Okay folks,

I leave this Friday at 5pm. Abrp says 5 stops. I've made up my own trip plan as well. ABRP uses 3 of my 5 stops. I'm only using tesla chargers, I find them to be more reliable on trips, and honestly just in general in my experience. I've made a log essentially with detailed information such as starting % stoping % how ling are we charging for, how much did it cost, that kind of stuff. Basically all of the information I've been searching for while planning this trip but couldn't find any real info. I'm going to post my form when I get back. Any last minute tips for 1k+ trips if any of you have don't them yet?

I've already made this trip in my traverse probably 15 times.

I'm planning on mostly maintaining a speed of 70 mph

 

Okay folks,

I leave this Friday at 5pm. Abrp says 5 stops. I've made up my own trip plan as well. ABRP uses 3 of my 5 stops. I'm only using tesla chargers, I find them to be more reliable on trips, and honestly just in general in my experience. I've made a log essentially with detailed information such as starting % stoping % how ling are we charging for, how much did it cost, that kind of stuff. Basically all of the information I've been searching for while planning this trip but couldn't find any real info. I'm going to post my form when I get back. Any last minute tips for 1k+ trips if any of you have don't them yet?

I've already made this trip in my traverse probably 15 times.

when people say Tesla is more reliable it depends on who you are comparing them to. Newer non tesla competitors using modern charging equipment such as IONNA and MB are very reliable. Even current gen EA is reliable as are the pilot/FJ stations generally. Tesla is a lot mroe reliable vs low end competitors and vs old EA stuff- not really much different compared to top tier competitors in 2025.

 

when people say Tesla is more reliable it depends on who you are comparing them to. Newer non tesla competitors using modern charging equipment such as IONNA and MB are very reliable. Even current gen EA is reliable as are the pilot/FJ stations generally. Tesla is a lot mroe reliable vs low end competitors and vs old EA stuff- not really much different compared to top tier competitors in 2025.

And with PlugShare you often get real world observations of the charger status that are just hours old. I always plan using ABRP or Google maps and then verify each recommended charger using PlugShare the day before or day of my trip.

 

Personally I’m sold on EA. Good prices and generally good location

 

when people say Tesla is more reliable it depends on who you are comparing them to. Newer non tesla competitors using modern charging equipment such as IONNA and MB are very reliable. Even current gen EA is reliable as are the pilot/FJ stations generally. Tesla is a lot mroe reliable vs low end competitors and vs old EA stuff- not really much different compared to top tier competitors in 2025.

I also try to use Tesla charging on road trips From Phoenix to College Station, Texas from my experience they are more reliable, charge quicker and reasonably priced. I did use one Ionna charger twice at the same location. The trouble is from Phoenix to College Station I only saw 1 Ionna charging location. In general I think Tesla is still the best to use and I hate saying that because of Musk.

 

And with PlugShare you often get real world observations of the charger status that are just hours old. I always plan using ABRP or Google maps and then verify each recommended charger using PlugShare the day before or day of my trip.

yes, if people never use anything other than Tesla how can we hold the other CPOs accountable and check for progress? I have seen people on FB who try to scare new owners away from using anything but Tesla. If they have one or two bad experiences at some backwater, no name charger they will then start saying Tesla is the only way to go, etc. In 2021 or so that may have been true, but its not now. I think Chargepoint is actually pretty decent in terms of reliability but a lot of their chargers are slow.

 

I also try to use Tesla charging on road trips From Phoenix to College Station, Texas from my experience they are more reliable, charge quicker and reasonably priced. I did use one Ionna charger twice at the same location. The trouble is from Phoenix to College Station I only saw 1 Ionna charging location. In general I think Tesla is still the best to use and I hate saying that because of Musk.

Tesla is faster compared to a lot of older CCS charging, but not superior to PFJ, IONNA, EA or MB. I'm just saying you can choose networks that meet your criteria as opposed to thinking its Tesla or bust. Sure compared to a lot of second rate or older CCS stations Tesla is a better option. Not so much vs top tier competing networks. PFJ is now at 208 locations open and you can cross a few interstates or at least go between many major cities just using their network alone (although they aren't the cheapest".

 

Personally I’m sold on EA. Good prices and generally good location

they get a bad rap from EV veterans who have dealt with them in the past when they were struggling with hardware but they are solid now. Not only have they replaced a lot of older stuff, most of their current builds are 6 or 8 stalls.

 

I have had problems with two different EA locations this year, by which I mean extremely slow, like tens of KW. Maybe they were older ones that weren't updated, but that doesn't help much when they were where you needed them. And if you look at the Plugshare checkins, they have been that way for some time. OTOH, I have had perfect experiences with Pilot and Chargepoint, and all of the above were accurately represented on Plugshare. I only tried the poorly rated EA locations because if they did work, they would have been faster than the alternative Chargepoint.

I think this gets to the point that a key reason many people just default to Tesla is that they don't want to hassle looking up ratings and hoping that the EA they want is newer. And while others may work well if they are newer, Tesla - from what I have heard (I don't have an adapter) - isn't so variable. Others reliability is improving, but Tesla was already there.

 

I have had problems with two different EA locations this year, by which I mean extremely slow, like tens of KW. Maybe they were older ones that weren't updated, but that doesn't help much when they were where you needed them. And if you look at the Plugshare checkins, they have been that way for some time. OTOH, I have had perfect experiences with Pilot and Chargepoint, and all of the above were accurately represented on Plugshare. I only tried the poorly rated EA locations because if they did work, they would have been faster than the alternative Chargepoint.

