[vasimo1]

Took the LRSM on a little trip to the Alberta border via the Trans-Canada and back along the Crowsnest. Here's some thoughts and pics to encourage you to go see our spectacular backyard:

• 150kW+ capable fast chargers are only along Coquihalla + Hwy-1 (plus Nanaimo and Victoria). Once off this beaten path you're mostly limited to 50kW so plan your stops to be somewhere interesting if out exploring. However, there's very good 100kW coverage between Osoyoos and Castlegar...
• Charging rates and pricing: Due to the charging profile of our cars and per minute pricing, those 150kW+ chargers (PetroCan and Electrify only right now) are only useful from 10-55% SOC where it stays above 100kW. Over 55% it will not get more than 80kW. Better to switch to a neighbouring 50kW charger from 55-80%
• That said, some of those "remote" 50kW Flo/BC Hydro/Fortis chargers are in great small towns to go for a 20-30min break (gets you about +25% charge).
• No LTE ~1/3 of the time in the car. Sometimes these were TCAM not picking up networks, sometimes just a crappy roaming agreement when my Bell phone had LTE. Lesson: be prepared to bluetooth from your phone or use Audiowagon (when it is back).
• Annoyingly, Journey Log stops working when you lose LTE!
• Google maps calculates arrival in destination time zone, but the car time zone did not change to/from MDT.

Some details of the last leg here, but also some pics below of this Glacier-to-Desert drive:

List your max range run on a single charge!

Completed a 385km (239mi) run on just 80% of a single charge and am super happy with the 2's performance! Here's details: Model: Long Range Single Motor Colour: Midnight (the fastest colour, right?) Start: 86% Battery End: 6% Battery Time: 4h 14min Average Speed: 91kph (56.5mph) Average...

www.polestar-forum.com

Crowfoot Glacier, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, AB

From glacier views to shopping on an Organic Farm in the Okanagan:

Some nice lakes in between:

A charging lot... right outside some poor soul's kitchen window lol

The stats:

 

[Quarterpipe]

Great post...and I picked up some tips so thanks.

 

[AJ-swbc]

Took the LRSM on a little trip to the Alberta border via the Trans-Canada and back along the Crowsnest.

Agree on the BC road trips. Planning an Alberta trip, from Vancouver area to Valemount to Edmonton, then south and back along Hwy 3 Crowsnest. Veteran of EV drives to Alberta with Chevy Bolt, first time in 2017 September when the DCFC infrastructure was less developed, but do-able even for this rookie on a EV and DCFC learning experience.

Recent Polestar2 Springtime trips to Big White and to Princeton, and very recently a one-day round trip to Kamloops using Hwy 5, Coldwater Road, some Hwy 97C and Tunkwa Lake Road. Some very good driving roads, but why am I encouraging other EVers - it might make the Merritt Electrify Canada DCFCs get even busier ! The most I have seen is 3 EVs on those 4 units.

Also have seen the LTE connectivity be off and then on, but sometimes could be the lack of cell-service in remote regions (?). Even had GPS not work right close to home (not remote). I am not familiar enough with the tech to know reasons, but the drive still needs to be done!. Time to rely on out-the-window and existing knowledge to find the next small town and the not-so-frequent DCFCs.

My strategies : Cell phone, data plan, several payment apps, and rfid card if offered, PlugShare, ABRP, Google-Map (GM as I've seen abbreviated), and in-car GM destination to a selected DCFC. I have been getting better at ElecCan DCFCs, lately by backing in, note the DCFC unit number, open EC app and swipe to request approval, then while the app talks to EC, get out and plug in. Have seen this sequence of approve then plug, on some EV forums, as the better way to start a session at ElecAmerica or ElecCanada.

By the way, that Osoyoos-to-Burnaby using about 90% of battery - much farther than I would have guessed, even recognizing the difference from my DMLR to the longer-range SM. Arriving with low SoC is fine since there were opportunities near your route's final stretch. And it is a good test to create familiarity with the car's behaviour as SoC gets below 7%.

When crossing BC or Alberta, my conservative nature dictates a 15-20 % to 80-85 % plan for battery usage. This means even with GM doing pre-warming the best DCFC rate will not hit the 150 kW (about 360 A) level that might be desired at low SoC and ideal conditions. However, starting at SoC 25-30% was still low enough to see 140 kW and 350 A briefly, and then sustain good levels -- plenty quick enough.

Now, for my Alberta trip : When southward through Alberta and west on Hwy 3 the DCFCs are mostly 50 kW (125 A?) capable. Some FLO have 100 kW units, and of course there are the high rated ElecCan and PetroCan in Alberta major centres. Hwy 1 has, for some weeks in June, a detour for the work being done just east of Golden - so Hwy 3 is a decent option for my westbound portion.

