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Can You Drive Route 66 in an Electric Vehicle? Our Full-Route Experience
Can you drive Route 66 in an electric vehicle? We spent two weeks on the road to find out. We drove the entire historic route from Santa Monica to Chicago in an electric Rivian R1S. We crossed thousands of miles, hundreds of towns, and dozens of chargers, and the answer is yes, you can drive all of Route 66 in an EV. But is Route 66 actually practical in an electric vehicle? This guide covers what the trip was really like in an EV, what we learned about charging and navigation, and what we would do differently if we drove Route 66 in an EV again.
Our Route 66 EV Road Trip Overview
For this trip, we drove Route 66 from west to east, starting in Santa Monica and ending in Chicago. Our goal was to follow historic Route 66 as closely as possible, while still being realistic about closures, rough roads, dead ends, weather, charging needs, and time. We drove every open and marked section we could, but there were times when we had to reroute, use the interstate, or make a practical decision based on the road conditions in front of us.
One thing we learned quickly is that you cannot simply type “Route 66” into one navigation app and expect to follow the entire historic route perfectly. Route 66 has multiple alignments, signage varies by state, and modern navigation apps are usually designed to get you somewhere quickly, not keep you on the historic road.
That matters for every Route 66 traveler, but it matters even more in an EV. A wrong turn is not just a small inconvenience. It can add miles, reduce your battery, change your arrival estimate, or force you to adjust your next charging stop. Our trip became a balance between following historic Route 66, keeping enough charge to feel comfortable, and still leaving time to enjoy the towns, food, hotels, roadside attractions, and unexpected moments that make the route memorable.
Our Route 66 EV: What We Drove and Why It Matters
For this trip, we drove a 2026 Rivian R1S Quad. Keep in mind your experience on Route 66 may be different depending on the EV you drive, its charging range, speed, and compatibility.
Our Rivian had built in Tesla/NACS compatibility, which gave us access to additional fast charging options along the route. That made some parts of the trip easier, but not every EV will have access to the same chargers. We cover charging compatibility, adapters, and network access in more detail below.
Is Route 66 EV-Friendly?
Route 66 was more EV-friendly than we expected, especially in a modern long range EV. We were not constantly worried about finding a charger, and in most areas, we were able to easily plan our days around charging stops. But “EV-friendly” does not mean every part of the route was equally easy. Some areas had plenty of charging options. Others were limited and required more careful planning. Some chargers were near restaurants, visitor centers, or attractions, while others were more functional than interesting. We even encountered a few chargers that were too slow, outdated, unavailable, or simply not useful for the type of long-distance trip we were doing.
We believe the future of Route 66 EV travel is not just about adding more chargers. It is about making the entire experience easier. Travelers need reliable, efficient chargers, and things to do while they wait. For example, in Kingman, Arizona, the visitors center had a charging station, and we were able to explore, take photos, and even grab food at a retro diner while we charged. If more visitors centers adopted this idea, the route could become even more EV friendly. Route 66 can be EV-friendly, but it is not yet a completely seamless trip for every EV traveler. Especially if you are renting an unfamiliar EV, driving an older model, or trying to stay close to the historic route instead of taking the interstate.
What Was Harder Than Expected
The hardest part of driving Route 66 in an EV was not finding chargers, it was the charging fatigue that built up over the course of the trip. A 30 to 60 minute charging stop does not sound terrible on its own, especially when you can use the time to eat, stretch, or take a break. But over a long road trip, those stops start to affect the rhythm of the day. Many times, we ended up charging early in the morning before we could really get started or late at night when we were already tired and ready to reach the hotel. Other times, charging interrupted our day when we would have rather kept exploring.
We noticed some places on Route 66 had long gaps between reliable fast-charging options. Crossing the Mojave is one example. We spent time exploring San Bernardino before continuing toward Barstow, but we did not account perfectly for charging and daylight. By the time we finished charging in Barstow, we ended up driving the last part of the Mojave in the dark. Roy’s Motel & Cafe looked incredible with the neon sign lit up, and the desert sunset was beautiful, but we also missed some of the daytime desert experience we had hoped for.
