Tesla owner tells of a rural 9-day trip she took through a small town without an electric vehicle charger. Instead, she trickle charged her car from a gas station outlet.

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• Tesla owner Kathleen Goforth went on a nine-day roadtrip to the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
• There were no EV chargers in a 50-mile radius of the monument.
• Goforth says she was creative in trickle charging at an outlet inside an abandoned gas station.

Tesla owner Kathleen Goforth told how she had to be creative when charging her Model Y during a nine-day trip through a rural region.

Goforth, who is a climate change advocate, described her trip to the Carrizo Plain National Monument in a blog on Acterra.com, an environmental education non-profit.

Goforth wrote, "It's remote and nearly undeveloped – a perfect challenge for our first roadtrip in our all-electric Tesla Model Y." The Carrizo Plain is a grassland located in San Luis Obispo County in California. It is approximately 50 miles long by 15 miles wide. There are no services in or near the Monument. No food, water, gasoline stations, and certainly no EV chargers. Could we do it?"

The Tesla owner explained that she had planned her route in advance using Travelocity's filter, which allowed her to locate hotels with EV charging stations, and Plugshare's trip planner, which helped plot the different charging stations along her journey.

Goforth stated that the couple's biggest challenge was when they reached the Carrizo plain, since there were no chargers located within 50 miles. The couple had a Level 2 charger at their first stop. However, they needed to use a different method to charge the car when they arrived at the California Valley Lodge. This motel is located just 20 miles from the Carrizo Plain National Monument. Goforth explained that the couple initially intended to charge their vehicle using an RV plug-in site near the Lodge, but were "a little nervous" as to how it would go. When they arrived, they learned that the RV hookup site had been removed. They then came up with a new idea. The couple found an empty gas station just across the street.

Goforth described the gas station as having electricity that worked, and an outlet outside. It was only a 120V outlet so it was trickle charging and not supercharging. But that was enough to replace the energy we used in our daily trips around the Monument. The poetic justice of charging our EV in a former gas station was a great experience.

According to the Department of Transportation, a trickle charger only adds a few mph to the battery's life. A Level 2 charger, however, can charge an electric vehicle to 80% in four to ten hours. Goforth explained that the couple used the old gas station for two days to recharge their car while exploring the area. They were then able to use the Tesla Supercharger and Level 2 charger to complete their trip and travel home.

Goforth wrote in a blog that the couple had traveled over 1,000 miles, saving more than $300 on fuel.

She wrote: "Now that we have experienced how easy, enjoyable, and cost-effective it is to travel in an electric vehicle, we look forward to many other all-electric journeys."

Some EV drivers do not share Goforth’s optimism about charging their cars on long roadtrips. In the past, EV drivers have told horror stories of trying to find charging stations on long roadtrips. From a road trip in which a Kia owner was forced to stop 12 different times to charge their vehicle at slow public chargers to a Mustang Mach E driver who stopped at four different chargers, desperately searching for one that worked. Another Tesla owner told Insider that he had some "hiccups," but found Autopilot's driver assistance feature to be "life-saving" during a 6,392-mile trip. A Hyundai Ioniq owner told Insider that a successful ev trip is all about planning your route properly.

Tesla owners claim to have an advantage in navigating long journeys. This includes the use of Tesla's superfast Superchargers and the internal navigation system that helps owners plan routes with multiple charging stations.

Acterra's spokesperson stated that the organization works to "dispel the idea that EVs may be out of reach due to cost, believing that EVs truly are for everyone."

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By: gkay@insider.com (Grace Kay)
Title: A Tesla owner says she made a 9-day rural road trip through a town without an EV charger by trickle charging from an outlet at an abandoned gas station
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/tesla-owner-road-trip-no-chargers-trickle-charging-outlets-2023-7
Published Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:31:06 +0000

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