New Hampshire to San Diego (2023 Model Y LR)

[bwilliams]

I'm just beginning to plan my umpteenth drive across the US; it's all about the dog (now #3). This will be a first via electric car. I'm considering taking as many off-freeway routes as possible using ideas from Road Trip USA. What little planning I've tried via charging route maps is challenging as they want to take me right back onto freeway routes. It may be that charging is unavailable on "lesser" roads. Curious if anyone has driven the roads less traveled east/west and any recommendations.

 

[gaswalla]

Abetterrouteplanner.com

 

[bwilliams]

Abetterrouteplanner.com

It is one that I've tried to "force" onto my preferred route by choosing towns that are off the freeways and on the "highway" route but directs me back to freeways. That might be the only choice for me. Freeways. Sorta done with freeway driving day after day.

 

[EVFamilyGrins]

Route planners are designed to get you from A to B the most efficiently and given that most of the cross country SC network is on freeways, that is how they will route you. You'll have more success picking sites/places you want to visit and then route plan to them. ABRP allows you to set waypoints, and I find it works better to plan a day at a time if you are going backroads. Hotels with destination chargers will be important on backroads.

Having done a few cross country EV trips (with dogs and cat!), they are easy if you stay on the main Freeways. You should have a fair amount of backroad SC options east of the Mississippi, but once you hit the plains you're going to be restricted to I70, I40 or I20/10 until you get to CA. I don't usually recommend a CCS adapter for cross country, but depending on your backroad route it might make sense (check with you local EV club as some members will loan/rent their adapter)

Dog Mode makes traveling with pets very easy, especially if you want to sight see as you can safely leave them in the car. Just plan for a 5-10 mile range loss per hour of dog mode (depending on temps) and that you can't use Dog Mode under 20% battery.

Good luck and let us know what interesting places you find

 

[bwilliams]

Route planners are designed to get you from A to B the most efficiently and given that most of the cross country SC network is on freeways, that is how they will route you. You'll have more success picking sites/places you want to visit and then route plan to them. ABRP allows you to set waypoints, and I find it works better to plan a day at a time if you are going backroads. Hotels with destination chargers will be important on backroads.

Having done a few cross country EV trips (with dogs and cat!), they are easy if you stay on the main Freeways. You should have a fair amount of backroad SC options east of the Mississippi, but once you hit the plains you're going to be restricted to I70, I40 or I20/10 until you get to CA. I don't usually recommend a CCS adapter for cross country, but depending on your backroad route it might make sense (check with you local EV club as some members will loan/rent their adapter)

Dog Mode makes traveling with pets very easy, especially if you want to sight see as you can safely leave them in the car. Just plan for a 5-10 mile range loss per hour of dog mode (depending on temps) and that you can't use Dog Mode under 20% battery.

Good luck and let us know what interesting places you find

Thanks and that makes sense about the route planners. I will need to customize in short segments. I agree about dog mode - love it and does allow much more freedom. I will certainly keep a diary of sorts for this trip. My cross-country trips have become really dull so looking forward to a little more scenery on this trip. I'm just burned out driving along side so many semi trucks day after day and would like to try lesser roads. I'll look into the CCS as well.

 

[charlesoris]

Another factor to consider is the travel season:
Summer: I-70, I-80, I-90
Winter: I-40, I-10

 

[Earl]

If you want to get off the main highways or not do direct point to point, Plugshare.com is your best source for finding charging options.

 

[DuncanM]

I'm just beginning to plan my umpteenth drive across the US; it's all about the dog (now #3). This will be a first via electric car. I'm considering taking as many off-freeway routes as possible using ideas from Road Trip USA. What little planning I've tried via charging route maps is challenging as they want to take me right back onto freeway routes. It may be that charging is unavailable on "lesser" roads. Curious if anyone has driven the roads less traveled east/west and any recommendations.

I'd suggest that you should acquire a CCS1->Tesla adapter. There's often non-Tesla CCS1 DCFCs in rural areas and being able to use that charger can make all the difference during a road trip. Likewise make sure you have a Tesla mobile charger in the car with NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 adapters, at a minimum, along with the J1772-> Tesla adapter. Rural areas often have RV parks with NEMA 14-50 outlets and they will often allow EV charging (for a fee) and that can fill in the gaps in rural areas. Some places and hotels will have J1772 L2 chargers available.

You can use Plugshare to find all the potential charging locations in a given area, if you set the charging filter to Tesla SCs, DCFCs, L2 chargers and NEMA 14-50 outlets. Make sure to read the comments regarding a given charging location, since that will give vital clues as to it's operational status, Load the Chargepoint, EVgo, EA, etc, apps into your cell phone and set up the required accounts to save time when on the road.

If you find that an EV campground, especially if not listed in Plugshare that's located in a convenient location, phone ahead and see if they'll let you charge there.

You can use the car's web browser to view Plugshare and ABRP, and then set them as favourites in the browser for fast access. You'll need a premium data plan from Tesla to use the incar web browser.

 

[Earl]

I'd suggest that you should acquire a CCS1->Tesla adapter.

Likewise make sure you have a Tesla mobile charger in the car with NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 adapters, at a minimum, along with the J1772-> Tesla adapter. Rural areas often have RV parks with NEMA 14-50 outlets and they will often allow EV charging (for a fee) and that can fill in the gaps in rural areas.

^^^ all great advice ^^^
Additionally, if you're very intrepid about leaving the beaten path, the TT-30 ("30-amp" RV outlet) adapter from TT-30 Adapter for Tesla Model S/X/3/Y Gen 2
Can help at smaller RV parks that don't have NEMA 14-50 ("50-Amp" RV" outlets

 

[bwilliams]

I'd suggest that you should acquire a CCS1->Tesla adapter. There's often non-Tesla CCS1 DCFCs in rural areas and being able to use that charger can make all the difference during a road trip. Likewise make sure you have a Tesla mobile charger in the car with NEMA 5-15 and 14-50 adapters, at a minimum, along with the J1772-> Tesla adapter. Rural areas often have RV parks with NEMA 14-50 outlets and they will often allow EV charging (for a fee) and that can fill in the gaps in rural areas. Some places and hotels will have J1772 L2 chargers available.

You can use Plugshare to find all the potential charging locations in a given area, if you set the charging filter to Tesla SCs, DCFCs, L2 chargers and NEMA 14-50 outlets. Make sure to read the comments regarding a given charging location, since that will give vital clues as to it's operational status, Load the Chargepoint, EVgo, EA, etc, apps into your cell phone and set up the required accounts to save time when on the road.

If you find that an EV campground, especially if not listed in Plugshare that's located in a convenient location, phone ahead and see if they'll let you charge there.

You can use the car's web browser to view Plugshare and ABRP, and then set them as favourites in the browser for fast access. You'll need a premium data plan from Tesla to use the incar web browser.

good info, thanks. I only have mobile charger at this point and started looking into CCS which seems iffy in places so I can see reading comments on plugshare is key.