How to Plan a Road Trip in an Electric Vehicle
Published December 27th, 2024
I’m an avid road tripper and planning is a key component to any enjoyable road trip. The introduction and adoption of electric vehicles requires a different type of planning as the charging portion is the primary difference opposed to a gasoline vehicle.
Through Modern Motoring, I’ve reviewed over 1,000 new cars in my career, nearly all the modern electric vehicles on the market and gone on hundreds of road trips.
Here are 17 ways to smartly plan a road trip in an electric vehicle/EV that can make the journey as memorable as the destination.
1. Slice 20% (twenty) off the range you see on your instrument cluster. Weather, cargo weight, number of passengers, hills, excessive speed above the speed limit and open windows all impact range.
If you're driving on a flat road in 22 degrees celsius weather by yourself not exceeding the speed limit, you may come close to travelling the full distance your EV provides. Otherwise, lean on the conservative side of range.
2. If you're doing a longer road trip and planning on charging with a level 3 DC fast charge, check your Owner's Manual and with the dealership as to how many times per 24 hour period your car can use this type of charging.
Some vehicles only allow two fast charges per 24 hour period, where others can go up to four.
3. Strategically plan your charging stops with at the 20% rule in place. If your EV has a maximum range of 500 km, mentally see it as 400 km and if you're travelling through smaller or rural areas, plan your charging stops for every 300 km. It might result in one or two extra stops on your journey but it's shockingly better than the alternative of running out of charge while driving.
4. Check your roadside assistance program/subscription to see if it includes being towed to the nearest EV charging station. CAA offers this service and you should call for all the details before heading out.
5. Download multiple charging apps to save time as there are various public charging stations. Think of it as having multiple fuel rewards point cards (Petro Canada, Shell, Esso, Pioneer, etc.) as most charging station uses its own specific app.
6. Carefully read the information on a public charging station. In British Columbia, for example, BC Hydro's charging stations have a $0.40/minute idling fee which starts after your vehicle is finished charging. It's expensive and meant as an initiative not to monopolize the charging station and allow others to use it.
7. Charging etiquette is the EV-world's unwritten rule. Charge to what you need, unplug and carry on by moving your vehicle to a regular parking spot or continuing on your journey.
8. Know how fast your vehicle can receive a charge. Measured in kW, this tells you the speed at which your EV accepts power. The higher the number, the faster the charge.
Some vehicles can accept 350 kW, while others are in the 100s.
Also, know how fast each charging station can disperse a charge. Most Level 2 chargers charge up to 50 kW/h. Level 3 DC fast chargers can range from 100 to 350 kW/h.
9. Plan for unexpected detours with road construction or impromptu stops/diversions. From a construction detour that can add 2 to 20 kms to a "Coolest Covered Bridge Ever 15 km Away!" sign, factor that contingency in when mapping your route.
10. Plan your route carefully and factor in hills and valleys. A steep incline at highway speeds can take a chunk out of your range. You may be able to recuperate that going downhill depending on the level of brake regeneration you've selected but it's not a guarantee that you'll break even.
10. If your EV has multiple levels of brake regeneration, use them to your advantage with changing road conditions. Maximum regeneration works well on downhill situations as the forward momentum carries the car forward regardless and having the max setting on will recover the most amount of charge.
11. Don't speed as higher speeds draw more battery power quicker, similar to an internal combustion engine reaching high RPMs.
Plus, it's unsafe and reduces your reaction time, increasing the chances of a collision.
12. If you have a non-Tesla EV consider investing in a Tesla charging adapter for your EV. This will allow you to charge at the wide network of Tesla charging stations. Check with your dealership to see if your EV is compatible.
13. Have a backup plan for nearby charging stations in case your preferred/mapped out one is in use when you arrive. Most apps will tell you occupied vs empty charging stalls there are but it's impossible to tell you (or anyone) how long the vehicle owner will be there for.
Also, be prepared for "not in service" charging stations when you arrive. As EV's are in their relative infancy, so are public charging stations. Your app may say "six charging stations available" at a specific location but it may be only two that are functional when you arrive.
14. It's absolutely fine to charge to 80% and then keep travelling. The charging speeds between 10 and 80% are much faster than the 80 to 100% charge. The 80 - 100 % charging slowdown is done to protect battery health and prevents the battery from overheating.
15. Pick your charging spots strategically. Ideally, over a meal because if you're spending an hour for lunch/dinner, may as well charge up while you eat.
If it's an in between meals charging stop, try and find somewhere you can explore for 30-90 minutes. Whether it's a park, small town, shopping district, etc. Gas station EV charging stations can get pretty boring rather quickly.
16. Gambling on using the "next" charging station is unwise. In the petrol world, it's easy to think "I've got 100 km remaining before empty; I'll skip the gas station that's two km away and fill up at the next one, 30 km away because I’ll get gas reward points.
With EV's, not all charging stations will have all charging bays operational so always play it safe. If I'm close to 200 km of range, I'll always stop at the next available charger and top up to ideally 80%.
Yes, some roadside assistance services can tow you to the closest charging station but there's no guarantee those charging stations will be available and or operational.
If you want to gamble, buy a scratch ticket.
17. Functionally, EVs and ICE (internal combustion engine) cars are similar and are equipped with the same key features. They'll both get you to your destination but it's how long it'll take.
It's the charging time that'll add to your journey time.
Refilling a petrol vehicle takes a few minutes; charging an EV can take between 30 and 90 minutes.
If you've done a Toronto to Montreal road trip before in an ICE/hybrid/plug-in hybrid vehicle, it's around five hours and for almost all modern vehicles, no gas station stop required.
With an EV, plan on seven hours at least as you'll likely have to charge once along the way.
