From Transport Evolved.
Our team has collectively owned and driven electric vehicles for over four decades, covering a broad range of models released across the past half‑century. Yet, despite that experience, many people still claim that a long‑distance EV road‑trip is impossible without relying on Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Tesla undeniably accelerated the rollout of fast‑charging infrastructure—whether by prompting competitors to improve their networks or by setting early expectations for reliability. However, by 2026 the majority of drivers worldwide no longer need to depend exclusively on Tesla chargers. But as you might note from our title, there’s also the little asterisk*, because outliers do exist; in remote or heavily monopolized regions, Tesla may remain the only practical option.
While we’ve occasionally used Superchargers when necessary, we—and many of you—prefer to avoid a network owned by a figure whose public stances raise serious concerns.
Elon Musk has repeatedly aligned himself with politicians advocating authoritarian policies, promoted controversial “white‑replacement” rhetoric, disseminated misinformation targeting minority groups, and funded right‑wing initiatives reminiscent of some of the darkest chapters in American and European history.
On our recent San Diego trip we set out to demonstrate with Nikki’s Ford F150 Lightning that a modern EV can travel 1,000 miles in two days, enjoy fast and reliable charging, and do so without contributing a single cent to Musk’s enterprises.
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_Editorial note: This video was captured during that San Diego journey. Filming stopped a few hours later when another car ran a red light and struck us, forcing us to postpone our planned shoot at Aptera. We’ll return to Aptera soon—stay tuned!_
*⏱️ Chapter Breakdown:*
00:00 – Introduction
01:45 – When, where, and how
02:22 – Our challenge rules
05:43 – An unexpected first stop at Ionna
07:43 – Have you joined Patreon?
08:41 – Roseberg, Oregon – Adventure Network (second charge)
12:01 – Shasta, California (fourth stop)
15:24 – Fifth charging stop: Red Bluff
18:38 – Day 2 – Stockton, California – and the overnight perils of 110V with an F150 Lightning
22:21 – Day Two first charge – Boosted charge thanks to the software update
23:20 – The realities of fast charger costs
25:38 – A note on why we’re taking the truck
27:27 – A sad return to the broken charging stations
30:00 – Leaving charger 2 for day 2
32:37 – Stop 3, day 2 (Buttonwillow, CA)
35:35 – Final charging stop
38:08 – Closing thoughts
40:21 – Approximate costs
42:55 – Easter egg: spotted in LA traffic!
*🔗 Links to Music used in today’s video*
Love’s High – Feathers (https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/feathers/137983)
Jimit, Qerenne, Roy Reemy – Chasin’ You (Instrumental Version) (https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/chasin-you-instrumental-version/133610)
Novembers – Hillside Beach Club (https://artlist.io/royalty-free-music/song/hillside-beach-club/124085)
_Editorial note: Transport Evolved supports real – not AI artists. We’re unhappy about Artlist’s adoption of AI and only use human-created content. We are also exploring other music management solutions that does not use AI in any way. Please reach out if you know of a potential solution!_
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*🎙️ Credits:*
Hosts: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
TE Camera, Edit, Color: Vi Horton
Art & Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
Music: via Artlist.io
© Transport Evolved LLC, 2026
