A 2,200-mile road trip is undoubtedly a test of endurance for both car and driver. However, when that vehicle is powered by lithium-ion batteries instead of gasoline, the journey transforms into a different type of challenge, one requiring careful planning, patience, and precision.
How Tailwinds and Drafting Semis Produced 4.1 Mi/kWh on a 2,200-Mile Chevy Equinox EV Road Trip
Dale Rabs, a Chevy Equinox EV owner, didn't just take his all-electric crossover on a loop through the American heartland; he turned it into a rolling lab. His secret weapons? Tailwinds, semis, and a little hypermiling finesse.
“Got home tonight from a six-day 2200-mile circle tour seeing family. The first two days were the biggest adding up to over 1000 miles. Today was over 450 miles at 9.5 hrs total time. With a 20 mph tailwind and construction zones increasing fuel economy, we only charged once to get home because we were getting 4.1 m/kWh, at 300 miles, and we still had 17%. After charging, I set the cruise at 70 and got 3.3 m/kWh pushing clean air.
Our goal was to be charging every time we stopped. Fortunately, we stopped for an hour and a half in order to stretch, toilet, and have drinks. We needed that because of headwinds. The estimated battery SOC was right on for that section. The rest of the trip usually ended up with 10% more than the initial estimate at the destination after charging.
I watched an EV charge video guy who said when he charges, he enters the next charging destination and then leaves when the app estimates 10% SOC there. When we had tail winds or no head winds, we left at a 5% SOC estimate.
I usually set the adaptive cruise to 67 mph on the 70 mph interstates and would increase the setting a couple of mph above semis or trucks I drafted. I used a two or three-bar gap, except in tight traffic, and then set to one bar; otherwise, other vehicles would fit into the gap, and my car would then brake to create the gap again.
We chose to emphasize Electrify America stations and bought the $7 monthly subscription, which was recouped in two charges. We then linked the stations. I watched a charging video that said he sets the next destination and leaves the charging station when the estimated SOC is 10%.
Normally, we charged when under 20%. We had several times where the onboard Google app would estimate under 10%, then state we didn’t have enough to get to the destination, and suggest a charging location. Later, the estimate would increase above the original SOC estimate. I believe this was because of my hyper mileage driving less than the speed limit, drafting, and lower construction speed.
The second day, I was stopping to charge at unneeded EA chargers because I needed to get out of the car to walk, stretch, etc. These stops were usually 10-15 minutes.
Only one charging stop did we have to wait for a charger. An EA charger was stuck thinking it was connected to a car when it wasn’t. In hindsight, we should have called the 800 number and seen if a reset signal could have opened up the charger. Instead, we went to a nearby Tesla but had to wait for the right charger to open up so we could reach the pump. The rest were EAs that worked with a couple of hiccups we worked through by either starting over with another station or the other charge handle to get high charge speeds.
We used ChargePoint to find level 2 chargers for overnight at or near our hotels. Another hotel used an EV Connect app but had gotcha pricing: 2 hrs free; $4/hr for hours three and four. $5/hr idle fee between midnight and 6 am. I charged for 1 hr 50 minutes after arriving and after waking up for breakfast. That got us to 95% to start the last day.
Our next trip will have two bikes mounted on a hitch rack. This will cut our fuel mileage some but we just need to verify the route before leaving, or modify the route to make destinations.”
Rabs' detailed account in the Chevy Equinox EV Group wasn’t a brag; it was a breakdown, a blueprint, even, for how electric road-tripping is evolving into a precision science. He set cruise control to 67 mph on 70-mph interstates, tucked in behind semis with a courteous two- or three-bar adaptive cruise gap, and let nature do the rest. A 20-mph tailwind on the final leg didn't hurt, nor did the strategic use of construction zones to quietly chew through fewer kilowatt-hours.
In another era, this kind of effort might have sounded like drudgery. But in the EV age, it’s a new kind of motorsport, less about outright speed and more about range efficiency, with a trophy in the form of an extra 100 miles per charge and a smaller charging bill.
