I know there's plenty of debate over coasting vs. regen when it comes to extending miles. In GA, we've got lots of long hilly roads so I'm quick to throw Evie into neutral. D mode can be a drag when I want to zip down a hill and B mode is like I'm towing an anchor. Of course, the regen ia nice if you have the right conditions.
Google Maps has a great feature that lets you see altitude changes during your trips. Just do your normal point to point search and click the bicycle icon. This will, of course give you time, distance, etc. but you also get a diagram showing uphills/downhills of your trip. So in planning my trip to Savannah, I can see what segments will be best for coasting/regen and maximize my miles. What tips do you have to stretch your mileage?
Friday, July 17, 2015
Friday, July 10, 2015
We've finally got our own QC at Kia!!
It's been months of going to other dealers to quick charge (and sometimes being turned away) while I waited for Kia to start rolling out QCs here in Georgia. Well Tuesday was a great day. It was Evie's first scheduled service check. Hard to believe that she's already got 9000 miles, but she came back with a good report.
The other thing that made it a good day. I just happened to be there when Ed Voyles Kia of Chamblee put their QC online and Evie got the first charge on it. I ended up giving the electrician and the lot manager a quick "how to" on using Greenlots.
After a quick car wash, we fired up the charger and it worked like a charm. It's a CHAdeMO on one side and Combo on one side. When I told the dealer that the combo was mainly for BMWs, he was a little ticked but I told him it's a good thing to promote EV. As I said that, I couldn't help but remember the BMW dealer who kicked me off his lot and told me to go to my own dealer. Well now I can bonehead! *he he he*
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Explained: What's "Stay 80"?
When I'm communicating with other EV owners, I'll sometimes end the message with "Stay 80" instead of the usual sign off. People will usually do a double take and say huh? Then I explain...
One day my teen daughter was particularly annoyed (annoyed teen - shocking right?) because Evie needed a quick charge when she was trying to meet her friends. She was like "Ugh why can't it just stay at 80 all the time?!?"
It kind of stuck with me and I started using it as a good wish closing for other EVers. Instead of Have a good day, I'd say Stay 80. Actually it would be cool if we could always stay around 80% charged. Anyway, I'll be rolling out T-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers soon. (Not!) In the meantime, may your regen always be strong and a QC always just around the corner. Stay 80! rj
One day my teen daughter was particularly annoyed (annoyed teen - shocking right?) because Evie needed a quick charge when she was trying to meet her friends. She was like "Ugh why can't it just stay at 80 all the time?!?"
It kind of stuck with me and I started using it as a good wish closing for other EVers. Instead of Have a good day, I'd say Stay 80. Actually it would be cool if we could always stay around 80% charged. Anyway, I'll be rolling out T-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers soon. (Not!) In the meantime, may your regen always be strong and a QC always just around the corner. Stay 80! rj
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Closing thoughts and would I do it again?
What a great trip! Each stop was like a small mini-adventure. Finding the charger. Would the charger work? Meeting the people. Checking out the place while Evie charged. I wished we had more time for hotels along the way, but it wasn't that bad.
Some things you'll want to consider for your trip:
Tolls: Depending on your route, you will probably encounter tolls. Try to purchase one of those toll ID units that will bill your account as you travel. This way you can just keep rolling. Here's the one I used.
http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/about-i-pass/using-i-pass-on-other-toll-systems
Luggage: I found this rear cargo bag on Amazon. It worked great all the way up to Boston, but it started to tear and eventually fell down while I was on a highway somewhere in NC. Pretty scary but nothing was lost and no one was hurt - thankfully. It allowed me to comfortable keep my dog in the cargo area rather than fill it with luggage. If I used it again, I would reinforce with extra straps and bungee cords. If you're interested, you can check here:
http://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Gear-100B90-Cargo-Saddlebag/dp/B0009NWQWI/ref=sr_1_7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1436032701&sr=1-7
Charging options: You'll want to make sure you have cards/apps for all the major networks. Blink, ChargePoint, Greenlots, SemaConnect, nrg. Also consider upgrading the standard charging cord that came with your vehicle. This will give you options to charge at non-standard outlets like RV and dryer outlets. More information here:
http://www.evseupgrade.com/
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Evie and I will have more adventures ahead. Stay tuned and feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for reading! rj
Some things you'll want to consider for your trip:
Tolls: Depending on your route, you will probably encounter tolls. Try to purchase one of those toll ID units that will bill your account as you travel. This way you can just keep rolling. Here's the one I used.
