Planning trip in new Air GT, LA to OH - 2500 miles!

[baldraver]

Hi all, just got a new Air GT and am spending the summer in Ohio. Am planning on road tripping to Ohio in the new car (with an old dog), and would like any advice.

First, the tires. I have 21", which I am a bit worried about popping on pot holes. Should I buy some 19", and how does one do that exactly, haha. Just find some cool rims and buy nice tires?

In case of flat, should I buy a second jack? Do I need a tool to pop off the caps? Advice?

Any other tools/equipment for emergencies?

Charging times, and advice on where to stop? Any apps to download?

Thanks all, Eric

 

[Bunnylebowski]

If you’re on apple ecosystem there is a GT Range Siri shortcut made by @joec on here which is great at estimating miles remaining based on current efficiency, which the car is less good at. It will also teach you a lot about how speed and temperature affect efficiency, dramatically so.

For apps, PlugShare is a must so you can investigate stations you’re hoping to stop at to make sure they’re functional or not power limited. You can also search for lodging with L2 chargers.

I do like A Better Route Planner as it can recommend charging stops and you can tell it what SOC% you want to arrive at and it will figure it out for you. I find it tends to under-estimate your efficiency and you do better than expected.

Basically I plan the route using PlugShare/ABRP but then put the stops into Lucid navigation as I like the Lucid navigation interface best and in the pilot panel it’s pretty good at predicting arrival SOC% at each stop, although the Siri GT Range shortcut is still better. I usually just stop at EA after checking the EA app to make sure they’re not broken at that moment or occupied, but even then plan to stop and charge at 20% and then have a backup plan past that charger in case that charger sucks.

As for wheels, while the 21s look the best, I would not take a chance with them on a long distance round trip road trip as they lose integrity below 40F and can bubble later. I have almost 28k miles on my GT with 19” and have had zero issues and have done many road trips, some of it on frightening surfaces and the car did fantastic. This issue with larger tires is not exclusive to Lucid. My wife’s Volvo XC40 Recharge has 21” Pirelli Scorpions, and has had two flats in 7 months, luckily both being slow leaks/nails not stranding her, but still I’ll take the better reliability and range over looks with the 19”.

Other road trips items: NoCo portable battery jumper-hopefully you never need it, but having helped another Lucid with a 12v failure that a tow driver couldn’t figure out, I will always make sure I have that jumper with me just in case. Also Twraps wireless phone charger is so much better than the Lucid one, makes fussing with that slot or USB cables no longer a problem. Bring some PANASONIC batteries for your Fob in case you run out. Bring a portable Ryobi (or other brand) rechargeable air compressor in case you need to add air to the tires and some needle nose pliers for getting off the valve stem cap if you have 19” wheels with aero covers. And bring a rinseless car wash bottle of your choice with some microfiber towels in case some birds or weather mucks up your car, and an interior cleaned like Chemical guys leather cleaner or Jay Leno’s one in case of a spill in the interior. That’s all I can think of but maybe some other owners have ideas. Good luck on the trip!

 

[DeaneG]

+1 for @Bunnylebowski 's tips. I carry a bottle of window cleaner spray (e.g. Invisible Glass), a roll of paper towels, and a container of disinfecting wipes for charger handles, all in a cardboard box on the back driver's side floor where it's easy to get to while charging. Disinfecting wipes also work great for scrubbing dried fatty bugs off your windshield, though they'll leave a heavy haze that comes off with windshield wiper fluid and wipers, or glass cleaner.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Oh! And download apps for Chargepoint, EVGo, Flo, Shell Recharge, Volta, EVConnect and even Tesla as there’s more MagicDock stations now although you’ll only get 50kw and the cable only reaches the Lucid port if they’re the sideways stations or you take up 2 spots. If your destination(s) have only Tesla destination L2 chargers you may want to get the 80 amp TeslaTap.

 

[davidliu]

Exciting! I don't think you need to worry about anything expect for installing plug share. I did a 2300 miles road trip through the most remote areas in continental US. It was a blast road tripping with the GT.

