Tips for first long drive?

Discussion in 'Hyundai Kona Electric' started by MSimpsonNJ, Feb 7, 2021.

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  1. MSimpsonNJ

    MSimpsonNJ Active Member

    As I mentioned in a different post, I am new to EV'S, just picked up my Kona EV from the dealer yesterday, and have just decided that I am going to take it on a 1200 mile trip to Florida in less than a week. The original plans was to rent a car for this trip but I just cancelled the reservation. Embrace challenges as they say.

    So I am studiously reading forums and articles and watching YouTube videos to familiarize myself with the many nuances of EV travel and the few of this car. So much information here for which I am appreciative.

    All the above being said, I don't know what I don't know, so my question to the forum is this: Are there one or two things that you think I should absolutely get, bring, know, or do before setting off on this journey? Basically, any tips that you have learned, perhaps the hard way, that you think I should consider?

    Thanks so much.
     
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  3. davidtm

    davidtm Active Member

    Plan your trip charges! I suggest both A Better Route Planner (ABRP has both a phone app and web site) which offers suggested charging stops based on your car's specs and altitude changes, and PlugShare (again, both app and web site).

    Also, look for hotels along the way that offer Level 2 charging overnight.

    Bon voyage!

    Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk
     
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  4. Really only a couple things:
    - always take your 120V charger that came with the car with you. In the worst case scenario (which is unlikely to happen) you'll have a slow "gas station" pretty much every where.
    - I use two apps: plugshare and abrp (abetterrouteplanner.com) I actually use plugshare first and get an overview of the charger density of where I'm going. Then abrp to get a plan on how to get to my destination the fastest and which chargers will be used. Check availability and usage with plugshare. Done.

    Since you're new to this that's what I would suggest. Once you're more familiar with how things work it'll get easier and you're not going to think/worry about it too much any more.

    I also would suggest to set up an account with Electrify America and install the app (you'll probably need it on that drive). If you're planning on using other chargers, check those apps/accounts.

    You're going to hate the experience if you wait to set up an account until your standing at the charger in the rain and waiting for activation emails.

    But once you have that taken care of it's as easy as plugging in and activating via the app.
     
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  5. ericy

    ericy Well-Known Member

    Until you get a ways further south, you are going to be in winter conditions. Keep in mind that the range is somewhat reduced for various reasons. To optimize your range, minimize the use of the cabin heater - instead use the seat heaters and heated steering wheel as much as you can to reduce the need to use the normal heat, which will extend your range a bit, and wear gloves/hat so you stay comfortable. That being said, you may need to run the cabin heat a bit if the windows fog up.

    Bring a blanket - there are electric car blankets that you can plug into your cigarette lighter socket. Always a good thing to have in an emergency even with an ICE car.

    Maximum charging rate is going to depend on battery pack temperature. Just driving the car will cause the battery to gradually warm up, so try and plan your charging stops just after you get off the road, and try and avoid DCFC first thing in the morning when the charging rates will be the lowest.

    If you are stopping along the way at a hotel, if you can, find one that has a L2 charger so you can charge the car overnight and get going in the morning with a full battery. You can use ABRP and Plugshare to try and identify suitable hotels.
     
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  6. ericy

    ericy Well-Known Member

    Oh, and try and anticipate which charging networks you *might* be using, and have the appropriate apps on your phone. You might not have time to get a wallet card in the mail before you set out, but a lot of charging is initiated by just holding your phone up to the charger.

    Personally, I use EA, EVgo and ChargePoint, but I don't have a good feel for what you might encounter further south.
     
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  8. GeorgeS

    GeorgeS Active Member

    There is a YouTube video by "Out of Spec Motoring" where Kyle drives that route in a Kona EV. Check it out but take it with a grain of salt. At the time Electrify America was having trouble with some of their charging units. Many of these were replaced but use the EA app to validate before you commit. On Plug Share it shows units not working with a tiny wrench showing under repair. I would also not only get an EA account but sign up for the $4 month membership (can cancel easy- I start and stop often). It reduces the cost of each charge and and utilizes your credit card smoothly and makes the whole trip easier and cheaper.