http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/about-i-pass/using-i-pass-on-other-toll-systems
Luggage: I found this rear cargo bag on Amazon. It worked great all the way up to Boston, but it started to tear and eventually fell down while I was on a highway somewhere in NC. Pretty scary but nothing was lost and no one was hurt - thankfully. It allowed me to comfortable keep my dog in the cargo area rather than fill it with luggage. If I used it again, I would reinforce with extra straps and bungee cords. If you're interested, you can check here:
http://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Gear-100B90-Cargo-Saddlebag/dp/B0009NWQWI/ref=sr_1_7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1436032701&sr=1-7
Charging options: You'll want to make sure you have cards/apps for all the major networks. Blink, ChargePoint, Greenlots, SemaConnect, nrg. Also consider upgrading the standard charging cord that came with your vehicle. This will give you options to charge at non-standard outlets like RV and dryer outlets. More information here:
http://www.evseupgrade.com/
Would I do it again? Absolutely. Evie and I will have more adventures ahead. Stay tuned and feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for reading! rj
Heading Home
Great time with family, but by June 29th it was time to head home. Having learned from the ride up, I was determined to be more efficient in my charging choices. Here's the route.
Left Boston, MA at 10am.
North Attleboro, MA - Nissan Village of N. Attleboro. Depart 11:14am
Old Saybrook, CT - Grossman Nissan. Depart 1:34p
Darien, CT - I-95 Southbound Welcome Center (between exits 9 and 10). Met some Tesla owners who were on their way back to Oregon. I had just given Evie a complete wash inside/out. They couldn't believe we had traveled from Atlanta and asked for a full tour. Needless to say they were impressed. Take that Mr. Musk! Depart 3:57p.
Sidetrip through New York City! Kids really wanted to drive through Times Square. Fortunately, I didn't need a charge in the city. There weren't many QC options.
Piscataway, NJ - Rutgers Field Offices. Depart 8:39p.
Carney's Point, NJ - Flying J truck stop. It's so late and there aren't many food options here. Depart 11:05p.
Monday 6/30
Newark, DE - I-95 Delaware House rest stop. Mainly stopped here to grab some food but they also had a L2 so I grabbed a little charge in the meantime. Depart 12:28a
Baltimore, MD - Best Western Hotel & Conference Center. Depart 1:54a
Woodbridge, VA - Cowles Nissan. Huge car mall. Friendly security guard came out to check on us. Depart 3:58a
Richmond, VA - South Crenshaw parking lot. Kid's asleep so didn't have to use the McDonald's next door, but I did walk over to the 24 hour CVS and buy supplies. Depart 6:14a. Headed to hotel as we planned to visit with some friends the next morning. No place to plug in at, but I wasn't worried as I still had 50-60 miles left. Time for a good rest!!
Tuesday 7/1
Left Richmond, VA at 1:03p.
Colonial Heights, VA - Hilton Garden Inn. Depart 2:13p.
Roanoke Rapids, NC - Nissan of Roanoke Rapids. There's 130-140 mile stretch from Colonial Heights to the next QC. This location is the compromise. It has a L2 close to lots of stores. Need at least 2 hours charging to have enough miles to reach next QC. Dealership is very friendly. Walked the dog and grabbed some treats from a nearby DQ. Chilled out in the waiting room. Depart 5:42p.
Wilson, NC - Lee Nissan. Super nice place. Gave snacks/water to kids. Got the overheat error from their Nissan charger. Turned main switch on/off a couple of times to let it cool down. Used their L2 in between. Eventually got enough to move on to the next QC. Depart 7:30p.
Raleigh, NC - North Hills Mall. This place was like Atlantic Station on steroids. Very impressive. Gave Evie some juice while wife/kids went off for dinner. Great little cupcake shop right near the charging station. Couldn't resist. Yum! Depart 9:19p.
Greensboro, NC - Greensboro parking lot. Really low and instead of going to town parking lot like I did before, I decided to try the local Nissan. Mistake! Their QC was not working properly. The power flow was like a trickle charge. I had to L2 charge for 30 minutes to get enough miles to head back downtown to the parking lot. Fired up my Greenlots app and got the station flowing. Very late and of course kids needed the restroom. Had to take them into a pool hall, but they were cool about it. Live band was excellent. Officer on bike patrol stopped by to check on us. He said his department just started using electric motorcycles, but he wasn't sure how he felt about them.
Salisbury, NC - Ben Mynatt Nissan. Nobody around but trucker unloading auto parts. QC still showing temperature error, but I'm a pro at it by now. Squeeze about 40 miles out of it before temp error kicks back in. Decide to head up the street, PlugShare is showing a QC coming soon. Maybe it's ready, so took a shot. NOPE! QC is there but totally dead. By the time I get back to Nissan dealer, the charger has cooled down and I'm able to finish. Very tired, but I've got to get back for a morning business appointment. Press on!
