Taking a Road Trip in an EV? Here's What to Bring With You

Routing your EV road trip

Photo: JulieStar/Shutterstock

Before hitting the road, its important to route where you’re going in advance. Be sure to take your car’s range into consideration – EV charging stations are near-ubiquitous across much of the US nowadays, making it easy to break up your drive by when you’ll need to top off the battery.

“With the proliferation of fast chargers on major highways and availability of level 2 chargers at many hotels, planning an EV road trip is not much different than planning a road trip for a vehicle with an internal combustion engine,” Becker says. “Since most EVs can be driven for three or four hours before needing a charge, if you plan ahead, you can fill up at the same time you would otherwise stop for a coffee or a bathroom break.”

Because most EVs are newer vehicles, in-screen consoles and GPS maps are common. Becker recommends using one specific to your vehicle, if possible, as these are tailored to the range and needs of the car and adept at efficiently finding charging stations. Often, charging stations can be found in advance of departure.

“It is helpful to use apps such as PlugShare and in-car trip planners such as those provided by Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid to plan ahead for charging,” he says.

What to bring on an EV road trip

In general, road tripping in an electric vehicle requires much of the same gear as any road trip you’ve been on before. You’ll want to be prepared for inclement weather with warm clothes and emergency supplies for an overnight in case you get stuck.

Uncharted Supply Co. First Aid Plus kit

Photo: Tim Wenger

Matador has come to trust Uncharted Supply Co. for road trip emergency gear, and personally I bring the brand’s First Aid Plus kit with me everywhere I go. It’s got all the fixings of a standard first aid kit, plus a versatile multitool, flashlight, and other supplies to fix gear in a pinch. It’s far from the cheapest first aid kit, but it’s the best, and when something happens you’ll be glad you have it on hand.

Price: $139

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An EV charging cable with a standard wall outlet plug

Photo: Amazon

Becker recommends keeping an EV charging cable with a standard plug-in in your vehicle at all times. Most EVs come with one, but if you need one, ample options are available on Amazon. Morec makes an affordable ($139) option that’s good in a pinch, though if you want added amperage, Schumacher bumps it up for $229 and has a longer chord adapter. Both also connect to level 2 chargers.

“While this takes more time, if you are at a vacation home or hotel that doesn’t have a level 2 or fast charger, plugging into a wall outlet can still give you a full charge over the weekend, or enough range overnight to get to a faster charger,” Becker says.

Price: Varies, but generally comes in under $200

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For Tesla drivers: a universal charging port adapter

Photo: Amazon

Automakers including Rivian and Lucid have announced forthcoming adapters to connect their vehicles to Tesla Superchargers. Tesla drivers, however, need to come prepared for times when there are fewer dedicated Tesla chargers.

“If you are driving a Tesla, bring an adapter that allows you to charge using a universal charging port (otherwise known as J-1772),” Becker says.

If you already have a Tesla charging chord, the good news is there’s no need to buy an entire charging chord and kit, all you need to do is pick up this adapter from Lectron for $149.99. It’s small and easy to store in your vehicle.

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Finding accommodations with EV chargers

Photo courtesy Hotel Marcel

Of course, you’ll want to charge your car overnight while you sleep. Many boutique hotels like Hotel Marcel have stations, as well as most major chains. Online travel booking sites like Booking.com and Hotels.com have filters that will only display hotels with charging stations in your search results. One thing to keep in mind before booking is how many chargers are available, and how many guests the hotel can host.

“Hotel Marcel has 12 level 2 chargers (which will give you a full charge overnight), and 12 level 3 Tesla Superchargers (which will fully charge a Tesla or other EV that uses the North American Charging Standard) in under an hour,” Becker says.

“When booking a hotel, you can filter for hotels that have EV chargers (on the Hilton website you will find a filter for ‘EV Charging’ under ‘guest services,'” Becker says. “On the Marriott website you will find a filter for ‘EV Charging’ under ‘amenities.’ Some hotels offer free charging, but be prepared to pay per kwh using an app, or a fixed amount at the front desk. Sometimes you may need to ask at the front desk to have the charger activated for you.”

Additionally, more than 1 million Airbnb properties now have EV chargers, and you can filter search results via Airbnb to show homes with charging stations as well.