[Kstype]

Hello all,

I just wanted to document our experiences on our first long-haul trip from SE PA to West Palm Beach, FL. First - I used the “Trip Planner” in the FordPass app to select our starting and ending positions and saved it as “Leg 1” of our trip…the app then syncs it with the Truck and you can select it from the Mytrips > FordPass Trips. Also, I am using the PlugShare app and using the check in functions at each stop.

We left PA at about 8 am with about a 74% charge and our first stop was at the EVGo station at a Wawa in Beltsville, MD at 10:07 am:

Wawa Beltsville #0593
10515 Baltimore Ave, Beltsville, Prince Georges, MD, USA

We used the 150 Kw charger name “Gustavo” and had no issues - we opened the Fordpass app, selected “Chargers” from the main menu and used the GPS location and selected the “Gustavo” charger and then “Activate”. It worked like a champ! Went into Wawa - used the facilities and got some snacks. Shut down at 80% and hit the road. No issues!

Our nest stop was an Electrifly America at a Walmart in Richmond, VA at 12:18 pm:

Walmart 2295 - Richmond, VA station details
7901 Brook Road, Richmond, Virginia 23227

Again, we parked at a 150 Kw charger #100272-03 and activated in the FordPass app and plugged in, bingo! No issues, we took it to 90% cause I wanted to meet some friends down in NC and did not want to use the chargers they selected when I did the original trip. I then programmed in the “Electrify America” at the Carolina Premium Outlets as out next destination and we should arrive there at 3:42 Pm.

Stay tuned for more updates! Ultimate destination today will be Brunswick, GA overnight and the rest of the trip tomorrow.

 

[ChasingCoral]

Nice writeup. Please include range between stations, starting and ending %SOC on legs/charging sessions, and how long it takes to charge if you can.

 

[Kstype]

Charging with “Gustavo” at Wawa in Beltsville, MD

 

[Kstype]

Nice writeup. Please include range between stations, starting and ending %SOC on legs/charging sessions, and how long it takes to charge if you can.

Will try - still getting my legs on collecting this data..

 

[Kstype]

What I have noticed is that it has you spend the minimum amount of time at each station, just enough to hop to the next one but i found that sometimes it’s better to charge a bit longer so you can skip a stop (and not deal with the traffic hassle you can experience etc).

 

[Kstype]

Oh - my daughter is driving now with Blue Cruise - WHAT AMAZING TECH!

Normally I would have been pulling my hair out on 495 traffic around DC but adaptive cruise and Blue Cruise handled it beautifully, no stress, just watch this amazing matching handle everything - almost like you were in a cocoon of calm.

IT JUST WORKS.

 

[Kstype]

I am also documenting this using my iPad Pro tethered to the Vehicle HotSpot which is also working great, and we found a mount for the portable monitor we use for travel and my wife is working out of the back seat while we drive.

 

[JFerg]

I am also documenting this using my iPad Pro tethered to the Vehicle HotSpot which is also working great, and we found a mount for the portable monitor we use for travel and my wife is working out of the back seat while we drive. View attachment 5659

Can you share a link to the mount?

 

[Kstype]

Can you share a link to the mount?

Sure thing - we tried a couple but this one was the best height wise for not getting a neck cramp…

Macally Car Headrest Mount Holder for Apple iPad Pro/Air/Mini, Tablets, Nintendo Switch, iPhone, Smartphones 4.5" to 10" Wide with Dual Adjustable Positions and 360° Rotation (HRMOUNTPROB) https://a.co/d/7mv43FF

 

[Kstype]

Ran into a nice Rivian Tech- it was his first time seeing the Lightning in person and mine with his R1T! Great conversations…this EV life is fun!

 

[Kstype]

We added an additional stop to deep charge at at the Carlolina Premium Outlets because my manager (who I rarely get to see since I live and work in PA and most of my team is in NC) came out to say hi since he was only 20 min from the charger.

Carolina Premium Outlets station details
1025 Outlet Center Drive, Smithfield, North Carolina 27577

I believe we arrived with 29 mi remaining (I forget the SoC) and when we pulled in it was next to a Rivian Tech and his work vehicle. Super nice guy and we had great conversations on the two trucks - it was the first time he saw a Lightning in person.

We activated the charger in the Fordpass app, plugged in and wham, 120-155 kw blasting into the pack. No issues, we took to about 87% SoC so we could make it to Florence, SC where we were staying overnight.