Gastonia, NC - Caromont Regional Medical. This stop is in lower level of hospital parking deck. Fell asleep in the front seat. Thankfully security guard stopped by to check on us. QC wouldn't give me anymore than 81% but I needed 90% to make my next QC. It's somewhere around 4:30a.
Gastonia, NC - Highland Health Center. L2 ChargePoint. Took about 30 minutes to get me up to 90%
Greensville, SC - Richardson Street Garage. I like this spot because the QC is right across from 4 L2s. It's a good top off location. Ended up taking a nap next to the QC. Facility manager stopped by to see if I was ok and ask me some questions. He was having a meeting that day about expanding the electric charging in the city. Admitted he didn't know much about it. Talked to him about PlugShare and the different charging options. By the time we finished chatting, QC was done and I moved over to get the 90% I needed to get to GA.
Commerce, GA - Tanger Outlet. Unfortunately, I can't make it all the way to Athens without this L2 stop. Next time, I will try to stay off the highway and see if I can milk out the extra miles needed to to Greenville/Athens in one trip.
Athens, GA - GA Power Customer Center. Had to leave Tanger Outlet a little earlier than I wanted to in order to make my meeting. I had 20 miles, but coasted and brake recharged my way to 25 miles. Classic Center was closest but already in use so I had to coast my way back over to GA Power. Edged into the parking lot to find an empty QC. Changed clothes at gas station across the street. Dead tired but ready for my meeting. Whew!
Arrived back home at 12:15pm. Success!!
Left Boston, MA at 10am.
North Attleboro, MA - Nissan Village of N. Attleboro. Depart 11:14am
Old Saybrook, CT - Grossman Nissan. Depart 1:34p
Darien, CT - I-95 Southbound Welcome Center (between exits 9 and 10). Met some Tesla owners who were on their way back to Oregon. I had just given Evie a complete wash inside/out. They couldn't believe we had traveled from Atlanta and asked for a full tour. Needless to say they were impressed. Take that Mr. Musk! Depart 3:57p.
Sidetrip through New York City! Kids really wanted to drive through Times Square. Fortunately, I didn't need a charge in the city. There weren't many QC options.
Piscataway, NJ - Rutgers Field Offices. Depart 8:39p.
Carney's Point, NJ - Flying J truck stop. It's so late and there aren't many food options here. Depart 11:05p.
Monday 6/30
Newark, DE - I-95 Delaware House rest stop. Mainly stopped here to grab some food but they also had a L2 so I grabbed a little charge in the meantime. Depart 12:28a
Baltimore, MD - Best Western Hotel & Conference Center. Depart 1:54a
Woodbridge, VA - Cowles Nissan. Huge car mall. Friendly security guard came out to check on us. Depart 3:58a
Richmond, VA - South Crenshaw parking lot. Kid's asleep so didn't have to use the McDonald's next door, but I did walk over to the 24 hour CVS and buy supplies. Depart 6:14a. Headed to hotel as we planned to visit with some friends the next morning. No place to plug in at, but I wasn't worried as I still had 50-60 miles left. Time for a good rest!!
Tuesday 7/1
Left Richmond, VA at 1:03p.
Colonial Heights, VA - Hilton Garden Inn. Depart 2:13p.
Roanoke Rapids, NC - Nissan of Roanoke Rapids. There's 130-140 mile stretch from Colonial Heights to the next QC. This location is the compromise. It has a L2 close to lots of stores. Need at least 2 hours charging to have enough miles to reach next QC. Dealership is very friendly. Walked the dog and grabbed some treats from a nearby DQ. Chilled out in the waiting room. Depart 5:42p.
Wilson, NC - Lee Nissan. Super nice place. Gave snacks/water to kids. Got the overheat error from their Nissan charger. Turned main switch on/off a couple of times to let it cool down. Used their L2 in between. Eventually got enough to move on to the next QC. Depart 7:30p.
Raleigh, NC - North Hills Mall. This place was like Atlantic Station on steroids. Very impressive. Gave Evie some juice while wife/kids went off for dinner. Great little cupcake shop right near the charging station. Couldn't resist. Yum! Depart 9:19p.
Greensboro, NC - Greensboro parking lot. Really low and instead of going to town parking lot like I did before, I decided to try the local Nissan. Mistake! Their QC was not working properly. The power flow was like a trickle charge. I had to L2 charge for 30 minutes to get enough miles to head back downtown to the parking lot. Fired up my Greenlots app and got the station flowing. Very late and of course kids needed the restroom. Had to take them into a pool hall, but they were cool about it. Live band was excellent. Officer on bike patrol stopped by to check on us. He said his department just started using electric motorcycles, but he wasn't sure how he felt about them.
