Letters to the Editor: Yes, you can take a long, happy EV road trip in California

To the editor: This week, I returned from a five-day road trip from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay Area in my electric vehicle. The car has a practical highway range of about 225 miles and came with two years of free charging through Electrify America.

We took advantage of that and charged only at those stations. My experience was the exact opposite of the bulk of the letters you published lamenting the state of California’s EV charging infrastructure.

At some stations we were the only ones charging; only once did we have to wait, and for about two minutes. Never did we begin a charge on a broken charger, and never did we have range anxiety.

There were plenty of chargers spaced well apart along the 5 and 101 freeways and off the highways. We took several detours off the main highways, and the Electrify America app worked great.

Overall, it was a great experience.

Dean Okrand, Sherman Oaks

..

To the editor: As the highly satisfied owner of a 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV, I must respond to the letter writer who said his Bolt should be charged only up to 80% and driven down to 20%. While that is the general recommendation for maximizing battery life, it isn’t a daily mandate.

We usually charge to 80% overnight but bump it up to 100% whenever we’re planning a long drive, giving us between 250 and 300 miles of range.

On the road, we plan charging stops for lunch or dinner time or at an outlet mall, making our road trips relaxing, “stop and smell the flowers” experiences.

It’s all about attitude.

Marcy Miroff Rothenberg, Porter Ranch