As I wrote in my first post, I took a road trip that started in Carlsbad, CA and 5 weeks later I ended up home. I had the time and I wanted to see how well my 2019 Chevy Bolt would do. After driving 6,598.6 miles, I ended up visiting 12 National Parks (I couldn’t quite make it to 15, but was close), 1 national monument, 10 western states (missed NM altogether), friends and family along the way, all in just under 5 weeks. And I learned a lot about driving an EV through the western states.
This is a map of where I charged. Each bolt color representing its unique source (ie, Orange for ChargePoint and Green for Electrify America).
This table represents my charging stats. I got more thorough along my journey. Not all locations I have charged are included . . . I may have added 100KWH over the trip in free level 1 or free level 2 stations to grab me an extra 10 to 50 miles, but the major activity is recorded here.
As I stated in the first post, I learned a lot along the way:
- drive slower than the speed limit (to maximize your distance) – yes, you may piss off a lot of people, but learn to use those pull outs to be courteous!
- PLAN your next destinations a day or two in advance.
- Check Plugshare and add new locations when you find them.
- Be Flexible in your destinations . . . ie, I was planning to go east from Yellowstone, but I didn’t feel comfortable enough to travel through SD to get to Minneapolis, so I punted SD and headed to northern UT instead.
- Download Google Maps where you may run out of cell signal (Ie, I had to download WY maps because I have T-Mobile and mostly Verizon is the only service that provides good service)
- Be prepared for some crappy charging locations (Outside a Walmart in WILLOWS CA) and be WOWED when you get to a location that has great amenities and free Level 3 Charging (like Jackson Wy)
- Learn to hunt and peck for a plug, where ever you can!
- I purchased a few charging adapters, like the Tesla Tap, and I am glad I did because they came in handy.
- I met a dozen or so people along the way who were interested in EVs and I was happy to answer their questions! Maybe I sold a few cars . . . maybe I’ll get a sales commission!
- Take time to thank the providers of these chargers. My top thank yous go to Jackson WY, Dinosaur CO (Moffat County) & Walmart. Plugshare, Chargepoint and Electrify America were critical services in making this trip a success!
I’ll write a few more posts but wanted to make sure I updated everyone on my SUCCESSFUL 6.5K mile journey in my Chevy Bolt EV.
As I got further along in my journey, I wanted to make sure all EV drivers that think their EVs are only good as commuter cars, they are great for long road trips as well. They are smooth, fast (when they need to be), reliable and my Bolt carried most everything I wanted to take.
Feel free to ask any questions. I am happy to share!