Just drove from San Diego CA to Phoenix AZ. There’s a 4,000 ft elevation change. I averaged 2.9 miles/kWh over 529 miles. I drove in rain (heavy at times), poor visibility, driving wind and darkness. I think the day I took my drive was the only day that it was predicted to rain ALL YEAR, between Yuma and Phoenix.
The planned distance between San Diego and Phoenix was 360 miles. I left my house at 100% charge, drove 280 miles to Dateland AZ, maintaining 80 mph much of the time, and arrived at the EA charging stalls with only 20% remaining.
When I arrived in Dateland the whole travel centre and gas station complex was completely dark. The power had gone out, probably because of the wind and rain. The Tesla supercharger stations were dark too. It was inevitable the EA charging stalls would be dark too.
Several minutes after my arriving, the power came back. The gas station reopened, but unfortunately the travel centre which sold the date milkshake decided to close right there and then, at 1800 hrs in the evening.
In the meantime, nothing on the EA app or PlugShare indicated that the EA DCFCs at Dateland would be completely dead upon my arrival. When I pulled up to my stall, there were already two Chevy Bolts and and Ioniq parked, none of them charging, all of them at low battery chaerge, and now in a dicey predicament.
The Tesla supercharger station and the EA station remained dark. At only 20%, I had two choices - drive 89 miles east to Buckeye AZ, or backtrack 63 miles west back to Yuma, which I drove past over an hour earlier. Lucid navigation predicted that I would arrive in Buckeye at negative (-) 17 miles. It also predicted that I would arrive back in Yuma at 0 (zero) miles. I decided to take the less risky option.
Wet and cold from the wind and the rain, and dateshake-less, I drove back to Yuma. I kept my speed at 60 mph, and drafted behind semi-trailers whenever I could. Often they would pick up speed and pull away from me. The drive back to Yuma was the longest hour of my life. But, keeping my speed at 60 mph, even the face of a headwind and wet roads, brought my efficiency back up tyo 3.1 miles per kWh. I pulled up to the fully operational Yuma EA DCFCs with 4% charge and 20 miles remaining.
I charged up to 90% in about 45 minutes, jumped back in my car and finally made it to Phoenix AZ, late at night, about four hours later than what I’d planned.
My drive from SoCal to Phoenix was a near disaster, no thanks to Electrify America. It was only the following morning, when a notice appeared on Plugshare and on their app, acknowledging that the Dateland AZ site was down for maintenance. What a clusterf*ck, a total $hitshow and a damn waste of an evening. My one silver lining was that at least, unlike two other hapless drivers at Dateland, I did not have to be towed anywhere.
This latest roadtrip experience has shaken my confidence in the viability of EV road tripping in anything other than a Tesla. The charging network for anything not-Tesla is just too spotty and too unreliable. I came away from this experience really, hugely disappointed, and very annoyed.
When I return to San Diego next week, I’ve already plotted where I’ll stop and charge, and Dateland AZ is not one of them. Boo, Electrify America. Abominable job you’re doing.
Lucid Air GT. 19 inch rims.
