A Ford F-150 Lightning owner says a 6,900-mile road trip came with only two charger-related snags, offering a striking real-world example for drivers who still worry an EV can’t handle long-distance travel.
The trip also tested comfort, charging flexibility, and overall road-trip practicality.
Here’s what to know
In a post on the forum on , the owner said the truck had been purchased in late June and then taken on its first major outing, which covered 6,900 miles.
Efficiency was higher in denser areas, where they said the truck returned 2.7-3.2 miles per kWh. On highways, they usually set cruise control between 55 and 68 miles per hour, and the full-trip average came to 2.0 miles per kilowatt-hour.
Charging trouble came up only twice during the trip.
“There were only 2 times I ran into issues finding a charger, and it was largely due to the charger I was planning on using being out of order combined with needing to check multiple apps to find charging locations,” they wrote. “There was stress but I was able to find somewhere to charge.”
When another commenter asked where those issues happened, the original poster they occurred in “Oklahoma and Rhode Island.”
Another point in the thread was price flexibility. One commenter who got their truck in 2022 , “Now there’s actually options and I find I’m planning my route more so to get the best price than because I need to.”
More background
For overnighting in the truck, they flipped up the rear seats, used a 1 1/2-inch insulation board to flatten the floor, and placed 4 inches of memory foam on top. “It was quite comfortable,” they recalled.
While the owner did not provide a dollar estimate for any lodging savings, they said, “The ability to use the heat or a/c while sleeping was a huge plus.”
They also revealed that cruise control became less irritating once lane-keeping assist was turned off. They “got annoyed” by repeated alerts about hand placement and “watch the road” warnings when taking a drink.
What can be done?
Planning still matters, especially on less-traveled routes.
“Living in the mountain west 100+ miles between single chargers is pretty common so I always have bailouts and alternates routes mapped just in case,” a commenter .
That strategy closely matched the original poster’s in Oklahoma, where they took a more scenic route with fewer places to charge.
Several commenters also pointed to helpful tools. The original poster said they had to check multiple apps, while another commenter ABRP after completing a roughly 1,500-mile trip without charger issues.
That same commenter noted that the app may surface some Tesla stations accessible only through Tesla’s app, but said downloading it solved the problem.
Rhode Island was another weak spot, the original poster , adding that “charging at home is the way to go” there because the state had few true fast chargers and some damaged touch screens.
After nearly 7,000 miles of driving and camping, though, the owner’s conclusion was simple.
“Overall it was a great vehicle for the trip and I’ll be making more road trips in it without hesitation,” they wrote.
Where can I learn more?
Those charger hiccups reflect a broader reality for EV drivers, especially on road trips where charging access can still be uneven.