2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV Specs: MSRP, Range, Power, Dimensions, and Charging Rates
- Starts at $33,600 MSRP for the FWD LT, with FWD EPA range around 319 miles and AWD trims offering roughly 307 miles
- The FWD model delivers about 220 hp/242 lb‑ft, accelerating 0–60 in ≈7.7 sec; AWD dual-motor pumps out ~288–300 hp, cutting 0–60 to 5.7 sec .
- Measures roughly 190.4–190.6 in long, 75.4–76.9 in wide, and 63.5–64.8 in tall, with a 116.3‑in wheelbase; weight is around 4,900–5,073 lb, depending on trim
- Likely capped near 100–110 mph (not officially stated); DC fast‑charging up to 150 kW (≈ 77 miles added in 10 min) and onboard AC charge at 11.5 kW (or 19.2 kW for RS)
And this wasn’t just blind luck or casual coasting. Dale’s discipline ran deeper than just easing off the pedal. He studied charging patterns, consulted YouTube energy nerds, and planned stops where bodily needs and battery needs aligned. “Our goal was to be charging every time we stopped,” he wrote, “fortunately we stopped an hour and a half in... because of headwinds.” Every leg was a calculation, every rest stop a recharge, not just for the car, but for the mission.
The Equinox EV community chimed in like a pit crew. Sophie Daverio DePons shared the other side of the coin: a first long trip from Florida to Dallas that left her frustrated with failed chargers and flaky app integration. “I almost regretted buying my EV,” she admitted. Honesty is important. The infrastructure still has its gremlins, and not everyone nails it the first time. But what Dale’s post, and his results, make clear is that with prep, patience, and a little real-world wisdom, EV road trips can go from stressful to satisfying. Maybe even fun.
Optimizing EV Range: Owner Strategies to Outsmart Conservative Factory Estimates with ABRP
Harry Parker brought up another crucial point: the factory nav systems in these cars are conservative to a fault.
“It might say I’ll arrive with 10%, but I’ll actually arrive with perhaps 30%,” he noted.
That’s where tools like A Better Route Planner (ABRP) come in, a community favorite for wringing more accurate predictions from a car’s electrons. In essence, EV drivers like Dale aren’t just driving; they’re strategizing. Think of it like the early days of fuel injection tuning, just with range maps and charge curves instead of cam profiles.
And the payoff isn’t just technical, it’s financial. Dale subscribed to Electrify America’s $7 monthly plan and recouped it in two charges. That’s math anyone can get behind.
Hyper-miling Essentials: Regenerative Braking, SOC Management, and Driving Habits to Maximize EV Efficiency
- Avoid hard acceleration and braking; coasting using regen is far more efficient than aggressive pulses, and planning ahead helps retain momentum
- Rely on regen to recapture energy, especially during deceleration and downhill, rather than using mechanical brakes .
- Keeping the battery between 20–80% SOC helps efficiency and battery health; using Eco mode smooths throttle response and trims power use
- Drive at moderate speeds (often ~35–60 mph), ensure tires are properly inflated and minimize weight/drag (close windows, avoid roof racks), and use HVAC sparingly
Rabs and his fellow travelers aren’t joyless efficiency zealots, they’re just the new kind of enthusiast. They’ve traded dyno sheets for drag coefficients and octane ratings for m/kWh charts. They’re learning that saving energy is its own thrill, especially when done on your own terms.
And yes, it still scratches that old American itch: to take a machine and push it beyond what the brochure says it can do. Just ask the Equinox owner who claimed 450 miles in a single leg. That’s not luck. That’s craft.
So what Dale Rabs gave us isn’t just a Facebook post with good numbers, it’s a window into what EV road-tripping can become when approached with the same kind of intentionality that once built land speed records on salt flats.
It’s hypermiling not as desperation, but as art. And in this case, the gallery was 2,200 miles long, painted with electrons and tailwinds, and framed by a simple truth: sometimes, slowing down just a bit lets you go a lot further.
Have you hypermiled your EV before? What was the range? Are you happy with it?
Let us know in the comments below!
Image Sources: Chevy Newsroom
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
