General EV Conversation
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,655
Likes: 3,748
From: California
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,483
Likes: 3,995
From: Maryland
It’s one of those things that people who haven’t done it themselves just have a hard time wrapping their heads around. Even me, understanding as I do it’s not a big deal it is still a mental leap.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,655
Likes: 3,748
From: California
That it is. I had to get over it the first time myself. I admit, my first 390 mile trip I had anxiety. I kept trying to find excuses to back out, but once I did it, I never looked back
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 25,962
Likes: 4,291
From: Alberta
Nonsense, there is so much info out there about charging and trips no way a person doesn't understand what it's about at this point. That post about charging would be like me posting 1000 times how much it sucks to change oil. Same thing.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,655
Likes: 3,748
From: California
I agree with you, but the problem is, the misinformation they are getting fits into the narrative people have been hearing for years. Some honestly believe this, some want to believe, and then there are those who fan the flames because they just hate EV'S. Like I stated in my first post, I had anxiety the first trip I ever took because it was my first time driving a battery powered vehicle 300 plus miles
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,992
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
The problem is you have to actually plan a trip in an EV where ICE you just go, no planning involved. I have traveled a couple times with my EV and one time it really sucked and I’d rather not do that again. With an ICE it would have been way less frustrating. What works on the west coast doesn’t always translate to the rest of the country so it’s not fair to just say how simple it should be for everyone.
Lead Lap
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,954
Likes: 1,578
From: San Diego, CA
Could have done the trip with as few as one stop. Instead I stopped once to send some quick email and topped up while working, once to grab a couple of sodas etc and topped up for a few mins, and we have the small matter of the Grapevine before you get to LA and it is usually a good idea to top up a little before climbing 4500 ft or so just in case. So I did.
Last edited by swajames; Feb 17, 2025 at 07:23 PM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,655
Likes: 3,748
From: California
The problem is you have to actually plan a trip in an EV where ICE you just go, no planning involved. I have traveled a couple times with my EV and one time it really sucked and I’d rather not do that again. With an ICE it would have been way less frustrating. What works on the west coast doesn’t always translate to the rest of the country so it’s not fair to just say how simple it should be for everyone.
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Lead Lap
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 3,954
Likes: 1,578
From: San Diego, CA
You don't really even need to plan that much. You can mostly let the apps sort it all out for you. The only part of my trip which was planned was to make sure I'd taken a few kWh on board before Grapevine. Those who've driven up and down it will understand.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,992
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
We just need to significantly build out the network here, that’s all. Still wouldn’t stop me from buying another EV which I hope to do next week if the sale of mine goes through. PPI done tomorrow and hopefully loaded on a truck Friday!
Lead Lap
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 3,958
Likes: 409
Yeah I guess I’m in that boat where I’ve never done a road trip in a EV.
I went with my sister to pick out a new car which was 3.5hrs away. On the way there to my surprise we stopped 2x and I was going crazy after the 2nd stop. For some odd reason she didn’t fill up before we left and I met her at a gas station!! 🤯 After the 2nd stop I said let me drive as I felt the need to make up time.
So before deciding to purchase NX 350 F sport, we went to the Audi dealer to look at the Q5s and she also inquired about the e-tron. We wouldn’t have made it back home had she purchased the E-tron because at one point I was behind her going 95mph and she was well ahead of me. This was like around 11pm or so. This was prior to Tesla opening up their chargers to other brands.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,992
Likes: 519
From: Maryland
You live in CA, east coast sucks. I had to drive to a charging station 17 miles away at 11 at night and it was full so had to wait. When I finally charged it took 45 minutes. It was also in the back of a shopping center.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,655
Likes: 3,748
From: California
Yep, don't want to hit the Grapevine with low charge. 99 percent of the time my last charging stop is before the Grapevine. A few times it's after, as there are Tesla chargers in Valencia
Lead Lap
Joined: Sep 2020
Posts: 3,958
Likes: 409