It's 2024, and Road-Tripping With a Non-Tesla EV Can Still Be a Nightmare

Renting a ride for an out-of-state trip sounds like a great idea. At first, that is. Why take your vehicle during the busy Holiday season and risk scuffing it or having someone steal it? This person, who owned a Lucid Air Grand Touring (America's fastest-charging EV) but sold it for a new Tesla Model X, probably thought the same. Their decision is not just understandable; it's relatable!

The only problem is that he chose a Mustang Mach-E – an EV that's equipped with the CCS Combo 1 charging port. As such, he was forced to disregard Superchargers because none from Florida are equipped with the NACS-to-CCS adapter known as the "Magic Dock."

Still, the man hoped that fast charging wouldn't be too much hassle. He was expecting a queue. What he didn't anticipate was that the DC charging pedestals weren't working properly. Not only that, but the Electrify America station he chose was also important for locals and tourists. So, things would only get worse as more people wanted to replenish their EVs' batteries.

There were four DC dispensers, and only one was online. But even the one fast charger that was available didn't work properly. It was limited to an output of 64 kW. That's less than half its capacity. People had to wait around for almost an hour to get some electrons. Now, tell a BMW M3 or Toyota Tundra owner that they would have to spend hours in a place for only 150 miles of range.

Things didn't stop going wrong there and then, though! When he finally hooked the Ford to the charger, the software identified him as Sarah, a person who has an ID.4 with some free charging left. He at least got some electrons at no cost. Let's hope Sarah won't have to pony up!

Pay attention, get enamored with prevention

But if this EV fan were to do a little research before going to Florida, he would have found out that the Electrify America charging station located at the Walmart Supercenter was poorly reviewed by many other drivers of zero-emission cars.

On the popular platform PlugShare, the charging station has a score of 2.6 out of 10 after over 500 reviews. Google Reviews tell a similar story. He could have avoided it if he had looked around the web for some information. It's particularly concerning that a former owner of a (rather pricey) CCS-equipped car forgot about the state of Electrify America charging stations. If he managed to erase this information from his brain so fast, why should anyone think that more people would want to be a part of this movement right now?

Of course, that was rhetorical. The answer is obvious. We want to get more people behind the steering wheel of an EV because we want to fight climate change, lower our cities' ambient noises, and reduce our dependency on what other countries decide when it comes to setting the price of crude oil (aka black gold).

But that's not going to happen overnight. For now, no matter how hard automakers and governments are trying to convince everyone that not having a car with an exhaust system is better, embracing battery-electric vehicle ownership remains a challenge. Many will do it out of curiosity, some because of incentives, while most Americans are still in no position to jump ship.

Besides being expensive, battery-electric vehicles require their own version of fuel stations. That's what Dieselgate-born Electrify America should have been. Other companies like ChargePoint, Blink, 7Charge, EVgo, FLO, and Volta were supposed to chip in and enable EV owners to travel everywhere. In reality, Tesla's Supercharger network is miles better. It's not just us saying it. People who have given up on gas-powered vehicles say the same thing.

Many names, few viable solutions

The EV market is also split: most battery-electric vehicles on sale today have the CCS Combo 1 connector, while Tesla designed its own charging port and plug. That's going to change soon because most auto brands, except those Stellantis owns, reached a deal with Tesla and adopted the NACS connector. That also granted them unrestricted access to the Supercharger network.

However, for the time being, if you buy an EV that's not a Tesla, fast charging won't be a piece of cake.

It's true that if you're an EV owner, you can charge at home. That's going to be cheaper than filling up with gas for your weekly commute. But what happens when you have to drive from Louisville to New Orleans, or you want to go on a trip far away from home? You need an app to check for available chargers and pray that they work when you find them tucked away in the far-most side of a parking lot or between different stores.

Besides all that, there's also this thing called the charging curve existing and prospective EV owners must be aware of. If your car has a big high-voltage battery but can't take full advantage of the DC dispenser, then you're going to spend even more time plugged in.

A delicate balance

At the same time, you can't always charge to 100% because going from 80-85% to 100% takes almost the same as charging from 10% to 80%. A few days ago, I told you about how replenishing the energy storage unit of an EV is like trying to fill a stadium with people.

When it's empty, it's easy for fans to find their seats. When it's nearly full, it might take a while before a ticket holder gets to their designated area. That's what happens in a battery when new electrons are finding their way into the cells.

The bottom line is that if you want an EV that suits your current lifestyle, the smartest move is to lease or buy a slightly used one. New battery chemistries, better and more efficient motors, superior electrical architectures, and different charging ports are coming. That means existing EVs will lose their value pretty quickly. Don't be caught off guard because it'll cost you.

All those upcoming changes are what make all-electric drivetrains cool and very promising, but we shouldn't rush things.

And don't forget about those pesky apps showing you charging stations across the country! They might come in handy.