We felt something similar in New Mexico after visiting the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. There were moments when we would have preferred to keep driving, but instead we had to think about the next charger, how much battery we had left, and whether we should stop now rather than risk having fewer options later. That was the part of EV travel we underestimated. Charging was rarely a major problem, but it was always part of the day. On a short road trip, an extra 30 or 40 minutes may not feel significant, but over a cross-country Route 66 trip, those stops add up, and sometimes the hardest part is having to pause when you are not ready.
Route 66 EV Charging: Lessons That Made the Trip Easier
The best way to think about Route 66 EV charging is not, “Are there chargers?” There are chargers. The better question is whether the right chargers are available for your vehicle, your route, your timing, and your comfort level. We found that major fast chargers were generally easy to locate through the Rivian’s navigation, especially near larger cities and interstate corridors. Some of the more useful chargers at hotels, attractions, visitor centers, and local businesses required more research. They were not always obvious in the vehicle navigation, and some required separate apps, accounts, or payment methods, like the level two chargers offered at most hotels.
Some chargers also looked useful online but were not helpful in practice. A charger might be too slow for a long-distance travel day, unavailable when you arrive, located away from where you actually want to be, or incompatible with your vehicle. That is why EV road trip planning requires more than simply looking at dots on a map. The best charging stops were the ones that fit naturally into the trip. A charger near a diner, visitor center, downtown area, hotel, or attraction gave us something useful or enjoyable to do while the car charged. A charger with nothing nearby felt much more like downtime.
Why We Recommend Keeping a Battery Buffer
We recommend keeping a battery buffer on Route 66, especially in rural areas, desert sections, extreme heat, or places where chargers are farther apart. For us, that buffer changed depending on where we were. In areas with frequent chargers and nearby cities, we were more relaxed. In New Mexico and parts of the Southwest, we were more conservative because we wanted enough flexibility if a charger did not work, we missed an exit, or the historic route added more miles than expected.
As a general rule, we tried to leave ourselves about a 10 percent battery cushion beyond what the navigation said we would need. That became more important the farther east we traveled because historic Route 66 is often less direct than the interstate. It curves through towns, follows frontage roads, crosses back and forth over highways, and can add extra miles compared to the fastest route. That matters because the battery estimate shown in your vehicle or route-planning app may be based on the interstate, or on a combination of the interstate and historic Route 66. If you are trying to follow the historic road as closely as possible, your actual route may be longer than the one the vehicle is using for its arrival estimate.
We saw this especially in states like Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois, where Route 66 could feel noticeably more winding than the interstate. A projected arrival percentage that looked comfortable on the screen could become much tighter once we chose to stay on the historic alignment instead of following the fastest route. New Mexico was where we felt some of the biggest gaps between chargers. We tried not to let the battery get too low because we did not want one unavailable charger to suddenly become a problem. That became our general mindset for Route 66: do not charge only for the mileage you think you'll need. Leave yourself room for a missed turn, closed road, busy charger, or extra photo stop.
Break Up Charging When You Can
One strategy we wish we had used more often was breaking charging into smaller sessions instead of leaving most of it for the beginning or end of the day. If we were around 40 or 50 percent in the middle of the day and happened to be near a convenient fast charger, it often made sense to stop for 15 or 20 minutes and bring the battery back up rather than keep driving until we were much lower. That short stop could overlap with lunch, a bathroom break, grabbing a drink, or simply getting out of the car for a few minutes.
The benefit was not necessarily eliminating charging time. It was spreading that time throughout the day so we were not facing one long charging session late at night when we were tired or first thing in the morning when we were ready to start exploring. Our own charging history showed how useful those shorter stops could be. In Grants, New Mexico, we charged for 13 minutes and added about 102 miles of estimated range. In Kingman, 17 minutes added about 98 miles, and an 18-minute stop in Barstow added about 137 miles. In Tulsa, 24 minutes added about 178 miles.
