Stay Charged On Road Trips – How To Find Hotels with EV Charging Stations
Whether it’s taking the family on a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the coast, heading out for a quick trip to relatives in a neighboring state, checking out a world class amusement park, or booking a wine country adventure, the types of destinations and journeys that lure you onto the open road are vast and varied. And with the fluctuating cost of gasoline, the benefits of electric vehicles have become all the more intriguing to would-be road trippers.
On a long journey, fill-ups in any type of vehicle have a way of adding up, but currently, a full EV recharge only costs around $10-$30 on average. Plus, while finding hotels with EV charging stations had been a source of range anxiety in the past; nowadays, there are more and more tools becoming available to make plotting your journey much easier.
Plan Ahead To Make Finding EV Charging Stations Easier
A lot of the fun of road trips or any adventure is the ability to go with the flow. Being able to pivot on a dime to check out a roadside attraction or stop for a small town cafe adds to the glory of a good road trip. While leaving wiggle room for impromptu stops can add a lot to the overall experience, seasoned travelers understand that a basic plan is always necessary to help guide the trip, often quite literally, in the right direction. For EV drivers, planning stops that offer EV charging can provide a great framework for the entire trip while also reassuring everyone along for the ride that you’ll stay charged. Google and Apple maps, along with many others, offer options to show EVSE along your route. Having a hard copy of this route could also be valuable should Internet service not be available on long stretches of highway or at remote elevations.
Tools Of The Trade: Use Hotel Sites and Charging Network Apps To Find EV Chargers
As one of the most common places to stay while on the road, hotels and motels are good places to inquire whether EV charging is available. More hotel and motel owners, as well as several national hotel chains, have noted the added value that offering EV charging can bring to potential guests. Being able to stop and rest, then wake up with a fully charged vehicle without having to make an additional stop for gas can make long distance even more enjoyable. Here are five national hotel chains that often offer EV charging for guests.
Hilton
Hilton offers an easy to use, searchable function that shows exactly which of its family of hotel locations offers EVSE and how many are available there. Click the link above if you’re interested in staying at Hilton hotels on your trip.
Holiday Inn
While EV charging stations are common at many Holiday Inn locations or at its subsidiary hotel or motel chains, its website does not offer a broad EVSE search feature. If you know the cities where you plan to stay, you can inquire online, by calling in advance, or by utilizing one of the apps listed further along in this article.
Best Western
Similar to Holiday Inn, Best Western does not offer an EVSE specific search on its website, despite many of their locations offering multiple charging stations. Verifying with a Google search or by using an EV network phone app is recommended.
Marriott
Marriott’s Marriott Bonvoy Mobile App has a filter option to only show its locations offering EVSE. The results also show what kinds of charging stations are available at each location should that influence your decision on where to stay.
Radisson
Radisson has committed to growing its involvement in the burgeoning EVSE network around the world, offering 510+ charging stations in addition to its first ultra-fast charging hub. Domestically in the US, Radisson offers free charging options for Tesla drivers and some type 2 charging vehicles. Their website recommends inquiring through reception ahead of time and does note that some locations require a reservation of the EVSE ahead of time.
Websites, Apps and Tools for Road Trip Charging
Up until recently, calling ahead or searching online have been the best ways to make sure that where you stay has EV charging, but more and more websites, apps, and tools are being developed and released to help make finding reliable charging easier. These new options are often simpler to use and show more options than going through a specific hotel chain. Booking websites such as expedia.com, hotels.com, Air BnB, and Kayak all have features to select lodging options with EV charging. There are even some sites that can show the price of multiple hotels in the area, so you’re able to choose the best option or filter out results based on your personal criteria. Here are five more options to help find EV charging stations on your journey:
How To Find EV Charging Stations If You’re Outdoorsy
There is probably a lot of overlap for EV drivers and outdoors enthusiasts. Both tend to be interested in preserving natural resources and are generally green friendly and eco-minded. While Priuses have never been unfamiliar sites at campgrounds, full-on battery powered vehicles may have been spotted a little less frequently in the past. Many past EV designs weren’t the most rugged and may not have been suited for camping outside of established campgrounds and pay sites. 2023 and beyond will see many more fully electric SUVs and trucks, which will mean more of these drivers getting out into the wild in them. National and state parks are going to need to adapt to fit this need and many already have. Many national parks have EV charging stations available and some campsites have charging adapters onsite. Every park and every campground is different, so it’s important to inquire beforehand. If you’re itching to enjoy natural beauty in your EV, here are five national parks currently equipped with EV charging stations:
National Parks With EV Charging Stations
-
Yellowstone National Park
-
Yosemite National Park
-
Death Valley National Park
-
Olympic National Park
-
Zion National Park
Wherever you plan on exploring, a little bit of planning can go a long way. More charging stations are being installed every day and new technology to help you find them is following in tow. We hope this article helps.
