Lee said:
Some of my friends have had charging trouble on long trips with EVs in Texas and Oklahoma, especially with non-Tesla chargers. It’s one of the reasons I went with a hybrid instead.
Stay clear of Francis Energy stations in Oklahoma. EVgo, EA, and Tesla are better bets.
Lee said:
Some of my friends have had charging trouble on long trips with EVs in Texas and Oklahoma, especially with non-Tesla chargers. It’s one of the reasons I went with a hybrid instead.
Even with longer charging times, the convenience of charging at home has been worth it for me. I haven’t visited a gas station in years.
@Evelyn
Definitely seems worth it if you’re comfortable with a little extra time on trips.
The Leaf is a great city EV, but it’s not built for road trips.
With the Lightning’s range, you’ll have more options. If a charger is out, you have plenty of buffer to reach another.
Tesla’s Supercharger network is much more reliable than other networks. A Lightning with a Tesla adapter is great for road trips.
Check out used Ioniq5 or Lucid Air models too. Lucid prices have come down a lot.
All EVs see range drop in cold weather. My Model Y gets fewer miles per charge when it’s around 10°F, but it’s still manageable.
Things have definitely changed since the early days of the Leaf. EVs like the Ioniq 5 handle trips much better now.
We used to have a Leaf too but eventually upgraded to a Tesla for the Supercharger network. Way less stress, and my wife loves it.
I used to drive a Leaf. Big difference now. On our Atlanta to Orlando trips, we only add about an hour with two 30-minute stops. Way better than back then.
We’ve had a Leaf and now a Lightning. Charging on road trips with the Lightning is much easier thanks to CCS and Tesla chargers. The Lightning’s not the most efficient, but it’s comfortable and spacious.
My Lightning ER usually goes 320 miles, but hills and cold weather can reduce that. However, it charges faster and has better options than the Leaf, especially with access to Tesla’s network.
I switched from a Leaf to a Lightning. Both are electric, but that’s where the similarities end. The Lightning’s a fantastic road-trip vehicle.
Chademo was never designed for road trips—it’s capped at 50kW. With CCS and NACS, the Lightning’s a big upgrade for travel.
Try asking a local Ford dealer if you can test drive a Lightning for a weekend. Might help change your mind.
We have an older Leaf and would never use it for a trip. But the Lightning’s been fantastic for road trips, especially with the Tesla Superchargers.
I regularly get around 310 miles with my Lightning, pretty close to the EPA rating. Having Supercharger access makes longer trips way easier.