Can We Drive a Pure Electric SUV for Self-driving Trip during the National Day Holiday?
In my opinion, it was not feasible to drive a pure electric SUV for self-driving trip a few years ago when there were not many fast charging stations on the highway network, and the range of mileage was not enough (generally only 400 kilometers in 2018).
It should be noted that many fast charging stations had low charging power (some only 30 kW) in the past, and they were generally lacking in maintenance due to the small usage. Many of them were damaged and unable to be used. Driving a low mileage electric SUV for self-driving trip under the charging environment at that time was like turning on hard mode to challenge oneself.
At present, the range of electric vehicles has improved significantly. Based on my limited experience, at least 500 kilometers (NEDC condition) of range is required for a self-driving trip, and the actual range that can be driven is about 370 kilometers at 75% of this range. Therefore, objectively speaking, a self-driving trip can be carried out with a reasonable arrangement of the route.
In addition, when driving an electric vehicle to unfamiliar areas, planning the charging route is very important. Offline maps need to be downloaded for general self-driving trips because there may be long sections of roads without any communication signals. Relying on online navigation on the in-car device and phone is not reliable. It is even better to have a paper map as a backup plan.
However, for electric vehicle travel, the charging route along the entire route also needs to be planned. Generally speaking, in addition to the charging planning function provided by the purchased brand, it is also recommended to download all third-party charging apps like “Jiadian” and “E charging” for charging resources. It is important to refer to multiple maps and charging resources for route planning to ensure that there are not too many challenges in charging the vehicle during the trip. It’s worth mentioning that, thanks to continuous efforts in China, there are charging stations at almost every service area along the highway network covered by the national power grid. It should be noted that there may be many people traveling during the National Day holiday, and charging station resources may be relatively scarce, so it is necessary to reserve more waiting time for charging.
What Should We Prepare for Self-driving Trip during the National Day Holiday?
In my opinion, there are two main parts which refer to the responsibility for the vehicle and the responsibility for the trip. As for me, I’ll only talk about the vehicle part.
(1) From the perspective of safe vehicle travel, due to different driving distances, if it is not a very new car, it is better to go to a professional place (4S shop or automobile repair shop) to check the vehicle status before starting a self-driving trip during the holiday to ensure the status of the car, and check the tire pressure and spare tire which are required for electric vehicles besides battery status monitoring and full-car circuit checking which are unique features of electric vehicles.
Note: If the electric vehicle does not have a spare tire, it is recommended to prepare one for long-distance travel.(2) From the perspective of the driver, if the journey is particularly long, it is recommended to take turns driving with another driver. The most dreaded thing during a self-driving holiday is fatigue driving. From this point of view, the charging of electric cars also provides drivers with mandatory rest time. (Thumbs up for manual labor)
(3) Considering the route, as mentioned earlier, route planning is particularly important for electric vehicles. Of course, in the worst case, battery swapping services can still be used. It’s all up to the rich.
(4) Safety comes first: if you are travelling with children, make sure to have a properly equipped child safety seat. Now elementary school education fully advocates for car safety, such as not sticking your head or hand out of the window, not overloading, and using seat belts and child safety seats. Children already know all of these rules.
Summary: After saying all this, the tragedy is that this year, when you take your children outside, you need to report to the school and undergo nucleic acid testing when you come back. The teachers educate us and our two children: “Do not leave Shanghai unless necessary”, so the reality is that we cannot even leave Shanghai. After writing all of this, in fact, I haven’t taken any big trips in the past two years! It’s too frustrating.
Looking forward to progress with the improvement of the epidemic, including our charging facilities and related standards. By then, charging stations should be as reliable as ordering takeaway.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.