I think this gets to the point that a key reason many people just default to Tesla is that they don't want to hassle looking up ratings and hoping that the EA they want is newer. And while others may work well if they are newer, Tesla - from what I have heard (I don't have an adapter) - isn't so variable. Others reliability is improving, but Tesla was already there.

They key with Tesla locations is really the number of stalls. Ive seen EV road trip videos where SC units are out of service or poor performing BUT you an usually go to the next one because there are so many. I was trying to do a test on my car and the tesla stall I went to (others weren't accessible because of how other cars were parked so I couldn't reach my port) had a broken handle.

If an EA has all 350kw units, its got newer stuff and that is the easy way to skip any older potentially less reliable locations. If I'm going on a trip with 5 stops maybe I don't feel like checking anything and I throw up my hands and go all Tesla- but for me such a long drive isn't common- maybe not even likely so spending a minute to look for a modern EA, IONNA, PFJ or anything else isn't a big deal.

I plan to drive to ME next summer and from what Im seeing you will almost be forced to use tesla depending on how far from Portland you go. But beyond a situation like that, it's not that hard to find decent non tesla charging in much of the country.

 

I have had problems with two different EA locations this year, by which I mean extremely slow, like tens of KW. Maybe they were older ones that weren't updated, but that doesn't help much when they were where you needed them. And if you look at the Plugshare checkins, they have been that way for some time. OTOH, I have had perfect experiences with Pilot and Chargepoint, and all of the above were accurately represented on Plugshare. I only tried the poorly rated EA locations because if they did work, they would have been faster than the alternative Chargepoint.

I think this gets to the point that a key reason many people just default to Tesla is that they don't want to hassle looking up ratings and hoping that the EA they want is newer. And while others may work well if they are newer, Tesla - from what I have heard (I don't have an adapter) - isn't so variable. Others reliability is improving, but Tesla was already there.

I also like Charge Point

 

I have had problems with two different EA locations this year, by which I mean extremely slow, like tens of KW. Maybe they were older ones that weren't updated, but that doesn't help much when they were where you needed them. And if you look at the Plugshare checkins, they have been that way for some time. OTOH, I have had perfect experiences with Pilot and Chargepoint, and all of the above were accurately represented on Plugshare. I only tried the poorly rated EA locations because if they did work, they would have been faster than the alternative Chargepoint.

I think this gets to the point that a key reason many people just default to Tesla is that they don't want to hassle looking up ratings and hoping that the EA they want is newer. And while others may work well if they are newer, Tesla - from what I have heard (I don't have an adapter) - isn't so variable. Others reliability is improving, but Tesla was already there.

I think you have stated clearly how many of us feel about charging our cars and especially on road trips

 

I have had problems with two different EA locations this year, by which I mean extremely slow, like tens of KW. Maybe they were older ones that weren't updated, but that doesn't help much when they were where you needed them. And if you look at the Plugshare checkins, they have been that way for some time. OTOH, I have had perfect experiences with Pilot and Chargepoint, and all of the above were accurately represented on Plugshare. I only tried the poorly rated EA locations because if they did work, they would have been faster than the alternative Chargepoint.

I think this gets to the point that a key reason many people just default to Tesla is that they don't want to hassle looking up ratings and hoping that the EA they want is newer. And while others may work well if they are newer, Tesla - from what I have heard (I don't have an adapter) - isn't so variable. Others reliability is improving, but Tesla was already there.

I think you have stated clearly how many of us feel about charging our cars and especially on road trips

esla is that they don't want to hassle looking up ratings and hoping that the EA they want is newer. And while others may work well if they are newer, Tesla - from what I have heard (I don't have an adapter) - isn't so variable. Others reliability is improving, but Tesla was already there.
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I'm currently in the middle of a 4000 mile road trip (in my R1S, not Blazer). I definitely prefer Tesla chargers. Cheaper, more reliable, and never an issue finding an available station. For road trips I recommend buying a Tesla subscription (available month to month). It's only $13 and quickly pays for itself with the 30% lower rates. Good luck!

 

Of course, Tesla is not always available (as I have learned on my road trip), but it is my first choice. Even Rivian network (I own an R1S) is more expensive than Tesla, usually even without the Tesla subscription. Fortunately, there is generally a solution available.

 

there are still rural areas or other areas with minimal charging where the Tesla charging is still Tesla only. I figure the more non tesla people who flock to their stations, the better things will get for all the other stations. I really do feel like for many its like getting into an exclusive club that you were denied access to for years- people want to be there just because they couldn't before. When it comes to 800v cars, Tesla clearly isn't the superior option.

 

I am so confused by all this; I suspect primarily by my very limited time of EV ownership. Only a couple weeks.
Tried a Tesla charger and couldn’t get my ‘25 Blazer charge port close enough to plug into the Tesla Cable. Tried a different charger at ChargePoint…. But….Didn’t know how to start preconditioning my battery!!
This isn’t going to be easy once I venture away from my level II home outlet and try to travel.

Advice for this novice ?

 

its really not that complicated. If you set a charging point in your navigation the pre-conditioning starts automatically. If not, you can initiate it manually in the car before you get to a station but its not a huge deal in moderate temps. Pre-conditioning is most valuable in cold weather because it allows the car to receive more power from the charger by warming up the battery to optimal temps. Don't expect any real notable benefit this time of year.

Tesla stations (well at least up until the latest hardware) was only designed for teslas which is why the cables are short. They are only designed to be optimal for their own cars that have the charge port in the same position regardless of model.

 

Generally you simply have to take up 2 spaces at Tesla stations because of the short cords provided. I've not had any complaints so far. Battery preconditioning is recommended but not required. It will just extend the length of your charge time by a bit. Good luck and happy EVing!