Next up in my BC EV road trip planning series is a drive into the interior. With British Columbia travel restrictions now officially lifted I am looking to venture a little further and off the beaten path. With few charging options, Vancouver to Grand Forks and the Kootenays should be interesting!
The Route
Once again, my trip plans start with ABRP. This APP allows you to set your vehicle make and model, the desired charge level, and filter for your specific charging options. Punching in my route, door to door I am looking at 520 km and just under six and a half hours including one stop to charge.
Making Sense of EV Charging Apps & Maps
Considerations
Now this plan is a little different than normal for me. As highlighted in my road-trip planning post, building in things to see and do along the way while charging is both efficient and fun. This Vancouver to Grand Forks trip, at least on the way out, is all about getting from A to B.
We will be leaving early after work so there won’t be a lot of daylight to stop and see some sights on the way. Because of that, there will be a lone charge at the new Princeton Supercharging station on the way.
Since there are no charging stations in Grand Forks, I will most likely spend a little longer at the Princeton Supercharger to top up. Better yet, I updated my ABRP plan to arrive in Grand Forks with 30% charge instead of 10% and it suggestses a short 12-minute stop in Hope and a 26-minute stop in Pentiction.
The added stop in Hope is more my style with well-spaced stretches. That said, the gap between Princeton and Grand Forks is longer so in reality I may stop in Ossoyos and charge at a Fortis BC 50 kW CHAdeMO station or Petro Canada charger. This will give me more charge for my destination.
Again, having a CHAdeMO adapter offers great peace of mind for these areas.
Once in Grand Forks, I will most likely trickle charge at a friends place and charge at the Fortis BC location at Christina Lake before making the trek back to the Princeton Supercharger.
Charging and Cost
With the two Supercharger stops on the way out, I expect to pay around $25-$30. The return should be similar plus the added top-up at the Fortis BC station in Christina Lake. This FLO station is $0.30/minute so expect to pay under $15 to charge up there.
All in, worst case I expect to pay $75 for this trip. When I did this route a couple of years ago in my ICE I paid well over double that!
Note: I pay a flat $25/month for EV charging at my condo. Charging prior to and after the trip is covered with that.
5 EV Road Trip Tips To Help Tackle Range Anxiety
Sites and Stops
As mentioned, this trip is very much A to B on the way there. Once in the Grand Forks area, we will be visiting Christina Lake and golfing. On the way back I am hoping to stop at a winery or two. Looking at Plugshare, there are several wineries north of Osoyoos that have Level I chargers so may check out one of those. Failing that, Seven Stones Winery has a charger and is directly on the route.
If you have any suggestions for me let me know!
Real-World Results?
Once again, check back soon for a post-trip write up and see how close to my Vancouver to Grand Forks plan I get. Be sure to sign up to my newsletter so you get the latest posts directly to your inbox!
For coverage while on the go be sure to follow me on Instagram as I will be sharing the trip through Insta Stories along the way!
If you are thinking about placing a Model Y order, be sure to use my referral code and get 1,500 Supercharger kilometres!
Cover image via BC Hydro
