Few experiences can expand your perspective like a classic road trip, whether you’re traveling solo or embarking on a group adventure with the whole squad and their furry companions. The best way to elevate your experience and save money? Get cruising in a clean and comfy electric vehicle.

From planning to posting, this guide helps you prepare for your first electric road trip and share your experience with friends and family.

Put your planning into gear

Completing a road trip checklist can prevent you from forgetting anything — and help fellow travelers understand the process! Here are a few things to start: 

• Choose your planning app. You’re probably already familiar with the EV charger map PlugShare, but did you know that you can learn where EV charging stations are located on your route using its Trip Planner feature? Another popular road trip planning app for EV drivers is A Better Route Planner (ABRP). Enter your car’s model and current battery level and you’ll receive a detailed driving-and-charging plan complete with details about the charging locations (like charger types and whether or not they have food and restrooms nearby) and estimated costs. Already a fan of Google Maps? Get familiar with the app’s features for electric vehicle drivers.

• Pack your adapter. If you want access to Tesla Supercharger stations — or you drive a Tesla and want to access third-party stations along your journey — make sure you have your adapter.

• Book your electric abodes. As long as you’re using a planner and proactively charging once your battery nears 20 percent, you don’t need to charge your EV overnight. But if you want to wake up to a full charge and spend less time during the day charging, you can! Most major travel booking sites allow you to filter hotels by charging capacity and Airbnb also allows you to see listings that feature an EV charger. And even if a rental doesn’t offer EV charging, you can check to see if it’s OK to plug in to get a few dozen miles with a Level 1 charger (aka plugging into your rental’s good ole 120V outlet). Always confirm compatibility or adapter needs for your vehicle before you book.

On the road

Road tripping in an EV is about more. And less. As in, less money and less pollution. And more time for new experiences with your loved ones. Here’s how you can spend it:

• Give yourself time. Depending on the length of your road trip, you may be charging every few hours. But since gas stations are still easier to find than charging stations, be generous when you factor in your charging time. If you’re on a tight schedule and want to save time, avoid high-traffic charging stations like malls during the day. Or, head to the mall or supercenter parking lot and make a moment of it! Some apps also tell you how many car charging stations are being used at a particular location. 

• Take in the scenery. With smart planning you can fit the scenic drives that dreams are made of into your road trip — and take pride in the fact that your EV journey is so much better for the environment. Just a few minutes of extra planning can help you find the charger overlooking the waterfall, or the one next to the great market and picnicking spot.

  Don't forget to take plenty of pics along the way!

Ship your trip!

You did it! Now brag about it.

• Create a digital album. If friends or family snapped photos too, create a shared album.

• Pick your platform. TikTok, Instagram, or … postcards? Heck, even your holiday e-card can feature your favorite moments.

• Share your story. Get creative, be honest, and who knows — you could inspire the next all-electric adventure!

• Tag us. We love a good electric roadtrip diary, warts and all!