Yes, you can take electric cars on long road trips

Ben Abramson | USA TODAY

Electric cars continue to grow in popularity, as more drivers embrace the economic and ecological benefits and more manufacturers enter the market. One area in which they still lag is in the overall distance they can travel on a charge, an issue the industry calls "range anxiety." But as charging infrastructure grows across the country, electric car manufacturers are reassuring owners that long road trips are just as feasible as with fossil-fuel powered vehicles.

To illustrate this, USA TODAY asked electric car maker Tesla to identify charging options on five popular long distance routes across the country. With a combination of its own "Supercharger stations," which offer full charges in less than an hour, plus hotels, restaurants, parking garages and other travel partners, these sample itineraries mix sightseeing and lodging options that offer overnight charging and show that an all-electric road trip isn't so much different from a gas-and-go journey.

These calculations are based on trips in Tesla's new Model 3, which gets 310 miles per charge. Mileage varies for other models of Tesla and models from other car makers, so Tesla offers tools to let drivers find charging options near them, or plan a route between two destinations.

New York City to Miami

START: Supercharge at the William Vale hotel in Brooklyn while you grab a bite to eat.

STOP 1: North East, Md. Supercharge and grab a coffee at the LEED-certified rest-stop.

STOP 2: Fredericksburg, Va. Charge at the Fredericksburg Supercharger, then swing over to downtown Fredericksburg to see the historic sites and have lunch.

STOP 3: Raleigh, N.C. Make short detour off 95 to Raleigh and neighboring Cary, N.C. Stay the night at The Umstead spa or Mayton Inn and charge overnight while you sleep.

STOP 4: Florence, S.C. Supercharge while you stretch your legs and run errands at the Magnolia Mall in Florence.

STOP 5: Savannah, Ga. Charge while you explore all Savannah has to offer. Grab lunch at the Mansion on Forsyth or The Brice, both at hotels that have chargers.

STOP 6: St. Augustine, Fla. Stop at St. Augustine’s Supercharger for 40 minutes and continue to the next stop, or stop overnight in St. Augustine and charge your car at Casa Monica Resort or St. Francis Inn.

STOP 7: West Melbourne, Fla. Supercharge at West Melbourne’s Supercharger.

END: Miami. Stay at the 1 Hotel South Beach, and charge overnight.

Chicago to Houston

START: Have breakfast at the Loews Hotel Chicago while your car charges.

STOP 1: Effingham, Ill. Stop at the Effingham Supercharger and grab a coffee at the nearby Starbucks.

STOP 2: Miner, Mo. Stop at the Miner Supercharger. Walk down the street to the Sikeston Trade Fair Flea Market and check out local treasures.

STOP 3: Memphis. Take a load off in Memphis. Enjoy the city, stay at the Peabody Hotel, re-charge yourself as your car charges overnight.

STOP 4: Little Rock. Grab snacks at the Little Rock River Market, head over to the Little Rock Supercharger and enjoy the local cuisine.

STOP 5: Texakarna, Texas. Hop out, grab a coffee and charge at the Texas-Arkansas state line!

ARRIVE: Houston. Park and charge at the Zaza Hotel in Houston’s Museum District. Wake up in the morning fully charged.

San Diego to Seattle

START: San Diego. Start out with breakfast at the W Hotel San Diego, with your car charging at the hotel.

STOP 1: Tejon Ranch, Calif. Stop at the Tejon Ranch Supercharger, grab an In-n-Out burger at the nearby outlet.

STOP 2: Kettleman City, Calif. Charge up at the Tesla Lounge in Kettleman City, Tesla’s largest Supercharging station.

STOP 3: Carmel, Calif. Enjoy the stunning seaside city and charge overnight while you stay at the Tradewinds Hotel.

STOP 4: Sea Ranch, Calif. Drive up Highway 1 to Sea Ranch Lodge. Charge your car while you eat lunch, take in the views.

STOP 5: Eureka, Calif. Stay and charge overnight at the Victorian Inn, just outside Eureka. In the morning, take a hike through the redwoods at Humboldt State Park.

STOP 6: Grants Pass, Ore. Supercharge at Grants Pass, enjoy the mountain views and grab a bite at Black Bear Diner.

STOP 7: Portland, Ore. Charge overnight at the beautiful Riverplace Hotel downtown.

END: Seattle. Enjoy a vibrant city, recharge and sleep at the Thompson Hotel.



Atlanta to Phoenix

START: Atlanta. Start out fully charged at the Mandarin Oriental in Buckhead.

STOP 1: Birmingham, Ala. Quick Supercharge while you grab a bite to eat at the nearby Todd English’s PUB restaurant.

STOP 2: Jackson, Miss. Spend the day in Jackson. Charge overnight while you sleep at the Old Capitole Inn.

STOP 3: Shreveport, La. Supercharge in Schreveport and stop by the Spring Street Historical Museum.

STOP 4: Dallas. Stay overnight with a choice of downtown hotels that offer destination charging.

STOP 5: Sweetwater, Texas. Stretch your legs and supercharge.

STOP 6: Midland, Texas. Stop at the Midland Supercharger and grab a bite at the Midland Beer Garden.

STOP 7: Marfa, Texas. Slight detour to Marfa, charge at the Tesla charger at El Cosmico Hotel while you sleep.

STOP 8: El Paso. Stop at the El Paso Supercharger and stop for a bite of barbecue.

STOP 9: Wilcox, Ariz. Supercharge in the small Arizona town.

END: Phoenix. Enjoy Phoenix and Scottsdale, stay overnight and charge at the Phoenician in Scottsdale.

Cleveland to Las Vegas

START: Cleveland. Leave the Ritz Carlton Cleveland with a full charge.

STOP 1: Angola, Ind. Supercharge at 6 Autumn Wine & Spirits while you enjoy Autumn’s Bourbon Chicken.

STOP 2: Chicago. Supercharge at downtown Chicago’s Supercharger while you explore the city.

STOP 3: Davenport, Iowa. Spend the night and charge up at the historic Beiderbecke Inn.

STOP 4: West Des Moines, Iowa. Head to the West Des Moines Supercharger, grab a coffee at the Starbucks.

STOP 5: Omaha. Stop at the Capitol District Parking Garage to recharge while you explore the city.

STOP 6: Gothenburg, Neb. Stay over and charge at the Comfort Suites in Gothenburg, Neb.

STOP 7: Brush, Colo. Quick 15-minute charge in Brush.

STOP 8: Denver. Grab a coffee and charge your Tesla at the Four Seasons in Denver while you do some exploring.

STOP 9: Glenwood Springs, Colo. Take a quick detour off Route 70 to the Marble Distilling Company. Charge your Tesla and stay at the Inn overnight.

STOP 10: Green River, Utah. Supercharge and enjoy the fresh air and views.

STOP 11: Beaver, Utah. Supercharge and grab a snack at Cache Valley Cheese Factory.

END: Las Vegas. We don't need to tell you what to do here. Stay at one of the many Las Vegas hotels that host Tesla chargers.

Electric car drivers, have you had experience with longer road trips? Share your stories in the comments section.