 

[Polestar2ElectricBoogaloo]

Took the LRSM on a little trip to the Alberta border via the Trans-Canada and back along the Crowsnest. Here's some thoughts and pics to encourage you to go see our spectacular backyard:

• 150kW+ capable fast chargers are only along Coquihalla + Hwy-1 (plus Nanaimo and Victoria). Once off this beaten path you're mostly limited to 50kW so plan your stops to be somewhere interesting if out exploring. However, there's very good 100kW coverage between Osoyoos and Castlegar...
• Charging rates and pricing: Due to the charging profile of our cars and per minute pricing, those 150kW+ chargers (PetroCan and Electrify only right now) are only useful from 10-55% SOC where it stays above 100kW. Over 55% it will not get more than 80kW. Better to switch to a neighbouring 50kW charger from 55-80%
• That said, some of those "remote" 50kW Flo/BC Hydro/Fortis chargers are in great small towns to go for a 20-30min break (gets you about +25% charge).
• No LTE ~1/3 of the time in the car. Sometimes these were TCAM not picking up networks, sometimes just a crappy roaming agreement when my Bell phone had LTE. Lesson: be prepared to bluetooth from your phone or use Audiowagon (when it is back).
• Annoyingly, Journey Log stops working when you lose LTE!
• Google maps calculates arrival in destination time zone, but the car time zone did not change to/from MDT.

Some details of the last leg here, but also some pics below of this Glacier-to-Desert drive:

List your max range run on a single charge!

Completed a 385km (239mi) run on just 80% of a single charge and am super happy with the 2's performance! Here's details: Model: Long Range Single Motor Colour: Midnight (the fastest colour, right?) Start: 86% Battery End: 6% Battery Time: 4h 14min Average Speed: 91kph (56.5mph) Average...

www.polestar-forum.com

Crowfoot Glacier, Icefields Parkway, Banff National Park, AB
View attachment 14271

From glacier views to shopping on an Organic Farm in the Okanagan:
View attachment 14269

Some nice lakes in between:
View attachment 14272

A charging lot... right outside some poor soul's kitchen window lol
View attachment 14270

The stats:
View attachment 14268

Thanks for making me jeleous!! I looooove BC but won't be there this year for sure. Would love to do a BC trip in an EV. Even better would be in my own Polestar, but I'm a bit far away for that.

 

[check_engine_light]

Did level 2 charging, if you used any, work when you were in a remote region with no LTE connection? When I had TCAM issues, the charging current was stuck at 6 A and the buttons were greyed out.

 

[RocketMan8531]

I intend to travel to the Jasper Dark Sky festival in October and will be driving from Seattle via the Coquihalla hwy to Kamloops. Looks exciting and a bit unsettling that Jasper has only one station with DCFC. Hopefully I don't lose my nerve and decide to drive an ICE.

 

[AJ-swbc]

I intend to travel to the Jasper Dark Sky festival in October and will be driving from Seattle via the Coquihalla hwy to Kamloops. Looks exciting and a bit unsettling that Jasper has only one station with DCFC. Hopefully I don't lose my nerve and decide to drive an ICE.

Definitely a Polestar2 for the drive to Jasper, Alberta ! Since October is the plan, have some tires other than Summers.
For charging reassurances: See my comments above at #3 on May 31st for my conservative approach on trips through BC highways where charging locations are spread out enough that some margin is always in my plan.
For your drive northward out of Kamloops -- no more high power DCFCs, only the 50 kW that are usually good for 125 A and which you will know is about 50 kW or maybe bit higher. I recommend a stop at Little Fort Rest Area only 93 km north of Kamloops -- two 50 kW units there, and a Level 2. Take a 5 minute walk (cross the highway) to High Five Diner; and see my comments and photo in Polestar in Front of Things, dated June 19. On our mid-June drive from Vancouver area to Edmonton Alberta we did our long segment Kamloops to Edson, Alberta by using DCFC stops at Little Fort, Blue River, and Jasper. There are other DCFCs along that route, but with only 50 kW as the available rate my charging plan was to arrive at a planned stop with a good margin and charge to 80 - 85 % especially if no others waiting. This means that a failed DCFC stop is no stress because I have margin for the next town with DCFC. For energy usage predictions I use A Better Routeplanner and the P2's GoogleMap, both give conservative predictions and I am fine with that. For the Jasper DCFC location, there are three 50 kW units, provided by Flo. Check the PlugShare app for mapping and hopefully some user comments for more confirmation.
Your alternates for a route homeward can include a whole lot of Alberta, starting with Jasper for a good "fill" and then eastward to Edson which has two DCFC locations each with two DCFC units. Edmonton and the route south to Calgary have lots of 50 kW units. Then a choice of mountain highway routes and some choices for border crossings. The main corridor, Hwy 1 - Calgary to Kamloops and then more southward - that route has PetroCan and ElecCanada locations with their 150 kW rated DCFCs. The other routes from Alberta and back into BC have only 50 kW (and one has a 100 kW, maybe a few other 100s ?) and that would be a slower drive than Hwy 1, if that is important. Check the PlugShare when selecting a route homeward.