March 05, 2019

Tesla Superchargers make it easy, but you can still road-trip cross-country without them

What’s more American than a road trip? Immortalized in songs (Route 66) and literature (On The Road), the Cross-Country Road Trip is a staple of our culture. The Electric Road Trip adds a couple of new dimensions to the adventure. Drivers can enjoy the natural wonders of our country more than ever before, knowing that, by driving electric, they’re doing their bit to preserve them for future generations of wanderers. There’s also the challenge of finding places to charge along the way, which can actually be fun, adding a treasure hunting element to the quest.

Above: Tesla Model 3 parked below the Golden Gate Bridge (Flickr: Thomas Hawk)

As Teslas and other electric vehicles have become popular, a new genre of road trip narrative has developed — we've reported on many of these odysseys (and not only in the US):

The folks at Tesla were hip to the lure of the open road from the beginning, and that’s why they made deploying the comprehensive Supercharger network a priority. Today, you can travel through many regions of the country using only Superchargers and Tesla's growing network of Destination Chargers. However, you may not always find a Supercharger in a convenient location, and furthermore, with Model 3 gradually becoming a mainstream automobile, some popular Supercharger locations are getting downright crowded.

Fortunately, there are lots of other options, and with Electrify America and several regional networks under construction around the country, the number of public charging stations is growing every day (well over 22,000 in the US and Canada at last count). However, the savvy road-tripper carries a complete set of charging adapters, as well as the latest Plugshare and ChargePoint apps, and knows a few places to find alternative charging spots.

This handy new infographic from CarRentals.com depicts the various types of public chargers you’ll encounter on the road, and also suggests a few scenic cross-country routes that are well-served by chargers.