Road Trip: 1st run to Savannah and Tybee Island

At some point this summer, I had hoped to make it down to Savannah, my favorite coastal spot, with Evie. Never made it. Just so happened I had a business conference that coincided with Tybee Island's annual Pirate Fest. Perfect!

If you take a quick glance at PlugShare, you will see the charging options are limited coming from Atlanta area to Savannah. Most of the chargers along the routes are L2 and the QCs are too far apart to make it a QC only ride (if you're in the 100 mile range like Evie). Also you have to check the comments for each charger because I found many to be out of order or powered down.

I decided to try one route down to Savannah and a different route home.

1st Route: Conyers 212-S to Milledgeville then 441-S to  Dublin then 16-E to Statesboro to Savannah
2nd Route: Savannah to Statesboro then 16-W to Dublin to Macon then75-N to Locust Gove to Conyers

As always my main travel tools are: PlugShare, Google Maps and a calculator. I use maps to track actual remaining miles as compared to what the Guessometer is saying. I use the calculator to monitor my ration of actual miles to GOM miles. I also use it to determine what percentage charge is needed to make my next jump.


CONYERS to SAVANNAH:

Key: y = GOM departure miles, z = GOM arrival miles m=total distance in miles,  * = Segment distance to GOM miles used, d=Driving time in minutes

Conyers>  98y at 4:36p Monday
Milly>  36z 6:00p 63.0m (63/62*) 84d

NOTES:
This is a very hilly segment and I expected to do more coasting/regen to stretch miles. However, the uphills were enough to eat away at any coasting/regen benefits.

Childre Nissan is the QC location BUT, according to PlugShare comments, they are not very friendly to non-Leaf owners. I've been told by other non-Leaf drivers that it's best to come here after hours. I arrived at 6p and they didn't close until 7p.

If you drive to the rear of GCSU West Campus (120 W Campus Dr, Milledgeville, GA 31061), there's a car wash canopy that has a 120V plug. After you enter, drive around to the right of the complex (next to the soccer field). Sign says for residents only so I didn't post it to PlugShare. Still a nice place to pull in and walk around.

Trickle charged at GCSU until 7:30p and drove over to Childre. There were still some staffers and security around. I got a few looks but thankfully wasn't asked to leave. I only took what I needed to get to Dublin and got out of there.

Milly> 56y 8:32p 73.9m
Dublin> 10z  9:31p 122.3m (48.4/46*) 59d

NOTES:
Dublin Nissan is my kind of spot. Charging is on the side of the complex so you don't interfere with operations. Convenience stores and restaurants right across the street. Nissan branded QCs have overheated on me in the past and that happened here. Just throw the circuit breaker to off and move over to the L2 to charge while you wait for cool down. If it's cool at night, then 15 minutes should do the trick. Turn the breaker back on and it should be good to finish your QC charge. If it's during the day in direct sunlight, it may take as much as 30 minutes to cool down.

I had hopes of making it all the way to Savannah from Dublin. After I topped off with the L2 to 100%, my GOM showed 95 miles. There just weren't enough good coasting/regen spots on 16-E to stretch the miles so I figured I should break for Statesboro for one last charge before Savannah.

Dublin> 95y 11:28p
Statesboro> 10z 1:06am Tuesday 204.8m (82.5/85*) 98d

NOTES:
I wasn't sure if Vaden Nissan charger would be powered on at this time of the morning. I was also beat so I decided to grab a hotel and head into Savannah in the morning.

Statesboro> 82y 4:00pm 208.1m

NOTES:
Vaden Nissan in Statesboro. Only an L2 but excellent service and close to every store/restaurant you'd want. Took the girls to the movie theater across the street and had a bite to eat while we charged.

Jason Ward is in sales and the social media guru for Vaden. We had a chance to chat and he agreed that dealers should support EV charging regardless of which model you pull in. Jason is originally from LA with some cool stories to tell. He's developing a new blog and I expect we'll heare more from him soon. Good luck Jason!

