HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO TRAVEL COAST-TO-COAST IN AMERICA'S BEST-SELLING EV?
Whether we like it or not, electric vehicle popularity is currently on the rise in the US, despite what some recent events may have led you to believe. According to Cox Automotive, EVs accounted for 8.1 percent of all new car sales in 2024, up from 7.8 percent in 2023. In total, approximately 1.3 million new EVs were sold in 2024, a number that hasn't been reached before. It seems, for now, EVs aren't going anywhere.
With the rise of EV popularity, there's also a rise in scrutiny regarding the vehicle segment. Of course, charging an EV to full power takes quite a bit longer than filling up a vehicle that runs on dinosaur juice, no matter how powerful a fast charger you have access to. A big question that gets asked a lot these days is "How long would it take to cross the country in an EV?"
It's a complicated formula, but we've got it nailed down for you in detail below. For our hypothetical trip, we'll be using America's best-selling EV; the Tesla Model Y.
Model Y
We chose the Tesla Model Y for our pretend trip because it was the best-selling EV in the US for the 2024 model year. For our actual trip, we've picked the furthest distance between two towns in the US in a west-to-east configuration; Point Arena, California to Lubec, Maine, a distance of about 3,500 miles. To plan our trip, we've used an electric vehicle route planner, and our fictional Tesla Model Y is equipped with both a CCS and NACS charging adapter. We've also chosen the Long Range model.
Setting Off
So you've had a wild hair get up somewhere it shouldn't be, and you've decided to take your future new Tesla Model Y on the cruise of a lifetime - a cross-country run from the most westerly point in the US to the most easterly point. Everyone's telling you not to do it. They say your EV won't make it, you'll be stranded somewhere in Nebraska and hassled by rednecks, but you don't care. You're going, and nothing is going to stop you.
So, you hop on an EV trip planner, of which there are several out there to use. Type in your start and end points, and see what the trip will be like. For this particular trip, ABetterRoutePlanner.com has been used, which tells you exactly how long of a drive it is, how many charging stops you'll need, how much each charging stop will cost, and how much time will be lost on charging. Ideally, the trip would take less than five days.
The new Tesla Model Y gets $16,000 worth of free options - would you buy one?
The 2026 Tesla Model Y was just revealed for the American market, and it starts at just under $60,000. Most notably, it gets FSD semi-autonomous driving technology - which is usually an $8,000 option - as standard, along with a host of other improvements. Overall, the new Launch Series Model Y effectively costs $4,000 less than a fully-specced 2025 model. So is it worth it, or is there still something missing? Turn signal stalks, perhaps?
A Long Journey
You also have to factor in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Hours of Service regulations, which stipulate that drivers cannot exceed eight hours of driving without at least a 30-minute break, so you've got to factor a few hotel stays into your drive, or at least some eight-hour resets so you don't overwork yourself. Your trip's driving, charging, and hotel itinerary are listed below, along with the total amount of time you'll spend driving, and how long the entire exercise will take you:
Waypoint | Arrival SoC | Depart SoC | Cost | Charge Duration | Distance | Drive Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Point Arena, CA, United States | 100% | 195 mi | 3 h 51 min | |||
Rocklin, CA - Granite Drive [Tesla] | 22% | 84% | $21 | 31 min | 146 mi | 2 h 16 min |
Fernley, NV [Tesla] | 10% | 71% | $21 | 23 min | 125 mi | 1 h 36 min |
Eight-Hour Reset | 8 h | |||||
EVgo Car Charging Station | 10% | 73% | 24 min | 128 mi | 1 h 43 min | |
Elko, NV [Tesla] | 10% | 62% | 19 min | 109 mi | 1 h 25 min | |
West Wendover, NV [Tesla] | 10% | 71% | 24 min | 125 mi | 1 h 38 min | |
