I was wrong. The short story is this: Taking a road trip in an EV is no big deal. I’m an avid car collector. Whenever people find out I collect cars, the inevitable question is: “How many do you have?” My answer is the same I give for how many horses and employees at my tech company: “No t enough and too many.” All collectors have a theme — well, except Jay Leno. He just collects everything. For me, I have a weakness for iconic power plants, engines with real souls. I’m talking about the bulletproof Mercedes OM 617A diesel, the high-revving M110, and the brute force of the hand-built AMG M113 Kompressor. I’ve loved the American muscle of the Chevrolet LS3 and the Roush Supercharged V8, the Italian opera of the Ferrari Tipo F113, the British elegance of the Jaguar inline-six, and even the quirky, four-bearing BMC B-Series. Most cars in my collection were thoughtful, well-researched additions, but a couple were purely impulsive choices made at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale. A piece of advice for those afflicted with car mania: Don’t go to Barrett-Jackson, and if you do, don’t accept any of the “free” drinks. They are the most expensive cocktails you’ll ever drink. I’ve since come to my senses and culled the fleet considerably. One benefit of once owning a diverse fleet was the luxury of selecting a vehicle appropriate for the journey. I thought of my garage as accessory storage for our outings. That was all about to change when circumstances required me to drive to our job site in Southern California. The obvious choice was the GMC 2500 HD pickup with the wonderful LMM Duramax engine. After all, it’s a company truck. I’d look the part — dressed in my Carhartts, hopping out of a big diesel rig at the site. The thing is, diesel prices are crazy, and in California, they’re approaching $7.50 a gallon. Persona is important, but people who know me know that frugality wins out every time. I like to think of myself as economically disciplined, but my wife usually just goes with “he is cheap.” I kept looking at that Ford Mustang Mach-E parked in the garage. Each time I did the math: 20 gallons of “go-go juice” for $150, or a 20 to 80% charge for $23. Range anxiety be damned, the oil burner was staying in the garage! I mapped out charging stations, booked a room halfway, and set out for the Gold Coast. The Mach-E is comfortable — huge screen, great sound system, quiet ride and semi-autonomous driving. On the highway, the car essentially drives itself. It even changes lanes with a flick of the turn signal. On that first leg, my eyes were glued to the range meter. By the time I hit 40%, I started to worry if the fast charger in the car actually worked. Maybe I should have tested it closer to home? At 30%, I wondered if I’d even make it to my first stop in Scipio. At 20%, I was in a full-on sweat and turned off the climate control to save juice. All that worry was silly. I pulled into the charger with over 50 miles to spare. While the lot was crowded with all kinds of EVs, there were plenty of stalls open at the ChargePoint station. Charging is a breeze. With the Ford-supplied adapter, I can select any quick charger, including Tesla Superchargers. I never had to wait, they always worked, and by the time I took a bio-break, grabbed a snack, and answered a few texts, the car was back at 80%. Yes, I had to stop for “fuel” more often than with my 26-gallon truck tank, but at my age, the Mach-E doesn’t dictate my stops. My prostate does. Nature stops calling and starts screaming around the 200-mile mark. I’m sure that at oil wells of Montana, the EV a very expensive paperweight, but in Oceanside, it turned out to be a fashion statement with the crew. I went along and let them think I was being green rather than just being cheap.  We purchased our first EV five years ago, but we mistakenly overlooked it for road trips, assuming it was only for local errands. After this 11-hour, 750-mile journey, I’ll be taking the EV on almost every trip — unless I’m hauling a trailer, that is. If you’ve been keeping your EV on a short leash for local errands while you let the gasser handle the miles, stop. Don’t be wrong for five years like I was. Between the autonomous driving and the charging stops, it’s the most relaxing 750 miles I’ve ever driven. Besides, trust me — your own internal “low battery” light will definitely start yelling before the car’s does. Ari Ioannides, chair of the Summit County Republicans, is a recovering tech entrepreneur, founder of BootUP PD, and serves on local government and nonprofit boards. He offers a conservative perspective on local politics. He can be reached at [email protected] The post The Porcupine Quill: Being cheap leads to the EV for long treks appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less