    Use the lane centering feature and smart cruise as much as possible. It will reduce your fatigue a lot. Set the lane centering to max so it will autosteer. I think the default is medium where it just beeps when crossing a line. Be prepared by planning and do not use the car's onboard finder for charging stations. This has lead me on wild goose chases and wasted precious energy only to find it was gone. Plug Share actually allows people to check in. I find this very helpful to determine if a charge station is working by knowing when it was last Successfully used. I don't bother with blankets but bring one with me. There are many charging possibilities out there. If you have a section where you are going to draw your energy reserve too low, call before you head there to make sure it is working.
    Finally, hotels will often let you charge for free. I often stay at ones with J1772 chargers and leave in the morning at 100% charge. You can even preheat your car and get into a nice warm seat. Have fun. We have made many long trips and it is fun every time.
     
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  9. Regarding use of the 120V charger overnight, the "Auto" button at the dash lower-left, when illuminated, automatically unlocks the charging plug when charging is finished. Turn it off to secure the plug to the car until you unlock the car.
     
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  10. Gsbrryprk8

    Gsbrryprk8 Member

    Welcome to the group, and kudos for jumping right into the deep end!

    The learning curve is steep when you first start driving an EV. You’ll undoubtedly have a few challenges and surprises, but if you don’t mind that it’ll be fun. I found that I don’t mind traffic quite so much anymore knowing that I’m not wasting fuel idling.

    Your copilot should get used to using PlugShare. Trust me, he/she will be the one using it. Learn the settings before you drive. I live in Maryland and for a trip like yours I choose for *daytime enroute* CCS/SAE (only), minimum plugscore 4, minimum kW 0. For *overnight* you might expand to include J1772 to get those EV friendly hotels.

    Have accounts with EA and EVGo at least.

    Don’t let your battery get below 50 mi unless you don’t mind surprises. You don’t want to get to a station on your last electrons to find it out of order.

    Use the seat heaters. Cabin heat is nice but costs 1/4 (or more) of your battery.

    Remember that charge speed slows a lot above 80% or so. If you pay by the minute or if time matters, you might only want to charge that much during the day.

    I made this chart to help guess charging time, maybe it’ll be of help. Good luck!

    [​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
     
  11. I might add an assortment of networked RFID cards works as well, until more chargers offer credit/debit as a form of payment.
     
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  13. Enjoy your new ride and welcome to the forum!
    Made that 1200 mi trip three times in the Kona so far. Used Electrify America charges along the way, not a problem. On the last trip down one charge station was out of service and we had to stop in Kingsland Georgia and use a Charge Point station. Here is a link to a detail trip report I posted:

    https://insideevsforum.com/community/index.php?threads/long-trip-report-from-st-pete-fl-to-long-island-ny-using-electrify-america-dc-fast-chargers.8791/#post-99086

    Since that trip report EA has changed their pricing and is now a little cheaper to use their charge network.

    Enjoy the "EV Grin" as you learn as you go.
     
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2021
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  14. MSimpsonNJ

    MSimpsonNJ Active Member

    Wow - thanks to EVERYONE for sharing your experiences and tips, this is all extremely helpful to me and will undoubtedly serve me well as I go off on this adventure. So much great information.

    I'm still trying to figure out the ins and outs of planning an overnight stop that has a Level 2 charger (that has a likelihood of being available) and that also is dog friendly (20 pound rescue) but I'm sure I will figure this out with enough digging around on the web. I know PlugShare shows hotels that have chargers (as was pointed out to me above) so that will give me one order of filtering. I also have no real idea how far I can reasonably expect to get on the first day as I navigate the new world of monitoring my levels and stopping for top-ups, but that is something I will only learn as I go; that's half the fun I guess.

    I do have a question about adapters. Does anyone have thoughts/experiences/etc. about those Tesla to J1772 adapters? It seems to me that hotels are going to be more likely to have Tesla chargers and maybe a few Level 2 chargers,if any, so my thought is that it may be a common occurrence to get to a hotel in the evening and find a whole wall of Tesla chargers, many of which are not in being used, and one or two Level 2 chargers already occupied. I realize the adapters are a bit pricey, but are they worth having, or do people find that they are rarely/never needed and I'm better of putting that cash to something better?

    Thanks again everyone.
     
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  15. E-Shark

    E-Shark Active Member

    Congrats on the EV! Since your car is new, your range might fluctuate still as the car gets used to your driving. If you go from city to faster highway speeds, you will lose range. Also, hills are range killers. I would just keep an eye on the battery percent when you start out, and be safe and charge instead of hoping you can make it to the next station.

