This will be my last attempt at a Lightning Road Trip

[Ishkatan]

I have over a dozen charging apps on my phone but ChargeFinder, PlugShare, and A Better Route Planner help the most. Before a trip, I usually check an area and route using ChargeFinder which shows stations from many providers and many levels. I then open likely locations to find charge rate and cost info. Then confirm on the provider's app.

Despite range anxiety, I don't think I ever fell below 60 miles of range left (1x on a 320 mile road trip) before being able to charge to at least 80% by the next leg (or day). Sometimes when chargers are new they are free and within a mile or 3 of where I have stayed. Public parks, municipal facilities (fire stations) and some restaurants will have free L2 charging. Just take your time touring, eating or be ready for a healthy stroll to your residence. (When making reservations, ask about charging options. If enough people ask they may install something.)

A L2 Tesla adapter for Destination chargers can be useful - I've charged for free at a restaurant at 2x of the available J1772 charger.)

I also have the Ford Mobile charger and carry a 50 Ft heavy extension cord I can plug into 110 if staying at an Air B&B. Worked great at adding 20+ miles overnight for local exploration the next day.

Watch out for car dealerships that want to rip you off. I think it was Mansfield PA where I plugged in to a charger that charged $3.50 / Kw. I checked the charger and unplugged when I saw what was going on, but it could have been a very expensive charge. I found a more reasonable fast charger in Corning.

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[Brons2]

When I got my first tesla, it took about 1 hr 47 mins to get 40 miles of additional range. This was my experience over 8 years ago. I know charging has changed and become more reliable. Even 45 minutes is too long for me, so that is why I limit my trips to less than the range on the EVs. That range varies according to the weather conditions. This covers about 99% of my travels by car or truck. I prefer to charge at home or my shop. To each his own.

Come on man. You are talking about L2 charging.

Out of Spec just raced a 2012 Model S across the country. It came in last but it never took them 1 hour and 45 minutes to charge and charged at over 100KWH.

 

[Brons2]

I shared you frustration when first bought the Lightning. We purchased in Muscle Shoals, AL and drove to Southern Oregon, via Chicago, in late December, 2022. I quickly learned (1st day) to follow the Ford Pass info for charge stations. Actuallythe dealer tech had programmed the route and as it turned out to be very good program until got to IA/NE portions of I80. It was -4°, so another frustrating bit was sitting at an EA or ChargePoint station waiting to warm battery so it could be charged! Working stations were quite far between out there, so it did add to frustration. Note that this was long before getting my Tesla adaptor, so was rather limited for charging options. However, and as others have said, preplanning makes a huge difference. With ability to access Tesla stations it should really be a big added plus.

All in all our first “adventure” was both a huge learning experience for long trips and really showed the overall performance of the Lightning for travel in cold, icy and snowy weather. Was always pretty comfortable though out the trip, learned a lot about the truck and charging options, even finding hotel/motels that at that time had level 2 charging. Hang in there a bit, might find it a much better experience in the long run. We live in the “sticks”and have several vehicles (2020 to 2024 models), but truly use the Lightning as our daily driver.

I am from Oregon originally, and have driven back and forth between Oregon and Texas a dozen times at least. Was there a requirement to go through Chicago? Because I would have stuck to I-10 in the wintertime if it were me, and I always have on my winter trips.

Even I-40 can be sketchy through New Mexico and Arizona, you're up above 6000' for a long period of time between Albuquerque and (west of) Flagstaff. Never had a problem on I-10, although I did have a several hour delay going over the Grapevine north of LA once due to snow and ice, many years ago.

Not sure of the state of the charging network in December 2022 but my 70-something parents took their ID.4 to LA in 2023 for the US Open then all the way up I-5 to see friends in the Portland area and used EA exclusively.

 

[BSull]

Planning a two way cross country trip in a couple of months. From PHX area to Port St Lucie FL about 2200 miles. The only sketchy part I see in ABRP and plugshare is between PHX and Las Cruces. There are a couple of sites that have no backup and if they fail I'll be looking for a plug to use.
I'm going to try and document as well as I can, sometimes getting back on the road takes priority over writing notes.

 

[Lolat]

I am from Oregon originally, and have driven back and forth between Oregon and Texas a dozen times at least. Was there a requirement to go through Chicago? Because I would have stuck to I-10 in the wintertime if it were me, and I always have on my winter trips.

Even I-40 can be sketchy through New Mexico and Arizona, you're up above 6000' for a long period of time between Albuquerque and (west of) Flagstaff. Never had a problem on I-10, although I did have a several hour delay going over the Grapevine north of LA once due to snow and ice, many years ago.

Not sure of the state of the charging network in December 2022 but my 70-something parents took their ID.4 to LA in 2023 for the US Open then all the way up I-5 to see friends in the Portland area and used EA exclusively.

