Is it possible to travel from Salt Lake to Denver?

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MTNGOAT92

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Jun 9, 2019
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Is there an adequate charging network that will allow you to travel from Salt Lake to Denver with a 2013+ Leaf?
What about from Salt Lake to Grants Pass, OR? I am researching routes and only finding Tesla Superchargers on these routes, which I realize are not compatible with the Leaf. Please help! Thanks.
 
MTNGOAT92 said:
Is there an adequate charging network that will allow you to travel from Salt Lake to Denver with a 2013+ Leaf?
What about from Salt Lake to Grants Pass, OR? I am researching routes and only finding Tesla Superchargers on these routes, which I realize are not compatible with the Leaf. Please help! Thanks.

The LEAF isn't a road trip car. But if you really have to go....

Use plugshare.com
Turn off everything but what your car can use. Route planner is ok, use it. Need hints?


Salt Lake to Denver with a 2013 LEAF? If the battery is in great shape, just barely maybe. Using L2 chargers and RV outlets at campgrounds. Longest run is 75 miles. Scary at minimum. Two hours driving followed by three hours charging, with some stops not having good alternatives. I don't suggest it. I really don't suggest it.

Grant's Pass? Worse.
 
I checked using ABetterRoutePlanner.com using their beta model for the LEAF Plus (62kWh battery). It says it cannot currently be done with CHAdeMO even with the longest range LEAF available. As WetEV said, you'd have to find Level 2 chargers and campgrounds and take a very, VERY long time to make the trip. The smaller batter LEAFs are not meant for road trips.

But if even the 2019 LEAF Plus can't make the trip, what BEVs can?

As a comparison, Google Maps says it would take 8 hours in a gas car via the I80 route and 8 1/2 hours via the I70 route.

ABRP says you can do it in a Chevy Bolt thanks to the Electrify America network, making 3 CCS stops: https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=158876a6-d5c0-4a8d-974b-c0c27538172c
(but you are limited to 50 MPH in the long dangerous stretch using i70 where there are long parts with no services)
Nearly 15 hours.

The Hyundai Kona 64kWh looks like the Bolt: https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=688ba634-2dd0-4ae7-bd28-a53d47c278f2
14 hours.

The Kia Niro 64kWH will make it, too, but it's limited to to 44MPH across Colorado (not sure why it does worse): https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=e746f51c-6103-457b-ad8a-854009b101ca
13 1/2 hours.

All of those go across i70 as that's where the CCS stations are, and the trip time is extended because of stretches where ABRP says to reduce your speed in order to reach the next charging stop. ABRP takes into account elevation changes. However, their performance data on all those cars is scant, so maybe those are wildly inaccurate figures.

With a Tesla you can choose either route, as there are currently SuC on both I70 and I80.

A Tesla Model 3 LR can do it in 9 hours (only 1 hour longer than an ICE): https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=50a6b5de-497a-4a31-b32d-57eb297f1cef
A Tesla Model S100D looks identical to the 3, also taking 9 hours.
An S75D (like mine) doesn't fair as well, taking 10 hours as charging takes longer with the 350V battery and it is maxed out at 62MPH for the first segment: https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=2b348636-198b-4674-9a4e-5476b2500bac
 
That sounds like a 2 day adventure with sleep when charging. Would keep speeds at 35 max unless going downhill.

On the southern route with an e+ you could completely top off in Spanish springs do a Koa stop for an hour to eat, the make the careful run to Grand Junction Chademo. Not a no compromises trip, but a not too painful run, maybe an extra 2 hours over an ICE assuming you need a 2 reasonable breaks in a 500 mile drive just for sanity.
 
It's easy, just follow this convenient route:

1) Drive the LEAF to carmax and take whatever they will give you for it
2) Uber to Tesla on State St, acquire Model 3
3) Proceed to Denver via I-80 east/I-25
 
MTNGOAT92 said:
Is there an adequate charging network that will allow you to travel from Salt Lake to Denver with a 2013+ Leaf?
What about from Salt Lake to Grants Pass, OR? I am researching routes and only finding Tesla Superchargers on these routes, which I realize are not compatible with the Leaf. Please help! Thanks.


