 3y ago
  > Can't you use the same bathrooms in ICE vehicles? Are they EV only? Does your EV include a half-bath? No idea if it's right, but I think they are saying that places with EV chargers tend to be nicer than gas stations. And maybe ICE drivers can stop at those places, but are they really going to make an extra stop when they already have to get gas? I'd point out that this is probably a temporary phenomenon, due to the relative rarity of EVs and their status as luxury items. Once everyone has them and they're cheap, I'll bet the EV charging stations' bathrooms will be just as bad.
  - elif 3y ago
    I don't agree with your speculation for a couple of reasons, primarily: - 90% of EV charging is done at home, meaning that even when all cars are EV, there will be an order of magnitude less usage of the public infrastructure. - EV infrastructure does not require employees on site so it is not beholden to the same 'service center' economic model premised upon selling snacks and becoming defacto grocery stores for impoverished locals. But also, EV charging stations are purposely located in existing commercial areas like malls, hotels, grocery stores, strip malls, etc. whose bathrooms are supported by businesses with a much bigger reputation to uphold than one whose customer loyalty is fundamentally linked to being 3 cents cheaper than the identical building across the street.
_ea1k 3y ago
Yeah, people don't realize that it is actually quite easy. Maybe not better, but also not meaningfully worse in many (not all) cases. Strangely, the worst cases are often things like day trips. A 250-400 mile day can be harder to plan than a 600+ mile road trip.

by elif 3y ago

Affric 3y ago

You make it sound like a dream. Where were you road tripping?

elif 3y ago
From Atlanta to Vegas to SF, up the coast to Washington, then back east though the middle of the country and back to Atlanta, going through Grand canyon, petrified forest, Yosemite, Shasta, redwood forest, Columbia River gorge, Yellowstone, Badlands, and car camping at some state parks on the way. I think it was 27 states total, 99.9% self driving and zero planning on my part.
- elif 3y ago
  Oh, and only one hotel night on the way west, and another hotel night heading back east. The only reason we did that was for showers basically. (We stayed with friends in Oregon for a week)

Hugsun 3y ago

Which bathrooms were you using instead? How much charge do you get on these breaks? I assume they aren't charging stations.

fnordpiglet 3y ago
Most charging stations are at restaurants or shopping malls. Yes, they are high power charging stations. I usually get 300 or so miles in my bathroom / beverage breaks. A full charge if I’m eating.
- Hugsun 3y ago
  That sounds convenient.
  - fnordpiglet 3y ago
    It is! That’s why most EV owners look askance at the ICE/hybrid apologists claiming charging is such a horrific burden.
elif 3y ago
They are all charging and bathroom stops. On the Tesla charging network, you are stopping at: malls, hotels, target, grocery stores, or occasionally restaurants. In the absolute worst case they are at a place like buc-ees or those highway access 'travel hubs' with a food court in the middle of the highway. I've only had one stop ever where the bathroom was a hassle, it was a 'locked for paying customers', at a mall Starbucks in Arizona.

wolverine876 3y ago

How are these easier in EVs than in ICE cars? > - by the 2.5-3.5 hour mark between charges, I'm ready for a 25-35 min break and its somewhere nice and not a gas station What does that have to do with the power source? You can take breaks anywhere in an ICE vehicle too. > - never have to use gas station bathroom Can't you use the same bathrooms in ICE vehicles? Are they EV only? Does your EV include a half-bath? > - never have to calculate any routes or fuel stops I don't do that in ICE vehicles; gas stations are so common that I just find one when I need it. Is your EV's range greater? Also, aren't EV chargers harder to find that gas stations? > not deal with strangers To each their own, but back to our primate ancestors we are social beings.

lukas099 3y ago
> Can't you use the same bathrooms in ICE vehicles? Are they EV only? Does your EV include a half-bath? No idea if it's right, but I think they are saying that places with EV chargers tend to be nicer than gas stations. And maybe ICE drivers can stop at those places, but are they really going to make an extra stop when they already have to get gas? I'd point out that this is probably a temporary phenomenon, due to the relative rarity of EVs and their status as luxury items. Once everyone has them and they're cheap, I'll bet the EV charging stations' bathrooms will be just as bad.
- elif 3y ago
  I don't agree with your speculation for a couple of reasons, primarily: - 90% of EV charging is done at home, meaning that even when all cars are EV, there will be an order of magnitude less usage of the public infrastructure. - EV infrastructure does not require employees on site so it is not beholden to the same 'service center' economic model premised upon selling snacks and becoming defacto grocery stores for impoverished locals. But also, EV charging stations are purposely located in existing commercial areas like malls, hotels, grocery stores, strip malls, etc. whose bathrooms are supported by businesses with a much bigger reputation to uphold than one whose customer loyalty is fundamentally linked to being 3 cents cheaper than the identical building across the street.

_ea1k 3y ago

Yeah, people don't realize that it is actually quite easy. Maybe not better, but also not meaningfully worse in many (not all) cases. Strangely, the worst cases are often things like day trips. A 250-400 mile day can be harder to plan than a 600+ mile road trip.