900 mile Christmas Marathon

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

900 miles in two states with very limited rural area charging stations....many have said it can't be done, including me until now. The trip goes from Treynor, Iowa to Jefferson City, MO, from there to Humboldt, Iowa, and finally back to Treynor, Iowa. It will be My girlfriend and I on an adventure driving mostly overnight and into the morning. My family is all in Jefferson City, MO and her's is in Humboldt, Iowa. We'd take off the Monday before Christmas after work (about 7 or 8pm).
Journey starts in Treynor, Iowa (Near Omaha, NE).

I drive to Rock Port, MO and charge at a campground with my EVSE (Charging station in Nebraska City, NE if unable to make it).
Following that it's smooth sailing into a charging station in St. Joseph, MO then Kansas City, MO.
Head from there to Sedalia, MO and charge at a campground and then arrive at Jefferson City, MO.
That part of the trip is the easy part. Now for the much more difficult trip with campgrounds the majority of the way up that I have yet to call to see if they'd allow me to charge.

Jefferson City, MO to Columbia, MO charging station.
Columbia to Bevier, MO campground charging.
Bevier to La Plata, MO where there's a charging station at a hotel...won't have to stop but most likely will.
La Plata to Kirksville, MO where I will charge at a RV park.
From there to Bloomfield, Iowa to Eddyville, Iowa to Pella, Iowa and all those stops are campgrounds.
Finally I get back to a charging station in Des Moines, Iowa.
From there I head to Ogden, Iowa and that's my last stop for a charge till Humboldt.

From Humboldt head to Jefferson, Iowa to charge at the last campground of the trip.
Jefferson to Elk Horn, Iowa where there are literally more public charging stations in that very small town then all of Omaha, Nebraska Metro.
That gives me enough to make it back home in Treynor, Iowa

I have only called one campground so far so right now I'm just in the planning stage. I want to do this but am not going to stretch myself. I limited myself to 60 miles between charges except for the Treynor to Rock Port part since there's a charging station along the way if need be. I'm open to suggestions and ideas. Tomorrow I plan on calling every campground along the way for this trip to see if it's even possible. I'm feeling excited for this! Girlfriend is up to it to. Nothing more exciting than doing something that others say can't be done!

 

[pkulak]

Man, that sounds like fun! I need to drive from Portland to BC for Christmas, and though Plugshare says I can do the whole trip with 100% quick charging, we are going to borrow an ice instead. I'd love to do it, but that's not my wife's idea of a good time. Not to mention that every stop would probably wake the baby!

 

[ksnogas2112]

I hope this is with the upgraded EVSE and you have the 6.6 kwh obc. With the current temps you won't make 60 miles if you use the heat at all. Using 240v public charging stations and the 2012 3.3 kwh obc it took me 18 hours to do 250 miles back in Nov '12 driving 45-50mph. I think this is doable but maybe not in the timeframe I think you're trying. This is Monday the 23rd @1700 with arrival on the 25th in the evening?

Don't forget all the Walgreen's EVSE's in the city are assessing a fee now for charging. The rest of the KC EVSE's are still free for the rest of the year. At that point the original 10 might start assessing a fee.

I don't know the route your thinking through KC but here's a few things to think about:

AMC HQ
11500 Ash St, Leawood, Kansas, United States, 66211 - this is on the edge of a very nice strip mall including theater and nice and even nice and expensive dining so maybe the best EVSE on the south of the city. There are 2 stations here and 2 more down the street @Park Place so surely 1 of them will be open for you.

Independence
213-291 N Lynn St , Independence, Missouri, 64050 - walking distance of historic downtown Independence. Nice mom and pop restaurants/shops, bowling alley, long walk to the Truman home, very long walk to the Truman Presidential Library.

Nelson Adkins Museum of Art - $5 parking fee but free admittance to the museum long walking distance to the Country Club Plaza - shops/dining/fine dining, Christmas lights at night are awesome
4525 Oak St , Kansas City, Missouri, 64111

Kaufman Foundation - if you don't want to pay for the parking at the Nelson, this will get you the same but longer walking distances
4801 Rockhill Rd Kansas City, Missouri, 64110 United States


DO NOT USE
KCPL
5006 Prospect Ave, Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64130 - it is locked outside of business hours


Union Station - dining at Pierpont's (steaks), Union Station activities. Parking is per hour unless you get validation @Pierpont's. Walking distance to Crown Center shops/dining - there is only 1 J1772 plug.
30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO, 64108

Be sure to top off at Lee's Summit City Hall to ensure you make it to Sedalia.

