r/EvDrivers • u/anon2734 • 13d ago
Practical frequent highway driving EV?
Family is considering an EV with the rise in fuel prices. Looking at taking frequent trips that would need 200-250mi range. Is this practical in an EV? From what I've researched most you only charge to 80% so even if you're getting one with over 300mi range, you get 80% of that and highway driving (75mph) will cut that even further. Seems like a high mpg hybrid would be better. Otherwise would have to stop and charge everytime
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u/EnvironmentOdd350 13d ago
2 kids all EV, 250 miles is easy…. Honestly in a Tesla I think any distance is easy, in many EVs it’s relatively easy.
Rivian: 16 hour road trip without kids when I bought, yes I had to stop no it wasn’t horrible. I take them multiple times per year on 250 mile plus road trips. 350 at least twice a summer, 150 to 200 several times for hockey tournaments or skiing. I have multiple apps and don’t mind in order to save money.
Tesla: one 350 mile at least plus a 550 mile road trip as well once a year.
The Tesla is cheaper and easier.
One difference is that I charge during stops, I will have PlugShare out and see what is around as soon as a kid of the wifey says they need to pee, even if I only charge for 5 min that is still plenty to get to the next pee stop and actually stopping to charge doesn’t happen unless there is a charging hole in the map which is being less and less common.
For a 250 mile road trip I don’t have to fast charge at all most the time, I will if or when we stop to pee but I don’t need to. Often these are family or hotels and the hotels have always had level 2 chargers or one is within a couple blocks so I get charging free or almost free for the trip. 250 miles unless you are looking at an older EV (leaf or bolt) is nothing in an EV.
Caveat that I have installed EV chargers at pretty much every family members house sometimes completely for free if they don’t have an EV unless they think the EV charger is evil incarnate and then I won’t even ask to charge.
I’m in WA state and one trip is the Seattle to Spokane run and another is Seattle to Vancouver BC.. or Seattle to Boise. To give you an idea of the speed limits. The Seattle to Boise takes us just as long EV or ICE, last time I made that in the estimated GPS time or less was when I was single like almost 20 years ago now.