EV Road Tripping with Kids: A Dad’s Blueprint for Holiday Season Success

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

By Scott Koskinen, product marketing director, GM Connected Services

This summer, I did something every parent looks forward to — and must mentally prepare for: I loaded up the kids, packed a questionable amount of snacks, grabbed the tablets, and hit the road for a 500-mile family trek to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

But thanks to our 2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali, we discovered the simplicity of route planning, the comfort of Super Cruise¹ and the variety of convenient charging options. These features, along with in-vehicle Wi-Fi, made streaming kids’ movies a breeze and helped unlock a new level of road tripping.

Planning ahead: With young kids in tow, making a plan is vital. Here’s what I did to get ready to hit the road:

• I previously linked EVgo, ChargePoint, and others in the myGMC app² so I’d be ready to plug in as soon as I got to a charger.
• Before we packed up, I used the route planner to get a feel for where we might stop to charge.
• The night before we left, I adjusted the charge limit to 100% so we could roll out with as much range as possible.

Once we hit the road, Google Maps guided us toward our first suggested stop.

Four painless ways to plug in: A highlight for me was showing the kids what “fueling up” looks like in an EV — just plug in, take a quick break, and you’re good to go. We used just about every charging method available, and each one worked flawlessly.

We charged twice each way and could have gotten away with less, but potty breaks don’t always make that a reality.

• Electrify America charging stall: Our first charging break was at an Electrify America fast charger next to a grocery store—timed perfectly with lunch. I had the Electrify America app set up with my credit card, so the session started instantly after plugging in. We stretched our legs, grabbed snacks, walked the dog, and let the kids burn off energy.
• NACS public charging: We used GM Energy’s NACS adapter to power up at a NACS fast charger along our route — and twenty minutes later, we had more than enough charge to make the final stretch.
• Home charger at parent’s house: Once we got to our final destination in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, we charged at the house using the dual-level charging cord on 240 volts.
• Pilot Flying J station: During the drive back home, we made our final charging stop at a GM Energy stall at a Pilot Flying J station right off the highway. Thanks to Plug-and-Charge, we pulled up, plugged in, and the car took care of the rest. About 10 minutes later, we had all the range we needed to make it home.

A parent’s secret road trip weapon: Super Cruise covered more than 90% of our drive — far more than I expected. I didn’t think the U.P.’s two-lane highway roads would be mapped, but I was able to enjoy hours of hands-free cruising while the kids battled it out over video games in the back.

Any parent knows that long drives require constant micro-adjustments and occasional refereeing. Super Cruise gave me the mental space to handle all that without sacrificing attention or safety. It made the entire 16-hour round trip feel significantly less exhausting.

Range you can trust: We relied heavily on Google Maps in the infotainment system, and the range estimates were super helpful. When we wanted to explore other areas like Marquette and Iron River, the system made it easy to adjust our route and see charging options. I never once felt anxious about range.

And thanks to the Sierra EV’s massive cargo space and eTrunk™, I still had room for golf clubs, luggage, a dirt bike, and “emergency” snacks.

Crunching the numbers: Comparing my EV to my gas-powered SUV, this trip came out to roughly $70 each way — about the same as what we’d spend on gas. We also saved around $20 by charging to 100% through our GM Energy home charger before we left.

The bottom line: The trip was awesome; the memories were great—and the EV and Super Cruise were the easiest parts of the whole adventure. If you’ve been on the fence about long road trips in an EV with kids, consider this my official dad verdict: I approve.

¹Always pay attention while driving and when using Super Cruise. Do not use a hand-held device. Requires active Super Cruise plan or trial. Terms apply.
²Available on select Apple and Android devices. Service availability, features and functionality vary by vehicle, device and the plan you are enrolled in. User terms apply. Device data connection required.

Article from GM.