Salisbury, NC - Ben Mynatt Nissan. Nobody around but trucker unloading auto parts. QC still showing temperature error, but I'm a pro at it by now. Squeeze about 40 miles out of it before temp error kicks back in. Decide to head up the street, PlugShare is showing a QC coming soon. Maybe it's ready, so took a shot. NOPE! QC is there but totally dead. By the time I get back to Nissan dealer, the charger has cooled down and I'm able to finish. Very tired, but I've got to get back for a morning business appointment. Press on!
Gastonia, NC - Caromont Regional Medical. This stop is in lower level of hospital parking deck. Fell asleep in the front seat. Thankfully security guard stopped by to check on us. QC wouldn't give me anymore than 81% but I needed 90% to make my next QC. It's somewhere around 4:30a.
Gastonia, NC - Highland Health Center. L2 ChargePoint. Took about 30 minutes to get me up to 90%
Greensville, SC - Richardson Street Garage. I like this spot because the QC is right across from 4 L2s. It's a good top off location. Ended up taking a nap next to the QC. Facility manager stopped by to see if I was ok and ask me some questions. He was having a meeting that day about expanding the electric charging in the city. Admitted he didn't know much about it. Talked to him about PlugShare and the different charging options. By the time we finished chatting, QC was done and I moved over to get the 90% I needed to get to GA.
Commerce, GA - Tanger Outlet. Unfortunately, I can't make it all the way to Athens without this L2 stop. Next time, I will try to stay off the highway and see if I can milk out the extra miles needed to to Greenville/Athens in one trip.
Athens, GA - GA Power Customer Center. Had to leave Tanger Outlet a little earlier than I wanted to in order to make my meeting. I had 20 miles, but coasted and brake recharged my way to 25 miles. Classic Center was closest but already in use so I had to coast my way back over to GA Power. Edged into the parking lot to find an empty QC. Changed clothes at gas station across the street. Dead tired but ready for my meeting. Whew!
Arrived back home at 12:15pm. Success!!
Friday, July 3, 2015
Arrived in Boston!!
Thursday 6/25
Continuing on...
We woke up and rolled out of Emperia, VA at around 5AM. With very little sleep, I stopped taking notes so I will run you through what I remember. I could tell from PlugShare that if I could make it to Petersburg, VA, there would be a good trail of QCs to Boston.
When we left Emperia, Evie was showing 40 miles. Problem was Google Maps told me I needed 44 miles to reach my destination. There weren't any fall back chargers on that stretch of 95 so I was a little unsure. Remember the Emperia charger was dreadfully slow and I didn't want to wait any longer to bring on another 5 miles. PlugShare showed an RV park not too far away and fortunately I bought some adapters for my charging cord (http://www.evseupgrade.com - worth a look) to work at RV parks. Unfortunately, it was way too early and nobody was around at the RV park.
Colonial Heights, VA - Hilton Garden Inn. So we made the decision to go for it. I arrived in the Petersburg vicinity with just barely a couple of miles at the Hilton Garden Inn. There it was in all of it's glory... an Eaton QC!
But wait...oh no...the parking spot was ICE'd by 2 cars. For those who don't know... when a gas powered car parks in the spot you desperately need to charge your car, we call it ICE'd. (Internal Combustible Engine) ICEing is the worst and it most always happens when you need that spot the most. I talked to the front desk but there was nothing she could do. My wife left strongly worded notes on both cars and we got out of there.
The next QC was too far away so I had to find a nearby L2. We found one at a nearby Ford dealer. It took another 40 minutes to get up enough miles to make it to the next QC.
Chester, VA - Priority Nissan Richmond. It was a huge sprawling Nissan dealership with like 6 or 8 L2s, but only one QC. To my dismay, that QC was ICE'd - not again. The dealer had parked a test drive vehicle in the space. Service was there but didn't have the key and Sales wouldn't be there for another 2 hours! Thankfully, there was a guy in Parts who had mercy on me. He called somebody who could get into the lock box and we were in business.
So we're rolling now it's all QCs (mostly) from here on. The next stop was
Richmond, VA - South Crenshaw Parking Deck. Love this spot because it was right next to a McDonald's. I was able to feed the kids and get right back on the road. On to...
