What is a long trip really like in an EV?

leadcounsel said:
This is true. If it's a leisurely trip, family vacation with ample time built in for travel, stops, etc. and more frequently family pit stops, I accept that one might just do shorter intervals, stop for the wife and kids to use the facilities, and juice up the battery over these 20 minute stops. When I travel to a destination, I'm more purpose driven to get there as efficient as possible. As the person doing the driving, I see a wasted 20 minutes at a stop, as being 30 miles I didn't drive. This, adds up. Stopping for ~20 minutes 10 times, is ~300 miles not traveled, which means another day of driving.

My rudimentary impression of "fast charging" is that it is less desirable and cuts battery life shorter than designed. So I'm under the impression a slow charge is better for the longevity of the battery.
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You're right for the most part, fast charging can be detrimental, but it's not how fast you put power into the pack, it's how hot the pack gets in the process. It can take a lot more power without creating too much heat below 60% battery, but it's why charging speed extends so much after 80%. It has to reduce because it takes so much effort to top the battery off without creating too much heat. In the real world I'd rather charge at 120V all the time and just keep it plugged in every time it's in the garage, but in the case of a road trip that's not possible.

To shorten it, heat damages battery packs, not speed of charge, but the faster the charge the more heat created.
 
Torrid said:
As far as moving from the charger or not, that really depends on where you charge and their rules, which isn't always the same. If you're in a hotel with a level 2 charger, if you get it low it'll take 8 or so hours to charge so it probably won't be a problem of idling on the charger, but you also have to find a hotel with a charger and some parts of the country are more friendly to that and more likely to have them than others.
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Better yet stay at a hotel near a Supercharger and get charged up (in my case) to 90% in less than an hour. Could have gone for 100% too but that's hard on the battery. The Supercharger in one case was a 2 minute walk from our hotel, actually in the high priced hotel's parking lot next door. In another case it was just across the street.

A level 2 charger is a poor second choice. Better than nothing I suppose. But as I said earlier, you have to do a bit of research.
 
ecotourist said:
Better yet stay at a hotel near a Supercharger and get charged up (in my case) to 90% in less than an hour. Could have gone for 100% too but that's hard on the battery. The Supercharger in one case was a 2 minute walk from our hotel, actually in the high priced hotel's parking lot next door. In another case it was just across the street.

A level 2 charger is a poor second choice. Better than nothing I suppose. But as I said earlier, you have to do a bit of research.
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It's true but I don't mind it if that's the option and I can sleep while it is charging. it all depends on the scenario though. For me on superchargers I have seen 10% to 80% in around 20 minutes. I have the LFP battery and it's supposed to charge slower and I haven't had that be an issue at Superchargers yet. I'll take the level 2 and get my rest when I can in this scenario as I get a government mandated 10 hours off once I'm done working so this works for me, but this is always an option. I don't have a problem finding Superchargers in reasonable distances when I go anywhere.
 
We do often road trips and Teslas are always the slowest. That is bcs. preserving battery and trying to get that range.
I am not sure how it would work in the West always 85-95mph with up and down configuration.
TX to MN means A LOT of wind! That is a major issue on that route.
 
i saw a Tesla going 35 on the highway in the middle of nowhere (Navajo indian reservation) i hope they made it another hour to Flagstaff, which is higher elevation than the rez. i wouldn't want to take a Tesla across hundreds of miles of bare desert. traveling between cities would be fine.
 
Torrid said:
It's true but I don't mind it if that's the option and I can sleep while it is charging. it all depends on the scenario though. For me on superchargers I have seen 10% to 80% in around 20 minutes. I have the LFP battery and it's supposed to charge slower and I haven't had that be an issue at Superchargers yet. I'll take the level 2 and get my rest when I can in this scenario as I get a government mandated 10 hours off once I'm done working so this works for me, but this is always an option. I don't have a problem finding Superchargers in reasonable distances when I go anywhere.
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I would agree except for one thing. Hotels with a level 2 charger probably only have one charging station (or very few at least). So it's great if someone is able to plug in all night, but not so great if someone else needs to charge.

Having a Supercharger nearby where everyone can charge in less than an hour is ideal. I've found that when you drive an EV on a long trip you have to do some pre-planning.

My '21 Model 3 SR+ has a 4680 battery which has certain advantages (lighter, slightly longer range, and apparently higher instantaneous power output) but also certain disadvantages (may deteriorate faster, shouldn't be charged to 100% regularly). I don't think mine would charge from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes, at least not with any of the Superchargers I've used.
 
ecotourist said:
I would agree except for one thing. Hotels with a level 2 charger probably only have one charging station (or very few at least). So it's great if someone is able to plug in all night, but not so great if someone else needs to charge.

Having a Supercharger nearby where everyone can charge in less than an hour is ideal. I've found that when you drive an EV on a long trip you have to do some pre-planning.

My '21 Model 3 SR+ has a 4680 battery which has certain advantages (lighter, slightly longer range, and apparently higher instantaneous power output) but also certain disadvantages (may deteriorate faster, shouldn't be charged to 100% regularly). I don't think mine would charge from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes, at least not with any of the Superchargers I've used.
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That's the thing. They're not all the same. I've seen 15 minutes to get from around 15% to get to 80% with an LFP but I would think that would be slower than the cobalt batteries. All the hotels I've dealt with have had at a minium 2 and as much as 4 but obviously that can be different based on location and I haven't had a problem plugging in. It's far from perfect yet, but my wife has much less driving requirement than me so far so that's why I've stuck with my ICE car so far. I'm a gear head so it's not a disappointing thing so far, though I'd argue she may have the cooler car.
 
