Electric-Off-Road
Member
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2025
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 10
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Vehicles
- 2023 Rivian R1T - Gen1 Quad
Congrats on the upcoming wedding! I don’t think you mentioned what time of year the wedding is taking place, but road trips in an EV are definitely easier in the summer. That’s not to say winter travel isn’t doable—just that warmer weather helps you go farther on a charge and generally improves charging performance. The R1 vehicles use a double‑stacked battery cell design, and in winter the lower stack is more exposed to cold air and wind, while the upper stack sits closer to the vehicle's floor and stays warmer. This temperature gradient between the cells can lead to slower charging in cold conditions.
I’ll also echo WBSchotfield’s comment about the Tesla membership. You can save a lot of money—around 30% the last time I checked. I live in Winnipeg and have done the road trip to BC and back five or six times in an EV, including twice in my R1T. Charging in BC is easy and relatively inexpensive. Once you leave the mountains and head into the prairies, charging options become more limited, but it’s still very doable—especially now that Tesla has opened much of its network to other EVs.
Across much of the prairies, Tesla Superchargers will be your best option, and in some cases your only realistic option. The upside is that they’re generally reliable and have plenty of stalls per location. The downside is that they can be expensive where there’s little or no competition.
If you’re the type who likes to save on charging costs—even if it means a bit of extra planning or hassle—feel free to reach out and I can point you to some alternative charging options along the Trans-Canada Highway. If saving a few bucks isn’t worth the hassle, though, you can absolutely just use Tesla Superchargers all the way across. There are enough of them now to cross the prairies without breaking a sweat.
As for heading east from Winnipeg through northern Ontario toward Sudbury, I haven’t personally done that stretch yet. That said, my wife and I are planning a summer road trip to Quebec in our R1T to visit family. The last time I checked, charging options in northwestern Ontario are mostly limited to 50 kW chargers and Tesla Superchargers—so once again, Tesla is the obvious choice. Make sure you have a NACS-to-CCS adapter, as that will be a must for this trip.
Good luck, and safe travels! I’ve really enjoyed my long R1 road trips, and I have not had any issues crossing the prairies. Happy to answer any questions if you want to compare notes on routes or charging stops.
I’ll also echo WBSchotfield’s comment about the Tesla membership. You can save a lot of money—around 30% the last time I checked. I live in Winnipeg and have done the road trip to BC and back five or six times in an EV, including twice in my R1T. Charging in BC is easy and relatively inexpensive. Once you leave the mountains and head into the prairies, charging options become more limited, but it’s still very doable—especially now that Tesla has opened much of its network to other EVs.
Across much of the prairies, Tesla Superchargers will be your best option, and in some cases your only realistic option. The upside is that they’re generally reliable and have plenty of stalls per location. The downside is that they can be expensive where there’s little or no competition.
If you’re the type who likes to save on charging costs—even if it means a bit of extra planning or hassle—feel free to reach out and I can point you to some alternative charging options along the Trans-Canada Highway. If saving a few bucks isn’t worth the hassle, though, you can absolutely just use Tesla Superchargers all the way across. There are enough of them now to cross the prairies without breaking a sweat.
As for heading east from Winnipeg through northern Ontario toward Sudbury, I haven’t personally done that stretch yet. That said, my wife and I are planning a summer road trip to Quebec in our R1T to visit family. The last time I checked, charging options in northwestern Ontario are mostly limited to 50 kW chargers and Tesla Superchargers—so once again, Tesla is the obvious choice. Make sure you have a NACS-to-CCS adapter, as that will be a must for this trip.
Good luck, and safe travels! I’ve really enjoyed my long R1 road trips, and I have not had any issues crossing the prairies. Happy to answer any questions if you want to compare notes on routes or charging stops.
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