Stafford, VA - Rosner (now Leckner) Nissan of Stafford. Wasn't able to get a fully 80% here because it gave me a charger temperature error. I saw this before with one of the Nissan QCs back in Gastonia. The service guy in Gastonia just threw the main switch off and back on to fix it. I tried that here but with no success. I was able to get enough to make my next stop. Plus the dealer had Nissan Leaf Only signs all over the place (sorry this is bad policy). No one said anything but it didn't make us feel welcomed so we got out of there. On to...
Alexandria, VA - nrg Potomac River Generating Station. This was a neat stop since many of us are used to charging at the nrg stations going up around Atlanta. The charging unit was right outside of the security gate and the guard was very friendly. Evie enjoyed the recharge here too because it gave her 85% instead of the usual 80%! On to...
Carney's Point, NJ - Flying J truck stop. HUGE Blink Charging station with a big video screen. We got lots of looks when we plugged into that one. Oh this was the start of the NJ Turnpike which reminds me... make sure you get one of those toll readers. PeachPass won't work up here so you'll have to find something else. I got mine from Illinois because it didn't charge a monthly fee. I'll talk more about this in another post, but very helpful to have the toll reader. On to...
Edison, NJ - Got a little sticky here. Went to two QCs (Greenlots) and they were both down. Got down to my last few miles, but was able to make it to Rutgers University. They had a maintenance yard tucked away with a QC and parking lot of Leafs. I was just about out of options so thank you Rutgers! On to...
Darien, CT - Rest stop on I-95 southbound side. This stop was a dream. A rest stop with 2 QCs, 5 Tesla SuperChargers. It was late so the food court options were a bit slim, but kids enjoyed the McD's. The look on a Tesla S owner's face when I pulled up next to him and Evie's charging door popped opened? - Priceless.
Old Saybrook, CT - Grossman Nissan. It's around 4:00am and near darkness on the service side of the lot. The only light I see is the welcoming glow of the Eaton QC next to the customer entrance. Thank you!
Pawtucket, RI - Just about out of power and we're heading to the Comfort Inn. It's very rare, but Google Maps led me to the wrong street at first. Not happy at losing more precious miles, but after the reroute, we pulled in at around 5:30am. Fortunately, there was a power plug accessible in the rear of the building. I plugged in, thankful for the trickle charge that would help me make the next jump in the morning. Finally a bed!
Friday 6/26
Checked out around 12:30pm with plenty of charge to make it to our final charging stop before Boston...
North Attleboro, MA - Nissan Village of N. Attleboro. Not our first QC choice, but when we got to Emerald Square Mall the QC was blocked off by fencing. Some contractors were there painting the EV parking spaces. I asked if there was any chance I could get in for a quick charge. They were real jerks about it and needless to say we weren't able to charge there. My wife ended up reporting them to the mall manager and nrg. To their credit, nrg has contacted us several times to follow up on the event and make sure we were satisfied. Cool. Fortunately, we were able to go right down the street to Nissan Village. No hassles. We picked up 80 miles, grabbed lunch at a local park and made our way to Boston.
BOSTON!! - Around 3:00pm, we arrived at our hotel in Boston. Yayyy!! 1,252 miles and 48 hours of charging/driving. Around 18 charging stops, with a full cargo load and Evie had completed the trip. Did I say tell you that I love this car? rj
Continuing on...
We woke up and rolled out of Emperia, VA at around 5AM. With very little sleep, I stopped taking notes so I will run you through what I remember. I could tell from PlugShare that if I could make it to Petersburg, VA, there would be a good trail of QCs to Boston.
When we left Emperia, Evie was showing 40 miles. Problem was Google Maps told me I needed 44 miles to reach my destination. There weren't any fall back chargers on that stretch of 95 so I was a little unsure. Remember the Emperia charger was dreadfully slow and I didn't want to wait any longer to bring on another 5 miles. PlugShare showed an RV park not too far away and fortunately I bought some adapters for my charging cord (http://www.evseupgrade.com - worth a look) to work at RV parks. Unfortunately, it was way too early and nobody was around at the RV park.
Colonial Heights, VA - Hilton Garden Inn. So we made the decision to go for it. I arrived in the Petersburg vicinity with just barely a couple of miles at the Hilton Garden Inn. There it was in all of it's glory... an Eaton QC!
But wait...oh no...the parking spot was ICE'd by 2 cars. For those who don't know... when a gas powered car parks in the spot you desperately need to charge your car, we call it ICE'd. (Internal Combustible Engine) ICEing is the worst and it most always happens when you need that spot the most. I talked to the front desk but there was nothing she could do. My wife left strongly worded notes on both cars and we got out of there.
The next QC was too far away so I had to find a nearby L2. We found one at a nearby Ford dealer. It took another 40 minutes to get up enough miles to make it to the next QC.
