Cross-country road trip drivers stop in Zion, hope to put charge in electric vehicle interest

ST. GEORGE — Two women driving coast to coast made a pit stop in Zion National Park on Tuesday to discuss electric vehicles and the Range Anxiety common to those who are considering switching to this type of vehicle.

Alyssa Murphy and Daphne Dixon are driving 4,350 miles on a “EV Road Trip” to generate greater adoption of Electric Vehicles in the United States. They are driving a Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The three-week, 4,350-mile EV Road Trip campaign is designed to generate increased EV adoption in the United States. 

Their journey stretches from Fairfield, Conn., to Sacramento, Calif. And Alyssa Murphy and Daphne Dixon are driving a Ford Mustang Mach-E to showcase the growing network of charging stations and the durable power of EVs across America.

“Studies show 50 percent of potential EV drivers are uncertain about being able to charge their vehicle when they need to,” said Dixon, executive director of Live Green and Connecticut, Southwestern Area Clean Cities. “So potential drivers may not purchase EV vehicles because of this Range Anxiety.” 

The travelers chose a route that highlights the National Parks Initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office, the National Park Service and Clean Cities. Dixon said the initiative supports transportation projects that educate park visitors about the benefits of shifting to affordable alternative fuels. 

Dixon said their route is along the EV charging stations installed from the initiative at the national parks and has been an easy part of their trip. In Zion National Park, they stayed at the Zion Lodge and used the EV charging stations in front of it. 

An Electric Vehicle charging station in Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah, June 21, 2022 | Photo provided by Daphne Dixon, St. George News

Visitors to Zion National Park can learn more about the charging stations in the park on the website, Jonathan Shafer, Zion National Park public affairs specialist, said.

 “Zion is glad to welcome all visitors to the Park. We provide a limited number of charging stations for those who use electric vehicles,” Shaffer said. “Looking to the future of the Zion Canyon Shuttle System, we are in the process of completely replacing our current shuttle fleet with battery-electric buses. Delivery of the new battery-electric buses will occur periodically over the next several years.” 

According to the website, The National Park Service (NPS) recognizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and using alternative transportation operations in as many parks as possible. The National Park Service and Department of Energy (DOE) partnered to create the Clean Cities National Park Initiative, which also features the environmental benefits of reducing dependence on petroleum.

Dixon said Live Green is a Connecticut-based environmental education non-profit. They are involved with Clean Cities, a national network of coalitions working to educate municipal fleets, business fleets and community members on alternative fuels. They try to help transition places, businesses and municipalities to alternative fuels. They also hope to educate the public that EVs are a viable alternative to travel.

“I can even get Range Anxiety if I’m driving a regular car long distance,” Dixon said. “So, it’s something that I think people have had regardless of what they’re driving. Then you add the electric vehicle aspect, which compounds it.”

Women, in particular, may have children and worry if they will be able to find a place to charge or get fuel in a safe place. Dixon said there hasn’t been enough public information or demonstrations to show you can charge an EV vehicle over a wide range of land. Dixon and Murphy, program director of Connecticut, Southwestern Area Clean Cities, wanted to show people it could be safe to drive in an EV  across the country. 

Dixon said there are many apps to find charging stations along a route. The pair also discovered that if one purchases a Ford, there is a charging network provided that helps identify charging stations.

She explained that if one drives around 300 miles, there is usually at least one stop for charging an EV. Mileage varies if there are steep hills or mountains. On this journey, they drove from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to Zion National Park without needing a charge.

It’s quite simple to find a place to stop,” Dixon said. “People keep asking us if it takes much time to sit there and charge, but 100% of the time we’ve gone to charge the cars, it’s always ready before we are.” 

She charges the vehicle as long as it takes to stretch her legs and take a break from the road. The women have driven nearly 4,000 miles so far and have never had to wait very long. Depending upon how much charge the battery already has will affect charging times. To fully charge a battery can take up to 45 minutes, according to the Ford website

Other charging stations were found at Walmart and a Nissan car dealership while they were on the road, Dixon said. Ford also has its own charging network across North America, according to its website. The BlueOval Charge Network includes DC fast chargers to power a Mustang Mach-E in minutes. Also the FordPass Power My Trip considers the car’s current charge level and integrates convenient charging locations into the route.

Dixon said Zion National Park was the most stunning location on the trip. She noted that the EV charger was put in by the National Park Service through a program with Clean Cities to put all these chargers in national parks across the country. 

“It is absolutely breathtaking. And we are just so grateful to have this amazing level two charger to charge up our car so we will be all set for our next step tomorrow,” Dixon said. “This has been an amazing experience being here at Zion Lodge.”

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!