Advice on a road trip between Boston and New York City

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mwk

Active member
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
Messages
36
Location
Massachusetts, USA
Hi,

So I make the trip from my home near Boston, to New York City, a few times a year. We prefer to drive. We usually will stay at a hotel in Manhattan we like, and drop the car off at a valet garage around the corner. Our next trip is coming up in a few weeks, and this would be the first time since I leased my Bolt. I'm thinking maybe of trying to drive it, instead of my ICE car. But I have a couple of questions:

1. I usually take I-95, and I see on the maps that there seems to be a decent amount of DC fast-charge stations on the route, especially once I get to New Haven area. Does anyone have experience with the charging options along that route? As in stations to stay away from/are broken a lot, etc? Also, we like to stop for lunch at a diner along the way. Are any of these stations walking distance to anything decent, so we can combine our food refueling with our battery recharging?

2. This may sound like a stupid question, so sorry in advance. But I'm just a bit concerned about leaving the car with a valet. I imagine I'd need to show them how to operate the car, getting in and out with the fob, and especially the odd shifting pattern on the shift knob. Does anyone have experience with that? Does it cause confusion or issues with people not familiar with an EV?
 
mwk said:
So I make the trip from my home near Boston, to New York City, a few times a year. We prefer to drive. We usually will stay at a hotel in Manhattan we like, and drop the car off at a valet garage around the corner. Our next trip is coming up in a few weeks, and this would be the first time since I leased my Bolt. I'm thinking maybe of trying to drive it, instead of my ICE car. But I have a couple of questions:

1. I usually take I-95, and I see on the maps that there seems to be a decent amount of DC fast-charge stations on the route, especially once I get to New Haven area. Does anyone have experience with the charging options along that route? As in stations to stay away from/are broken a lot, etc? Also, we like to stop for lunch at a diner along the way. Are any of these stations walking distance to anything decent, so we can combine our food refueling with our battery recharging?

2. This may sound like a stupid question, so sorry in advance. But I'm just a bit concerned about leaving the car with a valet. I imagine I'd need to show them how to operate the car, getting in and out with the fob, and especially the odd shifting pattern on the shift knob. Does anyone have experience with that? Does it cause confusion or issues with people not familiar with an EV?

First, are you SURE that the first time you make this drive in a Bolt, you want to do so in freezing winter weather? It might be best to wait for warmer weather (anything over 50) because you'll get much better range (due to the battery temp, and the lower use of heating) and it might be more comfortable (heating in an ICE, and not freezing while waiting for a charge or simply hooking up the cable). You could also use this winter trip in the ICEv to scout out the DCFC locations along the route - pretend you are driving the Bolt, pick the top 4-5 places you might stop and check out the locations (provided it doesn't rack up extra toll fees). You can then post "my recommended charging spots for Boston-to-NYC trip along I-95" back here :D .

1. "stations to stay away from/are broken a lot, etc?" PlugShare has a "rating" (from 0 to 10) that implies how useful the stations are (busy, broken, etc) - download both the PlugShare and ChargePoint apps for your phone for the trip. (PlugShare can show availability of some networks, ChargePoint is needed for seeing status on their chargers AND can be used to start charges without a card). Read the PlugShare comments for the stations that look the most convenient. Personally, I'd try for places (either one location, or at least one town) with multiple DCFCs that are in convenient stopping places along the route - FAST (50 kW) DCFC units. I'd also have backups planned (fortunately, there are several slower DCFCs if you are "in a jam").

Milford, CT might be your best bet - it's 60-70 miles from Manhattan, 150 miles from Boston, it's right off I-95, there are TWO 50 kW ChargePoint DCFCs (call hotel to check status, would be my suggestion). - There are also restaurants within walking distance (well, if it's not too cold), so you can swing by to check availability, then drop the family off at a restaurant, come back, plug in, then walk to restaurant. Since it's a $10 flat fee, you can charge up to 90-95% and not care too much that the charging rate slows down above 55% SoC (or when it is REAL cold). There are also 2 units at the hotel, so higher chance of availability. For some bizarre reason, this charger isn't listed in PlugShare, but it is in the ChargePoint app - and it has been recently used (in the past week).

FYI- some ChargePoint DCFCs (you should get an account before this trip - there are a number of free chargers spread out along the route, VERY good for emergencies) :

Emergency charging stops : (24 kW chargers) in Foxborough, MA {2 free 24 kW}, Warwick, RI {3, free}, Mystic, CT ($0.20 kWh) & Darien, CT {3 in town, all free - the Chevy dealer doesn't show up in chargePoint, but it's there}. And, of course : Whole Foods Market, 300 Harrison Ave,, Boston, MA :D {also free}

Milford, CT off I-95 {$10 flat fee, 50 kW charger, TWO}: Hampton Inn, 129 Plains Rd, Milford.

2. "leaving the car with a valet ... how to operate the car, getting in and out with the fob, and especially the odd shifting pattern on the shift knob. "

First, I'd contact the garage and see if there is overnight charging available. If not, I'd contact the hotel and ask if they have any experience with this. It's the difference between leaving NYC with a full "tank" or having to make an extra stop or two (on the way there, and/or back).

