Hyundai IONIQ 5 owner Patrick Nadeau recently put his new electric SUV – and North American charging station networks – to the test by completing a 15,700+ mile round trip to Puerto Vallarta , in Mexico.
On October 4, this photography enthusiast and creator of virtual reality experiences filled his vehicle with luggage and equipment, then left Disraeli in Chaudière-Appalaches in the direction of the American Midwest.
Continuing on to Mexico, where his family joined him for a holiday over the holiday season, he then returned home on January 20 after a sprint of some 5,500 km in just seven days.
Photo: Patrick Nadeau/Facebook
Total cost of fast charging during his four-month adventure? Less than $630, says the man who not long ago owned two Ford F-150s and could spend $1,600 on gas a month because of his job. “I sold one to get an IONIQ 5 and make it my main car, and I don’t regret it at all,” he told us with a broad smile.
Patrick Nadeau’s vehicle is a rear-wheel-drive model equipped with the largest battery offered by Hyundai (77.4 kWh), whose maximum range is officially 488 km. Was he afraid of running out of it sometimes?
“The greatest distance I did between two recharges was 460 km in the Mexican desert,” he says. I started reducing my speed on the highway to 95 km/h and following trucks (to reduce the drag effect). When I got to the terminal, I had 7% of the battery left. »
Photo: Patrick Nadeau/Facebook
The slick highways he rode and the hot temperatures that marked his stay in Mexico (around 27 degrees) even allowed him to lower the power consumption of his IONIQ 5 to the point of seeing display on the dashboard a range of 680 km after one of its full recharges.
By the way, how did Patrick Nadeau find his charging experience along the way? “We are lucky in Quebec with the Electric Circuit, because the charging stations in the United States (Editor’s note: he mainly used those of the Electrify America network) are not so reliable. At least once in two, it didn’t work and I had to move on to the next terminal, he explains. As for Mexico, fast terminals are almost non-existent, apart from those of Tesla, and are generally limited to 24 kW. I therefore had to resort to level 2 terminals, which were slower. »
He also told us that he used his vehicle several times for camping, sleeping inside while his camera gear and luggage were placed outside in a tent. By maintaining a comfortable cabin temperature, the IONIQ 5’s battery drained by about 10% per night, which is pretty reasonable. The possibility of supplying devices such as a computer and a hob with the V2L function (Vehicle to Load) has of course come in handy.
Photo: Patrick Nadeau/Facebook
Patrick Nadeau says he only experienced two days of rain during his entire trip (the last two!) and no mechanical problems. However, he replaced his all-season tires, which had reached 40,000 km of wear, shortly before returning to Quebec.
Having yet to plan his next adventure, he hopes his round trip to Mexico will inspire other EV owners or people thinking about buying one. The many comments on his Facebook page no doubt allow us to say “mission accomplished”.