rkarl89203,
Thank you for all the detail. That is GREAT! As JoeS correctly surmised, I was in no way challenging the validity of your trip. I am merely in awe and bewilderment. First, that our iMiEVs are capable of making such a trip with relative ease. And, second, at your daring and willingness to give it a go!
Yes, I do realize that there are many ways to make it all work. The problem I have with most of the ways is finding a good balance between stretching the range capabilities of my Meepster and maintaining the convenience and happiness of my family and/or any other passengers I may have along for the ride.
Unfortunately, my family is more about the destination than the journey. If we're going somewhere on a trip, we want to get there as quickly as possible so we have as much time as we can get to enjoy the destination. Having to stop for 1.5 hours 2-3 times along the way to top off is not conducive to keeping my young children and wife complacent. Well, unless the L2/L3 chargers happened to be located directly next to an awesome park my kids can play at!
I applaud you for your willingness to take your iMiEV on so many driving adventures, and I also envy your ability to do so. I'm not afforded the luxury of considering my Meepster for longer driving trips, even if there were plentiful chargers along the route. With two adults in the front and two growing children in the back, the seating space in my Meepster is getting cramped. It wasn't too bad when my younger daughter was, well, younger and didn't require any legroom. She's in her car seat behind the driver because that gives me the most legroom since she never really required that much space. However, now's she's 3 and her legs are digging into the back of my seat. I now have to sit with the driver's seat uncomfortably inched forward a few notches to give her enough room. Longer drives would not be very comfortable for me in our current situation. Nor would I wish to risk the ire of my wife and kids by suggesting we spend several hours driving in a cramped EV that has to stop frequently to charge up instead of taking the minivan with its cavernous interior space and creature comfort appointments that can get to our destination quickly and without any stops.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Meepster. I use it every day for my commute to and from work and for all our short running-around errands. We use it as much as possible. I always feel guilty whenever our trips require us to use the minivan and I have to leave Meepie in the garage.
JoeS, yes, I did the EVSE upgrade. The Quick220 device looks like a good alternative. I may float that idea past my wife to see if we should get one to have on-hand should the need/emergency ever arise.
Yes, there are options such as parking at a nearby EVSE (depending on where we are going) and asking someone to come pick us up. However, depending on how far the EVSE is from our ultimate destination, I wouldn't feel comfortable inconveniencing others like that. We're the only ones in our extended family (and all of our friends) who own an EV (or even have the luxury of being able to afford an EV). I don't even want to imagine the ridicule/disdain I'd receive if I asked them to chauffeur me from/to the EVSE because my "little yuppie EV" can't make it there and back on its own, especially when they know we have a minivan that is easily capable of the task. We'd be inconveniencing others simply for our own selfish "green, tree-hugging lifestyle choices."
