Wiki Canadian Trip Planning

[Biker]

RWatson485 , We are planning to go from Toronto to Halifax and then to Cape Breton in August. I have dual chargers, but haven't yet bought the Chademo adapter as I don't see very many listed in Canada. I would be very interested to hear how your trip goes or what your plan is before you head out.

It seems that people are suggesting that it is better to go through the US than to go via Quebec City and to cut across the Gaspe.

Ideally we would like to camp out and charge at campgrounds in the evening, but how long would it take to recharge on the road at a Sun Country charger?

 

[Ugliest1]

@Biker: I also have dual chargers (don't leave home without them!!). On a Sun Country CS100 (100A breaker delivering 80A continuously) you'll essentially drive an hour, charge an hour (in 3- or 4-hour chunks). CS90's (72A) are almost as good. CS60's (48A) will take about 5-6 hours to go from, say, 30% to 80%.

So make sure you're stopping at a CS100 or CS90. All the other Level 2 EVSE's I've come across (Chargepoint, AddEnergie, etc) are usually 30A breakers (delivering 24A to the car). But I haven't been east of Winnipeg in Canada except for a stop in Niagara Falls, so perhaps the other EVSE's have higher charge capability east (sometimes Plugshare has the power information listed, sometimes not).

 

[Biker]

Toronto to Halifax or Montreal to Halifax

 

[Aussie Bob]

We are planning our first long distant trip in our S85 next week and just wanted to confirm that route we are planing to use works easily. We plan to use Superchargers at Kingston, Toronto (St Lawrence) and Woodstock off 401 before heading inland towards Grand Bend. We will be stopping in Toronto on way to Grand Bend for a few days to see my brother who lives near the St. Lawrence SC.

During summer period I do not anticipate problems travelling between superchargers listed above but I am more concerned about Woodstock to Grand Bend and return to Woodstock portion of trip. I will only be able to plugin to 120v service at destination while we are there for 2 days.

I noted several 70-90A services near Grand Bend on Plugshare that could be used in an emergency but has anyone any experience in travelling from Woodstock to Grand Bend and back to Woodstock on one charge ( that charge would be at Woodstock SC on way to Grand Bend)?

Another question relates to finding distances between supercharger stations. Is there an easy place to locate this info? I have read reports by others stating the distance between SC stations but I am having difficulty locating this info.

Another novice question to first time S C user. I presume superchargers connect just like our regular cable at home to a Nema 14-50.

Thanks in advance to those who can help me out.

 

[Forty Creek]

Another question relates to finding distances between supercharger stations. Is there an easy place to locate this info? I have read reports by others stating the distance between SC stations but I am having difficulty locating this info.

Another novice question to first time S C user. I presume superchargers connect just like our regular cable at home to a Nema 14-50.

For looking at distances between supercharger stations, just use Google Maps. Enter the SC location and then the location you are travelling from / to. You can change the units of measure to kms or miles.
The supercharger plugs in just like at home and of course you will not need to use your mobile cable. You will need to make sure Super Charging is enabled on your car (you would have likely done this at the time of purchase).
Hope this helps.

 

[Aussie Bob]

For looking at distances between supercharger stations, just use Google Maps. Enter the SC location and then the location you are travelling from / to. You can change the units of measure to kms or miles.
The supercharger plugs in just like at home and of course you will not need to use your mobile cable. You will need to make sure Super Charging is enabled on your car (you would have likely done this at the time of purchase).
Hope this helps.

Thanks. Yes it does.

 

[mrElbe]

Woodstock SC to Grand Bend and return is 220km. That should be easily doable in an S85. Do a full charge and plug it in to the 110V at Grand Bend anyway to top up a few km. Supercharger connectors are sometimes a bear to insert. Make sure it is fully seated to get that flashing green light.

 

[Doug_G]

I will only be able to plugin to 120v service at destination while we are there for 2 days.

Two days at 120V is enough for a full charge in summer. In winter it will depend on the temperature.

 

[Peter_M]

The quickest way to find supercharger trip distances is using supercharge.info. Choose "add to route" for all the SC's you're interested in; right-click anywhere on the map and pick "add to route" to add your starting point or destination.