Good luck.

 

[smkettner]

You had better leave today if you expect to make it by Christmas

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

I hope this is with the upgraded EVSE and you have the 6.6 kwh obc. With the current temps you won't make 60 miles if you use the heat at all. Using 240v public charging stations and the 2012 3.3 kwh obc it took me 18 hours to do 250 miles back in Nov '12 driving 45-50mph. I think this is doable but maybe not in the timeframe I think you're trying. This is Monday the 23rd @1700 with arrival on the 25th in the evening?

Don't forget all the Walgreen's EVSE's in the city are assessing a fee now for charging. The rest of the KC EVSE's are still free for the rest of the year. At that point the original 10 might start assessing a fee.

I don't know the route your thinking through KC but here's a few things to think about:

AMC HQ
11500 Ash St, Leawood, Kansas, United States, 66211 - this is on the edge of a very nice strip mall including theater and nice and even nice and expensive dining so maybe the best EVSE on the south of the city. There are 2 stations here and 2 more down the street @Park Place so surely 1 of them will be open for you.

Independence
213-291 N Lynn St , Independence, Missouri, 64050 - walking distance of historic downtown Independence. Nice mom and pop restaurants/shops, bowling alley, long walk to the Truman home, very long walk to the Truman Presidential Library.

Nelson Adkins Museum of Art - $5 parking fee but free admittance to the museum long walking distance to the Country Club Plaza - shops/dining/fine dining, Christmas lights at night are awesome
4525 Oak St , Kansas City, Missouri, 64111

Kaufman Foundation - if you don't want to pay for the parking at the Nelson, this will get you the same but longer walking distances
4801 Rockhill Rd Kansas City, Missouri, 64110 United States


DO NOT USE
KCPL
5006 Prospect Ave, Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64130 - it is locked outside of business hours


Union Station - dining at Pierpont's (steaks), Union Station activities. Parking is per hour unless you get validation @Pierpont's. Walking distance to Crown Center shops/dining - there is only 1 J1772 plug.
30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO, 64108

Be sure to top off at Lee's Summit City Hall to ensure you make it to Sedalia.

Good luck.

Luck has been going my way so far. I've called all of the campgrounds along the way. Didn't get a answer at the Rockport campground or the Jefferson, Iowa campgrounds but think I've got a good chance of making this happen. Most campgrounds are more than happy to help me complete my trip. Most allow me to pay $5 to charge one is requiring me to pay $10 and one is making me pay $15 to charge. I will be leaving ~1900 December 23rd and planning on arriving to Jefferson City, MO December 24th ~1200. Thanks ksnogas2112 I will keep your suggestions in mind. I had no clue yet where I was going to charge in Kansas City just knew that I was going to charge in Lee's Summit to make it to Sedalia. I feel this is going to be a challenge but will be fun nonetheless.

Edit: This is with a 2013 Nissan Leaf SL with 6.6 kw charger

 

[kolmstead]

You need to always have a backup plan. If you have no no alternative charging source, and that one outlet or EVSE you counted on is down, you're stranded. You also need to be really conservative on distances. As noted above, cold kills range. At 20 degrees this morning, I couldn't get above 3 miles/kWh, where I usually run closer to 5 or 6. I had to abort my drive to work part way in and go home and get the truck.

Having crossed Iowa many times in midwinter, I personally would never attempt the trip you're describing in a LEAF. Having a cell phone makes it better, but the consequences of being stranded are pretty serious. Please pack survival equipment and supplies!

-Karl

 

[TomT]

Agreed. In the summer, it is an adventure. In the winter, it is survival...

You need to always have a backup plan. Having crossed Iowa many times in midwinter, I personally would never attempt the trip you're describing in a LEAF. Having a cell phone makes it better, but the consequences of being stranded are pretty serious. Please pack survival equipment and supplies!

 

[smkettner]

You need to always have a backup plan. If you have no no alternative charging source, and that one outlet or EVSE you counted on is down, you're stranded. You also need to be really conservative on distances. As noted above, cold kills range. At 20 degrees this morning, I couldn't get above 3 miles/kWh, where I usually run closer to 5 or 6. I had to abort my drive to work part way in and go home and get the truck.

Did you preheat the LEAF?