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Exciting! I don't think you need to worry about anything expect for installing plug share. I did a 2300 miles road trip through the most remote areas in continental US. It was a blast road tripping with the GT.

Yeah partly I was OCD over-prepared because I usually road trip with the wife and 3 year old.

 

[davidliu]

Yeah partly I was OCD over-prepared because I usually road trip with the wife and 3 year old.

With wife, then for sure you need to be over-prepared. lol. I was traveling alone and camped along the route all 7 days.

 

[victoryroad]

I agree with Bunny's recommendations. I use ABRP, the EA app and the car's nav system as well as Apple Maps for more granular directions on local roads. I have other charging apps but have not had to use them. You can order a set of 19s from Lucid with AS tires and mounting is easy with the new OTA.

I did a 2000-mile cross country on the northern route in March last year on my 19s with Sotto Zero winter compound tires in mostly freezing weather averaging 3.3 mi/kWh. No problem charging at mostly Walmarts with EA stations. I plan to drive 1900 miles east from Denver in a few weeks on AS tires but the more southerly route so should get better efficiency than 3.3. I have a full-sized spare that fits in the frunk and a jack that just fits under the jack points if the tire is not flat. If a flat can hold air I would prefer to just inflate it until I could get to a tire shop. Sidewall punctures require a spare, but jacking the car can be a bit tricky. The structure is apparently stiff enough to use the jack point nearest to the good tire, but I have not had to do that.

Overall, the AGT is to me a nearly perfect cross-country car. Stable and for my mostly three or so hours of seat time, sufficient charge to get me to a charging station with 20% SOC. I am not in a race so more charging stops are not a problem for me or my energetic three-year-old large standard poodle who needs to get some exercise every few hours.

There seems to be a fair amount of angst about long-distance EV driving, but the AGT is more suited to it than other EVs. FWIW, I saw no EVs on the interstates except around larger towns or cities. One public rest stop on the interstate in Indiana at 5:30 pm on a Sunday had 8 vacant Tesla kiosks and four vacant EA kiosks, so I infer that many EV owners do not drive cross country, at least in Indiana.

 

[DeaneG]

...There seems to be a fair amount of angst about long-distance EV driving, but the AGT is more suited to it than other EVs....

Agreed, road-tripping with the AGT is much closer to doing it in a gas car than in an EV. We generally charge once per day, or not at all if we had destination charging the night before.

 

[BS8899]

Hi all, just got a new Air GT and am spending the summer in Ohio. Am planning on road tripping to Ohio in the new car (with an old dog), and would like any advice.

First, the tires. I have 21", which I am a bit worried about popping on pot holes. Should I buy some 19", and how does one do that exactly, haha. Just find some cool rims and buy nice tires?

In case of flat, should I buy a second jack? Do I need a tool to pop off the caps? Advice?

Any other tools/equipment for emergencies?

Charging times, and advice on where to stop? Any apps to download?

Thanks all, Eric

First, I think it will be a wonderful trip!

I too, travel long distances with my old dog, my 14 year old American Eskimo. Nowadays, I drive my Lucid (AGT, 19" wheels) and my Rivian R1S (in Conserve mode).

If you want to read my roundtripping experience in 4 different cars (hybrid, PHEV, 2 EVS), you can look up "

