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National Park EV News Roundup

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Over at CleanTechnica, I recently wrote several interesting articles about national parks and EVs.

First off, there’s a new EV charging station just outside of Arches National Park. Electrify America has partnered with Rocky Mountain Power to open an 8-stall station, including one dedicated pull-through stall. Plus, several others could work well for people pulling trailers with some creativity. This brings the full number of EV charging stalls in Moab, Utah to 16 for non-Tesla vehicles and 20 for Teslas.

Another interesting thing is just how many EVs I saw on the Blue Ridge Parkway and in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Compared to the other western parks I typically visit, there was just a crazy number of EVs. In the article, I explore why this might be.

While I was out that way, I got a chance to test out my Bolt-powered campsite. I use a power inverter to pull power from the Bolt’s battery, and use it to charge a Jackery 3000 Pro. This in turn powers a slide-out kitchen in my trailer, heat or AC for Shiftpod tents, and anything else I’d like. When there’s good sun, I also have 1200 watts of solar power available.

Sadly, I’ve had to make a number of repairs and upgrades to the trailer (you can learn more about that struggle here). I still need to make some serious improvements to get the trailer ready for its next journey out to explore the EV charging situation. If you’re interested in supporting Charge to the Parks on these journeys, please consider donating here or sharing the fundraiser with friends and family!

New and Updated Guides for Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains

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While the site didn’t change much in May and June, that’s only because we were busy traveling to several parks in an EV! While traveling to attend an important EV event in North Carolina, we stopped at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Since visiting, I’ve updated the page for the Great Smoky Mountains, and I created a new page for the Blue Ridge Parkway. A new page for Hot Springs National Park is coming soon.

Along the way, we towed a custom camping cargo trailer about 4,000 miles, which really tested the limits of our Bolt EUV. This is obviously not an ideal travel setup, but it does show that EVs, even budget ones that charge slower than others, are up to the task and people can have a good time.

Our Chevy Bolt EUV and custom trailer charging at a Circle K in Boone, NC near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Welcome!

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The goals for the Charge to the Parks project are to:

  • Help people understand that you CAN get to the most beautiful and fun places in America on electric power, even with an RV!
  • Prove that you don’t need to be wealthy to do it
  • Help people with nearly any EV to to these beautiful places with as little pain and struggle as possible
  • Encourage parks and businesses near the parks to invest in EV charging, e-bike, and other infrastructure needed to make the experience better

How I’m doing this:

  • Providing travel tips for people taking electric road trips to America’s parks
  • Provide vital information for as many parks as possible over time
  • Share fun and inspiring stories of people successfully visiting the parks in EVs
  • Networking with parks, affiliated non-profits, businesses, and drivers to move things forward

Want to follow or help with the project? The best way to start is by following me on X/Twitter. More options for social media and subscriptions are coming soon!