I recently completed my first road trip in an EV. I used my 7 free rental days through Audi On Demand and went for the etron over a Q7 to see what it would be like to have to rely on public charging stations while on a road trip. In the 6 months that I have owned an etron, I only used a public charging station once up until this trip.

Some good things...

- I got to put the miles on a 2022 Sportback with the premium plus trim vs. my own vehicle.

- The charging for the entire trip was free. I had 241 credits with Electrify America when I left town. 1250 miles and 428.52 kW worth of charging later, I still have 107 credits. It appears that the network was down on 12/17 which happened to be the day of the first leg of the trip. I see $0.00 for all of those pit stops. Everything after that date has a dollar amount associated with it, but my credits haven't dropped since 12/18 and I have done a lot of charging in between. It looks like the EA network is having some issues right now, at least with those who are using the free credits.

- With one exception, I did not have to wait to plug in, and the one stop where I did have to wait for < 10 minutes was Harris Ranch along I-5. It's Xmas week so I knew it was going to be busy, and I was looking forward to a steak sandwich so I dealt with it.

- I only encountered two non-working chargers, and in both cases there was another available charger that worked.

- I did not drive slow, and the range was not affected as much as I thought. I'm talking 75-80 mph at times. Regeneration while going downhill also made a difference.

Going chronologically so I don't forget anything major...

- Our first stop was in Atascadero where it took 32 minutes to pull 67.6 kWh which got it to 90%. It was here that I noticed that charging stations are not always in a good location where you can get some food, or find other ways to kill 30-60+ minutes. Our options at this particular location were a gas station and a Subway. (Strike one for public charging stations).

- Our next stop was Westlake Village which is northwest of LA. It took 29 minutes to pull 53.4 kWh which got it to 80%. The station was initially full when we pulled up, but a guy with an etron was trying to plug in, couldn't, and then pulled out of the spot. I pulled into the spot that he vacated and plugged right in while he waited to try another one. What happened is that it was the first time that he had used a public charger, and didn't know that he needed to pull down the DC cover. I showed him how to connect it, but he ended up having to wait. Sorry dude.

- Charging while we were in SoCal was uneventful for the most part. I almost got paint all over the car as I was pulling out of a charging station in Vista. Some db dropped a gallon of paint out of the back of his truck. Fortunately, I saw it coming and moved to the right. I ended up getting a little paint on the front left tire which got a little in the wheel well and a couple of spots on the inside of the rim. I wiped off the drops that got on the rim. No big deal. A couple of other cars didn't fare as well. They got blueish gray paint all over one side of their car. Again, not all of the charging stations were in places where there was much to do. The night before we left I topped off and charged from 73% to 100%. It took 26 minutes to pull 24.8 kw. I also noticed by then that chargers that do reach the 147-150kW range start to throttle back once the SOC gets into the 71-73% range. By the time you hit 80% it's more like 100kW and it keeps dropping from there. This means that you are looking at nearly 60 minutes of down time if you are on a road trip and need to charge to 100%. (Strike two)

- Now, I should point out here that Audi's are among the fastest charging EV's out there right now. I encountered a number of other EV's at stations that take for-ever to charge. When I pulled into Harris Ranch I saw mostly Chevy Volt's and some other dumb looking EV's that apparently also take for-ever. Of course, they are all charging to 100% as well so they take even longer. While I ate my steak sandwich and moved my etron out of it's spot when it was done, I saw three etrons including mine charge and leave while a Chevy Volt sat there the entire time, and it was still there when we left. I really want to call strike three at this point, but I'll wait.

- As I got closer to home, the charging speeds dropped. I had been doing okay up until that point. Some would take a few minutes to ramp up, but most would end up pulling at least 120kW. Once I got close to home, and after I got back home it was more like 80-90kW. My biggest takeaway from using public charging stations is that they are unreliable (Strike three).