Chester, VA - Priority Nissan Richmond. It was a huge sprawling Nissan dealership with like 6 or 8 L2s, but only one QC. To my dismay, that QC was ICE'd - not again. The dealer had parked a test drive vehicle in the space. Service was there but didn't have the key and Sales wouldn't be there for another 2 hours! Thankfully, there was a guy in Parts who had mercy on me. He called somebody who could get into the lock box and we were in business.
So we're rolling now it's all QCs (mostly) from here on. The next stop was
Richmond, VA - South Crenshaw Parking Deck. Love this spot because it was right next to a McDonald's. I was able to feed the kids and get right back on the road. On to...
Stafford, VA - Rosner (now Leckner) Nissan of Stafford. Wasn't able to get a fully 80% here because it gave me a charger temperature error. I saw this before with one of the Nissan QCs back in Gastonia. The service guy in Gastonia just threw the main switch off and back on to fix it. I tried that here but with no success. I was able to get enough to make my next stop. Plus the dealer had Nissan Leaf Only signs all over the place (sorry this is bad policy). No one said anything but it didn't make us feel welcomed so we got out of there. On to...
Alexandria, VA - nrg Potomac River Generating Station. This was a neat stop since many of us are used to charging at the nrg stations going up around Atlanta. The charging unit was right outside of the security gate and the guard was very friendly. Evie enjoyed the recharge here too because it gave her 85% instead of the usual 80%! On to...
Baltimore, MD - Best Western Hotel & Conference Center. Great location because the business had cones in the EV spot to prevent ICEing. I wish more places would do this. This was one of those Greenlots chargers. ChargeUp card didn't work, but fortunately I had downloaded their app and it worked like a charm. There's a lady in the hotel lobby that sells gourmet chocolate covered strawberries. Delicious!! I bought 6 but only got to eat two. My dog broke into the box and finished the rest. On to...
Carney's Point, NJ - Flying J truck stop. HUGE Blink Charging station with a big video screen. We got lots of looks when we plugged into that one. Oh this was the start of the NJ Turnpike which reminds me... make sure you get one of those toll readers. PeachPass won't work up here so you'll have to find something else. I got mine from Illinois because it didn't charge a monthly fee. I'll talk more about this in another post, but very helpful to have the toll reader. On to...
Edison, NJ - Got a little sticky here. Went to two QCs (Greenlots) and they were both down. Got down to my last few miles, but was able to make it to Rutgers University. They had a maintenance yard tucked away with a QC and parking lot of Leafs. I was just about out of options so thank you Rutgers! On to...
Darien, CT - Rest stop on I-95 southbound side. This stop was a dream. A rest stop with 2 QCs, 5 Tesla SuperChargers. It was late so the food court options were a bit slim, but kids enjoyed the McD's. The look on a Tesla S owner's face when I pulled up next to him and Evie's charging door popped opened? - Priceless.
Old Saybrook, CT - Grossman Nissan. It's around 4:00am and near darkness on the service side of the lot. The only light I see is the welcoming glow of the Eaton QC next to the customer entrance. Thank you!
Pawtucket, RI - Just about out of power and we're heading to the Comfort Inn. It's very rare, but Google Maps led me to the wrong street at first. Not happy at losing more precious miles, but after the reroute, we pulled in at around 5:30am. Fortunately, there was a power plug accessible in the rear of the building. I plugged in, thankful for the trickle charge that would help me make the next jump in the morning. Finally a bed!
Friday 6/26
Checked out around 12:30pm with plenty of charge to make it to our final charging stop before Boston...
North Attleboro, MA - Nissan Village of N. Attleboro. Not our first QC choice, but when we got to Emerald Square Mall the QC was blocked off by fencing. Some contractors were there painting the EV parking spaces. I asked if there was any chance I could get in for a quick charge. They were real jerks about it and needless to say we weren't able to charge there. My wife ended up reporting them to the mall manager and nrg. To their credit, nrg has contacted us several times to follow up on the event and make sure we were satisfied. Cool. Fortunately, we were able to go right down the street to Nissan Village. No hassles. We picked up 80 miles, grabbed lunch at a local park and made our way to Boston.
