When planning a road trip, it’s always good to live by the five P’s; proper preparation prevents poor performance. There are many unknowns when you’re on the road, but if you plan correctly, you can minimize the risk. Here are the top 3 things to prepare for a road trip in an electric vehicle.
Stay charged
Before you do anything, you will want to ensure your destination has a route that suits your needs in an electric vehicle. We all have shortcuts or secret ways to beat traffic or pass our favorite hidden burger joint, but with an electric vehicle, you now have to consider how many charging stations you will be passing. You don’t want to be stuck towing your car to the nearest rest stop because you took an unplanned detour. With the world still building the infrastructure to handle the boom in people buying EVs, you want to ensure a route to your destination has charging stations and is worth the drive. Most EVs offer an app to search charging stations and how long an estimated full charge takes.
What are you bringing?
Like gas vehicles, the weight plays a role in what your actual gas mileage can do. The more you bring or tow, the more energy your car will have to use to maintain a reasonable speed, so before getting all your pets and overpacking for an extended trip, you will want to do some testing of how your charge range differentiates from driving alone to having a complete car or towing. You can even take your vehicle to your dealer and have them break it down for you or even a local hitch installer to ask as many questions as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or research other people’s experiences when taking their EVs on a long road trip.
Give yourself some time.
Now that you know your route and who and what you’re bringing, ensure you have enough time to enjoy the trip. When planning road trips, you want to see all the sights the journey has to offer, and if you don’t give yourself enough time, that will be hard to do. This means calling ahead if certain places run on a schedule. Prioritize making the most of your recharge stops with bathroom breaks and refilling on snacks to limit stops in between. When mapping out your charging station stops, maybe make sure there are food spots nearby so you can grab a quick bite while you wait.
