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Atlanta to Asheville

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Vitaman

Member
Supporting Member
Aug 9, 2014
618
243
Decatur, GA
Taking my family to Asheville this week and it will also be my 1st Electric road trip.
Do I need to charge in route?
Staying in a Condo, what are the charging options in Asheville?
Thanks for any and all help.
 
Atlanta to Asheville is 208 miles on 85 and 197 miles on 441, so should be doable with a range charge in an 85, but be careful because the elevation change will suck some range out from you as you approach Asheville. The new trip planner feature should help if you have it. There are quite a few places to charge in downtown Asheville. I've charged several times in the Buncombe County Health and Human Services building. It's a free 30A J1772. Looks like there are some new CHAdeMO stations in the area as well if you happen to have the CHAdeMO adapter. Call the Condo to see if you can get a 120V outlet to use to at least get some range back overnight.
 
I take the back way up 575 through Blue Ridge. Much more pleasant a ride. If you have a CHAdeMO adapter, you will have plenty of options. I charged in Waynesville, just southwest of Asheville and had a great meal (with free wifi) at Sweet Onion. Met some nice folks at the charger within eyesight of the restaurant.
 
1. Search this forum for "Asheville". Go back to the "Southeast" page (parent page of this thread), find the search box in the upper right corner, and enter "Asheville" into it. You'll find plenty of prior discussions. Note that a few Chademo sites went online about a month ago, if you have that adapter.

2. Use Plugshare. There are always new Level 2 locations popping up. And destination HPWCs. And residential "shared" HPWCs! All in Plugshare.
 
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Did use plugshare and although their are a fair number of options, very few are level 3.
Made it there and back...but it was not easy. Stopped in Anderson at the Bleckley Inn (super nice folks) and although it was level 3, it was an extra 20 miles of driving and a 90 minute stop I would not have made in a gas car or with a supercharger in Greenville.
Charging in Asheville is all level 2 and required a 10 minute walk each way to charge and then retrieve car. Not the end of the world but not at all convenient.
Stopped on the way back at the Orchard Inn in Saluda. This is only 25 miles from Asheville but is level 3. Spent an hour topping up and crawled into Atlanta with 16 rated miles left.
Had I gone my normal speed I would have had to stop in Commerce for an hour or two.
I don't take many road trips but after this experience I would hesitate to recommend a Model S to someone who does.
Frankly, as an enthusiastic owner I am surprised that I reached this conclusion. However, facts is facts.
As an aside, the day before I left, I put my destination in Asheville into the Nav. It routed me to the Supercharger in Macon!
And then on the way back from Asheville, it routed me to the supercharger in Charlotte! Might be wandering around still had I followed those routes.
 
As chance would have it, just got back from an unplanned trip to South Georgia.
Superchargers completely revolutionize traveling! Probably taking the role of Captain Obvious here, but yesterday was the 1st time I ever used a Supercharger.
Stopped in Macon on my way down to Douglas and it was tricky to find. Not as bad an area as I had read here and right next to a really sweet little museum. Nice people there and ultra clean rest rooms.
Then on the way back later that night, stopped in Tifton. Also a tad tricky to locate but well situated next to a Starbucks. It's very convenient to the Interstate and other than having only Corporate food choices for a late night dinner, pretty much perfect. A guy in a tricked out truck stopped by to find out more about the "awesome looking car". He was a local who had never seen anyone charging in any of the 8 stalls.
Without slowing down (75 mph the whole way) was able to make it back to Decatur with 21 miles left. Cutting it close but worth it to not stop.
Hope Drucifer is right.....the trip to Asheville will be a different animal with a SC in Greenville.