BOSTON!! - Around 3:00pm, we arrived at our hotel in Boston. Yayyy!! 1,252 miles and 48 hours of charging/driving. Around 18 charging stops, with a full cargo load and Evie had completed the trip. Did I say tell you that I love this car? rj
Atlanta to Boston: First 24 hours
I had some family business in Boston and I was determined to make the trip in my new 2015 Kia Soul EV. I've had my Soul EV since April and I love this car - I call her Evie. If I use my ECO gauges and manage my speed I can get a range of mid to high 90 miles. Thank goodness for PlugShare app that helps EV drivers locate charging options. I looked for the best route with the right number of CHAdeMO (QC) chargers at a distance of around 80 miles apart. I also look for nearby QCs to fall back on if there are problems (and there will be) with the initial QC. Generally, I'm looking for QC to get me to a little over 80% charge. I like to have Level 2s nearby to either take me to 100% or in case all of my QC options fail. As a final resort, I look for business/hotel locations where I can find an outside plug. One thing for sure, I don't want to be at 1% battery power with zero options to keep moving.
Athens, GA - GA Power center. First charge at QC at 6:09am. There's a convenience store right around the corner. Also two Level 2s. After bathroom break, we moved on to...
Commerce, GA (73,8 miles) - Tanger Outlet. Arrived at 7:24am. Suprised to see so many people here at this time. The stores aren't open, but people come here to walk/run in the morning. Only Level 2s here, but I needed to be at 100% to reach the next stop. Finished here and ate breakfast at McDonald's right before jumping on 85N.
Greenville, SC (151.9 miles) - Richardson Street Garage. Arrived at 11am. You have to pay for parking to reach chargers. Tesla owner was already on QC so I jumped on the L2 and waited. Once we got QC going, took a walk downtown and grabbed some snacks from Subway. Parking cost me $2.50.
Gastonia, NC (236.9 miles) - Caramont Medical Center. Go to the bottom level P2 with blue poles. The QC is near the elevators. Left here at 3:30pm.
Salisbury, NC (295.8 miles) - Ben Mynatt Nissan. Very friendly. QC had some overheating issue but someone came out and helped me reset the unit. Level 2s were right there conveniently. Left here at 5:43pm.
Greensboro, NC (355 miles) - Downtown parking lot right behind Hamms? Spot was ICE'd but we waited until someone moved from a close parking spot. Thankfully the hose was long enough. Didn't have to pay parking since it was after 6pm, but I had to fire up my Greenlots app to charge. $7 cost to charge. Finally able to chow down some fast food while we charged. Starving. Left here at 7:45pm.
Durham, NC - Duke U. - Smith Warehouse Bldg - This was a chance because you need a Duke ID to get in. This was the closest free option. We got lucky because the gate was open. Drove in and found an Eaton QC that did the trick.
So my goal initially was to reach Richmond, VA, find a hotel and start out the next morning. By the time I was done in Durham in was 9 or 10pm. The challenge is that there are really no QC options between Raleigh/Durham and Richmond.
So here was the game plan. PlugShare showed a Level 2 in Roanoke Rapids, NC. I figured I would L2 at Roanoke Rapids just enough to get to Emporia, VA. There I could L2 enough to make it to Petersburg, VA. Once I made it to Petersburg, there was a good trail of QCs to make it to Boston.
Well that plan didn't work out so well. The L2 at Roanoke Rapids was strong. In hindsight, I should have just stayed there and built enough miles to go directly to Petersburg. The L2 at Emporia (Boyd Chevrolet Buick GMC) was VERY slow. So we had to car camp there until 5AM just to build up enough juice to make it to Petersburg
Athens, GA - GA Power center. First charge at QC at 6:09am. There's a convenience store right around the corner. Also two Level 2s. After bathroom break, we moved on to...
Commerce, GA (73,8 miles) - Tanger Outlet. Arrived at 7:24am. Suprised to see so many people here at this time. The stores aren't open, but people come here to walk/run in the morning. Only Level 2s here, but I needed to be at 100% to reach the next stop. Finished here and ate breakfast at McDonald's right before jumping on 85N.
Greenville, SC (151.9 miles) - Richardson Street Garage. Arrived at 11am. You have to pay for parking to reach chargers. Tesla owner was already on QC so I jumped on the L2 and waited. Once we got QC going, took a walk downtown and grabbed some snacks from Subway. Parking cost me $2.50.
Gastonia, NC (236.9 miles) - Caramont Medical Center. Go to the bottom level P2 with blue poles. The QC is near the elevators. Left here at 3:30pm.
Salisbury, NC (295.8 miles) - Ben Mynatt Nissan. Very friendly. QC had some overheating issue but someone came out and helped me reset the unit. Level 2s were right there conveniently. Left here at 5:43pm.
Greensboro, NC (355 miles) - Downtown parking lot right behind Hamms? Spot was ICE'd but we waited until someone moved from a close parking spot. Thankfully the hose was long enough. Didn't have to pay parking since it was after 6pm, but I had to fire up my Greenlots app to charge. $7 cost to charge. Finally able to chow down some fast food while we charged. Starving. Left here at 7:45pm.
