Chicago-Phoenix Road Trip #3 (this time without EA chargers!)

[illopp00]

The problem with level 2 chargers is that there aren't really that many of them. I'm in the middle of my 2nd road trip in 2 months, with a total of almost 5500 miles, and maybe 1 in 30 hotels even claims to have level 2 at or nearby, and then when you get there it is either used, or broken, or has been removed entirely. Or the one hotel that does have it is $100/night more expensive than other hotels nearby, and I'm not willing to spend $100 just to save 20 minutes at a DC Fast charger in the morning.

Out of 7 nights at hotels this month so far, I've only managed to do an overnight Level 2 charge 1 time.

Even when we did our Roadtrip from Chicago to Wash DC and back the hotels with L2 still had an app to download and you put credits in there for charging minutes, it was cheaper than DCFC but not by much....

 

[BrianBigNFun]

The problem with level 2 chargers is that there aren't really that many of them. I'm in the middle of my 2nd road trip in 2 months, with a total of almost 5500 miles, and maybe 1 in 30 hotels even claims to have level 2 at or nearby, and then when you get there it is either used, or broken, or has been removed entirely. Or the one hotel that does have it is $100/night more expensive than other hotels nearby, and I'm not willing to spend $100 just to save 20 minutes at a DC Fast charger in the morning.

Out of 7 nights at hotels this month so far, I've only managed to do an overnight Level 2 charge 1 time.

https://www.plugshare.com/ is a great resourse for finding chargers and especially L2 destination charging
Users are very good at updating whether or not that the plugs work or what's available in the area around the DC charging, or if you have to pay for the charge etc

 

[chris]

https://www.plugshare.com/ is a great resourse for finding chargers and especially L2 destination charging
Users are very good at updating whether or not that the plugs work or what's available in the area around the DC charging, or if you have to pay for the charge etc

I realize you were responding to someone else here BUT I just wanted to point out that while I do indeed use Plugshare (it's what I used to help me determine this new charger route in the 1st place-- (with many IONNA instead of EA); looking for Level 2 for overnight is not only NOT a priority but not even on the radar. One upon a time I was looking into how close a L2 charger might be (like when in a hotel row) but the idea of parking at a L2 at the next door hotel that I'm not even staying at felt wrong and the one time I happened to see a free village L2 near by, it still meant I would have had to either take an Uber/Lyft to and from or deal with a 15 minute walk and at that point I may as well wait at a DCFC for 15-30 minutes while en-route!

I even checked PlugShare for L2 while attending a friends baby shower in Arkansas but walking 10-12 minutes in 95 degree humidity to the venue (and back) was such a turnoff it just made no sense at all. TBH, I quickly gave up on Plugshare researching the whole L2 overnight idea pretty quickly. We DO have a local use EV (my husband's 1st generation Leaf) and we already know the free L2 around the area to use (like at Meijer while I shop.. and Whole foods used to be free but I refuse to pay more than the $0.28 per kilowatt we pay at home)

 

[Northpointe]

The problem with level 2 chargers is that there aren't really that many of them. I'm in the middle of my 2nd road trip in 2 months, with a total of almost 5500 miles, and maybe 1 in 30 hotels even claims to have level 2 at or nearby, and then when you get there it is either used, or broken, or has been removed entirely. Or the one hotel that does have it is $100/night more expensive than other hotels nearby, and I'm not willing to spend $100 just to save 20 minutes at a DC Fast charger in the morning.

Out of 7 nights at hotels this month so far, I've only managed to do an overnight Level 2 charge 1 time.

I think our charging network varies significantly by geography which creates its own set of challenges. In California where EV adoption is much higher destination chargers are more plentiful at hotels, shopping centers, banks, etc. I have a route that I regularly run where I can use reasonably priced overnight hotels like Fairfield, Hampton, etc. and get reliable charging. At the same time in AZ where I live they’re almost non-existent.

