EV road trip
The PCH from San Francisco to Los Angeles is one of the most beautiful drives in the world, and it works well in an EV with one caveat: the Big Sur stretch has limited fast charging, so your start and end battery levels need planning. Done right, it's the most rewarding EV road trip in California.
The classic route runs San Francisco → Half Moon Bay → Santa Cruz → Monterey → Carmel → Big Sur → San Simeon → Cambria → Morro Bay → San Luis Obispo → Santa Barbara → Los Angeles. The critical stretch for EVs is Carmel to San Simeon — about 90 miles of cliff-hugging Highway 1 with essentially zero fast charging.
The play: charge to 100% before leaving Carmel, drive the Big Sur stretch slowly (which you want to anyway — that's the point), and reach San Simeon or Cambria for the next charging stop.
| Stop | Distance from SF | Charging |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz | 75 mi | Multiple L2 + EA fast charging at major hotels |
| Monterey / Carmel | 120 mi | Last fast charging before Big Sur. Charge to 100%. |
| Big Sur | 160 mi | L2 only at Big Sur Lodge + Ventana. No fast charging. |
| San Simeon / Cambria | 210 mi | L2 at Cavalier Oceanfront Resort. Limited DCFC. |
| San Luis Obispo | 260 mi | Multiple Tesla SC + EA stations. Easy. |
| Santa Barbara | 350 mi | Multiple DCFC + L2 at most resort hotels |
| Los Angeles | 470 mi | Every major hotel has charging. |
Carmel and Cambria are the two key overnight stops that determine your charging strategy. Both have hotels with L2 charging for guests — verify before booking and call ahead to confirm chargers are working.
Last fast-charging stop before Big Sur. Several boutique hotels have L2; Tesla Destination Chargers are common.
Expedia's amenity filter is imperfect — also verify chargers on PlugShare before you book. Hotels lie about working chargers more than they should.
Search hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA →First fast-charging stop after Big Sur. Cavalier Oceanfront and several mid-range hotels have L2 for guests.
Expedia's amenity filter is imperfect — also verify chargers on PlugShare before you book. Hotels lie about working chargers more than they should.
Search hotels in Cambria, CA →The natural overnight halfway between Big Sur stretch and LA. Excellent restaurant scene plus dense charger network.
Expedia's amenity filter is imperfect — also verify chargers on PlugShare before you book. Hotels lie about working chargers more than they should.
Search hotels in Santa Barbara, CA →Range matters more here than on most EV road trips because of the Big Sur gap. Recommendations:
Not recommended: sub-250-mile range EVs like the base Chevy Bolt EUV or Nissan Leaf. The Big Sur charging gap puts these in white-knuckle territory.
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