Epic Electric American Road Trip goes 12,000 miles on EV power
Tue, Apr 22 2014 Twenty-seven states. 12,000 miles. Zero gasoline. Those are the headline numbers for the "Epic Electric American Road Trip" that ended in Venica, CA today, just in time for Earth Day. Norman Hajjar, the managing director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, made the journey in a stock Tesla Model S both as a way to draw attention to electric vehicles (he's trying to get Guinness World Record to verify that this was the longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100 percent electric power) and to show that long-distance road trips are possible even with today's charging infrastructure.This was certainly a trip for an EV diehard, since it was made up of 109 hours of charging and 213 hours of driving. That leads to the second part of Hajjar's reason for driving criss-cross across the US: to "draw attention to needs for further improvement." You can relive the journey over at Plugshare or on Twitter.
World Record-Breaking Electric Vehicle Journey Crosses Finish Line "Epic Electric American Road Trip" marks the longest ever journey made with zero fuel costs
VENICE, Calif., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the completion of the record-setting Epic Electric American Road Trip, a 24-day, 12,183-mile battery-powered journey sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and information services company Recargo Inc. The trip is seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100% electric power, and served to emphasize the possibilities of the nation's current electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Norman Hajjar, Managing Director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, crossed the finish line in a stock Tesla Model S sedan. At the trip's end, Norman has ventured across a 27-state route spanning the four corners of the lower 48 states: Washington, Maine, Florida, and California, ending at Recargo's offices in Venice, California. Hajjar took advantage of Tesla's newly built, proprietary string of cross-country "Supercharger" stations, in order to make the coast-to-coast electric venture.
"We wanted to illustrate what's possible with the nation's charging infrastructure, and draw attention to needs for further improvement," said Norman Hajjar. "The plausibility of a mass switch to EV usage in America simply can't be separated from the need for a robust fast-charging network. I've traveled over 12,000 miles in under 3.5 weeks. With the proper infrastructure, there's nothing an EV can't do."
Live updates from the road and photostreams were made available at roadtrip.plugshare.com, offering an interactive experience where viewers can pinpoint the vehicle's location, track its speed and energy usage, and interact with the driver using the @plugshare live Twitter feed and using the hashtag #EpicEVTrip.
Recargo's Epic Electric American Road Trip navigated via PlugShare, the company's widely used mobile app directory of public electric vehicle charging stations. PlugShare helps electric vehicle drivers pinpoint charging locations from a database of over 48,000 public charging stations worldwide. The Epic Electric American Road Trip was be powered by a new version of PlugShare.com for Tesla drivers, uniquely adapted to the Model S's 17" touch screen monitor.
About Recargo Inc.:
Recargo Inc. is a leading electric vehicle service provider that offers consumer and industry intelligence to support the adoption and growth of plug-in mobility. Recargo makes PlugShare, the world's most popular EV charging station locator app. PlugInsights is Recargo's driver research division, powered by a survey research panel of nearly 10,000 EV drivers. The company is based in Venice, CA, with offices in Menlo Park, CA. For more information about Recargo Inc. and the company's product offerings, visit http://www.recargo.com/ and follow @PlugShare on Twitter (#EpicEVTrip).
VENICE, Calif., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the completion of the record-setting Epic Electric American Road Trip, a 24-day, 12,183-mile battery-powered journey sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and information services company Recargo Inc. The trip is seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100% electric power, and served to emphasize the possibilities of the nation's current electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Norman Hajjar, Managing Director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, crossed the finish line in a stock Tesla Model S sedan. At the trip's end, Norman has ventured across a 27-state route spanning the four corners of the lower 48 states: Washington, Maine, Florida, and California, ending at Recargo's offices in Venice, California. Hajjar took advantage of Tesla's newly built, proprietary string of cross-country "Supercharger" stations, in order to make the coast-to-coast electric venture.
"We wanted to illustrate what's possible with the nation's charging infrastructure, and draw attention to needs for further improvement," said Norman Hajjar. "The plausibility of a mass switch to EV usage in America simply can't be separated from the need for a robust fast-charging network. I've traveled over 12,000 miles in under 3.5 weeks. With the proper infrastructure, there's nothing an EV can't do."
Live updates from the road and photostreams were made available at roadtrip.plugshare.com, offering an interactive experience where viewers can pinpoint the vehicle's location, track its speed and energy usage, and interact with the driver using the @plugshare live Twitter feed and using the hashtag #EpicEVTrip.
Recargo's Epic Electric American Road Trip navigated via PlugShare, the company's widely used mobile app directory of public electric vehicle charging stations. PlugShare helps electric vehicle drivers pinpoint charging locations from a database of over 48,000 public charging stations worldwide. The Epic Electric American Road Trip was be powered by a new version of PlugShare.com for Tesla drivers, uniquely adapted to the Model S's 17" touch screen monitor.
About Recargo Inc.:
Recargo Inc. is a leading electric vehicle service provider that offers consumer and industry intelligence to support the adoption and growth of plug-in mobility. Recargo makes PlugShare, the world's most popular EV charging station locator app. PlugInsights is Recargo's driver research division, powered by a survey research panel of nearly 10,000 EV drivers. The company is based in Venice, CA, with offices in Menlo Park, CA. For more information about Recargo Inc. and the company's product offerings, visit http://www.recargo.com/ and follow @PlugShare on Twitter (#EpicEVTrip).
By Sebastian Blanco
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