Zero E-Michigan

Day 5: Pittsburgh to Charleston Stats and Map: Intended mileage 254 Actual mileage 270 Cumulative mileage 789 Number of charge stops 4 Charging cost $3.02 Charging energy (kWh) 8.6 paid and ~ 19 free Detailed Rever Map Video Route The route took me back roads into West Virginia and mostly along the Ohio River to a friend's house for lunch in New Martinsville, and then on to another friend's house in Charleston, WV.  One of my Michigan friends calls this my "sponge tour" since I'm apparently sponging off a good chunk of my friends in the areas I'm riding through.   First Stops My first stop was at Racoon State Park which was really just a pit stop, but they happened to have a free Level 2 charger so I got about 10 miles of additional range while I stopped...

Day 4: Genoa, OH to Pittsburgh, PA Stats and Map: Intended mileage 250 Actual mileage 250 Cumulative mileage 518 Number of charge stops 3 Charging cost $0.15 (no kidding) Charging energy (kWh) 7.3 paid + ~ 10 at friends' houses Detailed Rever Map Day 4 Video Route Today's route was more or less as planned from my friends Pam and Tom's house to my friends Karl and Mary's house.  However, there were quite a few detours due to road work, flooding, and a downed tree.  So the progress was slow along the lakeshore (little towns along the lakeshore with low speed limits), central Ohio (a million traffic lights), and the Pittsburgh approach (a really screwed up last hour or so due to that tree requiring me to go across a different bridge across the Ohio River).   La...

Day 2: Wet Weather Riding Stats and Map: Intended mileage 95 Actual mileage 95 Cumulative mileage 268 Number of charge stops 1 Charging cost $2.24 Charging energy (kWh) 6.4  Detailed Rever Map Day 2-3 Video Route Today was shorter by design because of the weather.   As expected, it was pouring all day so I chose to only finish my original route from Muskegon to Genoa.  Sure enough, I got soaked despite my "rain gear".  I think I need another visit to Cycle Gear and get some actual waterproof gloves and maybe a rain overcoat.  The internal jacket liner sorta works but it still means my main riding jacket gets wet.   Charging in Monroe, MI Charging Stop I probably could have made today's trip with a single charge, but to be honest I w...

Day 1: Muskegon to Genoa, OH Chelsea, MI Stats and Map: Intended mileage 274 Actual mileage 170 Cumulative mileage 170 Number of charge stops 2 Charging cost $2.50 Charging energy (kWh) 18 Detailed Rever Map Day 1 YouTube video Intended Route The intent on the first day was to get to Genoa, OH where a high school friend has invited me for dinner and an overnight stay.  I also wanted to meet up with a few other friends for a coffee in Chelsea, MI where there is a charging station in town.   My motorcycle, a 2022 Zero SR/S , has a secondary road range of about 100-120 miles depending on temperature and a few other factors.  So with a nearly 300-mile trip today, the goal was to stop 2 times to charge.  I typically like to ride 2-3 hours max before stoppin...

Riding the Dragon Tail of the Dragon   Designated US 129, the Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap, NC  boasts 318 curves in 11 miles and is bordered by the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cherokee National Forest with no intersecting roads or driveways to hamper your travel. Motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts in eastern USA typically fall into two categories:  They've ridden or driven the Tail of the Dragon or they want to.   Checking out the bikes Electrics at the Dragon Austin Ammarell, owner of eMoto Powersports , has been organizing an event to gather electric motorcyclists for several years called Electrics at the Dragon.  Renting a set of AirBNB houses in Robbinsville, NC, Austin's event allows eMoto enthusiasts to rent a room at very reasonable rates.  The shared common spaces like a garage with plenty of parking and common kitchen and living spaces fosters a sense a camaraderie and telling of riding stories for the attendees. ...

If you're a Tesla owner, chances are you do the bulk of your road trip charges at a Tesla Supercharger .   But let's say you're heading out on a US-based EV road trip in your non-Tesla.  Chances are,  Electrify America  (EA) stations are one of the charging options along your way.  If your car doesn't have a free charging option like many new Volkswagen ID4 vehicles or others, you'll likely need to pay for those charging sessions.   EA Pass versus Pass + EA has several payment options: No membership: Pay as you go with a credit or debit card Pass membership: Fund your account with a credit card, and use your app to pay - no monthly fee Pass+ membership: Fund your account with a credit card, and use your app to pay - $7 per month Which Is Best For Your Use Case? EA's only guidance for Pass+ is to recommend it if "I fast charge regularly" and mentions the $7.00 per month fee.   So what does that buy you?  Basically the monthly...

I came across a newly installed Level 1 public charging station recently which seems like an anachronism in the day and age of 100+ kWh battery packs.  In this case, it was a set of two 120V 20A Clipper Creek chargers which, based on the 80% NEC continuous use specification, only run at 16A (80% of 20A = 16A).   That puts the power output at just under 2 KW (120V * 16A = 1,920 Watts).  The average light-duty EV has an efficiency of around 3.5 miles per kWh, so this station would add a whopping 7 miles of range per hour of charging.  A 60 kWh battery pack in something like a Chevy Bolt EV would take 30 hours to fully charge from empty. Why in the world would anyone want that? The answer is quite simple:  When the vehicle will be sitting and charging for a long time, it doesn't matter.   What is the use case for that? How about airport long-term parking?  If you're gone for 2-3 days, who cares whether your EV is done charging in 3 hours or 36 h...