Zero E-Michigan

EV Road Trip - Day 3 Log (Final) Photos The photo album link remains the same.  Google tends to put the newer pictures at the bottom, so scroll down if you already viewed previous pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/4VBvWbB2YrPcssMw7 Updates 9:00 AM - Departure Holland, MI - 691 miles total With a reliable charging spot only 5 minutes walk from the hotel, I made my pre-breakfast trek to the Holland Bureau of Public Works (PlugShare link) , plugged in and let the car charge while I processed myself and had breakfast.  With less than 40 miles to go, this would be my last charge prior to arriving at home.  I departed Holland with an 88% state of charge. Windshield view of downtown Muskegon 9:57 AM - Arrival Muskegon, MI - 728 miles total (final mileage) The final few miles were rather anticlimactic.  Coming home from a road trip is always bittersweet for me.  It's great to be home, see family and relax (as evidenced by my delay in writing the final epi

EV Road Trip - Day 2 Log Photos The photo album link remains the same.  Google tends to put the newer pictures at the bottom, so scroll down if you already viewed yesterday's pics: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4VBvWbB2YrPcssMw7 Note, if you hover over individual pictures and click the circle "i", it opens up an info pane that includes my descriptions. In the photo album, click individual pictures, then: To get the info panel on the right of each picture: Updates 7:25 AM - Departure Litchfield, IL - 323 miles total EV Etiquette Hang Tag As planned, I got up early to move the LEAF with 80% state of charge back to Victory Lane Ford to get the final 20% while I processed and had breakfast at the Quality Inn .  For those making EV road trips along this route, its proximity to the  Victory Lane Ford  dealer and its Level 2 charger make this a great place to stop.  There's only one charger, so some EV Etiquette like leaving hang tags  o

EV Road Trip - Day 1 Log Updates Rather than posting a bunch of prose, I'll keep it short and post picture links.  Here's the album that will be updated as I go so bookmark it and refresh if you're following along: https://photos.app.goo.gl/4VBvWbB2YrPcssMw7 8:08 AM - Lexington, MO - 44 miles total GPS Track - KC to Columbia, MO This leg was mostly 55-60 MPH non-limited-access highway.  I stopped briefly at the Richmond WalMart, but just long enough to scout out the precise Lexington stop.  I did pick up 1 kWh ($0.21) while there. I discovered that not all the downtown ChargePoint stations in Lexington were on PlugShare, so I just added the  B&B Cannonball 6 Theater  on PlugShare . McDonald's is 2 blocks away and has WiFi.  I'm staying here a bit longer than I need to since it's more comfortable than I anticipate the I-70 Hospital in Sweet Springs to be.   9:19 AM - I-70 Community Hospital - 82 miles total More back roads

EV Road Trip Plan - Day 3 Benton Harbor to Muskegon, Michigan Holland, Michigan Charging Locations The night before Day 3 should have been spent in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  That will put me only 90 miles from my home of Muskegon.  I plan to make a quick stop in Holland , which is 55 miles from Benton Harbor.  With multiple charging sites in downtown Holland, I should be able to stay on the highway on the approach, grab a short charge and a coffee, then cruise on home.  Unfortunately, the one quick charge station at a car dealer is CCS only, which is a different DC Quick Charging plug format. CCS vs. CHAdeMO CHAdeMO Receptacle Image Source - FleetCarma If you're old enough to remember VCRs, you'll recall the VHS vs. Beta format war.  Aside from the Tesla quick charging standard, this is the situation DC Quick Charging finds itself in.  Without getting into too much detail ( Reuters article ) and history, Japanese cars like the Nissan LEAF tend to have CH

EV Road Trip Plan - Day 2 Litchfield, IL into Michigan Day 2 Route: Litchfield, IL to Benton Harbor, MI Assuming Day 1 has gone as according to the plan laid out in the prior blog entry , I should be in Litchfield, IL on the morning of Day 2 with a full charge courtesy of  Victory Lane Ford  and/or Level 1 (120 V) charging from whatever hotel I select. Day 2 will trace along Interstate 55 and Historic Route 66 into the Chicago outskirts.  Thanks to several EVGo DC Quick Chargers (DCQC), I anticipate zipping along the southern edge of Lake Michigan rather quickly. And I'm Off On a normal road trip, I tend to check out of the hotel, refill my coffee cup and hop on the highway.  In this case, range and speed efficiency is everything.  Therefore, I'll stick to back roads where I can travel 45-50 MPH. Interstate Highway and Adjacent Access Road (arrow) Access Roads Along many Interstate highways including I-70 and I-55, there are often access roads that ru