I live in Saint-Jacques NB (far north end of Edmundston not far from the Quebec provincial line) and I have a home in Central Maryland. Driving through Maine to get to Saint-Jacques taking the most direct route is difficult. With my Chevy Bolt, I need to get to a high SOC in Bangor ME and drive to Woodstock NB because there is where the nearest DCFC is at this point. If I am in my Bolt I drive up through NY into Quebec and over to Saint-Jacques because it is just easier. If I am driving my Ioniq 6 SE RWD, I can drive up through ME, but I need to get the SOC up above 80% in Bangor and then I can take the direct route up Maine 11 which goes up through Ashland ME. To sum it up, Northern Maine is a charging desert, so I usually go up through NY and enter Canada through Quebec where there is adequate infrastructure. I look forward to when they get the chargers installed further north on I95 and on route 11.
Thanks for the cross-border perspective. It is always noticeable when we get to Canada and immediately flip from almost no charging options to three or four fast chargers to choose from. It's positive that all of the US locations you mentioned will get public DCFC within the next year or so, giving at least four ports at each. More will be needed eventually but given the remoteness, I'd expect what Recharge Maine has planned to be sufficient for the next couple of years.
Is there ever a scenario where Aroostook County visitors would cross the border to fast charge and then swing back? Or is that just a massive waste of time and L2 does the same job?
The Jackman location looked nice with both CP & a SC station in line so the two clubs can rub elbows. I enjoyed watching and look forward to the series coverage. You do a superb job of candidly reflecting the state of EV owner options. Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks, Walter. Many of the Efficiency Maine -selected sites are located next to V2 Superchargers, demonstrating both how early they went in and how effectively Tesla sited those early stations in terms of travel needs. It will be interesting to see how the hardware and site design changes from those early days with the sites going in with support from federal dollars.
Thanks Brian, it was certainly a big one. Should have picked Rhode Island next to take the edge off... that might just be a Short! It will be interesting to see how this changes as Tesla Superchargers gradually open up and perhaps even Magic Dock changes things overnight in some locations, as you've seen in Minnesota.
Thank you for the report, Steve! I haven't been to Maine in years. Not likely this year either, sadly. I've been mostly driving my Bolt around in southern Michigan, northern Indiana and Illinois.
Thanks! It's quite a trek, even from Massachusetts, if you're heading all the way up to Canada. The remoteness is what makes it special though, in my experience. I've done some miles in Michigan but very limited experience in Illinois and Indiana. I might need to hit you up for tips when the series reaches the Midwest.
It's really scenic, even from the Interstate, but I can't wait to get out into the country up there to explore the mountains and coastline... probably need to do some sub videos on destination charging what that happens. Much to discover... ⚡
Cheers, Eric, I think they deserve some credit given limited funds but with a very thoughtful, EV-friendly approach. I get the sense that the more rural parts of NoCal might have similar resident needs to northern Maine. What are you seeing around power levels, siting, and destination charging options up there?
@@plugandplayEV Sadly, we're not seeing much, but I really need to specify that my definition of Northern California maybe isn't standard, as I don't see the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Region as part of Northern California. They are just to culturally, economically, and geographically different. North of Yolo/Sacramento International Airport is like an entirely different state. In that region, outside of Electrify America, we currently have a total of four >150 kW chargers (one ChargePoint Express Plus and three Freewire Boosts) spread across three sites. Most of the rest of the chargers are of the 50-62.5 kW variety. The coastal route (Highway 101) has seen the most development, and the eastern mountain route (Highway 395) has zero public fast charging for a nearly 300-mile long stretch. The central corridor (Interstate 5/Highway 99) is better, but again, we only four EA sites on a 300-mile stretch of busy freeway. Because of the way they are spread, a 200-mile EV traveling that corridor might not be able to skip a single EA site (especially in winter). If you dip down into the Bay Area and Sacramento, it's like night and day. I think it's safe to say that t this point, the number of 150+ kW public DCFC in that region has now reached the thousands. Now that I'm saying this out loud, I'm starting to worry that the NEVI funding program itself might have been modeled after California's needs and charging deficiencies, which might not be relevant for the rest of the country (or even Northern California for that matter).
I agree that overall Maine is doing a pretty decent job. There are some gaps that can be filled that would make EV travel more pleasant which they are working on. If you are traveling by EV and stay south of Bangor, infrastructure is adequate.