Durham, NC - Duke U. - Smith Warehouse Bldg - This was a chance because you need a Duke ID to get in. This was the closest free option. We got lucky because the gate was open. Drove in and found an Eaton QC that did the trick.
So my goal initially was to reach Richmond, VA, find a hotel and start out the next morning. By the time I was done in Durham in was 9 or 10pm. The challenge is that there are really no QC options between Raleigh/Durham and Richmond.
So here was the game plan. PlugShare showed a Level 2 in Roanoke Rapids, NC. I figured I would L2 at Roanoke Rapids just enough to get to Emporia, VA. There I could L2 enough to make it to Petersburg, VA. Once I made it to Petersburg, there was a good trail of QCs to make it to Boston.
Well that plan didn't work out so well. The L2 at Roanoke Rapids was strong. In hindsight, I should have just stayed there and built enough miles to go directly to Petersburg. The L2 at Emporia (Boyd Chevrolet Buick GMC) was VERY slow. So we had to car camp there until 5AM just to build up enough juice to make it to Petersburg
Observations from the road
So halfway through the trip, I realized some things...
The Kia ChargeUp Card: Here at home, I've been able to use it, but on the road it would not work. I had to rely on the individual apps and network cards. Don't try to just rely on the ChargeUp.
PlugShare app: Get to know how to use filters so you can just look at QCs and/or just look at L2s. I almost missed a great QC location because it was hidden behind a bunch of L2s. When you're on the road, always expect that the QC you're driving to will not work and have a back up plan. Try to target areas that have multiple QCs and/or L2s within reach. Also scan previous check-ins for a QC that may be questionable or frequently ICE'd.
ECO monitors: Kia gives you some good in-drive tools to help squeeze the most mileage out of your battery. Take some time to explore the ECO menu and cycle through the energy/mileage screens accessible through the steering button.
Range anxiety: By now I've had enough times when the yellow turtle is blinking and Evie is begging for a charge. One day I was on my final kilowatt and Evie switched down to bare-bones wheel crawl. It was just what I needed to get over a hill and coast into an L2. It was really heart-pounding, but it also helped me learn the boundaries. So go ahead, one day take it down to 3% (or worse in my case). It really helps you to drive your car with confidence.
Georgia is way ahead in EV: The further north we pushed, the more questions I got from dealers and folks just trying to understand what it was to drive electric. The only electric car I saw was an occasional Tesla and they were all coming from the west coast. I guess I expected more, but I found we have better infrastructure here (and we've still got a ways to go).
I REALLY, REALLY appreciate the design and engine: So I'm going to brag on Kia here a bit. I'm over 6'5" and every time I get out, people are always amazed. I mean for this over 2500 mile road trip, Evie carried my entire family (5), the dog and luggage!! Not only that, she handled great on the highway and in the city. I rode with the big rigs at 70+ and could maneuver traffic as needed.
The Kia ChargeUp Card: Here at home, I've been able to use it, but on the road it would not work. I had to rely on the individual apps and network cards. Don't try to just rely on the ChargeUp.
PlugShare app: Get to know how to use filters so you can just look at QCs and/or just look at L2s. I almost missed a great QC location because it was hidden behind a bunch of L2s. When you're on the road, always expect that the QC you're driving to will not work and have a back up plan. Try to target areas that have multiple QCs and/or L2s within reach. Also scan previous check-ins for a QC that may be questionable or frequently ICE'd.
ECO monitors: Kia gives you some good in-drive tools to help squeeze the most mileage out of your battery. Take some time to explore the ECO menu and cycle through the energy/mileage screens accessible through the steering button.
Range anxiety: By now I've had enough times when the yellow turtle is blinking and Evie is begging for a charge. One day I was on my final kilowatt and Evie switched down to bare-bones wheel crawl. It was just what I needed to get over a hill and coast into an L2. It was really heart-pounding, but it also helped me learn the boundaries. So go ahead, one day take it down to 3% (or worse in my case). It really helps you to drive your car with confidence.
Georgia is way ahead in EV: The further north we pushed, the more questions I got from dealers and folks just trying to understand what it was to drive electric. The only electric car I saw was an occasional Tesla and they were all coming from the west coast. I guess I expected more, but I found we have better infrastructure here (and we've still got a ways to go).
I REALLY, REALLY appreciate the design and engine: So I'm going to brag on Kia here a bit. I'm over 6'5" and every time I get out, people are always amazed. I mean for this over 2500 mile road trip, Evie carried my entire family (5), the dog and luggage!! Not only that, she handled great on the highway and in the city. I rode with the big rigs at 70+ and could maneuver traffic as needed.
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