 

[chris]

I think our charging network varies significantly by geography which creates its own set of challenges. In California where EV adoption is much higher destination chargers are more plentiful at hotels, shopping centers, banks, etc. I have a route that I regularly run where I can use reasonably priced overnight hotels like Fairfield, Hampton, etc. and get reliable charging. At the same time in AZ where I live they’re almost non-existent.

Honestly, I think anywhere else in the USA outside of California (except for pocket city areas), is going to be significantly lacking in comparison. California has simply been heavily into the EV scene going as far back as 2014 when so many companies build short range EVs for ONLY California (thus the start of L2 chargers way back then to allow them to charge). Heck, My 1st 'dip my toes into EV life' was a used 2014 Spark EV (originally sold only in California) back in 2017. It was only L2 and locally I had 3 'free' l2 charging options back in 2017 but mostly charged it at home anyway (1st 6 months was L1 until we set up our garage for L2 actually)

 

[Saksak]

If UX-3 comes out for the Air before your road trip, try out the built-in trip planning and range-spider.

It worked pretty well for me in my recent Gravity road trip, especially with the Google Places map integration. I didn’t have to use any third-party apps, although it was a relatively short road trip (~850 miles round trip) that only required one charge stop each way.

I did end up charging twice on the way back because of a semi-bad Tesla Supercharger. I used the in-car navigation to plan a splash-and-dash stop.

 

[Aka-none]

when you get to AZ... drop me a note... I am in Phoenix....

Oh pity we were just there last month

 

[dbsb3233]

Ah but the difference here is I am covering over 1800 miles (around 2900 kilometers) 1-way and it is not feasible to use only 1 charger brand (unless I wanted to continue to use Electrify America exclusively like I did in the past). While I have my 1st 3 chargers as IONNA, another IONNA isn't even available again until Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and then not again until Tucumcari, NM and final one being Gallup, NM. There aren't enough of them being a newer company still that I could feasibly do the whole route with anyone except EA (which is what I did in the past). I'm not sure if you've visited in the USA and experienced Walmart shopping (worse than anything I've ever experienced in Germany btw) but gets old pretty fast!

Ionna is our #1 choice now, but as you said they're new and don't have a ton of coverage yet. Only downside is that they rarely have their own bathrooms. They're often located next to a fast food restaurant or convenience store though.

Personally we love that EA is often located in Walmart parking lots. We like Walmart. Sure, it's not a high-end store, but we don't want high-end. We've never had a problem with their bathrooms, they're always open during hours we're driving, they have tons of products at good prices in case we need anything, and it's a large, climate-controlled store with wide aisles. I end up spending many of my DCFC stops going in to pee and then walking the back aisles to stretch my legs while I check things on my phone. Walking outside in the parking lot is fine when it's 70 degrees but not when it's 90, or 30.

I never really understood the Walmart dislike.

 

[dbsb3233]

The problem with level 2 chargers is that there aren't really that many of them. I'm in the middle of my 2nd road trip in 2 months, with a total of almost 5500 miles, and maybe 1 in 30 hotels even claims to have level 2 at or nearby, and then when you get there it is either used, or broken, or has been removed entirely. Or the one hotel that does have it is $100/night more expensive than other hotels nearby, and I'm not willing to spend $100 just to save 20 minutes at a DC Fast charger in the morning.

Out of 7 nights at hotels this month so far, I've only managed to do an overnight Level 2 charge 1 time.

Yep. I do a lot of pre-planning for road trips, including scouting out hotel L2. But it makes no sense to pay $50-$100 more to avoid a $30 DCFC charge. And even if you do, it's 50-50 at best whether you can actually use the charger that night. Often full or broken.

Our best luck finding usable hotel L2 is usually at casinos. Many offer it as an extra perk to draw gamblers in. We get free L2 at casino hotels in Vegas all the time on our frequent trips there.

4-5 years ago it actually seemed easier to find usable L2 at reasonable priced hotels (not the higher end ones), but seems like those are filling up too fast now, or broken, or they've started charging (often priced high).

