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Yaquina Bay Bridge arching over Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon

Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Coast EV Road Trip with Your Dog: The Charging and Rental Checklist

Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Heading from Salem to Lincoln City and Newport with your dog? Willamette News covered the route, the beaches and the dog rules in Salem to the Coast in an EV, with Your Dog. This is the practical side: how long charging takes, how to keep your dog comfortable while you're parked, and what to know if you're renting one of our EVs.

The charging stops

  • Grand Ronde, 26820 Salmon River Hwy (OR-18): EVCS (West Coast Electric Highway). 1 DC fast charger, up to 50 kW, plus Level 2. For CCS and CHAdeMO cars, and Teslas with a CCS adapter.

  • Spirit Mountain Hotel, Grand Ronde: ChargePoint Level 2 (J1772). Any EV, and Teslas with a J1772 adapter.

  • Lincoln City Outlets Supercharger: Tesla. 8 stalls, up to 150 kW. Tesla only.

  • Lincoln City Cultural Center, 540 NE Hwy 101: EVCS. 50 kW DC fast plus Level 2. For CCS and CHAdeMO cars.

  • Newport Supercharger, 2220 N Coast Hwy: Tesla (NACS partner site). 8 stalls, up to 250 kW. Teslas, plus other EVs with a NACS adapter.

  • Newport Walmart, 160 NW 25th St: Electrify America. 4 DC fast chargers, up to 350 kW. For CCS cars.

Check each network's app before you go. New to all this? Start with our EV Charging Guide, DC fast charging explained, using Tesla Superchargers in a non-Tesla, and the Salem charging map.

How long will charging take?

These are approximate times for a typical fast-charging session (about 10% to 80%) on a charger fast enough for the car. Real times depend on temperature, the charger, and how full the battery is. Cold, damp coast weather can slow things down.

  • Tesla Model 3: Tesla says up to about 175 miles of range in 15 minutes at a Supercharger. At Lincoln City (150 kW max), expect it a little slower than at Newport.

  • Hyundai Ioniq 5: About 18 minutes for 10% to 80% on a 350 kW charger like Electrify America in Newport. On a 50 kW charger like Grand Ronde or Lincoln City Cultural Center, expect closer to an hour.

  • Kia EV6: Same platform as the Ioniq 5, so about 18 minutes for 10% to 80% on a 350 kW charger, and much longer on 50 kW.

  • Chevy Bolt EV: Fast charging tops out around 55 kW, so plan on roughly an hour for 10% to 80% at any fast charger.

  • MINI Cooper SE: Fast charging tops out around 50 kW, about 30 to 36 minutes for 10% to 80%. Its smaller battery means more frequent stops.

Tip: charging is fastest from low to about 80%. Topping off past 80% slows way down, so it's usually quicker to make two shorter stops.

Keeping your dog comfortable while parked or charging

Tesla Model 3: Dog Mode. With the car in Park, open the climate controls and choose Dog Mode (Tesla's manual also calls it Pet Mode). It keeps the cabin at your set temperature and shows a large message on the screen telling passersby your pet is fine and the climate is on. You can also say "Turn on Dog Mode." Don't use it when the battery is low, and check on your dog in the Tesla app.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6: Utility Mode. With the car in Park, go to the EV menu on the screen and turn on Utility Mode. It runs the heat or air conditioning from the main battery while the car can't be driven. These cars don't have a pet message on the screen, so many owners leave a note in the window. Check how to lock the car with Utility Mode on before you walk away.

Chevy Bolt EV and MINI Cooper SE. These don't have a dedicated dog mode. The safest plan is to keep the dog with you, or have someone stay in the car with the climate running.

Whatever you drive: never leave a dog alone in a car without climate running, keep stops short, and keep enough charge to run the climate.

First-time EV renter's checklist

Renting one of our EVs for the coast? Here's what to know before you pick up.

Getting in

  • Tesla Model 3: Uses a phone key through the Tesla app. There's a backup key card in the center console.

  • Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, Chevy Bolt EV, MINI Cooper SE: Keys are in a lockbox. You'll get the details when you book.

Apps to download before you go

  • Tesla app (for the Model 3, and for any EV using a Supercharger)

  • Electrify America

  • EVCS

  • ChargePoint

  • PlugShare (to check live station status and driver comments)

On the road

  • Know which plug your car uses and which chargers along the route accept it (see the list above).

  • Leave a charge cushion. Single-stall sites like Grand Ronde can be busy or down.

  • Precondition the cabin before you leave.

Returning the car

  • Check your booking on Turo for the charge level we ask for at return, and plan your last charging stop around it.

Bringing your dog

  • Pets are welcome in every one of our cars. A seat cover and a towel for sandy paws go a long way.

Flying in?

  • We offer delivery to the Salem airport, so you can land and drive straight to the coast.

Our EVs

See availability and book on our Turo host page.

Read the companion piece: before you go, read the full route guide on Willamette News, Salem to the Coast in an EV, with Your Dog.

Willamette News and Oregon Critter Company are managed by the same people.

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