Savannah> 27z 5:02p 262.1m (56/55*) 62d

Total Distance: 262.1 miles  // MPH: 51.9
GOM Miles: 248
Total Driving Time: 5 hours, 3 minutes
Total Trip Time (includes hotel stay): 24 hours, 26 minutes
Charging Costs: $0

Tybee Island:
Took a side trip to Tybee for Pirate Fest, shopping and to get ice cream at The Sugar Shack! No stats but, other than finding a trickle plug somewhere, plan on enough juice to get in and get back to Savannah.

 

Savannah:
Charging infrastructure is pretty good. There's a QC over by Johnson Square. Unfortunately, it was busted when I went so I had to drive out to Grainger Nissan in Garden City. Good location because the QC and L2 are pretty close to each other. There's not much to do in the area surrounding area though.

Whitaker Street parking garage has free L2 charging. I parked in the State Street garage and if you park in the compact spaces closest to the elevator (on the "W"est side), you can trickle charge.


SAVANNAH to CONYERS:

Key: y = GOM departure miles, z = GOM arrival miles, m=total trip distance in miles,  * = Segment distance to GOM miles used, d=Driving time in minutes

Savannah> 91y at 11:36a Friday
Statesboro> 44z 12:31p 53.6 (53.6/47*) 55d

NOTES:
Shopping/Lunch while we charged. Vaden Nissan was great again.

Statesboro> 92y 3:19p
Dublin> 24z 5:10p 136.0m (83.6/68*) 129d

NOTES:
Dublin Nissan QC was in the sun and overheated after about 12 minutes of charging. I shut down breaker switch and moved over to the L2 to allow for cooling. Unit did not reboot until 32 minutes later. It went from 60% to 80% without shutting down again.

From this point, I could have made for Milledgeville but I didn't want to deal with Childre Nissan (see above) since they would be open when I got there. Decided to head for Macon and L2 charge it the rest of the way home.

Dublin> 81y 6:29p
Macon> 38z 7:25p 186.0m (50/42*) 56d

NOTES:
Originally stopped at Bibb County Courthouse but I didn't like the activity in the area. Some guy was arguing loudly with his girlfriend in the park next door. Then a car of young guys pulled up next to Evie with a little too much interest. Plus it seemed like the charge was moving at a snail's pace.

Rolled out of there and moved on to the Medical Center of GA - Orange Deck. Much better! Parking attendant right next to charging area. McDonald's in the hospital. Had a good meal while we charged. Left in just under an hour so parking was free!

Macon> 57y 8:48p
Locust Grove> 9z 9:52p 236.0m (50/48*) 64d

NOTES:
Tanger Outlets chargers located in parking lot behind Denny's. Stores were closed, but stopped into Denny's for dessert. Walked around and window shopped to burn some calories. Lost some time because Chargepoint charger inexplicably shut off and I didn't realized it until later. Restarted and stayed within site of car to watch the blue light. It was late, but Tanger had a security guard and grounds crew the whole time.

Locust Grove> 36y 11:40p
Conyers> 13z 12:14a 260.8m (24.8/23*) 34d

Total Distance: 260.8 miles // MPH: 46.3
GOM Miles: 228
Total Driving Time: 5 hours, 38 minutes
Total Trip Time: 12 hours, 38 minutes
Charging Costs: $0

Road Trip: Atlanta to NJ and back. LONG post w/ Stats

Evie and I hit the road last week to NJ. I was looking forward to improving on my drive since the last trip to Boston. I learned alot more about what Evie could do and LITERALLY took her to the limit (see below). I've also become a fearless EV driver now. As long as I have plugshare, my charging cord AND time, we can get there. Some people just want the raw numbers so I'll just start with that and follow with the stop by stop stories that others enjoy. Please ask questions as it's the only way we learn and grow in this exciting new electric vehicle world! rj

Ok so I had the break down for my trip from GA to NJ, but the event was on Monday 9/28. By the end of the trip, I was completely focused on making it on time. (I JUST made it by the way) Anyway, I stopped recording data somewhere in Maryland. So for the data junkies, I'm just giving you the numbers for my trip home. By the way, even though Evie ran out of power in VA, this was really our best road trip segment ever. I was very efficient and strategic because I knew the stops and what to expect. I also took the time to use some different charging locations along the way. Remember FLEXIBILITY and ADAPTABILITY are key for long distance EV driving. When we hit 200-300+ miles as standard for all models, then we won't have to worry as much, but for now...

