What is it like road-tripping in an EV with respect to making stops to recharge? Do you plan routes differently? Ever have trouble getting plugged in right away? What do you do with the kids if you're making an extended stop (> 15 minutes)?
The answer depends a bit on where you live, what car you are driving, and how long the road trip is.
First, in terms of charging on road trips, there are two categories of networks: Tesla and everyone else. Only Teslas can use the Tesla network and everyone else (sorry Nissan Leaf) is on a common standard called CCS.
In most places in the U.S., Tesla has a better network. In a few spots, the CCS network is better.
Second, the car matters, and not just in terms of range. Different cars have different peak charging speeds and different overall charging curves. For instance, my Bolt only charges at 50kw, while my Mustang Mach-E will get up to 150kw. In practical terms, that means the Bolt takes a lot longer to charge.
Third, the longer the road trip is, the more annoying it is to drive an electric car as every stop will be longer than a comparable gas stop. In the Carolinas, most of the faster CCS charges are next to Walmarts or Sams Clubs, so we typically go in and buy some snacks, use the bathroom, etc. You can also go get some food just before you plug in and eat while you're plugged in.
tldr; range and charging speed determine how often and how long you need to stop. Stops aren't that bad so long as you're not driving for 12+ hours.