South Salt Lake, UT - S Main Street [Tesla] | 10% | 55% | $10 | 14 min | 79 mi | 1 h 8 min |
Kroger Smiths 86 (Evanston, WY) [Electrify America] | 10% | 57% | $20 | 15 min | 99 mi | 1 h 22 min |
Kroger Smiths 182 (Rock Springs, WY) [Electrify America] | 10% | 68% | $28 | 21 min | 115 mi | 1 h 32 min |
Eight-Hour Reset | 8 h | |||||
Rawlins, WY [Tesla] | 10% | 58% | 17 min | 96 mi | 1 h 19 min | |
Laramie, WY [Tesla] | 10% | 77% | 28 min | 153 mi | 2 h 5 min | |
Sidney, NE [Tesla] | 10% | 63% | 19 min | 118 mi | 1 h 37 min | |
North Platte, NE [Tesla] | 10% | 54% | 14 min | 97 mi | 1 h 20 min | |
Kearney, NE [Tesla] | 10% | 67% | $15 | 21 min | 126 mi | 1 h 44 min |
Eight-Hour Reset | 8 h | |||||
Caseys Lincoln #30 [Electrify America] | 10% | 54% | $6 | 13 min | 93 mi | 1 h 21 min |
Shelby, IA [Tesla] | 10% | 56% | 16 min | 102 mi | 1 h 29 min | |
Des Moines, IA [Tesla] | 10% | 62% | 18 min | 112 mi | 1 h 39 min | |
Iowa City, IA [Tesla] | 10% | 47% | $9 | 11 min | 82 mi | 1 h 13 min |
Casey's Geneseo [Electrify America] | 10% | 75% | $28 | 26 min | 145 mi | 2 h 12 min |
Eight-Hour Reset | 8 h | |||||
Munster, IN [Tesla] | 10% | 66% | 20 min | 121 mi | 1 h 51 min | |
Howe, IN - Gene Stratton Travel Plaza - EB [Tesla] | 10% | 59% | 16 min | 108 mi | 1 h 34 min | |
Genoa, OH - Wyandot Service Plaza [Tesla] | 10% | 80% | $19 | 29 min | 150 mi | 2 h 12 min |
Girard, OH [Tesla] | 10% | 71% | $17 | 23 min | 130 mi | 1 h 53 min |
Clearfield, PA [Tesla] | 10% | 62% | $17 | 18 min | 118 mi | 1 h 44 min |
Eight-Hour Reset | 8 h | |||||
Sheetz 213 Bloomsburg PA [Electrify America] | 10% | 59% | $20 | 16 min | 112 mi | 1 h 57 min |
Matamoras, PA [Tesla] | 10% | 72% | 24 min | 145 mi | 2 h 24 min | |
Manchester, CT - Tolland Turnpike [Tesla] | 10% | 57% | 15 min | 106 mi | 1 h 43 min | |
Lawrence, MA [Tesla] | 10% | 84% | $11 | 33 min | 162 mi | 2 h 29 min |
Eight-Hour Reset | 8 h | |||||
Waterville, ME [Tesla] | 10% | 84% | $21 | 34 min | 170 mi | 3 h 19 min |
West Quoddy Station, 823 S Lubec Rd, Lubec, ME 04652-3675, United States | 10% | 0 m | ||||
4 Days 15 Hrs 21 Mins | $263 | 9 Hrs 42 Min | 3568 mi | 2 Days 5 Hrs 39 Mins |
*Stats courtesy of ABetterRoutePlanner.com
Of course, many of us might bend the rules a bit regarding the eight-hour resets, as they add a whopping two days to the overall travel time. However, if you were planning on doing it by-the-books and making it from one side of the country to another within a standard working week, it's possible in the Tesla Model Y, barring any unforeseen circumstances, of course.
What If I Wanted To Do This In A Normal Car?
Fair enough, let's take an exceedingly normal car, like the 2025 Toyota Camry, and see how things will change using an identical route to the one shown above. Of course, the Camry won't require any sort of charger adapters, or any length of time spent at a gas station apart from the time it takes to fuel up. We'll also maintain the recommended eight-hour reset, as stipulated by the FMCSA:
Fuel Stop # | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lovelock, NV | |||
2 | Salt Lake City, UT | |||
3 | Laramie, WY | |||
4 | Henderson, NE | |||
5 | Davenport, IA | |||
6 | Swanton, OH | |||
7 | Henrietta, NY | |||
8 | Seabrook, NH | |||
Total Trip Time | Time Spent Driving | Eight-Hour Resets | Total Cost Of Fuel | Total Distance |
4 Days 5 Hrs | 2 Days 5 Hrs | 6 | $180.34 | 3513.76 mi |
*Stats courtesy of GasBuddy.com. Stats assume a full tank upon the journey's start. Fuel pricing is based on current market averages for the regions listed above.
It seems the 2025 Camry would be the one to have here, as you'd save money on both fueling/charging, and you'd also arrive roughly 10 hours sooner than the Tesla would. However, we have to keep in mind the 2025 Toyota Camry LE FWD is a hybrid, and manages to achieve 51 mpg combined. While many cars exist on the market today that can manage similar fuel economy stats, not all of them can, and your mileage may vary widely if you're planning on doing this trip in something like a new Ford F-150.
2025-02-05T07:09:05ZSources: Tesla, Toyota, FuelEconomy.gov, ABetterRoutePlanner.com, NHTSA