 

[dbsb3233]

I realize you were responding to someone else here BUT I just wanted to point out that while I do indeed use Plugshare (it's what I used to help me determine this new charger route in the 1st place-- (with many IONNA instead of EA); looking for Level 2 for overnight is not only NOT a priority but not even on the radar. One upon a time I was looking into how close a L2 charger might be (like when in a hotel row) but the idea of parking at a L2 at the next door hotel that I'm not even staying at felt wrong and the one time I happened to see a free village L2 near by, it still meant I would have had to either take an Uber/Lyft to and from or deal with a 15 minute walk and at that point I may as well wait at a DCFC for 15-30 minutes while en-route!

I even checked PlugShare for L2 while attending a friends baby shower in Arkansas but walking 10-12 minutes in 95 degree humidity to the venue (and back) was such a turnoff it just made no sense at all. TBH, I quickly gave up on Plugshare researching the whole L2 overnight idea pretty quickly. We DO have a local use EV (my husband's 1st generation Leaf) and we already know the free L2 around the area to use (like at Meijer while I shop.. and Whole foods used to be free but I refuse to pay more than the $0.28 per kilowatt we pay at home)

That's why I check Plugshare BEFORE booking the hotels, to see if there's a reasonable hotel with it's own L2 that fits well to book.

I agree that using ANOTHER hotel's L2 is kinda sleazy. And a little risky as many have policies that the chargers are for hotel guests only and you could get towed.

 

[chris]

That's why I check Plugshare BEFORE booking the hotels, to see if there's a reasonable hotel with it's own L2 that fits well to book.

I agree that using ANOTHER hotel's L2 is kinda sleazy. And a little risky as many have policies that the chargers are for hotel guests only and you could get towed.

Right. And as I said earlier, our 1st night hotel stay DOES have 3 L2 spots BUT I can never count on it to be a) available and b) working so while it would indeed eliminate one of our fast charging sessions I have planned, I simply cannot and will not count on that being part of our travel plans. If it works out, great! But our 2nd night safety was a priority way more than a L2 charger. Albuquerque has a LOT of questionable areas so we are staying in Rio Rancho at a Hilton Garden Inn that doesn't have any L2 chargers--- just how it is. This 1st night stay hotel happens to be in the right location for a 1st stop (Stroud, OK) with a good price (Hampton that we like). We were able to utilize the L2 once for an overnight stay back in 2023 (thankfully so we didn't have to backtrack 18 miles for a fast charger) BUT it was not available in 2025 (already had 2 EVs parked for overnight charging by the time we got there and the 3rd one was broken/not usable). In 2025 we thankfully did not have to backtrack 18 miles thanks to more fast chargers and simply drove to OKC 1st thing in the early morning to charge up at their newest EA charger instead without any issues. For reference, we have used the Stroud, OK Hampton BEFORE having/using an EV so it was 'on the radar' anyway with bonus EV charging spots and we knew it was a safe and good location with easy in/out from I44.

 

[chris]

Ionna is our #1 choice now, but as you said they're new and don't have a ton of coverage yet. Only downside is that they rarely have their own bathrooms. They're often located next to a fast food restaurant or convenience store though.

Personally we love that EA is often located in Walmart parking lots. We like Walmart. Sure, it's not a high-end store, but we don't want high-end. We've never had a problem with their bathrooms, they're always open during hours we're driving, they have tons of products at good prices in case we need anything, and it's a large, climate-controlled store with wide aisles. I end up spending many of my DCFC stops going in to pee and then walking the back aisles to stretch my legs while I check things on my phone. Walking outside in the parking lot is fine when it's 70 degrees but not when it's 90, or 30.

I never really understood the Walmart dislike.

Hmm. It sounds like you have never had to experience Walmart bathrooms near American Indian reservations. It feels like the native American Indian residents either a) don't have the best plumbing or b) simply prefer to do their business in a public restroom (Walmart in this case). EVERY-SINGLE-time we are stopping near a reservation with a Walmart that also has an EA charger, there is always that horrid smell, often a wait for a stall, and overall nastiness (even bathing in the sink half naked is something I've unfortunately witnessed in both New Mexico (Gallup EA) and even Arizona (Winslow) -- once in each location so far.

