When I travel to Big Bend, I have an unwritten rule: If I see a gas station, I fill up. The remoteness of the landscape and distance between towns make planning ahead fundamental to avoid being stranded on the side of the road. Yet here I am, almost 500 miles from my home in Austin, in a vehicle that couldn’t use a gas station if there was one. I’m driving a fully electric 2024 Kia Niro crossover SUV, relying on public charging stations and crowdsourced information to visit one of the most remote regions in Texas.
The national park is one of my favorite places in the state. Each time I visit, I like to add a new activity. I’ve camped in the park, waded in the Rio Grande, ridden horseback, and hiked famous trails. I knew this trip would present unique challenges—it was my first solo excursion to the park and my first time driving an electric vehicle. At the same time, I knew it would allow me to connect with the environment in a different way. I hoped that stopping to charge would give me more time to take in the scenery and get to know the towns along my route.
Enjoying this article?Electric vehicles are not exactly strangers on Texas roads—about 363,000 (or 1.4% of all vehicles) are registered in the state as of March 2025, according to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. But for first-timers like me, long-distance EV trips still feel like a risky undertaking, especially for cars that do not have access to the Tesla Supercharger network. Vehicles like the Kia Niro can access some Tesla chargers but typically rely on charging that uses either the Combined Charging System (CCS) or J1772 standard.
To plan my trip, I use two apps—A Better Routeplanner and PlugShare—that allow drivers to estimate the distances between charges and find public charging stations compatible with their electric vehicles.
Along Texas interstates and in larger metro areas, electric vehicles can use DC fast-charging stations, which replenish a charge in under an hour. Most of the stations I use—in Junction, Ozona, and Fort Stockton—are operated by Electrify America. I quickly learn that charging is not an exact science, nor is the mileage as predictable as a tank of gas. Factors like temperature of the car, temperature of the charger, current battery percentage, and availability of other chargers at the location impact the vehicle’s recharge rate.
Electric Avenue
Four types of charging stations are available across the state
During my Big Bend adventure, I kept the Kia’s battery percentage above 10% but below 80% to maximize the charging speed. This window gave me about 100 miles of comfortable driving distance at 80 mph, which was enough to make it between chargers on Interstate 10. Fast chargers take 30-60 minutes, so I advise building that time into your trip.
DC Fast Charging
There are three types of public chargers along Texas highways and in Austin
SAE Combo/Combined Charging System (CCS)
Used for: Most EVs, including BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, Hyundai, Porsche, Kia, and Chevrolet.
CHAdeMO
Used for: Select Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Kia models.
North American Charging Standard (NACS)
Used for: Tesla (at Superchargers), and 2025 models from Ford, General Motors, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Honda.
Level 2 Charging
A slower charger typically found at restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers
SAE J1772
Also called a J plug or Type 1. Available on most U.S. EVs, it fits inside the larger CCS connector.
NACS
The Tesla adapter can also deliver Level 2 charging, which was the case at Tesla Destination chargers in Alpine.
Unlike gas stations, charging stations aren’t always full-service stops. In Junction, the Electrify America chargers are on the outskirts of town in the parking lot of a shuttered Econo Lodge. A sign on the door informs me that EV charger patrons can use the restroom to the right of what was once the lobby.
The chargers aren’t perfectly reliable, either. When I arrive in Alpine, I discover the charger at the Quality Inn doesn’t work with the Kia. I call the customer service line, and a representative tells me it is likely a software issue with the car and gives me the location of two Tesla Destination chargers in the area. I start to panic—I don’t have enough charge to make it back to Fort Stockton or to my next stop, Terlingua. I also know that Tesla destination chargers typically use the NACS connector, which won’t work with my vehicle.
Fortunately, Alpine’s Tesla Destination chargers have the adapter I need. And in the end, I could have waited until the morning, when I visit the charger at Blue Water Natural Foods. The store is stocked with a wide assortment of natural and specialty goods and offers its J1772 charger to anyone who needs it.
Blue Water vice president John Schwerdtfeger, who drives an electric vehicle—as does his wife—is enthusiastic about the future of electric travel. “When I bought a new car, I wanted something new,” he says. “I think the technology is only going to get better.”
And even in remote Alpine, it has. In early 2024, a Tesla Supercharger opened, the first fast-charging site in the Trans-Pecos south of Interstate 10. Basecamp Terlingua currently offers charging to the public at Venga Café (donations requested) and at several of its overnight lodging sites.
I stay in Lil’ Al’s Barndominium, an Airbnb about 10 miles north of Big Bend National Park’s entrance. It’s nighttime when I arrive, and locating the remote spot in the dark is a challenge. The space is well-stocked but primitive—a metal structure with the minimum comforts you’d need for a desert stay, including an outdoor shower. Running water on the property is scarce and rain-collected, but J1772 charging is available on-site, and an overnight charge lets me start each day at 100%. Instead of having to start or end the day at a gas station, I’m ready to begin exploring as soon as the sun comes up.
The EV exceeds my expectations in the national park. The slower speed limits mean less overall energy consumption, and the hilly terrain allows the Kia’s regenerative braking to gain a little charge as I travel. After a full day of driving—from the top of the Chisos Basin to Santa Elena Canyon and back—the car still has 60% power remaining when I return to the highway.
It is not my speediest trip to Big Bend. On previous gas car journeys, I’ve made it the 450 miles from Alpine to Austin without stopping. But long drives are tiring and often only about the end result. I certainly added something different to my Big Bend experience on this trip, meticulously planning out every charging stop and carefully estimating my mileage every day. Yet the EV did so well in the park, exploring the various terrain with ease and humming along silently as I took in the scenery. The quiet gave me a greater appreciation for Big Bend’s vast wide-open spaces and mountainous landscapes—a recharge of its own.
Big Bend EV Trip By the Numbers
30-60 minutes
Time it takes to charge car from 20% to 80%
13 hours, 7 minutes
Total time spent charging, not including overnights
$193.90
Amount spent on charging
1,276
Total miles driven
4,360
Public EV charging stations in Texas
Tool Kit
Apps to help you plan your EV trips
PlugShare
This crowdsourced tool for mapping and rating public chargers provides estimates about charging rate and whether chargers are currently open and operating.
A Better Routeplanner (ABRP, Above)
The mapping tool allows drivers to input their vehicle and get an estimate of necessary charging stops and battery percentage.
Payment Apps
Each public charging company has its own app. The writer used Electrify America chargers. The company gives a small discount to those who sign up for a “pass,” which varies from free to a few dollars per month. The app tracks past charging and provides information about the health of charging stations. Other payment apps travelers may need include Tesla, Shell Recharge, ChargePoint, and EVgo.
Charging Stops
Fredericksburg407 S. Adams St.
Junction111 Martinez St.
Ozona816 14th St.
Fort Stockton2610 W. Dickinson Blvd.
Alpine2004 E. US 90
Return Trip
Fort Stockton
Ozona
Junction
Austin5601 Brodie Lane