- Oh, last story and sorry if I'm being long winded. While I was charging near my house the night before I took the car back to the dealership, some cat in a BMW iX pulled up. There was an empty station, but the cable wasn't long enough to reach the port that is stupidly located at the rear right side of the vehicle. He had to wait for a slow charging VW to move before he could plug in. Holy hell, that sucks. I noticed the charging port location when I looked at an iX. The Mercedes EQS SUV has the same issue. The single port is where the gas cap used to be and half of the stations are unusable to them unless they drive up a curb and park half of the vehicle in the dirt. Ford and Audi got it right when it comes to the charging port location. BMW and Mercedes got it wrong.

After this trip, these are the reasons why my next road trip, and probably several more after that, will not involve an EV....

- It adds 1.5-2 hours to what would otherwise be an 8 hour drive. This is not good, especially with a couple of kids in the car. The biggest issue that came up is too much time being wasted at charging stations due to unreliable charging infrastructure, and the etron's mediocre range.

- It is NOT cheaper than a gas burner. Had I paid for the charging out of pocket, 428.52kW would have come to a little over $184. In our Honda Accord Hybrid, the same trip would cost about $120. The EV will beat some gas guzzlers, but most gas burners will get you there much faster and for less money.

- The possibility of having to wait just to charge the car. I got lucky and only had to wait for a few minutes once, but if you get unlucky and the stations are full that can really make for a long day on the road. If you are the only one suffering that's one thing, but if you have kids in the car or have to be somewhere at a certain time, the unpredictability is a deal breaker.

Takeaways....

- If you typically drive < 100 miles per day AND can charge the car overnight while you sleep, EV's are for you.
- If you have a really long commute, have to rely on public charging stations, and/or plan to take long road trips, I would wait a couple of years before buying an EV. Battery range, charging speed, and infrastructure all need to improve.
- After driving the mid-trim etron Sportback, I am really glad that I got the high trim. It was worth it.
- Driving over the Grapevine did not cause the battery range to crater. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

 

All good points, and thanks for sharing your experience. I’m very familiar with Harris Ranch stop and how busy it gets. What I’ve learned in my 5+ years of EV ownership is other EV drivers are either clueless or couldn’t care less about charging ethics.

in regards to your cost, you have to consider that a good majority of your charging will be done at home. Your road trip was also done during the winter, when efficiency is impacted the most. In my experience, during the summertime in ideal conditions, I’m able to hit 2.7-2.8 mi/kWH. My cost driving from the bay to LA is a lot cheaper than if I were to take my Q5 which does about 28 mpg.

 

The chargers are not doing the throttling, it's the car. All EVs slow down the rate of charge as you approach 100% to avoid damage to the battery. The e-tron is about the fastest there is from 80% to 100%, pulling 90kW at 90% and 50kW at 100%. Charging to 100% in an e-tron does not give you the huge time penalty that you get with other EVs.

 

Not exactly comparing apples to apples here. Does this "8 hour drive" not include any fuel stops, potty breaks or other things that can be accomplished while charging? Fuel stops can also involve waits for snacks or whatever. Most of this stuff is also unpredictable.
Cost per kWh varies widely by location and charging company. Many areas still charge by the minute which greatly benefits the e-tron.

 

Agree, and also needed is a roof over the charging stations for those days with cold pouring rain mixed with sleet (a strike you didn't call).


I plan trips to avoid needing to charge past 80%. It is almost always faster to charge to 80% and make an extra stop. If the next stop is 50kW maximum or slower, sure, charge to 100% now.

Your time estimate is too long, unless you are getting reduced power or the battery is cold, or something like that. Hey, Audi, put in a temperature gauge for this reason, please.

More like 40 minutes, 0% to 100%, which should never be the plan. Note that below 6% is also reported to be slower than 100kW, I've never tried that low. The longest actual charge time I've had with the etron (USA, so 55) was 34 minutes, which was ~20% to 100%.