Although I haven't personally gone to check them out, I've been told there are entire FB groups dedicated to 'the people of Walmart' where people have actually taken photos of what transpired/they saw. I honestly don't care to look as I've seen and smelled enough on my own thanks!

Interestingly enough, 2 of our IONNA stops are at Wally's (Pontiac, IL and Fenton, MO) and like Bucee's, has ample clean bathrooms and other stuff to explore while charging. Another is at a Casey's gas station (heck, one of our EA stops in Lebanon, MO in the past was at a Casey's gas station so that doesn't bother us either). I will have to investigate what the OKC and Tucumcari IONNA charge stops are near now so we know. Thanks for the tip on IONNA in that regard-- thankfully I really only need to investigate 2 of the IONNA stops now.

 

[dbsb3233]

Hmm. It sounds like you have never had to experience Walmart bathrooms near American Indian reservations. It feels like the native American Indian residents either a) don't have the best plumbing or b) simply prefer to do their business in a public restroom (Walmart in this case). EVERY-SINGLE-time we are stopping near a reservation with a Walmart that also has an EA charger, there is always that horrid smell, often a wait for a stall, and overall nastiness (even bathing in the sink half naked is something I've unfortunately witnessed in both New Mexico (Gallup EA) and even Arizona (Winslow) -- once in each location so far.

Although I haven't personally gone to check them out, I've been told there are entire FB groups dedicated to 'the people of Walmart' where people have actually taken photos of what transpired/they saw. I honestly don't care to look as I've seen and smelled enough on my own thanks!

Interestingly enough, 2 of our IONNA stops are at Wally's (Pontiac, IL and Fenton, MO) and like Bucee's, has ample clean bathrooms and other stuff to explore while charging. Another is at a Casey's gas station (heck, one of our EA stops in Lebanon, MO in the past was at a Casey's gas station so that doesn't bother us either). I will have to investigate what the OKC and Tucumcari IONNA charge stops are near now so we know. Thanks for the tip on IONNA in that regard-- thankfully I really only need to investigate 2 of the IONNA stops now.

We've used the Gallup and Winslow EAs and I don't recall having a problem, but there's always exceptions. Whether Walmart or Target or any other retailer. We don't use the bathrooms every stop, but we do at most (probably 2/3rds of them). Sorry that you had some bad experiences there. If I ran into a terrible bathroom, I'd usually try to report it to an employee/manager, or even the website (https://www.walmart.com/help/store-feedback). It helps them identify issues that need to be addressed.

We've used probably 200 different EA stations over the last 6 years, from CO to CA, GA, NH, MI, MT, and nearly every state in between. Probably half of those at Walmarts. No better or worse than anywhere else, IMO (most OK, but sometimes a bad one). Yes, some critics (typically for political reasons) prop up Walmart as a boogeyman, going so far as to create web pages to bash them (the price of being the biggest). Like so many things on the internet, I take those with a grain of salt, especially when they don't jibe with my own experiences with a business. But to each their own.

I'm a trip planning nerd, and a Google Maps nerd, so I'm nearly always checking out the stations and what's around them when I plan a trip. Not that it's usually gonna change my plants on where to charge, but it's nice to have an idea for what's there.

 

[chris]

I'm a trip planning nerd, and a Google Maps nerd, so I'm nearly always checking out the stations and what's around them when I plan a trip. Not that it's usually gonna change my plants on where to charge, but it's nice to have an idea for what's there.

It is indeed a great idea to look up what there is around so I will add that to my plan, thanks!

I also did just look up the Gallup IONNA and it is in a mall by a Hobby Lobby and right by a very well reviewed restaurant but I suspect we will roll in there around 10am before they open on the way down but perhaps its a good stop for the way home to eat and try it out! Tucumcari, IONNA is also right by a restaurant with decent reviews-- so I sense a them here-- haha

 

[Bus Driver]

This thread has posted the most recent activity so I’ll post my question here.

My partner and I launched on our yearly road trip from San Diego CA to Denver CO yesterday, our first road trip WITHOUT the benefit of EA’s free supercharging.