For the OP, Nissan would tow you at least once if you got in a real jam.

 

[ksnogas2112]

For the OP, Nissan would tow you at least once if you got in a real jam.

Tow on Christmas Eve in the hinterlands? Might be a long wait. Definitely pack a blanket or 12.

@OP
I hate to say it but I don't see it happening in the time frame you suggest. Even though the 6.6 obc cuts the time in half at the ChargePoint stations, if you're not using an upgraded EVSE you will not be able to pull down the 240 volt charging at the campgrounds. That will still be 120 volt at which point the 6.6 vs 3.3 is meaningless. I'm sure you know if you plug in an unmodified Panasonic EVSE into a 240 volt supply it will fry the EVSE.

Wish you the best of luck on the trip.

 

[RegGuheert]

@OP
I hate to say it but I don't see it happening in the time frame you suggest. Even though the 6.6 obc cuts the time in half at the ChargePoint stations, if you're not using an upgraded EVSE you will not be able to pull down the 240 volt charging at the campgrounds. That will still be 120 volt at which point the 6.6 vs 3.3 is meaningless. I'm sure you know if you plug in an unmodified Panasonic EVSE into a 240 volt supply it will fry the EVSE.

I think OP has an Aerovironment EVSE with a 50-Amp plug on it:
Camgrounds charging question.

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

For the OP, Nissan would tow you at least once if you got in a real jam.

Tow on Christmas Eve in the hinterlands? Might be a long wait. Definitely pack a blanket or 12.

@OP
I hate to say it but I don't see it happening in the time frame you suggest. Even though the 6.6 obc cuts the time in half at the ChargePoint stations, if you're not using an upgraded EVSE you will not be able to pull down the 240 volt charging at the campgrounds. That will still be 120 volt at which point the 6.6 vs 3.3 is meaningless. I'm sure you know if you plug in an unmodified Panasonic EVSE into a 240 volt supply it will fry the EVSE.

Wish you the best of luck on the trip.

Kolmstead I'm a former Over-The-Road Truck Driver and current local truck driver. I've spent my share of 36 hour resets in northern states with temps in single digits many of times. I know how to survive without heat...shoot believe it or not I drive with the window open while I'm working anytime I'm driving in the city as it easier on my body to adjust to the cold (or heat) for the entire day rather than go from hot to cold several times a hour. I'll be bring PLENTY of blankets as well as winter clothes. I don't have a fear of being stranded. If there's a blizzard coming I won't be doing the adventure but that's not because I don't trust the leaf but rather that I wouldn't drive anything in severe winter weather like that. I have little fear of being stranded. The small amount of fear I may have is extinguished with Nissan offering the free towing with the Leaf.

Put it this way in my book "In the winter, it's an adventure. In the summer it's battery suicide". Doing this in the summer is something I would in NO WAY even think of attempting in any EV that doesn't have a TMS.

As for winter range reduction? It has been cold here (8 degrees on the drive home tonight) Highs until Tuesday won't break 20 degrees. My range has been reduced but I still have 25-40% battery left after driving 50 miles roundtrip to work. That's not driving efficient at all either (except for using no heat) I drive highway all but maybe 5 miles doing 60-65mph the entire time. I believe I could EASILY draw more miles out of the battery by driving more efficiently and on top of that my commute goes through Loess Hills which are pretty steep hills on the way home. There are no hills this steep or long on my trip which will further help with range. I preheat my car every morning before I leave home and maintain a average 3.5 miles/kWh.

As RegGuheert stated I do have an Aerovironment EVSE with a nema 6-50 plug on it. I'm assuming that ksnogas2112 was under the impression that I was going to do this with the evse included with the car which is not the case. Might be my fault thought I said this earlier but I will be taking my Aerovironment EVSE with me and I'm buying/making adapters for it to fit campground and residential 240 outlets.

Your post Ksnogas2112 does raise a good point that I'm currently unsure of. What happens if I plug my evse into a 30 amp outlet (with the correct adapter of course)? Will it flip the breaker or just draw up to 30 amps? I haven't done it before and don't currently got a adapter to do that. I'll have a adapter tomorrow for 50 amp RV outlets and will be testing that this weekend.

Thanks everyone!!

 

[RegGuheert]

Will it flip the breaker or just draw up to 30 amps?