Mostly agree, but remember that unreliable is relative, and depends on the alternatives. While EA is less reliable per charger than EVgo, at least in my experience, the fact that most EA locations are 4 chargers means my chance of finding an available and working charger is higher at EA with four chargers than at EVgo with a single charger per location. The advantage of more chargers is alternatives. Alternatives add reliability. Some possible trips have enough alternatives. Some do not.


I've seen usually less than 1 hour on an 8 hour drive. 8 hours at about 70 MPH is a little over 500 miles, which is 3 stops of about 20 minutes each. I'm very unlikely to stop only three times, as the wife's bladder usually isn't good for 2 hours. The EV isn't usually slower than a gas car would be for me but your situation is different.


Local trips save money. Longer trips, multiply the cost of power ($.31 per kWh at local EA) times about 8 to 10 compare with gasoline ($2.48 to $3.10). National AA gas price is $3.097 as of today. Sometimes cheaper, some times more expensive. The e-tron is an electron guzzler, so should be compared with a gas guzzler, not a Prius. Or even an Accord.


I've yet to have to wait to charge the etron. I did twice see someone wait while I was charging, for a few minutes both times. Yet I agree that your conclusion is likely correct, for some people at some times. There just isn't enough charging equipment yet, and it isn't reliable enough yet, for an EV trip to be as predictable as a gas car. That doesn't bother me today, but it might have in the past. Yet even the gas car trip can have various issues such as a road covered in snow, ice or tomatoes.


Yes. +1
This is the real win use case for an EV, daily driving.

Dailly drive less than 100 miles per day, or less in very cold climates (perhaps 70 miles), and perhaps 200 miles if you have reliable charging at both home and work, is OK. But not more.

If you can't charge at home or work, I'd wait on an EV until there was a good, reliable and convenient daily charge.

Long trips, depends on where to and how tight of schedule you have. A trip to Sleeping Buffalo MT, for example, would be a huge pain. Without crossing the border with Canada, the closest public charging of any sort is 201 miles away. Or an RV park, often an interesting experience. Oh, and that is an L2. Want 150kW? That's 380 miles away or more, unless you go into Canada.

On the other hand, some longer trips are fairly easy, with alternatives so should be fairly predictable. Depends on how much you do this, as well. Once a year is probably OK, to many destinations. Once a week would be a pain.


Close, but not quite. Drops below 50kW above 98%. Which is still fast.

 

I got a hair over 2.5 mi/kWh on this trip which is pretty good for this car and means that the estimated range is as advertised, especially since I was going 75-80 some of the time on I-5. It was a winter trip, but the weather wasn't cold while we were in SoCal. Forecast says mid 70's at the beach on Xmas day. Low 80's inland. Teeth are chattering everywhere else in the country right now except for parts of CA. 55 is forecast for Miami on Xmas day. That's brutal for them.

Also, let me clarify that my experience since buying my etron at the end of July has been really good. I have a short commute to work, and I am fortunate to have a garage with a charger installed. Other than this road trip, I have used a public charging station once since I bought the car. I will take the etron on day trips to Pt Reyes, or visits with the in-laws that will only require a short stop of 5-10 minutes to charge on the way back. For now, I will stick with the gas burner on long road trips, and revisit this in a couple of years. I am fine with my 2022 etron for the time being, and plan to keep it until the new platform becomes available. There is a chance that I might swap it for a 2024 if the resale value of my 2022 is good enough, but I don't think it's likely.

I expected Harris Ranch to be busy, especially since it was Xmas week. I would not expect to have trouble finding an available charging station there most of the time, but it's the travel season and a lot of people are out on the road so I figured that I would be waiting at some point. There are a few key locations on I-5 that could really use more charging stations. The Enos Shell just north of the Grapevine is #1. The EA app shows that one being full most of the time during daylight hours. It's a popular place to stop for southbound traffic because even the lower range EV's can at least get to Orange County from there.