By comparison, some of our longer charging sessions lasted close to an hour. We charged for about 60 minutes in Geary, Oklahoma, which added 289 miles, 64 minutes in Carthage, Missouri, which added 281 miles and 51 minutes in Holbrook, Arizona which added 287 miles. Sometimes those longer stops were necessary, but they were also the sessions that were more likely to feel like an interruption. On a long road trip like Route 66, several shorter charging stops can feel like less of an intrusion, than one long session.
What Affected Our Charging Time and Cost
Charging time on Route 66 was not consistent from one stop to the next. How long we stayed plugged in depended on how much charge we needed, our battery level when we arrived, the charger, temperature, and where we were trying to go next. Across the trip, we recorded 21 charging sessions and spent $699.73 on charging. One of those was an 8.5-hour Level 2 overnight charge at our hotel in Norco. Excluding that overnight charge, our 20 road-trip charging sessions totaled just under 12 hours.
Those fast-charging stops averaged about 36 minutes each and cost an average of about $33.47 per session. Based on the estimated range that we recorded, the fast-charging added about 171 miles per session. The amount of time and money required for an individual stop varied considerably.
Temperature was another factor we paid attention to, especially while traveling through parts of the Southwest where daytime temperatures were regularly around or above 100°F. Extreme temperatures can affect EV efficiency and charging performance, although we did not collect enough vehicle data to measure exactly how much the heat affected our Rivian.
Anecdotally, we noticed several charging sessions during the hottest parts of the trip where the charging speed started strong and then dropped noticeably soon after we plugged in. We cannot say that heat was the only reason. Battery state, battery temperature, charger output, and other factors can also affect charging speed. But the pattern was noticeable enough that we became more conservative about both our battery buffer and how much time we allowed for charging in extremely hot areas.
Timing also mattered because charger availability changed throughout the day. A station that looks convenient on a map can become much less convenient when most of the stalls are occupied. At Wally’s near St. Louis, for example, both the Tesla and IONNA chargers were busy even late on a Monday night. Sometimes a busy station simply meant waiting for an available charger or changing our plan. Cost also varied from one charging stop to another. Different networks and locations have different pricing, and the final cost depended on how much energy we needed during that session. For us, the larger takeaway was that charging became a meaningful part of both the trip budget and the daily schedule. We recommend budgeting for both charging cost and charging time before driving Route 66 in an EV. Over a cross-country road trip, a series of 20, 30, and 40 minute stops adds up.
Why Charger Compatibility Matters
Charger compatibility is one of the most important things to understand before driving Route 66 in an EV. A charging location can exist and still not be useful for your specific vehicle. Compatibility can depend on your connector, model year, adapter, charging network, vehicle software, and whether the charger is public or restricted.
This matters even more for rental EV travelers. If you own your EV, you probably already know which chargers you can use. If you are renting an EV for Route 66, you may not know the exact model, model year, connector type, or adapter situation until pickup.
Because our Rivian had built-in NACS compatibility, we had access to charging options that other EV travelers may not. Older Rivian models and other EVs may require an adapter or have different network access. Before leaving, make sure you know whether your EV can use Tesla Superchargers, whether you need an adapter, if an adapter is included, which other charging networks work with your vehicle, and what apps or accounts you may need. Without that information, a charger list is only partly useful.
Why You Should Have Backup Chargers Planned
A good Route 66 EV plan needs a backup charger. Not because the trip is impossible, but because road trips are unpredictable. A charger can be occupied, offline, too slow, blocked, incompatible, or require an app you have not set up. A charging session can fail. Your hotel charger may already be occupied. Or staying on historic Route 66 may add more miles than your vehicle originally estimated.We experienced this in Tulsa, when one Tesla charging location repeatedly stopped our charging session after about a minute. Because we still had enough battery to reach another charger across the city, this was only an inconvenience, rather than a serious problem.