Excited that I may now be able to make a trip up to Maine with the Tesla SC adapter for my Mach-e I will be getting later this Spring. What I am finding with hotels in popular tourist destinations is that the 2 to 4 destination chargers that worked for 2020, may not be enough today. I am worried I will not be able to charge at a hotel as other guests will be on all available charges.
Really interested to hear your reports as you go... travel at peak times could be tough, even at Superchargers, but i think the additional stalls will be a big plus on regular travel days. I'm excited to see the hotel partnerships with Tesla and other charging hardware providers play out. The numbers are big, but to your point I hope they install significant numbers at individual locations. As with DCFC, four should probably be a bare minimum at this point. L2 at hotels also won't turnover as quickly as DCFC, so eight ports is a better bet to cover adoption for the next few years.
@@plugandplayEV 4 to 8 plugs at hotels is a good minimum. While looking for hotels in San Antonio for the solar eclipse, I could find zero hotels with 4 or more AC charging points. EV charging infrastructure as a whole in the San Antonio metro is very underdeveloped.
Great breakdown and analysis! ⚡ I really wish my state (New Mexico) had a central office that coordinates all electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It's very hodge podge here still...
Thanks! I always compare Maine to New Hampshire, not just because they're neighbors but the difference in planning vs. ad hoc installs is stark. NH and NM could certainly learn from those that have a map and a strategy.
@@plugandplayEV I agree, on the (lack of) planning side, both New Mexico and New Hampshire are similar. However, on the geographical size it's night and day different. New Hampshire is under 200 miles tall north to south whereas New Mexico is 350 miles tall north-south. Distances here out West are also very far apart. I can drive for 200 miles and not see another major metro area.
Are you planning an EV trip to Maine this year? Let us know where you're headed -- and where you want to ⚡ charge!👇
I live in Saint-Jacques NB (far north end of Edmundston not far from the Quebec provincial line) and I have a home in Central Maryland. Driving through Maine to get to Saint-Jacques taking the most direct route is difficult.
With my Chevy Bolt, I need to get to a high SOC in Bangor ME and drive to Woodstock NB because there is where the nearest DCFC is at this point. If I am in my Bolt I drive up through NY into Quebec and over to Saint-Jacques because it is just easier.
If I am driving my Ioniq 6 SE RWD, I can drive up through ME, but I need to get the SOC up above 80% in Bangor and then I can take the direct route up Maine 11 which goes up through Ashland ME.
To sum it up, Northern Maine is a charging desert, so I usually go up through NY and enter Canada through Quebec where there is adequate infrastructure. I look forward to when they get the chargers installed further north on I95 and on route 11.
Thanks for the cross-border perspective. It is always noticeable when we get to Canada and immediately flip from almost no charging options to three or four fast chargers to choose from. It's positive that all of the US locations you mentioned will get public DCFC within the next year or so, giving at least four ports at each. More will be needed eventually but given the remoteness, I'd expect what Recharge Maine has planned to be sufficient for the next couple of years.
Aroostook county is mostly a charging desert.
Is there ever a scenario where Aroostook County visitors would cross the border to fast charge and then swing back? Or is that just a massive waste of time and L2 does the same job?
@@plugandplayEV crossing the border twice can take 45 minutes to over 1 hour plus charging time. Doable but not practical.
The Jackman location looked nice with both CP & a SC station in line so the two clubs can rub elbows. I enjoyed watching and look forward to the series coverage. You do a superb job of candidly reflecting the state of EV owner options. Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks, Walter. Many of the Efficiency Maine -selected sites are located next to V2 Superchargers, demonstrating both how early they went in and how effectively Tesla sited those early stations in terms of travel needs. It will be interesting to see how the hardware and site design changes from those early days with the sites going in with support from federal dollars.
excellent job!!! get those charging stations in ... ASAP 💪💪
Agreed! Thanks ⚡
Excited for this series, thanks for doing all the research! Great details.
Thanks Brian, it was certainly a big one. Should have picked Rhode Island next to take the edge off... that might just be a Short! It will be interesting to see how this changes as Tesla Superchargers gradually open up and perhaps even Magic Dock changes things overnight in some locations, as you've seen in Minnesota.
Thank you for the report, Steve! I haven't been to Maine in years. Not likely this year either, sadly. I've been mostly driving my Bolt around in southern Michigan, northern Indiana and Illinois.
Thanks! It's quite a trek, even from Massachusetts, if you're heading all the way up to Canada. The remoteness is what makes it special though, in my experience.
