Once our kids left the nest, my husband Tom and I began taking wonderful motorcycle trips throughout the United States. Our goal is to visit every U.S. National Park, and so far, we’ve successfully visited 54 National Parks and Monuments. For summer 2025, we planned to travel to the West Coast and visit another eight. As often happens, though, life intervened to derail those plans.
Still craving adventure, we decided to pivot. This time, instead of two wheels, we’d go four—and electric. Enter our 2023 Volkswagen ID.4, a fully electric SUV that had, until now, only taken us as far as Eau Claire and the Twin Cities. Tom was a bit hesitant about a long-distance EV road trip, but we were ready to put it to the test. Destination: Colorado.
We mapped out our route with help from EV charging apps, sticking mostly to interstates where charging stations are more common. Tom dove into PlugShare.com to scout out charging stops, and we packed a cooler for roadside picnics while the car juiced up—usually about 45 minutes at a fast charger.
Driving in “braking mode” turned out to be a game-changer. This regenerative feature recharges the battery every time you lift your foot off the accelerator. When we drove up Pike’s Peak—yes, all 14,115 feet of it—we used about 30% of our charge. But on the way down, braking mode regenerated more than half of that. Bonus: no need to pull over and cool the brakes like the gas-powered cars around us. Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park, we actually regenerated more charge than when we started up into the mountains.
We were also pleasantly surprised by how EV-friendly our accommodations were. Three of our hotels had charging stations, and two offered complimentary charging for guests. With the Electrify America and PlugShare apps on our phones, we could easily find stations, check availability, and read reviews. At one stop in Albert Lea, we saw four chargers available—and within 10 minutes, two were already in use. The apps kept us one step ahead.
One of the unexpected joys of EV travel? The people. At charging stations, we met fellow adventurers, like a young couple from Russia who had rented an ID.4 simply because it was the cheapest option. They were new to EVs, so we swapped tips, shared laughs, and even showed them the hidden button for the back massage feature. The husband apologized for his English, but we assured him it was far better than our Russian!
In the end, our electric road trip was a total success. With a little extra planning and a spirit of adventure, we discovered that EV travel isn’t just doable—it’s delightful. We don’t have any qualms about taking our ID.4 for another big adventure.