I wouldn't even try this is my 2019 sl plus. Even with the new chargers coming from electrify America and the new level 3 by rocky mountain power in moab I wouldn't attempt this in anything less than a plus model leaf. I will also say that lots of these route calculation programs are terrible. For example I've plugged in the route I take frequently from slc to Boise and it tries to route through Pocatello, when I've comfortably done it using i84 to the chargers in heyburn, Idaho, then the rest of the way to Boise. Most these route planners say it's undoable. I've also gone to some very remote places in southern Utah and it's also said it was undoable. So take what these programs say with a grain of salt. If you have access to nissan connect online, you can use their new route planner and it gives you a very good idea how far you can go with plus or minus 5% accuracy from my findings. I've driven about 5500 miles on my sl plus already, and one thing I would say is you never want to be stuck on level 2. I've had level 3 chargers fail me and trips that should take 8 hours turn into 12 and even 14 because of things going wrong. My recommendation is to strongly not attempt anything road trip wise in anything less than a 2018 leaf, and even then rapid gate makes it so you can only go 250 miles before major slowdowns.
 
It is very possible: Amtrak does it daily for $84 one way, 15 hours so faster than the charging stops and much less frustrating.

That said, if I were to do this in my 2012 SL, I’d hook up the LEAF behind my Tesla and tow it from Salt Lake to Denver...easy peasy. But why would anyone do that?

Indeed the best and most practical approach is that suggested by @LTLFTcomposite. Sage advice there.
 
jlv said:
I checked using ABetterRoutePlanner.com

Thanks for the pointer to ABRP. I played with it a while ago and stopped due to poor results. So I tried again.

I entered a route I drive monthly, and find I shouldn't be able to make them unless I slow to 40 MPH in nice weather with no wind. Which I don't. I can usually make this trip with a headwind in cold weather running the heat at 60 MPH...

Another route took me way out of my direct path to stop at a DCQC that wasn't needed and wasn't helpful. At bit more playing, and I find a segment of highway that ABRP will not route on, unless you put a waypoint on that segment. So with an added waypoint, I get the correct route without the extra DCQC.

It seems confused with L2 charging stops. Like this, for example. Max speed of 37 MPH and arrive at 45%? And yet another example of a crazy DCQC stop.

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=cba89df6-3e50-40e6-a88f-18e7f0506b5b

So I fiddle with the max speed and don't allow driving slower if needed?

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=2b2828c0-a521-43af-ae1d-2d9d40087d3d


Not quite ready for prime time.
 
WetEV said:
It seems confused with L2 charging stops.
When I open your plan link, and look at the L2 charging you set up (the red gear) it only shows you selected 8 hours to charge, but you didn't put in a charge rate. You need that. Putting in 6.6kW makes things look better.

WetEV said:
Not quite ready for prime time.
Possibly true for everything that is not a Tesla. You did see this text after you planned the route for the LEAF?
Alpha car model, please submit feedback.
 
jlv said:
WetEV said:
It seems confused with L2 charging stops.
When I open your plan link, and look at the L2 charging you set up (the red gear) it only shows you selected 8 hours to charge, but you didn't put in a charge rate. You need that. Putting in 6.6kW makes things look better.

Ah, thanks.

But result is not correct. Route limited to 50mph. When there is a perfectly good route.

https://abetterrouteplanner.com/?plan_uuid=32d93997-cca8-4ebd-a518-f395f99b485c


jlv said:
Possibly true for everything that is not a Tesla. You did see this text after you planned the route for the LEAF?
Alpha car model, please submit feedback.

Every car seems to show this text, other than Tesla. What a great marketing tool!
 
It was originally a side for Tesla route planning and was only extended to other EVs (and charging networks) later.
 
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