I've never had my EV valet-parked. I would think about the simplest things needed to use the car (lock/unlock door, turning it on, emergency brake on/off, shift, etc...) scribble notes, check them out over the next couple of weeks, then type the instructions into a word processor and print them out (large enough so they fill one entire sheet of letter-sized paper) that you can show the valet, and then attach it to the dash so that the guy who has to drive it next will see it.
 
mwk said:
2. This may sound like a stupid question, so sorry in advance. But I'm just a bit concerned about leaving the car with a valet. I imagine I'd need to show them how to operate the car, getting in and out with the fob, and especially the odd shifting pattern on the shift knob. Does anyone have experience with that? Does it cause confusion or issues with people not familiar with an EV?

I had the same concerns with my LEAF when I first got it. Valets have not had a problem with my car. At the first auto body shop I used, I offered to explain the car but they declining that. Next auto body shop had no problem also. Damn, my LEAF seems to have hit-me sign on it, :( .
 
SparkE said:
mwk said:
So I make the trip from my home near Boston, to New York City, a few times a year. We prefer to drive. We usually will stay at a hotel in Manhattan we like, and drop the car off at a valet garage around the corner. Our next trip is coming up in a few weeks, and this would be the first time since I leased my Bolt. I'm thinking maybe of trying to drive it, instead of my ICE car. But I have a couple of questions:

1. I usually take I-95, and I see on the maps that there seems to be a decent amount of DC fast-charge stations on the route, especially once I get to New Haven area. Does anyone have experience with the charging options along that route? As in stations to stay away from/are broken a lot, etc? Also, we like to stop for lunch at a diner along the way. Are any of these stations walking distance to anything decent, so we can combine our food refueling with our battery recharging?

2. This may sound like a stupid question, so sorry in advance. But I'm just a bit concerned about leaving the car with a valet. I imagine I'd need to show them how to operate the car, getting in and out with the fob, and especially the odd shifting pattern on the shift knob. Does anyone have experience with that? Does it cause confusion or issues with people not familiar with an EV?

First, are you SURE that the first time you make this drive in a Bolt, you want to do so in freezing winter weather? It might be best to wait for warmer weather (anything over 50) because you'll get much better range (due to the battery temp, and the lower use of heating) and it might be more comfortable (heating in an ICE, and not freezing while waiting for a charge or simply hooking up the cable). You could also use this winter trip in the ICEv to scout out the DCFC locations along the route - pretend you are driving the Bolt, pick the top 4-5 places you might stop and check out the locations (provided it doesn't rack up extra toll fees). You can then post "my recommended charging spots for Boston-to-NYC trip along I-95" back here :D .

1. "stations to stay away from/are broken a lot, etc?" PlugShare has a "rating" (from 0 to 10) that implies how useful the stations are (busy, broken, etc) - download both the PlugShare and ChargePoint apps for your phone for the trip. (PlugShare can show availability of some networks, ChargePoint is needed for seeing status on their chargers AND can be used to start charges without a card). Read the PlugShare comments for the stations that look the most convenient. Personally, I'd try for places (either one location, or at least one town) with multiple DCFCs that are in convenient stopping places along the route - FAST (50 kW) DCFC units. I'd also have backups planned (fortunately, there are several slower DCFCs if you are "in a jam").

Milford, CT might be your best bet - it's 60-70 miles from Manhattan, 150 miles from Boston, it's right off I-95, there are TWO 50 kW ChargePoint DCFCs (call hotel to check status, would be my suggestion). - There are also restaurants within walking distance (well, if it's not too cold), so you can swing by to check availability, then drop the family off at a restaurant, come back, plug in, then walk to restaurant. Since it's a $10 flat fee, you can charge up to 90-95% and not care too much that the charging rate slows down above 55% SoC (or when it is REAL cold). There are also 2 units at the hotel, so higher chance of availability. For some bizarre reason, this charger isn't listed in PlugShare, but it is in the ChargePoint app - and it has been recently used (in the past week).

FYI- some ChargePoint DCFCs (you should get an account before this trip - there are a number of free chargers spread out along the route, VERY good for emergencies) :

Emergency charging stops : (24 kW chargers) in Foxborough, MA {2 free 24 kW}, Warwick, RI {3, free}, Mystic, CT ($0.20 kWh) & Darien, CT {3 in town, all free - the Chevy dealer doesn't show up in chargePoint, but it's there}. And, of course : Whole Foods Market, 300 Harrison Ave,, Boston, MA :D {also free}

Milford, CT off I-95 {$10 flat fee, 50 kW charger, TWO}: Hampton Inn, 129 Plains Rd, Milford.

2. "leaving the car with a valet ... how to operate the car, getting in and out with the fob, and especially the odd shifting pattern on the shift knob. "

First, I'd contact the garage and see if there is overnight charging available. If not, I'd contact the hotel and ask if they have any experience with this. It's the difference between leaving NYC with a full "tank" or having to make an extra stop or two (on the way there, and/or back).

I've never had my EV valet-parked. I would think about the simplest things needed to use the car (lock/unlock door, turning it on, emergency brake on/off, shift, etc...) scribble notes, check them out over the next couple of weeks, then type the instructions into a word processor and print them out (large enough so they fill one entire sheet of letter-sized paper) that you can show the valet, and then attach it to the dash so that the guy who has to drive it next will see it.

Thank you very much. All excellent ideas. Actually, the timing of my trip is late March, so it shouldn't be terribly cold by then, I'd think. I will check out the chargers in Milford though, that is actually where we usually stop for some lunch along the way, so that could work out well.
 
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