Road Tripping on EVs and Gas-based Cars, A Perspective. (posted Jan 29. 2024)​

In short:
> with proper planning, road tripping in an EV requires proper planning but is entirely possible (unless you are going to the Dakotas and Wyoming )
> it will take longer than in an ICE car as you will have to stop to charge. My rule-of-thumb is, I charge to 100% before I leave home. Thereafter, I charge to 80% at stops along the way. Typically, it takes 40-45min to charge from 10% SoC to 80% SoC. Going beyond 80% SoC takes too much time.
> be situationally aware. If you drove @80-85mph, it will significantly reduce your range.
> I can cover the 780 mile trip (Phoenix to Sausalito) with 2 charging stops en route. The trip in the Lucid takes ~1.25-1.5 hr longer than driving my Lexus hybrid. If I drove the Rivian, it will take an additional charging stop, adding another 30-40min.
> I try to stop at the charging stations along the interstate and avoid going into the cities to charge. For example, I stop at Buttonwillow (along I5) vs Bakersfield. Buttonwillow has several charging vendors (EA, EVGo, Rivian, Tesla). It is mostly a truck-stop. Most of the people charging EVs there are fellow interstate travelers. The problem with going into the city to charge is, you are competing with the urban EV drivers.
> DON'T go to places like the EA chargers at Cabazon Outlet Mall. Sometimes, cars sat there for hours, fully charged while their owners went shopping!
> With cars like the Lucid and with proper planning, you should not have range anxiety (but it will take longer than an ICE car if you travel more than 400 miles per day).
> some people (driven by range anxiety) insist they can't go below 20% SoC. before stopping to charge. I routinely go to 10% SoC or less. The lowest ever was 2% SoC when I reached the charging station. I didn't freakout because I know exactly where the charging station was. Point is, planning and knowledge is key. "Range Anxiety" in a Lucid is because you didn't do your homework.

Enjoy your trip! Post, and let us know how it went!

 

[Bunnylebowski]

That’s funny I got screwed at the Cabazon outlets too, in a Polestar 2 so the range anxiety was real! It was exactly as you said, 2 chargers not working, and one taken up by a Jaguar that had been at 100% for 2 hours and a Bolt also at 100%. I had much better luck at the Crystal City EVGo near Palm Springs, only 1 charger occupied and great speeds.

 

[BS8899]

That’s funny I got screwed at the Cabazon outlets too, in a Polestar 2 so the range anxiety was real! It was exactly as you said, 2 chargers not working, and one taken up by a Jaguar that had been at 100% for 2 hours and a Bolt also at 100%. I had much better luck at the Crystal City EVGo near Palm Springs, only 1 charger occupied and great speeds.

Yup! Charge at the stations by the Interstate. These interstate travelers have the same agenda as you, get back on the road quickly. While the outlet mall patrons are there to shop and take advantage of a convenient parking spot. Also, avoid the city chargers. They are occupied by the locals.

 

[Daniel2022AT]

All good advice. I agree about 19”, ABRP, PlugShare, and EA apps. It’s really not that complicated. I drive about 75-76 mph which is most relaxing for me, use ACC, and it greatly helps with efficiency.

I tend to drive only 200-250 miles and stop to stretch and pee, that’s usually 3-3.5 hours, my preferred cadence. The car has longer range than my bladder. Charging more frequently results in much shorter charging time per stop. Works for me.

 

[Lucken]

Other road trips items: NoCo portable battery jumper-hopefully you never need it, but having helped another Lucid with a 12v failure that a tow driver couldn’t figure out, I will always make sure I have that jumper with me just in case. Also Twraps wireless phone charger is so much better than the Lucid one, makes fussing with that slot or USB cables no longer a problem. Bring some PANASONIC batteries for your Fob in case you run out. Bring a portable Ryobi (or other brand) rechargeable air compressor in case you need to add air to the tires and some needle nose pliers for getting off the valve stem cap if you have 19” wheels with aero covers. And bring a rinseless car wash bottle of your choice with some microfiber towels in case some birds or weather mucks up your car, and an interior cleaned like Chemical guys leather cleaner or Jay Leno’s one in case of a spill in the interior. That’s all I can think of but maybe some other owners have ideas. Good luck on the trip!

Bunny, is this the jumper you’re talking about?

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-UltraSafe-Lithium-Starter/dp/B015TKUPIC

 

[Bunnylebowski]

Bunny, is this the jumper you’re talking about?

https://www.amazon.com/NOCO-GB40-UltraSafe-Lithium-Starter/dp/B015TKUPIC

Yeah that’s the one I have. I haven’t needed to use it but it holds a charge for a LONG time, like over 1 year it had only lost 1 bar of power. It also has emergency flasher lights, a flash light, and USB ports so if your car was stone dead at night this thing can jump you or provide hazard lights or power if your phone needed a charge.