You would have missed a great Christmas Party in Chicago!

 

[evowner]

Come on man. You are talking about L2 charging.

Out of Spec just raced a 2012 Model S across the country. It came in last but it never took them 1 hour and 45 minutes to charge and charged at over 100KWH.

I am glad that this is working for many of you. As i said before my lifestyle does not require me to use public charging. I have an adapter and I may try the Tesla supercharger sometime.

In 2015 there was a question about fast charging the batteries and their longevity. Right now my 10 year old Tesla charges to 100% and still gets great kw/hr. So the method I chose, using only L2 charging worked well for me.

 

[evowner]

Its your life and you do what you want. But from what you have described, you have changed your lifestyle to fit your vehicle, not the other way around.

No, I have not changed anything. That has been the way I have been most of my adult life. My trips by auto are short. I know it is boring to many of you, sorry.

 

[Deleted member 12436]

I am in one hotel, and my lightning is languishing at another hotel, hooked up to a slow-ass Blink L1 charger because it was all I could find. I had to take an Uber back to my hotel, and will have to take an uber back to the other one tomorrow morning, and hope that it picked up enough miles to get me to a real charger.
Until Ford decides to get serious and actually build a freaking network I will confine my Lightning driving to local only. The Ford Pass "network" is just a list. It doesn't work. What i have now are two nav systems (Google and Ford). Google is flawed and unreliable when it comes to charging, but at least I can get somewhere with it. Ford can't find many locations, has all the functionality of Garmin 2004, and looks awful. The FordPass app can find chargers and sometimes feed them to Google Maps, but it's as likely to take me to the wrong place or to a charger that is not available or compatible. After two long days of driving 2 hours to charge for an hour (when I can actually find a charger close to the route), collecting charging apps so I can sit in an isolated spot with no rest rooms and no amenities, I have had it. My wife is ready to leave the Lightning at an airport and rent an ICE so we can finish driving to our vacation destination.
Ford, if you're listening, quit making us beta test your tech. Get it together.

Solution: The Ford Tesla Adapter- Don't leave town without it.

 

[CavRider]

Solution: The Ford Tesla Adapter- Don't leave town without it.

Sure, as long as they actually send you one. (Mine finally arrived a few days ago after a nine month wait). Also, my A2Z was one of the last produced to be subject to recall. Still don’t have the replacement of that one.

 

[Rip]

Solution: The Ford Tesla Adapter- Don't leave town without it.

Yep...got one. The problem the other night was not lack of adapters, but lack of superchargers in range.

 

[Brons2]

I am glad that this is working for many of you. As i said before my lifestyle does not require me to use public charging. I have an adapter and I may try the Tesla supercharger sometime.

In 2015 there was a question about fast charging the batteries and their longevity. Right now my 10 year old Tesla charges to 100% and still gets great kw/hr. So the method I chose, using only L2 charging worked well for me.

That's fine if that's what you want to do, but when people are talking about L3 charging, don't come in and mix in your experience with L2 charging and think it's a contribution to the discussion.

We're driving somewhere next month for the weekend that is a 210 mile one way trip. My SR truck (and our SR Mach-E) do not have the range to make it, and there is not L2 charging available at my destination. Additionally, I have to be back at work Monday morning. Not using L3 is not an option for us. Anything you had to say about your lifestyle would not apply in this circumstance, and many others, to most people.

 

[Henry Ford]

It’s no fun being tethered to your home like a dog tied up in the yard. I didn’t buy a $100,000.00 truck to simply drive around a 100 Mile radius.

I rarely drive beyond the range of my truck. If it's beyond one charging stop I'll fly. Still pretty fun.

 

[evowner]

That's fine if that's what you want to do, but when people are talking about L3 charging, don't come in and mix in your experience with L2 charging and think it's a contribution to the discussion.

We're driving somewhere next month for the weekend that is a 210 mile one way trip. My SR truck (and our SR Mach-E) do not have the range to make it, and there is not L2 charging available at my destination. Additionally, I have to be back at work Monday morning. Not using L3 is not an option for us. Anything you had to say about your lifestyle would not apply in this circumstance, and many others, to most people.

That is all great for you. Thanks for mentioning that what I do is fine, however many here have commented that the way I am doing it wrong, or unusual. It is not wrong or unusual for me. Have a good trip.

I would also like to note that I am not opposed to L3 charging. As soon as I get a chance to change some electrical circuits at my shop I am going to install one.

 

[JackieDemarais]

I rarely drive beyond the range of my truck. If it's beyond one charging stop I'll fly. Still pretty fun.

If you like flying.

 

[Brons2]

If you like flying.

That is a relevant post for my family who don't like overly long road trips. I admire those of you who take your Lightnings and other EVs on multiple thousand mile road trips. It's just difficult to talk my wife into it.

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