Trip Home Millville, NJ to Athens, GA

(811.2 miles, 17 hours, 2 minutes driving, 47.62 mph, 12 charge stops (11 Free!), Charging Costs - $6.99!!)

Depart 10:32am 9/29/15

Arrive 6:10pm 9/30/15

y- Departure Miles z- Arrival Miles m- Arrival Distance

> Millville, NJ 32y 10;32a
> Carney's Point, NJ 9z 11:22a 37.2m Told Blink to give 90% and I got 84%. Bonus!
> Carney's Point 75y 12:05p
> Columbia, MD 12z 1:49p 125.5m
> (88.3 / 63x = 1.3) Lady left unplug note but I still waited. She told me about 2016 Chevy Bolt that does 200. Gotta check that out.
> Columbia 74y 2:23p
> Stopped at Ford dealer to get some juice. If I can get 90 miles. I'm going to shoot for MAC's longest distance ever
> Columbia 93y 3:30p
> Doswell, VA Evie juiced out 6:40p
> Ashland, VA 0z 8:15
> Ashland 77y 9:29p 248.7
> (121.2 / 93 = 1.3)
> Colonial Heights, VA 47y 10:22p 285.0 Nissan
> Colonial Heights 90z 11:50p
> Roanoke Rapids, NC 31y 1:15a 353.00m
> Roanoke Rapids 66z 3:26a
> Wilson, NC 9z 4:21a 406.6m
> Wilson 73y 5:04a
> Raleigh, NC 38z 5:52a 448.7m
> Raleigh 82y 6:36a
> Burlington, NC 29z 7:39a 507.9m
> Burlington 73y 8:12a
> Salisbury, NC 24z 9:12a 575.1m
> Salisbury 76y 10:21a
> Gastonia, NC 36z 11:37a 630.2m Wow it actually went to 82!!
> Gastonia 80y 12:20p
> Greenville, SC 19z 1;59p 713.0
> Greenville 99y 3:51p
> Athens, GA 17z 5:33p 811.2
> Athens 82y 6:10p

GA to NJ

So I'm just going to hit the very high, highlights of my trip. Going up to NJ was kind of a blur because I was mostly focused on getting there for my event. I'll focus more on the trip home, but there were a few points.

Athens, GA to Greenville, SC (95 miles)

This is our first big jump on the trip. Last time, I had to make a side trip to Commerce, GA then make the jump to Greenville. This time I was determined to do it in one shot. We made it by staying off the highway, using hills and going slow slow. BUT I took a big time hit. 3 hours+. Now I know how to do it in little over 2 hours ON THE HIGHWAY. Learn as you go!

Greenville, SC - 66 Richardson Street

This is one my favorite charging stops at the Richardson Street garage. QC and L2 in one spot. Good food and art galleries while you charge. Greenville is doing it right.

Greenville, SC to Gastonia, NC

Gastonia, NC - 2525 Court Drive - Caromont Hospital

Eaton charger on the P2 level of hospital. Vending machine & restrooms on level 1 in surgery waiting room. I've never been able to get beyond 81% on this unit (see return trip note however).

Gastonia, NC to Charlotte, NC

Charlotte, NC to Concord, NC

Concord, NC - 967 Concord Parkway South - Modern Nissan

Located in front of a 24 hour Wal-Mart with both QC and L2 for top off. Thumbs up!

Concord, NC to Salisbury, NC

Salisbury, NC to Burlington, NC

Burlington, NC to Raleigh, NC

Raleigh, NC to Wilson, NC

Wilson, NC to Roanoke Rapids, VA

Roanoke Rapids, VA - 407 Premier Drive - Nissan of Roanoke Rapids

The jump from Wilson to Colonial Heights is just out of reach so I had to stop here and L2 for a couple hours. Starbucks, Chick-Fil-A and Wal-Mart nearby so it's not the worst wait. Also usually at this point, I'm happy to get a little nap!