 

Indeed, it's something that I don't think about very much living in CA. The weather is pretty boring here.

True, it is too long if the charger is working at 100% efficiency. If the charger ramps up to 147-150kW fairly quickly and it still putting out 100kW when the SOC hits 80% then it's all good news. If the charging rate is that good, you can often get to 90% before it drops below 80kW. The problem that I encountered the majority of the time is that the charging stations were putting out 90-120kW, not the 150kW that the sales reps mention when they tell you how fast the car is capable of charging. One ramped up to 134kW, but it took a little while and didn't hit that mark until the SOC was 70%. Shortly after that it started throttling back. That's why the time estimate is longer. From my experience, expecting 150kW every time you stop to charge is going to throw off your schedule.

I admit that I could have been a little more efficient with the charging stops. I didn't really know what I was doing, and this ended up being a good learning experience. If I made the same trip again, I could shave 30 minutes off the pit stops.

I multiplied by $0.43 to get the $184 number since I don't pay the $4/mo for the EA membership. 87 Octane is about $3.75-4.25 in CA right now. I went with $4/gal when I estimated cost. If you are driving a gas guzzler it is comparable to an etron. If you are driving a Ford Expedition etc. it's going to cost more than the $0.43 at EA. The difference in cost is insignificant though no matter what you are driving. You don't save a lot with an EV, nor do you save a lot with an efficient ICE. People who don't own an EV like to ask questions relating to operating costs, so I figured that I would include it.

Is the charging free? Most of the time, no. Sometimes you get lucky and the network is down.

Is it cheaper than gas? If you are using public chargers, not really. Charging at home is where you save the money.

 

On my Colorado trip, recorded peak rates: 148.5 kW, 140 kW (very hot day), 146.4 kW, 152.1 kW, 150.3 kW, 152 kW, 151.3 kW, 153.6 kW, 152.1 kW, 153 kW, 149.8 kW, 152 kW, 152 kW, 152.4 kW, 153.4 kW, 152.8 kW, 151.3 kW, and (ouch) 35.6 kW

I didn't record all the peak rates, but the others were all near 150kW. And there were a few time I switched chargers because of a low charge rate.

The last one was in Frisco, CO. Four chargers, one I couldn't use without driving onto the landscaping and two in use. Mostly a stop for the usual reason, but wanted a little extra for Vail Pass while we were there. Was sleeting in late May in Frisco, 2766 meters or 9000 feet altitude. Snow on Vail pass.

Could have been a schedule breaker. But didn't really need the stop.


When taking a long trip, pay for a month of EA, cancel when you get home. Even one charge is enough to make it a good investment. Breakeven is 19kWh. I take enough long trips so I just maintain the membership.


Gas was $5 to $6 in California on our trip. Most expensive charge was at the Taos Center for the Arts, which asked for a donation that worked out to about $0.50 per kWh. Checking Plugshare, I notice they now charge $0.40 per kWh, no longer a donation, expensive, but charging in downtown Taos with tons of things to do, a park, good food, shopping, art stuff and such. L2, we were staying overnight walking distance away. Three stations, one other car. Rather better than a dollar store, a gas station and a subway.

 

I'm sure you already know this, but for everybody else reading this thread, it's probably good to remind folks that if you encounter an EA charger that starts up and delivers ~35kW and just stays there, it's a busted charger. Likely a cooling loop issue in the cable. Since EA stations have liquid-cooled cables, they weren't designed to run much current without the cooling fluid working. So even though there are plenty of 50kW stations out there that don't have cooled cables, those cables were designed to run at 50kW without active cooling. EA cables were not, and so their "fail safe" condition is ~35kW without active cooling.

TL;DR: if you get the dreaded 35kW charge rate, just unplug and move to another dispenser (or try the other cable on the dispenser). Odds are pretty good you'll get full speed on another one.

 

Good tip, thanks.