Electric Route 66: A Greener Ride on the Mother Road's 100th Birthday
As Route 66 marks its centennial, a UK-based EV road trip from Chicago to Santa Monica shows the route is now drivable on electricity thanks to a growing charger network. The three-day, ~300-mile journey highlights charging times from 20 minutes to an hour, the need to pre-plan with PlugShare and ABRP, and occasional detours for charging or nostalgia at vintage diners and gas stations. The slower pace reveals more roadside Americana and a lighter carbon footprint (roughly 150–180 g CO2 per km saved), but rural gaps still pose challenges and higher petrol costs remain a risk for non-EVs.