Plan Your Long-Distance EV Trip Using A Better Route Planner | Consider Battery Size, Charge Rate & Temperature

The range of an electric vehicle (EV) can be affected by a number of factors, including battery size, charge rate, and temperature. When it comes to long-distance trips such as the 850 mile commute from Florida to North Carolina, it is important to consider all these factors carefully in order to determine the best option for your needs.

A Better Route Planner (ABRP) is a great tool that can help you plan out your route and estimate the cost and time needed for each trip. For example, if you use ABRP with a Large Pack R1T EV, restricting the maximum charge to 60%, it suggests 7 charges for a total charge time of 2 hours and 32 minutes. The total drive would be 827 miles in 15 hours 46 minutes total time (includes the charge time). The actual cost would be $46.40 if you charged at the recommended stops for the recommended times.

If you switch to a Max Pack R1T EV, also restricted to 60% charge, then the result is similar: 5 charges for a total charge time of 2 hours and 36 minutes. The total drive would be 808 miles in 15 hours 32 minutes total time. The actual cost would be $76.40.

It's important to note that the total amount of time spent charging will likely be the same for both packs, though it's possible that the max pack will accept a greater charging rate than the large pack. It depends on how Rivian will handle it, which we don't yet know. If the charge rate curve in kW is the same for both packs the amount of time spent charging will be the same; if the charge rate curve is the same in terms of C-value the max pack will charge faster in terms of kW.

Experience with Tesla driving from PDX to SLC for skiing has shown that setting the top charge limit to 80% instead of 60% can make a big difference when dealing with cold weather and snow/ice conditions that reduce range significantly. In this case, 10%-80% range was 70%, or 210 miles less 20% for Winter conditions, resulting in 168 miles between charges. This allowed them to make an 800 mile trip with just 5 charge stops of 40 minutes each, or 200 minutes total - about 3 hours added to their 12 hour trip.

In conclusion, when planning a long-distance trip with an EV, it is important to take into consideration battery size, charge rate, and temperature so that you can get an accurate estimate of cost and time needed for your journey. A Better Route Planner can help you plan out your route and give you an idea of what your costs may look like based on real-world data. Finally, depending on your destination and climate conditions, increasing your top charge limit may be beneficial in order to maximize range and minimize charging stops.