Roanoke Rapids, VA to Colonial Heights, VA

Colonial Heights, VA to Ashland, VA

Ashland, VA - 308 England Street - Mac's Service Center

Got to speak with Mac. Cool guy who is very into EV and does all he can to support it. Check out his website:

http://www.macsservicecenter.com and stop through if you're ever in the area. Have a bite to eat at the Iron Horse while you charge. I'm a vegetarian and they have this awesome black bean quesadilla. Wow!!

Ashland, VA to Jefferson Heights, VA

Jefferson Heights, VA - Cowles Nissan

I've stopped here before without a problem, but this time the GM came out to say the QC was only for Leafs because he wasn't running a community service. I told him that it was very short-sighted of him to take that approach especially because I'm also a Leaf owner. No big deal because I had gotten enough power for my next jump anyway. Later chump!

Jefferson Heights, VA to Camp Springs, MD

Camp Springs, MD - 6210 Allentown Road - Royal Farms Store

Love it. EV charging station at a gas station convenience store. I wish Georgia could do this. Found out that the MD Attorney General funded these stations from a power company case settlement. Nice!

Camp Springs, MD to Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, MD to I-95 Delaware Welcome House Stop

I-95 Delaware Welcome House Stop to Carney's Point, NJ

Carney's Point, NJ - 326 Slapes Corner - Flying J Truck Stop

Check this huge Blink network charger with the wide screen video. Once you start charging it plays charging tips and local attraction videos. It has two QC handles but you can only charge one at a time. However, it will automatically switch over once one car is done.

Carney's Point, NJ to Millville, NJ

Made it! Left GA at 10:25am on Sun. 9/27 and arrived at 6:30pm on Mon. 9/28. There's one place I want to point out here in Millville that's worth a mention.

Millville, NJ - 1517 S. Delsea Drive - Rossi Honda

The owner here is a big clean energy guy and he built a huge solar canopy on his lot. The charger is run off of solar power! First time ever using one of those and I really liked it. Didn't get a picture, but pulled some from plugshare.

NJ to GA

See detailed breakdown with stats at top of post. 

The big highlight was that Evie completely ran out of power in Doswell, VA. It was quite an experience and on top of that it was pouring down buckets!! Even so, it taught me plenty. Heck I didn't even know where the towing loop was or how to attach it. Thank goodness for car manuals in the glove box!

Coming home I was not under as much time pressure so I wanted to see if I could run the trip really tight. I wanted to limit the stops and make the biggest jumps I could between stops. Also I wanted to explore some new stops. Going over my numbers I could see that if I traveled at certain speeds I could generally predict the ratio between what my mile indicator said and actual miles traveled.

For Evie here's the sweet spot - Cruise control at 57 mph. If I set her at this level, I found that I could multiply the mile indicator by 1.3 and get my actual mileage. I originally thought the factor was 1.4 and this error left me totally screwed in VA when I ran out of juice.

Try it for your vehicle by resetting your trip meter and drive until your indicator is reduced by 10 miles. (Of course, I don't suggest you do this with only 10 miles remaining on your meter!)  Highway would be easier so you can burn 5 miles out and then return home.  Keep your speed below 60. Coast neutral and Regen as much as possible throughout the trip. When you get home, divide your actual mileage by 10 (or however many miles were burned). You should be somewhere around 1.6 or maybe even 2. But you've got to remember over long distances the factor will lower. My guess it will settle out somewhere around 1.3. Whatever the factor, you can then use it to plan how far you can go on the meter miles remaining. Don't play it as an exact amount, but use it as a rough guide.

Here's where I goofed. I left Columbia, MD with a mile indicator read of 93. An earlier calculation gave me a factor of 1.4 so I multiplied that by 93 and came up with 130.2. The trip from Columbia, MD to Ashland, VA came back as 128 miles. It was extremely close, but I figured that with coasting/regen I could ease my way into the station.

BUT later I realized that I made a calc error and the factor should have been 1.3. Had I used 1.3, I would have come up with 120.9. That would have told me I couldn't make the trip without an extra boost in between. Evie conked out at 121.5, 8 miles short of where I was headed.

NOTE: I was checking my progress all along and everything seemed to be on track until I reached the last 20 miles on the miles indicator. In that last 20 miles, the miles just seemed to melt away. I'm not sure if this was my own anxiety but I was doing everything in my power to stretch it and even regen would not stop the downward spiral. So I say this as a warning to give yourself at least a 20 mile buffer in your calculations. Knowing what I know now, there is no scenario where I would not have made an extra stop with the 93 miles I started out with. The only other thing I could have tried was to trickle charge somewhere to squeeze a few more miles onto the indicator. At the time, I had just finished off with an L2 charge and 93 was at 100% which leads me to this...

Layered charging:

Just remember that 100% is usually not 100% if it wasn't reached with the slowest charging method. Before a big road segment, I often will QC, followed by L2 and top off with a trickle charge for the maximum charge.

Things that can effect your 100% miles:

I've been seeing lower miles when I'm charging on cold mornings. Also if I push the QC charging beyond 83% I don't ultimately get the max miles when I top off with an L2. Some of you may be seeing other things, please share.

Some shout outs:

Thanks to Fields Towing for getting us out of Doswell, VA to the next charging station. Very professional.

Thanks to Structural Technologies in Doswell for letting me pull into their loading area to put Evie on trickle charge. I was in rural VA and it was pitch black. Their warehouse was the only light I could see for miles so I headed for it. The workers did all have a good laugh over the whole thing as I plugged Evie in. Still the supervisor said I could charge as long as I needed. It would have taken 4-5 hours for me to get up enough miles to move on. That's why I called for the tow truck in the end, but I still really appreciated their kindness. See Evie below with the pathetic one blue light trying to come back from 0 on a trickle. Poor thing!

Shout out to the BBG - Kevin Murphy at Ben Mynatt Nissan in Salisbury, NC. He's the Nissan Leaf sales guy there and we had a good chat about EV sales and charging. He also creates these funny sales videos and it was a much needed laugh for a tired EV road warrior. Thanks Kev!

That's all I have for now. Stay tuned for our next trip coming up to Savannah... with the teenage daughters. Aaaarrrrrgghh!!!  rj

First Ride and Drive event in Rockdale

I wanted to make sure we did something for National Drive Electric week. So I pulled together a little Ride/Drive event. It ended up being mostly Rockdale EV drivers but it was good to swap tales and connect. We had a couple guys come in from surrounding counties. GA Power showed up along with Kia, Nissan and Dept. of Natural Resources. One guy came with a neat little EV called the e-Zone. It's from a company called CT&T but the driver said they don't make them anymore. I guess it's only for driving around town. rj

Finally! Evie meets her twin.

Well it's been nearly 6 months and I haven't seen another Soul EV in Georgia. I know they are out there but I haven't seen one. That all changed on Sept. 13th. I had just finished quick charging at the Georgia Power station in Lithonia and moved over to the L2 to top off. I was cooling off under a shade tree, when a Titanium Soul EV pulls in to the QC. I jumped up and started clapping and the driver gave me thumbs up.We exchanged stories and had a good chat. Evie got a chance to juice up with her twin. Yeah it was a real moment. ;) rj

National Drive Electric Week: Atlanta Kick-Off Event

Today was the start of National Drive Electric Week. Took Evie down because I saw some other Kias registered for the event. Alas Evie was the only one there and we were asked to be part of the lineup at Atlantic Station. Sure why not? Well it was lots of fun meeting other EV owners and talking to potential EV owners. As usual, there were lots of surprised "Oh I didn't know Kia had an EV!" Evie was shined up and did me proud. It was cloudy so that probably kept the crowd light but I think it was a good day! rj

Google Maps for the Coasters out there.

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?

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*

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

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

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!!

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...

 

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

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.