I Took My Kia EV9 900 Miles From Ohio to Alabama, Here's Who Gets EV Charging Right and Who's Losing Customers Over Missing Chargers

The American road trip has changed, and not just because the gas is gone. One EV driver, armed with a Kia EV9 and a full charge of optimism, took a 900-mile journey from Ohio to Alabama and came away with a verdict. Some destinations are playing the new game. Others? They're stuck on the sidelines, watching paying customers pass them by, according to a recent post on Reddit.

“Took our first big family trip in our EV9, about 900 miles. Here are my observations. Winners: Travel stops (Pilot, Flying J, Buccees) and Walmart. 

We made all of our stops there to charge. And we spent a ton on food and snacks. Walmart has surprisingly good warm food. Previous trips would have all been fast food GM energy - found a pull-through location with a canopy. So convenient when you have a hitch-mounted cargo tray and it's 98 degrees.

Losers: Hotels without L2 charging. Looking at you, Drury. We've stayed exclusively at Drury's for over a decade. They clearly aren't taking EVs seriously, with only two hotels with charging across their entire chain. 

There are too many other options for charging to stay loyal to the Fast food. Combining stops with charging and food is the only way we will go from here on out. At our destination, restaurants and attractions are missing an opportunity. 

The only charger of any kind was 45 minutes off the island. If a few restaurants or attractions on the island had L2 chargers, we would have definitely visited. Rental houses also are losing out, we would have gladly paid a fee for charging at our house.” - GeniusOfUselessStuff via r/electricvehicles

This Kia EV9 owner didn’t ask for perfection, just a plug near a bed, or a charge while eating chicken tenders. Instead, he found a fragmented reality. Charging infrastructure isn’t just about charge time. It’s about convenience, dwell time, and the kinds of amenities that make or break a journey. When a hotel chain like Drury, long a bastion for road trippers, ignores the needs of modern travelers, it’s a business opportunity slipping away.

How Top National Retailers Like Starbucks and Walmart Are Powering Up with EV Charging Stations

• Many national chains like Starbucks, Walmart, and Whole Foods have begun adding EV charging stations to their parking lots, offering convenience and encouraging longer customer visits.
• Some businesses partner with charging networks like Electrify America or Tesla to install fast chargers, often located near major highways or urban centers.
• Smaller, locally-owned restaurants and shops in eco-conscious regions are also investing in Level 2 chargers to attract sustainability-minded customers.
• These installations are increasingly seen as a competitive advantage, allowing businesses to tap into the growing EV customer base and promote green branding.

Contrast that with Waffle House, yes, Waffle House, the unsinkable diner chain that somehow understands EVs better than half the hospitality industry. 

They’ve begun installing 350kW fast chargers at select locations, finally allowing you to charge your vehicle while you charge your arteries. As RenataKaizen on Reddit wrote: 

“Waffle House getting 350KW charging makes complete sense... assuming an average time of 20 minutes, 70KW means you need 210KW charging.” 

That’s the kind of logic you’d expect from a utility engineer, not a 24-hour diner best known for scattered hashbrowns and late-night brawls. But it works, and it matters.

Why Pairing Charging, Food & Restrooms Is the Winning Formula for EV Road Trips

It matters because, like ST_Lawson pointed out, the winning formula on long trips is pairing essentials. 

“Walmart, Flying J, and Buccees were great places to stop, charge up, stretch our legs, and hit up the bathroom.” 

EV road trips reward the spots that offer food, restrooms, and reliable charging in one package. These aren’t luxury requests. They’re baseline expectations. And the retailers who deliver are the ones getting repeat business from drivers who plan stops around PlugShare instead of Yelp.

Hotels, meanwhile, are proving slow to adapt. Flyfreeflylow explained how they shifted from loyalty programs to “whichever hotel has a plug.” That should terrify the hospitality industry. With Kia’s EV9, Ford’s Mach-E, and Chevy’s Equinox EV filling more and more parking lots, EV-driving families are no longer early adopters. They're mainstream, and they’re making buying decisions based on electrons, not brand points.

Vacation Rentals Left Behind: How Missing EV Chargers Drive Guests Away

Even vacation rentals are behind the curve. When this traveler reached their destination, the only charger was 45 minutes away. Restaurants and attractions lost his business not because of food quality or ambiance, but because they had nowhere to plug in. GeniusOfUselessStuff put it simply: 

“If a few restaurants or attractions on the island had L2 chargers, we would have definitely visited.” 

That’s real money walking out the door, or worse, driving 45 miles inland to spend it elsewhere.

The Top Four Challenges EV Drivers Face on Cross-Country Road Trips

• The average American road trip covers around 250 to 300 miles per day, which is within range for many modern EVs but can still cause range anxiety, especially in rural areas.
• Electric vehicles often require longer breaks to recharge compared to refueling a gas car, making trip planning more complex and time-sensitive.
• Charging infrastructure gaps in certain parts of the country, particularly in the Midwest and remote regions, can limit route flexibility for EV travelers.
• Some EV drivers plan their routes around charging stations using specialized apps, but detours and extended stops can add hours to traditional road trip itineraries.

But here's the silver lining: The EV9 handled the trip just fine. The car did its job. The powertrain was stout, the comfort impressive, and the range reliable. 

The frustration came not from the vehicle but from the supporting cast. America still loves the road trip, and electric vehicles are ready for it. But if the destinations and waypoints don’t catch up, if restaurants, hotels, and tourist traps don’t see the opportunity in every charging session, they’re going to be left behind in a future that doesn’t wait.

So, is the great American road trip dead? Not even close. It’s just evolving. And as Waffle House installs 350kW chargers next to booths with laminated menus and waitresses who call you "hun", maybe, just maybe, we’re on the verge of a better version of it. One with fewer oil stains, quieter cabins, and places that remember: the journey is only as good as where you stop.

Image Sources: Kia Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.