Charging an Electric Vehicle Pt 2 - Long Distance

In my last post I argued that (for typical users) EVs aren't less convenient than gas powered vehicles. Rather, the ability to charge at home reverses the situation.

I also wanted to tackle a similar issue with longer range driving.

I will concede up front; an EV is different than an ICE engine and does add some quirks. Though, many of the perceived differences don't really exist. Some existing advice on the matter is either incorrect, incomplete or misses the corresponding equivalent. 

My goal here is not to convince anyone that driving an EV over long distances is a better experience. It isn't. Typical gas cars have better range, can refuel more quickly and with less planning and forethought. Period. Some of this can be resolved with infrastructure and the rest could be solved over time with technology, but you shouldn't be swayed by what could be available. It should be based on what is available.

To that end, my goal is to clarify and lessen concerns with some best practices, justifying them when possible. And those practices are:

1. Plan to charge early
2. Look for larger hubs of chargers
3. Don't charge to full on the way home
4. Always be charging

1. Charge Early

ICE cars are worse (and I mean MUCH worse) at estimating range. Most people don't notice because the impact is rarely inconvenient. The infrastructure is so abundant that it is often difficult to find yourself low on gas and unable to reach a station unless you're actively trying to create such a situation.

When I had my last ICE car we would refill with 100-200km of range left. Some people are less cautious. The point is this is planning your refueling. In that sense it is the same as planning EV charging. The difference is ease. The ubiquity and speed often mean that even getting down to 50KM or less before seeking out a gas station is likely to lead to success. So, the effort feels automatic or non-existent.

EVs aren't as quick to charge and chargers aren't as common, so we notice the effort required to solve the problem. There is a solution; be pessimistic. Don't plan to stop at the last possible moment. If you have 400km of battery range and there are charging stations 300km, 350km, and 450km into your trip... stop at the 300km one (or earlier).

By stopping earlier, you've baked in some insurance against chargers being out of service or busy. If you can't or don't want to wait, you still have the option to gamble on the one or more chargers further ahead on your route which you should still be able to reach.

Some might complain about adding stops. This is true. On long enough trips this means more stops. Paradoxically though, it will likely mean less time charging and could also mean more enjoyable stops.

Keep in mind that EVs charge slower the closer they are to both empty and full. And planning your trips around stopping as few times as possible means running the battery as low as possible and filling it as much as possible. Stopping more frequently means you'll be further from empty and more able to charge only to 70-80% keeping more of that charging time at the highest speeds your car can handle. This could save 15-30 minutes per charge cycle.

As to enjoyability, this may be subjective, but I think most will agree; it is easier to kill 10-20 minutes than 45-60. If I'm just doing a bit of a top on DC Fast Charger rather than trying to get from 10-80% then I can get a good chunk of range back in 15-20 minutes. And that amount of time isn't much more than a typical rest stop. In other words, if the break is short enough it can be incorporated mostly, or even entirely into things I would have done anyway. Even on a long road trip in an ICE vehicle it would be very rare for me to stop for 45 minutes. Which means that a large chunk of my time is wasted on waiting.

Final bonus point on this topic... many chargers bill by time spent. Longer trips increase risk of slower charge rates which can mean more expensive charge sessions as well.

2. Prefer Larger Charge Hubs

About the only exception I might make to the above would be if there were a place along my route with an abundance of chargers. Either a single location with 10+ outlets or a city with a lot of infrastructure, etc.... More stalls tends to mean more invested and less likely to have broken outlets, more likely to have faster ones and more likely to have availability. Put another way, it lowers the risk quite a bit. Same goes for cities with lots of infrastructure. In that case you may also have more choice in finding a preferred network or fee structure. 

I'll still try to take this into consideration with the first tip, but if the trip is littered with stops with just 1-2 chargers and they aren't directly on my route, then if there is a larger one within range I may hold out. 

Larger hubs are also more likely to accompany food, or at least something to look at.

3. Avoid Full Charges on the Last Leg of a Trip

In gas cars I always fill the car when I go to a gas station. Since a gas station is the only option for refueling it make sense to minimize trips by filling each time. An EV is different. Unless I've found a free charger, it will be cheaper to charge at home. I might charge up to 80% at each stop on my trip, but on the way back if I can make it home with 10-20% battery to spare I'll just cost past the charger or top up just far enough to get the range up to that area. Then I just plug it in when I get home. 

4. Always Be Charging

If you need to make an unplanned stop, like to go to the bathroom or grab a bite to eat and there is at least a level 2 charger, plug-in (assuming cost is comparable/reasonable). It doesn't matter if it is 5 minutes or 15 minutes. It can be used to reclaim some time from your planned charge stops. 

Bonus

This advice most boils down to charge more often. And there is an extra benefit here. Especially if you travel long ranges often in an EV. More frequent charging means shorter charge sessions and a higher state of discharge when starting the charge. Since EV batteries experience more wear the closer they are to full or empty and more wear with longer charge sessions this advice should also be beneficial to the overall longevity of the battery.

Wrap-Up

What makes long trips stressful for many are range anxiety and long waits to charge. Planning to charge a little more often on these longer trips should help address both of those issues. It won't be as convenient as refueling an ICE vehicle. However, I think with the right adjustments the difference can become a lot harder to measure and feel.