 

[Kstype]

We arrived in Florence, SC with about 27 mi of range, we reserved room at the Tru by Hilton because ”they had EV charging” but when we arrived the only EV chargers they had were 2 Tesla chargers - so if possible - be sure to ask for specifics - lol.

Not to worry though because I planned ahead of time and knew there was yet another Electrify America location in Florence with 350 Kw - 150kw stations that were all in service:

Walmart 630 Florence station details
230 N Beltline Drive, Florence, South Carolina 29501

Again, arrived pulled in front of station 04 and activated it in the Fordpass app, plugged in and again - IT JUST WORKED. Pumped up to about 87% SoC and went back to the hotel for an overnight until we leave for West Palm Beach, FL tomorrow…

 

[btreece]

Nice travel log! You should get the EA monthly pass. Only $4.00 per month and you save $.12/Kw, so you break even after 34Kw. Just start the charge session from the EA app instead of FordPass app or you don't get the lower rate. And you can cancel the EA monthly subscription after your trip if not using it.

 

[THEsocalledfan]

We arrived in Florence, SC with about 27 mi of range, we reserved room at the Tru by Hilton because ”they had EV charging” but when we arrived the only EV chargers they had were 2 Tesla chargers - so if possible - be sure to ask for specifics - lol.

But, I'm sure those were level 2, so you should have been able to charge just fine with a converter. I bough the 80 amp tesla tap converter just for this reason so I have it when I need it.

 

[Kstype]

Nice travel log! You should get the EA monthly pass. Only $4.00 per month and you save $.12/Kw, so you break even after 34Kw. Just start the charge session from the EA app instead of FordPass app or you don't get the lower rate. And you can cancel the EA monthly subscription after your trip if not using it.

I do have the monthly pass - thanks for reminding me! Will use that method today!

 

[jmcvicker]

We arrived in Florence, SC with about 27 mi of range, we reserved room at the Tru by Hilton because ”they had EV charging” but when we arrived the only EV chargers they had were 2 Tesla chargers - so if possible - be sure to ask for specifics - lol.

Not to worry though because I planned ahead of time and knew there was yet another Electrify America location in Florence with 350 Kw - 150kw stations that were all in service:

Walmart 630 Florence station details
230 N Beltline Drive, Florence, South Carolina 29501

Again, arrived pulled in front of station 04 and activated it in the Fordpass app, plugged in and again - IT JUST WORKED. Pumped up to about 87% SoC and went back to the hotel for an overnight until we leave for West Palm Beach, FL tomorrow…
View attachment 5667
View attachment 5666

Check out the Tesla adapter to J1772 : [For J1772 EVs Only] Lectron - Tesla to J1772 Charging Adapter, Max 48A & 250V - Compatible with Tesla High Powered Connectors, Destination Chargers, and Mobile Connectors

 

[btreece]

Check out the Tesla adapter to J1772 : [For J1772 EVs Only] Lectron - Tesla to J1772 Charging Adapter, Max 48A & 250V - Compatible with Tesla High Powered Connectors, Destination Chargers, and Mobile Connectors

You might want to look at the Tesla Tap instead - it will handle up to 80A.

 

[Kstype]

You might want to look at the Tesla Tap instead - it will handle up to 80A.

Nice - twice the price but much higher capacity.

 

[Voltz]

Nice - twice the price but much higher capacity.

Because you can't control* the current the Lightning asks for (80A) in vehicle software, you have to know with certainty that you are not connecting to an 80 Amp Tesla destination charger. Else, you have a man-in-the-middle Lectron adapter that only accepts 48 Amps with 80 Amps traveling through it.

* for some unknown reason I will never understand

 

[Kstype]

Hello all,

We departed Florence, SC and continued heading south. I’ve decided to keep our southbound trip high level detail and then we will document SoC and other key metrics on our Northbound trip.

Hit the following Electrify America Station in Walterboro:

Walmart 1358 - Walterboro, SC station details
2110 Bells Highway, Walterboro, South Carolina 29488

Hooked up to 150 Kw unit 02 and it looked like it wanted to start, went to initiating charge and then never completed. We cancelled and moved to unit 03. It worked a bit better but peaked at 119 kw input and then dropped to 70 and stayed that way. No other cars at this location so not a shared resource thing, I stopped the charge on unit 03 and moved to unit 04 and that held at 140-155 kw thru 80% - about 20 min, good time for bathroom break, stretch and snack.

Just as we were leaving we noticed that a service tech was there to work on the units.

This was the first time on our trip we had issues wit any charging stations.

Now on to The Electrify America in Pooler, GA.