Hey everyone, I am going to Illinois (near O’Hare) around the end of November to visit my parents. I want to try renting an EV, and the Ioniq 5 is on my list. How is the Electrify America charging network over there? I have heard there are plenty of superchargers, but I would like to know if I will be able to fast charge and not spend more than 30 minutes getting from 20% to 80%. I will be driving quite a bit, so I don’t want to waste a lot of time waiting for a slow charge (less than 200 kW). Right now, I’m looking at a 2023 model for rent. Any thoughts on how reliable EA fast charging is? Will I have to give up valuable time with my parents just staring at my car? Since I’m only there for four days, maybe renting a Tesla would be more convenient for charging. I’ve heard that sometimes the Ioniq gets lucky with a quick 20-minute charge, but is that a rare thing?
I’d recommend you figure out how many miles you’ll be driving each day and whether you can find a place to charge overnight with AC charging. I have a 2022 Ioniq RWD, and I drive it to my parents in the winter from New Mexico to Colorado. Charging is definitely slower in colder weather. A 6-hour drive with a gas car turns into 7.5 hours in the Ioniq, with two stops—one 30-40 minute stop and another 15-20 minute stop. I also charge overnight at my parents’ house, so it doesn’t take time out of my day. If your rental has preconditioning, it should help speed up charging. I don’t mind the extra time. Looking at the O’Hare area on PlugShare, there’s decent DC fast charging coverage. When it’s really cold, I expect 160-180 miles on a full charge. If you’re driving over 200 miles a day and don’t have access to overnight charging, maybe going with a gas car would be easier. But if you’re open to it and plan ahead, it might be worth trying an EV. It really depends on your expectations.
@Lyle
Thanks for the detailed response. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any nearby Airbnbs or hotels with overnight charging options. It’s frustrating.
If you’re around the Chicago area, there are many options for charging beyond Electrify America. I would check PlugShare to see what’s available near where you’ll be staying. November can be tricky, though. Some days it’s in the 30s, and other days it can jump to the 50s.
@Teo
Yeah, I checked both PlugShare and ABRP, but neither seems to give me confidence that it’ll work out.
I can’t speak specifically to the Midwest, but I can say cold weather impacts how much energy you can put into an EV battery. Even Tesla struggles. You could see up to 100kW less power going into the battery when it’s cold. I get about 50kW less during winter compared to summer fast charging. And it’s not as cold where I live compared to Chicago. Temperature really makes a difference, so your range will change depending on the weather.
@Whitney
Yeah, organizing this trip with all the hotel and charging stops is giving me a headache. Add in the freezing cold November weather, and I might have to just give in and rent a gas car to make life easier.
@Hadi
As long as you precondition the car, I think you’ll be fine. Cold batteries take a hit, but planning ahead really helps.
@Hadi
Yeah, I agree. This probably isn’t the best time to try out an EV for the first time. There’s definitely a learning curve with charging, especially with CCS charging.
Lennon said:
@Hadi
Yeah, I agree. This probably isn’t the best time to try out an EV for the first time. There’s definitely a learning curve with charging, especially with CCS charging.
Thanks for the advice, I think I’ll just go with a gas car this time around. Appreciate all the input!
@Whitney
Do you precondition your car? We managed to charge at 170 kW during a snowstorm last year that shut down a supercharger in Chicago. Left the car in the O’Hare outdoor lot for two weeks, and it was buried under snow in -10°F when we came back. Surprisingly, the car started without a problem, preconditioned itself, and charged well. It was really impressive.
@Bran
Yes, I do precondition. I usually get around 325 kW in the summer on a 350 kW charger, but in freezing weather, I’ve never gotten more than 240 kW.