A cool thing we did during our long weekend trip: charging our car on the EV chargers at Greenbank Farm. The historical farm has a Community Solar array, which was built in partnership between Whidbey Island residents, business and the Port of Coupeville.
Not sure if the panels directly supply power to the chargers, but it's a possibility.
The farm has a nice system of trails, which we enjoyed while the car charged.
@scott yes!
We stopped there because the chargers in the nearby town were being repaired. We didn't know what to expect and it was a pleasant surprise. Very nice short hike and some beautiful demonstration gardens.
@scott that is the way to go!
Having lunch in a Walmart parking lot vs. choosing a different charger and walking 5 blocks to a beautiful walk by a river was actually a choice we did at some point. The second charger was a J1772 but we had the time.
Checking ahead of time the chargers is also a good idea to see if they have good or bad ratings, if they are functional, etc. I don't think you're overthinking 🙂
I do have a piece of advise for road trips based on personal experience, if you are interested? Granted, our car is first gen, so it may not be as bad with the more recent models. But maybe it's helpful.
@marsiposa yes sure!
My 1st gen EV died recently. :( It did not have enough range to leave town so we never took it for road trips. Also it predated level 3 fast charging.
The new replacement supports level 3 which is new to me, so I’m learning all about charging networks and adapters woo hoo welcome to the future. 🤪
I am familiar with PlugShare and other tools — I just haven’t had road trip capabilities until now. 😁
I welcome any suggestions!
@scott wow your EV was pre-level 3 chargers?! 🙇♀️ [bows with admiration at a true pioneer] sorry to hear it died.
[Solemnly] the EV is dead. Long live the EV!
My understanding is that newer models don't have this issue, but I think the advice can also help the humans waiting for the car to charge:
Try to plan your trip in such a way that you don't have to do a big charge in the hot part of the day. We overheated the battery once by doing two consecutive fast charges in 80-90F. Once it's overheated, it would just not hold any charge. As I said, newer models shouldn't have this issue. But if you can charge when temperatures are lower, even if it involves leaving a bit earlier or staying up a bit late, I think it's helpful.
@marsiposa good tip! Hard to avoid hear during a summer road trip but I will keep an eye on it. :)
It’s just nice to be able to drive more than 70 miles without then needing 24 hours to recharge. 😂
Mar
Scott Murray 