 

[Lucken]

I’ve got a different one, but I like this one better. I’ll order it, thanks.

 

[Buffalo Bob]

I have this jumper. It seems to be a pretty decent one for the money. Of course, you won't require a lot of 'oomph' for an EV, but it cranked up my ICE Lexus car quite well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BQHNQH2K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[SM_NCarolina]

Hi all, just got a new Air GT and am spending the summer in Ohio. Am planning on road tripping to Ohio in the new car (with an old dog), and would like any advice.

First, the tires. I have 21", which I am a bit worried about popping on pot holes. Should I buy some 19", and how does one do that exactly, haha. Just find some cool rims and buy nice tires?

In case of flat, should I buy a second jack? Do I need a tool to pop off the caps? Advice?

Any other tools/equipment for emergencies?

Charging times, and advice on where to stop? Any apps to download?

Thanks all, Eric

ABRP and Plugshare for planning and use Lucid maps for driving directions as it provides you SOC on arrival (it keeps changing based on your drive). EA chargers are reliable than before, so select EA chargers only option in Lucid navigation settings. Plan, plan and plan is the key. Charging can be a long the highway but plan your meal and snack breaks around charging.

 

[baldraver]

If you’re on apple ecosystem there is a GT Range Siri shortcut made by @joec on here which is great at estimating miles remaining based on current efficiency, which the car is less good at. It will also teach you a lot about how speed and temperature affect efficiency, dramatically so.

For apps, PlugShare is a must so you can investigate stations you’re hoping to stop at to make sure they’re functional or not power limited. You can also search for lodging with L2 chargers.

I do like A Better Route Planner as it can recommend charging stops and you can tell it what SOC% you want to arrive at and it will figure it out for you. I find it tends to under-estimate your efficiency and you do better than expected.

Basically I plan the route using PlugShare/ABRP but then put the stops into Lucid navigation as I like the Lucid navigation interface best and in the pilot panel it’s pretty good at predicting arrival SOC% at each stop, although the Siri GT Range shortcut is still better. I usually just stop at EA after checking the EA app to make sure they’re not broken at that moment or occupied, but even then plan to stop and charge at 20% and then have a backup plan past that charger in case that charger sucks.

As for wheels, while the 21s look the best, I would not take a chance with them on a long distance round trip road trip as they lose integrity below 40F and can bubble later. I have almost 28k miles on my GT with 19” and have had zero issues and have done many road trips, some of it on frightening surfaces and the car did fantastic. This issue with larger tires is not exclusive to Lucid. My wife’s Volvo XC40 Recharge has 21” Pirelli Scorpions, and has had two flats in 7 months, luckily both being slow leaks/nails not stranding her, but still I’ll take the better reliability and range over looks with the 19”.

Other road trips items: NoCo portable battery jumper-hopefully you never need it, but having helped another Lucid with a 12v failure that a tow driver couldn’t figure out, I will always make sure I have that jumper with me just in case. Also Twraps wireless phone charger is so much better than the Lucid one, makes fussing with that slot or USB cables no longer a problem. Bring some PANASONIC batteries for your Fob in case you run out. Bring a portable Ryobi (or other brand) rechargeable air compressor in case you need to add air to the tires and some needle nose pliers for getting off the valve stem cap if you have 19” wheels with aero covers. And bring a rinseless car wash bottle of your choice with some microfiber towels in case some birds or weather mucks up your car, and an interior cleaned like Chemical guys leather cleaner or Jay Leno’s one in case of a spill in the interior. That’s all I can think of but maybe some other owners have ideas. Good luck on the trip!

Thank you all for this info! I may try to find some 19" wheels... -_-

 

[gavram]

Headed to Cleveland area?