Touring Owners - What % do you charge to at EA while traveling?

[gavram]

Touring owners - What % do you charge to when using a DC fast charger while traveling to not spend too much time at the charger but also not have to stop too frequently?

I ask as I know the charging speed slows towards the end so I'm trying to determine what is the best mix. I'm asking Touring owners as we don't have as much range as the GT owners.

I used an EA 350 DC fast charger for the first time on a trip yesterday and needed enough to go 245 miles. I was getting ~3.2 avg on 20" wheels so I charged to 95%, but it took almost an hour to charge...I was expecting a much shorter charge time. I got home with 22 miles remaining, so it was only around 3.5 hours of travel time.

 

[Bobby]

Touring owners - What % do you charge to when using a DC fast charger while traveling to not spend too much time at the charger but also not have to stop too frequently?

I ask as I know the charging speed slows towards the end so I'm trying to determine what is the best mix. I'm asking Touring owners as we don't have as much range as the GT owners.

I used an EA 350 DC fast charger for the first time on a trip yesterday and needed enough to go 245 miles. I was getting ~3.2 avg on 20" wheels so I charged to 95%, but it took almost an hour to charge...I was expecting a much shorter charge time. I got home with 22 miles remaining, so it was only around 3.5 hours of travel time.

That really depends how far you need to go. Ideally, 80%, but if you’re on a road trip and need to squeeze every last mile… I will charge higher, especially if no one is waiting.

 

[joec]

Touring owners - What % do you charge to when using a DC fast charger while traveling to not spend too much time at the charger but also not have to stop too frequently?

I ask as I know the charging speed slows towards the end so I'm trying to determine what is the best mix. I'm asking Touring owners as we don't have as much range as the GT owners.

I used an EA 350 DC fast charger for the first time on a trip yesterday and needed enough to go 245 miles. I was getting ~3.2 avg on 20" wheels so I charged to 95%, but it took almost an hour to charge...I was expecting a much shorter charge time. I got home with 22 miles remaining, so it was only around 3.5 hours of travel time.

What Bobby said. Generally, when I take my Touring on a road trip, I charge no further than 80%, unless I absolutely have to in order to reach the next charger with a safe cushion of extra miles. That happened to me only once so far, when traveling from Boulder up to Billings, MT. There were no fast charging stations between mid-Wyoming and Billings. So I had to push the charge to 90% in order to safely get to the charger in Billings. Same on the way home. Barely made it both times.

Fast charging from 80-100% will take as long as it does to go from 20-80%. It's ridiculously slow. So it's not worth it unless there's no other option.

I find with my Touring, if the weather is good, and I keep it under 75, I will get at least 3 miles per percent. (The more precise calculation is harder to do in your head, and you will likely do a bit better than that, but this is a good rule of thumb.) So do the quick math and plan accordingly. Keep an eye on how many miles you are getting per percentage drop and be ready to change plans if necessary. And remember that you never actually want to get to zero.

 

[BobFM]

Lots of threads on here about the charging curve as you go further into the pack. Once you go above 80%, it slows down quite a bit, regardless of vehicle, to protect the battery. Going from 80-90+ can take longer than going from 20-80.

Like @Bobby mentioned, what percentage you go to all depends on if you need the extra juice on a road trip. That said, if people are waiting, always recommend you be courteous to other EV drivers.

 

[gavram]

What Bobby said. Generally, when I take my Touring on a road trip, I charge no further than 80%, unless I absolutely have to in order to reach the next charger with a safe cushion of extra miles. That happened to me only once so far, when traveling from Boulder up to Billings, MT. There were no fast charging stations between mid-Wyoming and Billings. So I had to push the charge to 90% in order to safely get to the charger in Billings. Same on the way home. Barely made it both times.

Fast charging from 80-100% will take as long as it does to go from 20-80%. It's ridiculously slow. So it's not worth it unless there's no other option.

I find with my Touring, if the weather is good, and I keep it under 75, I will get at least 3 miles per percent. (The more precise calculation is harder to do in your head, and you will likely do a bit better than that, but this is a good rule of thumb.) So do the quick math and plan accordingly. Keep an eye on how many miles you are getting per percentage drop and be ready to change plans if necessary. And remember that you never actually want to get to zero.

Thanks Joe...that helps. Is your 3 miles per percent estimate based on 20" wheels?

 

[Bobby]

Thanks Joe...that helps. Is your 3 miles per percent estimate based on 20" wheels?

Take a look at your efficiency on the pilot panel. From that, you can extrapolate range.

 

[Halodde]

The mental arithmetics can be a bit much. I don't know if there's a definitive answer. I agree with Joe above. However, I also factor in the number of stops needed adding to the total travel time. I think in general, the fewer stops, the faster you arrive no matter how fast the charging goes. At least that's what I read here somewhere.

 

[Golfervet]

I am not into stress and range anxiety so I just typically stop every 2.5-3 hours or 150-250 miles. Most EA chargers are at a store of some kind so we plug in go inside for bathroom break, grab a drink or snack and go back to the car, usually 25- 30 minutes has passed so I unplug and go. We probably charge to 80-85 %. This just eliminates any stress.

 

[joec]

Thanks Joe...that helps. Is your 3 miles per percent estimate based on 20" wheels?

19s for me. But I bet the 20s aren’t too far off that. It’s a conservative estimate.

 

[sk8ndad]

What I do is stop at lunch and set the limit to 90%. When I return from lunch it is almost always above 80%. I stop the charge and head off. At night, I charge it to 80%.