Renting an EV for a road trip can add a lot of stress and logistical hurdles, especially in unfamiliar territory.
EV charging etiquette: Precautions at public charging stations
A little courtesy goes a long way at public electric vehicle charging stations.
- Road trips in electric vehicles can be difficult due to limited charging infrastructure and slow charging times.
- Drivers often experience “range anxiety,” the fear that their battery will run out before they reach the charging station.
- Experts advise EV drivers to use apps to plan their routes, fully charge their vehicles before setting off, and set up payment accounts in advance.
Nathan Heinrich wanted an adventure when he rented a Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV for a Northern California road trip. Instead, he met with misfortune.
“The car ran beautifully,” recalled Mr. Heinrich, a gardener and podcaster. But the next day, he heard a “BLING BLING!” Warned you that your battery level is below 20%. He pulled into a Walgreens for a quick dash.
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“I came back an hour later and it only had 30% charge,” he said. Over the next week, he frantically hopped between charging stations, looking for something to give him a little extra energy.
“In many cases, there was only one functioning charging station,” he said. “And it took hours to charge.”
Why EV road trips are difficult
When it comes to long road trips, EVs can be thrilling, nerve-wracking, and infuriating.
It’s so exciting when you walk by a gas station for the first time and realize you don’t have to pay that high pump price. It can be very worrying when you’re on a long trip and can’t find a charging station. And it’s frustrating when you find out that it takes hours to charge your battery.
Heinrich’s experience will be shared with millions of other drivers during the upcoming holiday season. Taking an EV on a long journey still requires a bold leap of faith. According to a recent Mazda survey, 21% of North Americans plan to use some kind of electric vehicle for road trips, while 26% of respondents feel “neutral” about driving long distances in an EV, and 7% admit it may be difficult.
But with the right mindset and tools, that leap can take you straight into the future: saving money, reducing carbon, discovering a new rhythm to the open road, and more.
An arduous road trip through Germany
I recently learned this lesson firsthand while driving around Germany. As soon as I drove the Skoda Enyak iV down the autobahn, the battery life indicator turned into a countdown clock, ticking relentlessly towards the red zone. And yes, when you hit 20%, you’ll get a warning like you’ve broken through Fort Knox.
By the time we reached our destination in the Rhineland-Palatinate countryside, the battery was down to 30%. I thought, “What if I don’t get the charger in time?” I silently panicked.
Germans have a word for it. range anxiety. Distance anxiety has never been so terrifying.
I found a charging station in the small village where I was staying, but like Heinrich, the process was very slow and there were hurdles to access. Many broadcasters required specific charging cards or apps that required a German address for registration. Using a credit card means entering all your details and hoping the transaction goes through. The car only recommended charging to 80%, but it still took 5 hours and cost about $30. To make matters worse, the charging station took a $90 deposit from my credit card. ah!
It wasn’t just low battery warnings and limitations. It was an infrastructure mess.
No one told me about fast charging stations or their locations. I found them myself, hiding in a rest area and near the autobahn exit. I’ll never forget arriving in Karlsruhe and hearing that dreaded honking that the battery was below 20% again. With less than 10% remaining, I frantically charged it to a charger near my rental apartment.
Will this be my last EV road trip? I’ll tell you right away.
Are you ready for an EV road trip this summer?
So how can we know that your Is adventure safe in EVs? It’s all about route, range, and real-time readiness. Stop guessing. Experts say:
- Get ready like a pro. Sean Tucker, managing editor at Kelley Blue Book, advises fully charging your phone before you travel: “Reset your cap to 100%,” he said. Also, download any network apps you need and set up payments for your account. in front I’m leaving. Tesla owners have an advantage because they can plug it in, unplug it and leave it alone. For non-Teslas, setting up prepayment is important. Carry a physical charging card with you as a backup.
- Please refer to the appropriate site. Sites like PlugShare and A Better Routeplanner that allow you to plan your EV road trip are a must. “You can plan your trip in advance,” says James Morin, an automotive journalist and longtime EV owner. These sites use Al to determine how many people have made claims and what problems they have faced. This will help you avoid situations where your charging station is closed or blocked by construction. Your car’s navigation system will also show you the next charging station. (I should have done that in my rented Skoda. I used Google Maps instead.)
- Set the range. “Don’t take your EV on any trips where the map doesn’t have a charging station at least every 200 miles,” warns Carl Rodriguez, founder of auto transport company NX Autotransport. He said multiple charging stations are essential. “We have heard complaints from customers about vandalism that has rendered charging stations unusable,” he warned.
- Stop charging strategically. Kirsty Scott, who recently completed an epic 10,000-mile trek across the US in her VW ID.Buzz, says you need to plan where you’ll stop charging. “When I stop to charge, I get out, grab a coffee, snack, or lunch, take a bathroom break, trash the car, wash bugs off the windshield, check email and social media, and talk to other EV owners who always want to see inside their van,” she said. And within 30 minutes using a fast charger, she’s back on the road.
By the way, knowing the differences between the different types of chargers is important when planning your trip. DC fast chargers (including CCS, CHAdeMO, and Tesla Superchargers) deliver 50 to 350 kilowatts (kW) and charge a battery to 80% in 20 to 45 minutes. It features a thick, hose-like cable with a bulky connector. Most public “Level 2” chargers (often found in hotels and shopping centers) can only deliver 6-19 kW and require patience of 4-10 hours to fully charge. It uses a slimmer cable with a smaller connector that resembles a souped-up version of a household electrical outlet. Level 2 chargers make up 75% of public ports, while fast chargers, while essential for road trips, currently make up only 20-25% of U.S. public infrastructure.
But even with these proven strategies in place, I still wouldn’t give anyone the green light for an EV road trip. The reason is more personal.
Don’t ride an EV for long distance trips unless:
If you own an EV and drive in well-developed areas, you probably already know that it’s not a problem to drive.
But where else? problem.
In Germany, I had no idea how to download an app to charge the car. So I frequently had to visit the website on my phone, enter my payment details and hope for the best. This system was often counterintuitive. For example, at charging stations with multiple plugs, it wasn’t always clear which outlet to use.
I navigated using my phone and Android Auto, but it didn’t work very well with the Skoda. It doesn’t tell you when it’s time to charge and send you to a nearby fast charging station like Tesla does. I had to calculate how many more kilometers I could charge and how far it would be to get to the next charging station.
I remember checking into a hotel in a small town in Brandenburg for only 7% off. I knew there was a charger, but I had a hard time entering my payment details in the pouring rain. I failed twice and had two $70 charges on my credit card before I succeeded the third time.
The next morning, I was fully charged and got into the car with peace of mind. However, I didn’t do that. payment failed third time. By the time I got to the next charging station, I had only 4% battery left, which was a very serious situation. range anxiety.
This is how I became skeptical about EV road trips. If you’re driving your EV in familiar territory, there’s no problem. A little planning can make your trip stress-free. However, renting an EV overseas and driving on unfamiliar roads can lead to serious range anxiety.
christopher elliott I’m an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. he founded Elliot Advocacy, A non-profit organization that helps solve consumer problems. he publishes Elliot Confidentialtravel newsletter, Elliott Reporta news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer issue, you can: Contact him here Or email chris@elliott.org.