Joel_MD said:
I live in a medium-sized city in North Texas. Electric vehicles are very uncommon here. The nearest Tesla dealer is 130 miles away. I don't know anyone who owns an EV.

For those of you who actually drive an EV, what is it like to take a long trip? I occasionally drive to Minnesota to see family. It's a little over 900 miles. Usually it's during the summer and I use the air conditioning. If I leave before 5am, I can get there by 8pm after making three or four stops to stretch my legs and/or refuel. It's definitely a long day of driving for me, but I save money and time by not having to stay at a hotel.

What would this trip be like in a typical EV? I know some of them are getting over a 400-mile range. Would I have to find a hotel with a charging station at the halfway point so it can recharge for hours? Would I have to stop and charge it three or more times? What if I made the trip during the winter and it was unusually cold?
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Furthest I've gone is diagonally across my state (Missouri) and back. It was "fine". Didn't take any longer than it would in a gas car (stopped 25 minutes to charge and eat, then charged at my destination, then returned). If it were unusually cold, charging would have taken longer.
 
zzyzzx said:
EV's aren't intended to be used for long trip. They are commuter vehicles.
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Thats one opinion.

I can equal my non towing ICE travel times with relative ease in some of them and have been able to do so for quite some time.
There is more than sufficient vehicle capability and architecture on my routes to accommodate this with ease.
 
The thought of a 20+ min family bathroom break every 3 hours is just mind numbing. This would only be slightly miserable if the charging stations are near food and restrooms...imagine adding another stop for a meal.

When you sit waiting for the battery to charge, do you get 20 min of.."When can we get something to eat?"

Worse when it's cold.

No way man.
 
i6pwr said:
The thought of a 20+ min family bathroom break every 3 hours is just mind numbing. This would only be slightly miserable if the charging stations are near food and restrooms...imagine adding another stop for a meal.

When you sit waiting for the battery to charge, do you get 20 min of.."When can we get something to eat?"

Worse when it's cold.

No way man.
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You make it sound so depressing. Stop overthinking it. Or just don't buy one since you obviously hate the idea in general. No one is making you buy one. I'm sitting here just thinking of what color Model 3 Performance I'm going to order to park next to my white standard range Model 3. They're fun cars, but they aren't for everyone and that's fine.
 
i6pwr said:
The thought of a 20+ min family bathroom break every 3 hours is just mind numbing. This would only be slightly miserable if the charging stations are near food and restrooms...imagine adding another stop for a meal.

When you sit waiting for the battery to charge, do you get 20 min of.."When can we get something to eat?"

Worse when it's cold.

No way man.
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The more capable EV's have longer legs.

I took a group on a 7 hour trip with one 25 min stop and the group called it " traveling with Hitler".

The tesla chargers are located around services and very close the freeway - just like a gas station off a cloverleaf
The other networks - not so much.
 
edyvw said:
We do often road trips and Teslas are always the slowest. That is bcs. preserving battery and trying to get that range.
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I've noticed a drop in range if I go much above 100 km/hr (62 mph) or 110 km/hr (69 mph). So yes I did drive a bit slower than usual on our long trip. It's about preserving range, not preserving the battery which is doing just fine at highway speed.

Everyone's fuel consumption increases rapidly at higher speeds too, you just don't know about it.
 
UncleDave said:
Thats one opinion.

I can equal my non towing ICE travel times with relative ease in some of them and have been able to do so for quite some time.
There is more than sufficient vehicle capability and architecture on my routes to accommodate this with ease.
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I will race you in my ICE at road legal speed limits, say a 600 or 700 mile single day road trip. Person who gets there first….winner take all of $1,000? $10,000?

Scott
 
i6pwr said:
The thought of a 20+ min family bathroom break every 3 hours is just mind numbing. This would only be slightly miserable if the charging stations are near food and restrooms...imagine adding another stop for a meal.

When you sit waiting for the battery to charge, do you get 20 min of.."When can we get something to eat?"

Worse when it's cold.

No way man.
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Stopping every 2 or 3 hours for a supposed quick charge would be like having to change a flat tire every 2 or 3 hours.

And these 20 minutes charges people talk about - that assumes you don’t have people in line in front of you. I posted a picture a year or so ago of a Tesla charging station across from where get donuts. It was a cold, rainy, blustery morning. There were a dozen or so chargers. Every one was occupied. There was a line of 10 or 15 Teslas in the street waiting their turn.

Scott
 
slo town said:
I will race you in my ICE at road legal speed limits, say a 600 or 700 mile single day road trip. Person who gets there first….winner take all of $1,000? $10,000?

Scott
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Ice will win that. Shorten it to 500 miles and the arrival time is 20 min apart in a model S long range.

Not so big a difference.

I dont travel like that though I stop at least once, if not twice on a full day trip.

EV gives you back your time lost on a road trip a little every week by being able to fill the tank at home - eliminating 52 trips to the local gas station every year.
 
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slo town said:
Stopping every 2 or 3 hours for a supposed quick charge would be like having to change a flat tire every 2 or 3 hours.

And these 20 minutes charges people talk about - that assumes you don’t have people in line in front of you. I posted a picture a year or so ago of a Tesla charging station across from where get donuts. It was a cold, rainy, blustery morning. There were a dozen or so chargers. Every one was occupied. There was a line of 10 or 15 Teslas in the street waiting their turn.

Scott
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It can happen, just like people that wait in line for gas at costco every holiday.

Thats not the norm though.
 
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