    I've never used a Tesla to J1772 adapter. Here's a video on it, he says he does.
    https://insideevs.com/news/466928/charging-non-tesla-on-tesla-charging-stations/
     
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  16. Never used an adapter and I was really never in a place I could have used one. There is a lot of J1772 out there. Might be a short walk sometimes.

    I used to live a 10 minute walk from free chargers. I'd drop it off in the evening and pick it up fully charged in the morning.
     
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  17. The success of these products seems to hinge on how likely the Tesla destination charger has been set to "legacy" mode, an undocumented DIP switch setting. A year back I was under the impression that those marked with red signs are open to other EVs while those with white signs are not. No idea if that's true.
     
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  18. Timothy Fay

    Timothy Fay New Member

    I would recommend a Tesla tap for hotel stays. I didn't use it in my bolt when I traveled, but it does make the trip a nicer convenience. You'll be able to use it at any Tesla destination charger. Also Plugshare is your friend. Don't trust the miles between chargers it says in the app, use Google maps to see the distance between chargers. Like someone above noted, be mindful when traveling in winter conditions as the range will be reduced. The Kona has 75kw charging which is better than the Bolt. I don't know the charging curve on the Kona, but allow for non working chargers or unsatisfactory charge levels on certain Electrify America locations. Try to use Electrify America when at all possible, as it is literally the fastest network and ones you will always find a working charger. EVgo will only charge at 35kw on the east coast. Hardly a viable road trip solution in my eyes. Plan to spend between 45 mins to an hour at each charging stop. Only charge to 80% and leave when you hit 80% trying to get to 100% will cost you an extra hour waiting for your charge. If you can limit your climate control to save your energy. You'll need to stay and overnight, so you'll want to plan a hotel with a charging station if you can always call and make sure it works. Plugshare is amazing for user reviews on charging infrastructure. You'll be fine if you always make sure you leave yourself a 30 mile buffer in range. Never charge to exactly what it says you need. You will get stranded. I've done it twice.
     
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  19. nocnokneo

    nocnokneo New Member

    I'm doing a similar trip - Boston to Tampa, leaving this Friday. Thanks for the tip about the Tesla-to-J1772 adapters! I've owned a Kia Niro EV since June 2019 and can't believe I'm just now learning about them!

    All great advice here. The only only other pieces of advice would be:

    hotels.com lets you filter only hotels with EV chargers now. I used a combination of this and PlugShare to do my hotel search.

    upload_2021-2-10_10-20-35.png

    Consider getting a one month Electrify America Pass+ membership for the trip. With a long road trip like this, the $4 monthly membership fee should easily pay for itself with the discounted charging rate you'll get.
     
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  20. James Corrigan

    James Corrigan New Member

    As others have stated, you should find hotels with free Level 2 chargers. Plugshare has a good listing. I have a 2020 Bolt, and love waking up in the morning "Fully Charged" Nice to start the day with 250+ miles of range.
    I purchased a Tesla to J1772 adapter at wallmart.com, for about $200. I carry it with me on the few long trips that I have taken - but have not yet used it.
    I assume that you will pass through the City of Baltimore, MD on your way south. Plugshare lists several free DC fast chargers in Baltimore - great to fill up for free.
    Have a safe trip !
     
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  21. Gsbrryprk8

    Gsbrryprk8 Member

    Thanks for the tip on hotels.com. I’ll use it too.

    I just saw that PlugShare’s latest update in iOS adds CarPlay support! Haven’t tested it yet...


    Sent from my iPhone using Inside EVs
     
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  22. Only works for Premium users.
     
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  23. I fully agree with everything the good folk of the forum have said here with a small extra:
    As you do the planning in ABRP, include your own limits. If you need a break or a coffee every 2hrs (for example) plot your stops that way as much as you can. That way, a 20 to 30 minute break for coffee or lunch or other necessities will "shorten" the charging stop - because you needed a break anyway.
    The old basic of EV driving is ABC - Always Be Charging. If there's any opportunity to plug-in (especially if it's free) you really ought to take it. Even your 120V cable will add something while you're away from the car.
    As the availability of chargers improves over time and you get comfortable with how far the car can go in the conditions, you won't care about it any more than a fossil fuel driver cares.
    It took me three months and about 2 more chargers on the coast road from Sydney to Brisbane to be unconcerned. Actually, that's only half true. It really just took a better restaurant at the Port Macquarie charger (2nd stop) for me to stop caring.
     
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