600-mile EV road trip shows public charging has vastly improved
Original: A 600-mile road trip (and data) proves EV charging doesn’t suck anymore
Why This Matters
Improving public charging reliability is critical to accelerating mainstream EV adoption beyond early adopters.
TechCrunch reporter Tim De Chant completed a 600-mile round trip to Montreal in an Audi e-tron, reporting a near-flawless public charging experience across three stops, with only one minor app-related issue at a Canadian station in summer 2026.
TechCrunch's Tim De Chant documented a 600-mile round trip to Montreal using an Audi e-tron (approximately 220-mile range per charge), finding that public EV fast charging has dramatically improved since 2023, when he authored an EV charging 'bill of rights' after a troubled road trip. De Chant used A Better Route Planner (ABRP) — now owned by Rivian — to optimize stops. The first stop at a Rivian station near Lebanon, New Hampshire featured six 300-kilowatt chargers, all operational, with no queues and nearby amenities. The charger accepted credit cards directly and delivered over 140 kW. The sole issue occurred at a Circuit Électrique station near Montreal, where the card reader failed, requiring app download and a 20 CAD top-up. Each charging session lasted approximately 20 minutes, combined with rest or meal breaks. AAA survey data cited in the article indicates just over half of prospective EV buyers still list public charging infrastructure as a key concern, though De Chant's firsthand experience suggests network reliability has meaningfully improved since 2023.