Our most comfortable driving days followed a simple structure: we knew where we wanted to charge, we knew where we could go if that charger did not work, and we kept enough battery to reach the backup. That Plan A, Plan B, and battery-buffer mindset made the trip much easier. More importantly, it let us spend less time worrying about the next charger and more time enjoying Route 66.
Our Route 66 EV Map and Navigation Strategy
One of the biggest challenges of driving Route 66 in an EV was not simply finding chargers. It was finding charging locations that made sense while still following historic Route 66 as closely as possible. Tools like PlugShare are extremely useful for finding charging stations, checking recent reviews, filtering by connector type, and seeing what charging options are available around you. We used resources like that throughout the trip, and we would absolutely recommend checking PlugShare when planning an EV road trip.
The complication with Route 66 is that the historic road is not one continuous modern highway. It frequently parallels, crosses, merges with, and separates from interstates, and there are often multiple historic alignments through the same area. In Oklahoma and Missouri, for example, Interstate 44 and historic Route 66 can appear almost intertwined on a map. In other places, Route 66 runs directly through towns while the fastest modern route stays on the interstate. Because of that, we found ourselves using several navigation resources together rather than relying on a single map for the entire trip.
Why We Made Our Own Route 66 EV Map
That is why we created our own Route 66 EV Google Map. Our goal was not to map every EV charger in the country. We wanted a Route 66-specific planning resource that showed useful charging locations in the context of the historic road. We included chargers along or near Route 66, destination chargers, EV-related service or mechanical resources we identified, and Route 66 stops that helped us understand where charging could fit naturally into the trip.
The map was especially useful for comparing modern navigation routes with the historic Route 66 alignment we wanted to follow. Those two routes were not always identical. In Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois, historic Route 66 frequently curves through towns, follows frontage roads, or crosses back and forth near the interstate. Following those older alignments can add mileage and time compared with the most direct modern route, so we tried to account for that when planning each driving day. Signage varied considerably as well. Some states made Route 66 easy to follow. In others, we had to cross-check road signs, maps, and our own route to make sure we had not missed a frontage road, town exit, or historic alignment. The areas that required the most attention for us included Southern California toward San Bernardino, western Arizona around Oatman, parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma City and the surrounding area, and portions of Missouri.
Before each driving day, we recommend checking recent charger reviews on PlugShare, confirming compatibility with your vehicle, identifying a backup option, and comparing your planned historic Route 66 alignment with the route shown in your navigation system.
In the Rivian R1S, we also used the built-in navigation system to locate chargers and view information about charging locations along the way.
The biggest lesson was that Route 66 EV planning requires two maps at the same time: one that helps you stay charged and another that helps you stay on Route 66. Our goal with this map was to bring those two needs closer together.
State-by-State Route 66 EV Notes
Every state felt different from an EV perspective. Some were easy to charge but harder to navigate. Others had fewer charging options but were simpler to follow. The biggest lesson was that Route 66 EV planning changes from state to state, so these are the things that stood out most to us along the way.
California
California has plenty of charging options, so finding power was not our main concern. The bigger challenge was navigation, especially between Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Pasadena, and San Bernardino. Route 66 moves through active city streets and suburban corridors, and signage was not always obvious. This was one of the sections where we had to cross-check navigation apps with road signs more often.
For EV travelers, the section we would plan most carefully is Barstow to Needles. Once you head into the Mojave, charging options become much less convenient and many of the classic Route 66 stops are spread across the desert. We learned that timing mattered just as much as battery percentage. By the time we finished charging in Barstow, we ended up completing part of the Mojave after dark. Roy’s Motel & Cafe looked incredible under the neon, but if your priority is seeing the desert scenery and roadside stops during the day, it is worth coordinating your charging stop with daylight.
