Charging

On this page you can find links for posts related to charging EVs based on our experience driving our 2012 Rav4 EV, Tesla Model 3, and Model Y.

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Supercharging II: Emissions

On a family trip to the Grand Canyon, charging our Model 3 produced 287 lbs of CO2 – 1/5 of the emissions that would have been produced by driving a 25 MPG car.

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Supercharging II: 800 miles in a day

Spring 2021 we drove 800 miles to the Grand Canyon to spend a week in one of the best places in the world. Read about it here.

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Supercharging on a Road Trip

The range of electric cars on the market today can easily meet the daily driving needs for the average person. But what about when you take an electric car on longer drives or road trips?

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Charging an EV at an RV campground

Our Model 3 charging on a 50 amp RV hookup.

RV parks are found just about everywhere. They are a good way to power your journeys – especially if you like exploring. We recently visited the Mount Shasta area and stayed overnight at a Lodge / RV campground where we charged our car on an RV electrical hookup. Check it out.

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American Southwest Electric Road Trip

I recently went on a 2700 mile road trip through the American Southwest in our Model 3. I stopped at 15 different Superchargers on the trip and Tesla’s Supercharging network worked as advertised. I drove an average of 150 miles between Superchargers and charging stops averaged 23 minutes. Read more details about the trip here.

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CHAdeMO Charging the Model 3

I tested Tesla’s CHAdeMO adapter to see first hand how many miles I’d get and how long it would take to charge from a given SOC. Tesla’s CHAdeMO adapter is easy to use and provides more charging options for the Model 3. Read on for more details.

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Daily Life with the Tesla Model 3: Charging

I charge my Model 3 every night in the garage. I pull into the garage, plug in, and don’t think about it again. But I don’t fully charge the car every night. How much do you charge your car? Read on:

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EV Charging Primer

Left: Charging my 2012 Rav4 EV at a CHAdeMO DC quick charge station. Right: Charging my Model 3 at a Tesla Supercharger.

We use electricity every day to power and charge all kinds of devices, phones, computers, shavers, televisions etc. But driving an electric powered car is still a new idea for many people so it helps to understand the terms you’ll be using and the type of charging that best suits your needs. Read more here:

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Charging our Rav4 EV

Ski resorts in the Sierra Nevadas are starting to provide charging infrastructure for customers.

This post goes over the basics of charging our 2012 Rav4 EV. It was written 5 years ago, after we’d been driving our Rav for about a year, but before we added the DC charging port. This post applies to any EV that charges solely through Level 1 and Level 2 charging (120V / 240V). The article was posted on the Transport Evolved website. Read more here:

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Adding a DC Charging Port to our Rav4 EV

Tony Williams of Quick Charge Power installing his JdeMO DC charging port on our 2012 Rav4 EV back in 2015. We can now charge at up to 380 volts and 125 amps. This greatly expanded the horizons of our car.

Toyota did not include a DC charging port on the 2012-2014 Rav4 EVs. A major shortcoming in my opinion. Lucky for us Quick Charge Power manufactures and installs an aftermarket DC charge inlet for the 2012-2014 Rav4 EV, called JdeMO. We had JdeMO installed on our Rav4 EV in the fall of 2015 and it greatly improved our cars utility. Read this post about the DC charge port installation and how it all works here:

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Comparing how we used our Rav4 EV before and after getting a DC Charge Port

We used DC charging stations on our drive to Yosemite Valley in 2017.

This post compares how we used our 2012 Rav4 EV before and after installing a rapid DC charging port. As you’ll see we went to a lot more places once we could use DC charging stations throughout California. Read all about it here:

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How we use Charging Stations for Summer Road Trips

Driving through the Eastern Sierras in 2018.

Since getting our first electric car in 2013 we’ve taken our EV on summer road trips. This post describes some of the great sites and beautiful places we’ve visited in our Rav4 EV and Model 3 over the years, with emphasis on how we charged to get there: