A long road trip in an EV typically takes somewhat longer than the same drive in a gas car, but usually less than most people expect, often just an extra 20 to 45 minutes for every few hours of highway driving. The difference comes almost entirely from charging stops, not from the driving itself.
Where the Extra Time Actually Comes From
A DC fast charging stop typically takes 20 to 45 minutes to reach a practical charge level, compared to 5 to 10 minutes at a gas pump. That gap is the main source of added trip time, and it grows if you need more than one stop on a longer drive. Charging speed also slows noticeably above 80%, which is why most road-trip charging strategies aim for that level rather than topping off to 100% at every stop. For more on how charging time breaks down by charger type, see our post on how long it takes to charge an EV.
Why the Gap Feels Smaller in Practice
Most drivers already stop every couple of hours on a long gas road trip anyway, for food, a bathroom break, or just to stretch. A charging stop tends to fill that same window rather than adding a separate errand to the day. The extra time shows up more as a longer stop than as an additional one, which is part of why the real-world difference often feels smaller than the math alone suggests.
What Can Add More Time Than Usual
A few situations increase the gap beyond the typical range:
- A route with fewer fast chargers, which can mean detours or waiting for a stall to open up
- Cold weather, which reduces range and can mean an extra stop on a trip that would need none in mild conditions
- Towing a trailer, which can cut range by a third or more and meaningfully increases how often you need to stop
None of these make a road trip impractical, they just shift the planning from “how far can I drive today” to “how many stops will this route realistically need.”
💡 Tip: Before a long trip, use your EV’s built-in navigation or a dedicated charging app to map out charging stops in advance rather than finding them as you go. See our guide on how to find public charging stations for the tools that make this easiest.