Neither. As was mentioned in the other thread, the 30-Amp connectors in campgrounds are 120V. Your car will only draw 12A from a 120V source. If you battery is fully depleted, it can take as many as 24 hours to fully charge the LEAF battery.

 

[BoulderLeaf]

I wish you the best of luck, but I don't see how you can do this. Assume that you have 60 miles of range per charge, and even with the 6.6 kW OBC, You'll spend about 4 hours for a complete charge... so, that's roughly 900 miles / 60 miles/charge = 15 charges. With each charge taking 4 hours, you are at 60 hours... of just charge time. Said another way, that's almost 3 solid days. Of just waiting for your car to charge... but maybe you'll get more than 60 miles per charge (I'm not sure how in this cold)?

EDIT: These figures are assuming L2 charge rates... if you can't find a 240V outlet at some point along the way, you are going to spend a much longer time charging, even with the modified EVSE.

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

Will it flip the breaker or just draw up to 30 amps?

Neither. As mentioned in the other thread, the 30-Amp connectors in campgrounds are 120V. Your car will only draw 12A from a 120V source. If you battery is fully depleted, it can take as many as 24 hours to fully charge the LEAF battery.

Not good....Looking for a different pitstop now but thanks for the info. Thankfully only one of the campgrounds I've found didn't have 50 amp service.

BoulderLeaf I'm only spending 2 hours at each stop to charge (enough time to get to 80%). I can go 50-60 miles on a 80% charge. This is essentially 3 long trips enclosed in one marathon. 2 of the 3 parts will be started at night 1900 December 23rd and ~2200 December 25th. Driving overnight helps eliminate the majority of the time being wasted as I'll be sleeping most while I'm charging. Yes this is a long marathon and it would be easier to do with a ICE but there's no fun in that. I want to do what many are saying can't be done. Use a leaf in a situation where people say a ice is required.

 

[ksnogas2112]

And on the plus side all the driving and charging might actually keep the battery warmer for better range...not sure about the physics on that but would be interesting.

On the battery temp note, 3 battery temp bars when I went out at lunch a little bit ago after soaking in 15*F temp for 6 hours.

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

Just posting a update. Planning phase is just about complete and this will be not only possible but entirely doable. I had to change only one stop from Rock Port, MO to Falls City, NE campground. Will now be charging in Nebraska City, NE as well. I also just received a adapter NEMA 14-50 to 6-50. I haven't tested it yet but plan on testing it this weekend at a campground near me. I think this should be the only adapter that I need with my EVSE to charge. I'm still awaiting pictures from my family to conform my evse to work with their 240 outlet.

Ksnogas2112 I too am highly interested to see what it does to battery temp. I'm guessing it will gradually rise as the charges will be so close together but how high will it go and will that help some with range? That's to be determined. I'm excited to get this underway. Just 11 days till departure.

 

[kolmstead]

Sounds like your planning (and experience) is pretty thorough. But it still sounds like you don't have backups if one or more of your charging locations is down. If you go back and read some of the trip reports that adventurers in California wrote back in 2011, you'll see that they almost always found one or more outlets that were blocked, broken or shut down.

But you have the right attitude. With the planning you're doing, it should be an adventure. For many folks, it would be a disaster.

-Karl

 

[IraqiInvaderGnr]

Every campground that I stop at I'll be calling the day before I leave to be sure that their 50 amp service is working plus to be sure they know I'm coming so as to also have it available. Also every place that has a charging station has several in the vicinity. The only one that doesn't is in Columbia, Missouri which I must have overlooked before but will be calling them to make sure they allow charging while closed.

Worst comes to worse I do have AAA and the towing included with the leaf but highly doubt that will have to be used.

 

[Staque]

I made myself a 50ft L6-30 extension cord. Remember that you will be passing at least 100,000 potential charging locations. Any home with an electric stove or dryer. You can access many of these with a genuine smile and a nice story.

 

[Staque]

I'm only spending 2 hours at each stop to charge (enough time to get to 80%). I can go 50-60 miles on a 80% charge.

If you are using a 20-amp EVSEUpgrade, you should only expect to get 40-50 miles in 2 hours. (4.8KW from the wall, maybe 4.4 into the battery x 2 = 8.8KWh)

A 2013 doesn't seem to taper much until 95%, so you don't necessarily have to limit yourself to 80%, either. But I would set aside 1 hour of charging for each 20 miles of driving. Maybe 25 miles or better for a full 30A charging station (car will draw 27.5A).