 

[Aussie Bob]

Thanks everyone. One more question. I know you can use Google maps to get distances between supercharger stations but has anyone compiled a list of the stations in the North East USA and Canada so that you can just refer to the list for distances between superchargers?

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Peter. I was able to set it up from Kingston to Woodstock as you suggested.

 

[mknox]

...Superchargers at Kingston, Toronto (St Lawrence) and Woodstock off 401

While your Nav will locate the Toronto Supercharger for you, I just want to point out it's at 1325 Lawrence Ave. E. and not on St. Lawrence Ave. which is downtown and a considerable distance away (in case you are doing some planning with Google Maps and such).

 

[Aussie Bob]

While your Nav will locate the Toronto Supercharger for you, I just want to point out it's at 1325 Lawrence Ave. E. and not on St. Lawrence Ave. which is downtown and a considerable distance away (in case you are doing some planning with Google Maps and such).

Thanks very much. My brother lives near the SC so I should be able to find it. Will probably go down Victoria St to St Lawrence East instead of using Don Valley Parkway.

 

[Not an Ice]

Drove Aurora to Ottawa and back this weekend. 401 to kingston SC and then up 10 thru Perth to Ottawa. 6.5 hours. No problems.

Charged at 150 Elgin each night, 30 amp, convenient and $2.50/night. Beckta Restaurant in same building was the best meal I have had in 1 year.

Also charged at National Aviation Museum, Tesla charger free but dont bother, only 12 amp.

Return trip we took highway 7, a far more enjoyable trip, 70 km less than the 401 route there, and did it in 5 hours with charging. Charging was a quick 70 amp top up of 30 km at Otanabee Best Western. The Best Western was no charge and a Sun Country.

Only complaint was the Tesla Nav routing, it kept wanting to take you only through superchargers, even when you said drop them all, and then when it calculated direct routes (to Sun Country charger address) it would tell circuitous routes to get there adding 50+km and you could not adjust the route, and most funny while being at 32% it would tell me I would be at 43% when I arrived, the trip graph was funny. Saving grace was knowing route, and preplanning shortest route on google (where you can change the route) first and ignoring Nav and impending doom yellow warnings of being stranded.

 

[Doug_G]

You can turn off the trip planning function - there's a switch for it in the settings.

 

[Forty Creek]

You can turn off the trip planning function - there's a switch for it in the settings.

Thanks Doug. That is very helpful.

 

[Not an Ice]

Ok Doug, you sent me flying to
the car for 24 minutes, and for 23 i thought you where nuts, but in the last minute I realized you are right and Thankyou, little did I know thar After you press settings/apps you can then do settings within apps. Beta trip planning has been turned off. I will see if it makes a difference on my 2.7 km commute to work in the morning! Ouch, how far do you guys (the un-retired ones) drive?

 

[Doug_G]

LOL my commute is all of 14 km one way. But I tend to do lots of side trips during the day. About 45,000 km on the car so far.

 

[swrving]

Depending on my route, I'm often 80-90km's one way to my client's offices (2-3 days/week). I don't tend to use the Nav in the MS because I don't find the traffic routing as strong as Waze. Hopefully since they use Google maps and Google bought Waze it will get there, but it's not there yet. Waze also warns me about cops (and lets me warn others). I've had my MS 25 days, and I rolled over 2000km this morning.

 

[mknox]

You can turn off the trip planning function - there's a switch for it in the settings.

I forgot about that. I've been playing around with the Nav for an upcoming Chicago road trip, and whenever I put in my destination, it only routes me to the first Supercharger on the route, and then stops there. Also, I should be able to easily make it to Comber, but it always has me going only as far as Woodstock. I'll try it again with the feature turned off.

- - - Updated - - -

About 45,000 km on the car so far.

Coming up on 80,000 km myself...

 

[Albatross]

I am going from Ottawa to my buddies place near London. Do you think I could top up in Kingston and make it all the way to Woodstock supercharger without stopping in Toronto ? It shows 390 kms but I think that's downtown to downtown .....