# How to Plan an EV Road Trip: Step-by-Step Guide

By Gregory Wilson · Excerpt from Chapter 10 of *EV Curious?*

Your first road trip in an EV can feel daunting, but EV travel is not only feasible — it's often more enjoyable than gas car trips. The US went from about 4,000 high-speed chargers in 2017 to over 70,000 by early 2026, a roughly seventeenfold increase in under a decade.

## The six steps

1. **Use your car's built-in trip planner first.** Enter your destination in your EV's navigation system. Most modern EVs include a planner that selects charging stops, accounts for elevation and weather, and tells you exactly how long to charge at each one. The planner targets a 10-15% arrival buffer.

2. **Cross-check unfamiliar stops with PlugShare.** Read the most recent two or three user reviews. PlugShare surfaces problems faster than the network's own status app. If recent reviews look bad, swap that stop before you leave.

3. **Pad your stops in cold weather.** If outside temperatures are around 20°F or below, expect 20-40% range loss. Add an extra 10-15% to each charging stop, or add a backup stop in between. Cold also reduces charging speed until the battery warms up.

4. **Plan the return trip too.** Think about the entire journey. If you'll arrive with only 10% battery, consider what return-trip planning looks like starting from 10%. If charging at the destination is unreliable, charge to 30% on the last stop before arrival.

5. **Stay flexible while you're driving.** If your planned arrival percentage at the next stop keeps dropping, search for a closer charger and stop there instead. The expanding network means there's almost always a backup option within range.

6. **Choose between networks based on price and amenities.** When you have a choice between Electrify America, EVgo, ChargePoint, or Tesla Supercharger, consider price, distance off your route, and what restaurants or restrooms are nearby.

## What to do when plans don't go perfectly

You might arrive at a charger that's out of order, which is why backup options within range matter. Reliability has gotten dramatically better — Tesla's network hovers around 99% uptime, Electrify America's newer hardware has climbed past 95%. The best real-time signal is recent PlugShare reviews — they surface site problems faster than the network's own status app.

## Why EV road trips can actually be more relaxing

The forced stops every few hours align with good travel practices: stretching your legs, grabbing food, taking breaks. After dozens of road trips, I've come to look forward to the rhythm.

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This is an excerpt from Chapter 10 of *EV Curious? — What I Learned from Seven EVs* by Gregory Wilson.

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## Related chapters

- [What driving an EV actually feels like](https://evcurious.blog/driving-an-ev/)
- [How regenerative braking works in an EV](https://evcurious.blog/regenerative-braking/)
- [Understanding EV efficiency: kWh/100mi vs miles/kWh vs MPGe](https://evcurious.blog/ev-efficiency-units/)
- [EV plugs and adapters: NACS, J1772, CCS explained](https://evcurious.blog/ev-charging-adapters/)
- [Busting the top 10 EV myths](https://evcurious.blog/ev-myths/)