I used mostly Tesla supercharging stations, finding them not only cheaper, but readily more available and reliable than the one or two stops I made at Electrify America.

Here’s the thing. Regardless of where I charged, Tesla, EA, or Circle K, “Lucid Charging Service” charged me a fee of $25 for each time I charged, a fee that went on top of the cost of the actual charge.

When I checked my credit card transactions this $25 fee went from “Pending” to “Posted”. So far I have racked up about $100 in Lucid EV Charging fees.

Is this normal? I’ve since emailed Lucid Customer Care, disputing this charge but I haven’t heard back.

 

[ke2]

This thread has posted the most recent activity so I’ll post my question here.

My partner and I launched on our yearly road trip from San Diego CA to Denver CO yesterday, our first road trip WITHOUT the benefit of EA’s free supercharging.

I used mostly Tesla supercharging stations, finding them not only cheaper, but readily more available and reliable than the one or two stops I made at Electrify America.

Here’s the thing. Regardless of where I charged, Tesla, EA, or Circle K, “Lucid Charging Service” charged me a fee of $25 for each time I charged, a fee that went on top of the cost of the actual charge.

When I checked my credit card transactions this $25 fee went from “Pending” to “Posted”. So far I have racked up about $100 in Lucid EV Charging fees.

Is this normal? I’ve since emailed Lucid Customer Care, disputing this charge but I haven’t heard back.

I think you will see (once everything clears out) that the $25 is the initial "Let's make sure this credit card is working" charge. There will then be a second charge to true things up (i.e. if your charge was $45.64 in charging then there will be a second charge for $20.64 to true things up). Not sure what happens if you charge less than $25.00

 

[Aka-none]

What did the charger say about pricing? I’ve walked away from a charger before
Just a thought

 

[illopp00]

Ionna is our #1 choice now, but as you said they're new and don't have a ton of coverage yet. Only downside is that they rarely have their own bathrooms. They're often located next to a fast food restaurant or convenience store though.

Personally we love that EA is often located in Walmart parking lots. We like Walmart. Sure, it's not a high-end store, but we don't want high-end. We've never had a problem with their bathrooms, they're always open during hours we're driving, they have tons of products at good prices in case we need anything, and it's a large, climate-controlled store with wide aisles. I end up spending many of my DCFC stops going in to pee and then walking the back aisles to stretch my legs while I check things on my phone. Walking outside in the parking lot is fine when it's 70 degrees but not when it's 90, or 30.

I never really understood the Walmart dislike.

Usually, its the old EAs in the Walmarts that don't work, are derated or way off route....Otherwise I am a huge fan of DCFC in big box stores or grocery stores, very easy to get a snack, bathroom and coffee and get back on the road.

 

[doubletwist]

This thread has posted the most recent activity so I’ll post my question here.

My partner and I launched on our yearly road trip from San Diego CA to Denver CO yesterday, our first road trip WITHOUT the benefit of EA’s free supercharging.

I used mostly Tesla supercharging stations, finding them not only cheaper, but readily more available and reliable than the one or two stops I made at Electrify America.

Here’s the thing. Regardless of where I charged, Tesla, EA, or Circle K, “Lucid Charging Service” charged me a fee of $25 for each time I charged, a fee that went on top of the cost of the actual charge.

When I checked my credit card transactions this $25 fee went from “Pending” to “Posted”. So far I have racked up about $100 in Lucid EV Charging fees.

Is this normal? I’ve since emailed Lucid Customer Care, disputing this charge but I haven’t heard back.

I did not see anything like that on my recent road trip in the Air, whether I used plug-and-charge or not.

 

[Adnillien]

I think you will see (once everything clears out) that the $25 is the initial "Let's make sure this credit card is working" charge. There will then be a second charge to true things up (i.e. if your charge was $45.64 in charging then there will be a second charge for $20.64 to true things up). Not sure what happens if you charge less than $25.00

This is exactly what happens. If the charge is less than $25, the initial $25 is removed and the lower amount is billed. At least that is what I saw on a recent trip to Colorado.