California EV takeaway: Charging availability was not the problem. Navigation through busy cities and planning the Mojave crossing around both battery and daylight are bigger considerations.
Arizona
Arizona was one of the most memorable Route 66 states for us, but there is one section we would prepare for before entering the state: Oatman. We charged in Needles before crossing into Arizona, which gave us more confidence for the mountain section. There are no fast-charging options through the Oatman mountain passage itself, so we would not start that section with a low battery. The steep terrain and summer heat also made us more conservative about how much charge we wanted before heading through.
One thing we appreciated during this stretch was not having the same engine-overheating concern we are used to thinking about in a gas-powered vehicle. We drove through temperatures around or above 100°F, and while the heat could still affect range and charging behavior, the Rivian was actively managing the temperature of its battery and motors in the background. That does not mean EVs are immune to heat-related limitations, but from a driver’s perspective, it was reassuring during long desert stretches like Oatman and the Mojave.
After Oatman, Kingman was one of the best charging stops of the entire trip. The charger near the visitor center let us charge while using clean bathrooms, looking through Route 66 displays, visiting the gift shop, taking photos at the drive-through Route 66 shield, and walking across the street to Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner. That is one of the best examples of what we think a Route 66 EV stop should feel like: the charging stop became part of the Route 66 experience instead of pulling us away from it. From Kingman, we had enough range to continue through Seligman and toward Williams while still making stops along the way. Navigation was generally manageable, although we did come across a few “Old Route 66” road signs that led towards rough roads or winding roads.
Arizona EV takeaway: Charge before Oatman, take advantage of Kingman as both a charging and Route 66 stop, and be cautious about following roads labeled “Old Route 66”.
New Mexico
New Mexico was the state where we felt the need to be the most conservative with our battery. This was where we noticed some of the biggest gaps between reliable fast-charging options. The distances were still manageable, and we never had a serious charging problem, but we paid closer attention to our remaining range because we wanted enough flexibility if a charger was unavailable or our Route 66 path added more miles than expected.
We also came across older chargers at some Route 66 stops that looked useful online but were not very practical once we arrived. Some were not working, some were too slow for the kind of driving day we were doing, and others were simply not chargers we would want to depend on when traveling long distance. Albuquerque was the major exception. Once we reached the larger metro area, finding charging was much easier. New Mexico also required more attention to navigation because signage was not always consistent. There were times when taking an exit to stay on Route 66 felt like a bigger decision because we were thinking about how far we were from the next reliable charging option.
New Mexico EV takeaway: This was the state where we kept our largest battery cushion. Verify chargers ahead of time, do not assume every charger shown online will be useful, and give yourself more flexibility between stops.
Texas
Texas was one of the easiest states for us from an EV perspective. The Route 66 section is relatively short, and Amarillo had plenty of fast-charging options, so we never felt the same charging pressure that we experienced in parts of the Southwest. One of our charging stops was at Buc-ee’s in Amarillo, which worked well because charging overlapped with a stop we would probably have made anyway. We could use the restroom, grab food and drinks, walk around, and take a break while the car charged.
The bigger challenge in Texas was not charging, but knowing when to leave or rejoin the interstate. Some Route 66 signs appeared very close to the exits they referred to, and once we were on frontage roads, it was not always obvious whether we were supposed to stay there or merge back onto the highway. Luckily, wrong turns here felt more like a time issue than a battery issue.
Texas EV takeaway: Charging was easy, particularly around Amarillo. Pay more attention to Route 66 signage and interstate transitions than to charger availability.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma was where we really began to notice how different the historic Route 66 mileage could be from the route our navigation wanted us to drive. Charging itself was easy since Route 66 passes through several larger cities and populated areas. We had access to multiple charging networks as we made our way through Oklahoma.
The bigger issue was that historic Route 66 repeatedly crosses, parallels, and moves away from the interstate. Once we got past Texola, the small green Route 66 signs were generally helpful, but following them often meant driving more millage than the fastest route shown by the vehicle.
