A Maritimes AdvEVenture Part 2

We love to go a bit off the beaten track, so to speak, when we travel, opting for secondary highways as opposed to major ones. This gets us more in touch with the real landscape as opposed to the manicured, everything-looks-the-same landscape of highways/motorways/interstates. These lower speed limits are where EVs really shine. Because we are going at speeds around 80-90 kph as opposed to 110 on the major highway, the car goes through less energy. It’s also in the automatic mode where it’s learning the driving habits so it maximizes energy use in that way too. Remember in one of my W-EVnesday posts where I wrote that my husband said it’s basically a smart phone on wheels? A great analogy. 

The colours of fall continue to mesmerize me

This is Highway 6 in Nova Scotia, a little bit west of Pictou. 

So when we left PEI, we did have enough charge to get all the way to Antigonish, but we stopped for a quick 11-minute top-up at a fast charger (350 kW) in Amherst, Nova Scotia, which is just across the border from New Brunswick. This is where it is frustrating because the supposed 350 kW charger maxed out at 95 kW. This happens everywhere; it’s not unique to NS. When you have a car like ours that can handle that fast of a speed, yet the chargers on this continent do not put out at the level they purport to put out, it's maddening because it would save time.

We turned off the Trans-Canada east of Amherst onto secondary highways where, not too far along, a black bear burst out of the bush and badump-badumped across the road in front of us--love!  At Wallace we took highway 6, which caresses the coast of the Northumberland Strait of the North Atlantic most of the way, to Tatamagouche and Pictou.

From Pictou we went to New Glasgow, turning off on the Sunrise Trail, highway 245, on our way to Arisaig.

Arisaig Lighthouse

I love seeing street signs and place names in this area in two languages: not the usual English and French but English and Gaelic!

Looking west over the Gulf of St. Lawrence towards Prince Edward Island

In Antigonish we first went to a fast charger (50 kW) at a GM Dealer (these chargers are in some strange, behind-the-mall or corner-of-a-parking-lot places) and brought the battery up to 86%. The 50 kW level takes longer, so we were there 40 minutes, but at least we were at our destination.

Of course we had to go to Peace by Chocolate, the business started by Syrian refugees. I've written about this marvellous family here on the blog. I read and then bought the book that tells their amazing story of perseverance, hard work and support from the people of Antigonish who helped them rebuild their renowned chocolate business which was bombed in Syria in the war. They fled to Lebanon where they spent three years in a refugee camp before the eldest son, Tariq, half way through his medical training to be a doctor, was accepted into Canada.

I have to add that we parked across the street, at a meter, (this is downtown Antigonish, a town of only about 5000, but a university town, and a busy downtown) where the rate was —get this—10c for 12 minutes!

After that, we tootled a little ways up another part of the Sunrise Trail to check out some ocean views.

Mahoneys Beach looking more or less east

Cribbons Beach looking north

While we had supper, we charged at a Flo 7.2 kW which brought the battery up 7% to 85% for $2.44! These slower chargers are great for when you are out to eat, shopping, at an appointment or in your hotel room. Yes, they're slow, not much more than the one at home in our garage, which is 5.5 kW, but if there is one near your hotel or restaurant, then plug in and let it sit as long as you're allowed because the cost is minimal.

Onwards to Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail! Lots of hiking is on the agenda with views that transcend. This is going to be a little sketchy for charging as it's fairly remote, but MacGyver has it plotted... And hooray for the PlugShare app that shows where all chargers are, slow and fast, and EV owners share notes about each one.

Once again we are multitasking: we’re having a lovely breakfast at Tall & Small Café: a homemade bagel with peanut butter and honey for me and a Zack Attack sandwich (peanut butter, banana and honey) for MacGyver with delicious coffee, locally roasted, while we’ve plugged in at another Flo 7.2 kW charger behind the library across the street! And I have finished writing this post. 😁