I've done some miles in Michigan but very limited experience in Illinois and Indiana. I might need to hit you up for tips when the series reaches the Midwest.
Good overview. Definitely want to get back to Maine sometime; haven’t been since I was a kid
It's really scenic, even from the Interstate, but I can't wait to get out into the country up there to explore the mountains and coastline... probably need to do some sub videos on destination charging what that happens. Much to discover... ⚡
This will be useful for me as I am planning a trip and will be in Maine on my first long road trip. Thanks for the great info.
Happy it is timely, thanks for the feedback ⚡🛣️
Thanks, Steve! This is a really great in-depth review. Maine looks to be doing a great job so far.
Cheers, Eric, I think they deserve some credit given limited funds but with a very thoughtful, EV-friendly approach. I get the sense that the more rural parts of NoCal might have similar resident needs to northern Maine. What are you seeing around power levels, siting, and destination charging options up there?
@@plugandplayEV Sadly, we're not seeing much, but I really need to specify that my definition of Northern California maybe isn't standard, as I don't see the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento Region as part of Northern California. They are just to culturally, economically, and geographically different. North of Yolo/Sacramento International Airport is like an entirely different state.
In that region, outside of Electrify America, we currently have a total of four >150 kW chargers (one ChargePoint Express Plus and three Freewire Boosts) spread across three sites. Most of the rest of the chargers are of the 50-62.5 kW variety.
The coastal route (Highway 101) has seen the most development, and the eastern mountain route (Highway 395) has zero public fast charging for a nearly 300-mile long stretch. The central corridor (Interstate 5/Highway 99) is better, but again, we only four EA sites on a 300-mile stretch of busy freeway. Because of the way they are spread, a 200-mile EV traveling that corridor might not be able to skip a single EA site (especially in winter).
If you dip down into the Bay Area and Sacramento, it's like night and day. I think it's safe to say that t this point, the number of 150+ kW public DCFC in that region has now reached the thousands. Now that I'm saying this out loud, I'm starting to worry that the NEVI funding program itself might have been modeled after California's needs and charging deficiencies, which might not be relevant for the rest of the country (or even Northern California for that matter).
I agree that overall Maine is doing a pretty decent job. There are some gaps that can be filled that would make EV travel more pleasant which they are working on. If you are traveling by EV and stay south of Bangor, infrastructure is adequate.
Heading up to Manchester. First road trip for my 2020 Kona. Only 150 miles but good to know where the chargers are.
Safe travels! ⚡
Excited that I may now be able to make a trip up to Maine with the Tesla SC adapter for my Mach-e I will be getting later this Spring. What I am finding with hotels in popular tourist destinations is that the 2 to 4 destination chargers that worked for 2020, may not be enough today. I am worried I will not be able to charge at a hotel as other guests will be on all available charges.
Really interested to hear your reports as you go... travel at peak times could be tough, even at Superchargers, but i think the additional stalls will be a big plus on regular travel days.
I'm excited to see the hotel partnerships with Tesla and other charging hardware providers play out. The numbers are big, but to your point I hope they install significant numbers at individual locations. As with DCFC, four should probably be a bare minimum at this point. L2 at hotels also won't turnover as quickly as DCFC, so eight ports is a better bet to cover adoption for the next few years.
@@plugandplayEV 4 to 8 plugs at hotels is a good minimum. While looking for hotels in San Antonio for the solar eclipse, I could find zero hotels with 4 or more AC charging points. EV charging infrastructure as a whole in the San Antonio metro is very underdeveloped.
Great breakdown and analysis! ⚡ I really wish my state (New Mexico) had a central office that coordinates all electric vehicle charging infrastructure. It's very hodge podge here still...
Thanks! I always compare Maine to New Hampshire, not just because they're neighbors but the difference in planning vs. ad hoc installs is stark. NH and NM could certainly learn from those that have a map and a strategy.
@@plugandplayEV I agree, on the (lack of) planning side, both New Mexico and New Hampshire are similar. However, on the geographical size it's night and day different.
New Hampshire is under 200 miles tall north to south whereas New Mexico is 350 miles tall north-south.
Distances here out West are also very far apart. I can drive for 200 miles and not see another major metro area.
@ArtiePenguin1 Right, but that only makes New Hampshire's falling behind all the more glaring.
@@plugandplayEV Yup, yup ⚡
we have 5 ACTIVE chargers Birkman!
On. 👏The. 👏 MAP ⚡🙌