That became especially noticeable when looking at the Rivian’s projected arrival battery percentage. When the car expected us to use the interstate, but we chose the historic alignment the battery estimate was less accurate for the route we actually wanted to drive. We felt this most around Tulsa. Between charging time and the longer historic route, we eventually had to skip some smaller sections to conserve battery.
Oklahoma EV takeaway: Charger availability was good, but the historic alignment can add meaningful mileage. Do not rely entirely on a battery estimate based on the fastest route if your goal is to follow Route 66 closely.
Kansas
Kansas was the easiest Route 66 state for us to manage simply because the historic section is so short. We spent the night in Carthage, Missouri, at Boots Court Motel, then backtracked through Joplin and into Kansas the following morning. Even with photos, videos, and Route 66 stops, we completed the Kansas section in only a few hours and were back around Joplin by lunchtime.
Because the mileage is limited, Kansas does not require the same charging strategy as the larger Route 66 states. If you enter the state with a reasonable charge, it is easy to combine Kansas with either a Missouri driving day or the transition between Oklahoma and Missouri.
Kansas EV takeaway: This was one of the least stressful EV sections of Route 66. The short distance makes it easy to fit into a larger driving day without complicated charging planning.
Missouri
It was not difficult to find chargers in Missouri, but charger availability and charger availability right now are not always the same thing. As we approached St. Louis, charging options became more common, but they also became busier. At Wally’s near St. Louis, both the Tesla and IONNA chargers were busy even late on a Monday night. Seeing several chargers on a map does not necessarily mean you will be able to pull in and start charging immediately. Popular travel corridors and well-known stops can still fill up, even outside peak hours.
Missouri EV takeaway: Charging options were plentiful near larger cities, but popular spots can be crowded. Do not assume a charger shown on the map will have an open stall when you arrive.
Illinois
Illinois was one of the easiest states for overall charging availability. Traveling between the St. Louis area and Chicago meant we were rarely far from larger cities, towns, or major transportation corridors. What stood out more was the difference between a charger existing and a charger being useful for a long-distance road trip.
We saw several older or slower chargers at Route 66 stops. Those chargers may be perfectly useful if you are spending a few hours at an attraction, restaurant, museum, or hotel, but they are less useful if you are trying to quickly add enough range to keep moving. That distinction became increasingly important by the end of the trip. After days on the road, we were less interested in whether a location technically had EV charging and more interested in how fast the charger could realistically get us back on Route 66.
Illinois EV takeaway: Finding a charger was easy, but check charging speed before relying on smaller destination chargers. For a cross-country trip, charger speed can matter just as much as charger location.
Would We Recommend Driving Route 66 in an EV?
Yes, we would drive Route 66 in an EV again.
It was not always the easiest way to do the trip. Charging added time, changed some of our decisions, and occasionally forced us to stop when we would rather have kept exploring. There were moments when a gas-powered vehicle would have been simpler. But the EV also changed the pace of the trip in a way that often fit Route 66 surprisingly well. We stopped more often, spent more time in towns we might have otherwise passed through, and became much more aware of how the historic road differs from the interstate running beside it.
What surprised us most was that range was rarely the thing that defined the trip. The bigger challenge was learning how to work charging into the day without letting it take over the experience. Once we understood when to keep a larger battery buffer, when a shorter charging stop made sense, and when to ignore the fastest route in favor of the historic road, the trip became much easier.
Route 66 is already more practical for EV travel than we expected, but it is not completely effortless. Some stretches have excellent charging options, while others still require more planning, better information, or a willingness to adapt. If your goal is to experience Route 66 slowly and you do not mind building a little more planning into the journey, an EV can absolutely be part of the adventure. For us, the question at the end of the trip was no longer whether Route 66 could be driven in an EV, but rather how can we make it easier for the next EV traveler?