3 Best EV Road Trip Routes in Arizona
Recharge along Route 66, at an electric vehicle museum, atop the Grand Canyon, and more.
These scenic itineraries feature fun spots to explore while you power up. For the smoothest experience, download an app such as PlugShare or ChargeHub to see regularly updated info on charging station availability and network compatibility.
Phoenix to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, and Lake Powell
This two- to four-day itinerary strings together three of Arizona’s most stunning gems. From Phoenix, drive about 115 miles north to the spectacular rust-hued rocks of Sedona. If you’re staying the night, you’ll find ample level 2 chargers in local hotels, including Tesla chargers at Enchantment Resort and L’Auberge de Sedona. If you’re just breezing through, power up at a DC fast charger in the Village of Oak Creek while you caffeinate at Miley’s Cafe, or in northwest Sedona near Posse Grounds Park, about a 15-minute walk from fresh vegan fare on a floral patio at ChocolaTree. Take an e-bike tour along scenic back roads with Sedona Tours & Rentals. Say namaste atop a breathtaking vortex in an alfresco yoga class with Aumbase Sedona. Or shop and gallery hop in the hacienda-esque atmosphere of Tlaquepaque.
From Sedona, wind through forested mountains on Highway 89A (Arizona’s quintessential drive for autumnal color) to Flagstaff, about 30 miles north. Then veer 80 miles northwest to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center in Tusayan. Here, you can recharge at one of six DC fast chargers while watching the Grand Canyon: Rivers of Time IMAX show. Overnighters can plug into level 2 chargers at nearby Yavapai and Maswik lodges. At the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, revel in panoramic views along the Rim Trail while listening to the audio tour on the National Park Service app. Rent a bike from Bright Angel Bicycles and pedal to lesser-visited vistas. Or day-hike into the canyon on Bright Angel Trail, saving your energy stores and water for the uphill trek back.
About 134 miles northeast, venture into the epic orange rockscape around Page. This remote town’s only fast chargers are Tesla Superchargers at the Courtyard Page at Lake Powell. So if you have another brand of EV, you can charge overnight in a level 2 charger at the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson. Around Page, take a boat cruise across Lake Powell to Rainbow Bridge, one of the world’s largest natural stone arches. Become cocooned by amber-colored, corkscrew-shaped walls on a guided tour of Antelope Canyon. Photograph the curvaceous Colorado River at Horseshoe Bend. And marvel at gorgeous rock formations in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
Flagstaff to Kingman on Route 66
Cruising to 1950s-style diners in an ultramodern EV feels like starring in your own sequel to Back to the Future. Kick off the journey by juicing up at the DC fast charger at Flagstaff Chevrolet, appropriately located on Route 66. While you’re there, stroll to the old school Galaxy Diner to fuel up on a La Bamba Daddy-o omelet beneath black-and-white photos of Hollywood stars.
Head west on Route 66/I-40 and drive 32 miles to Williams. At this Old West town, you can top up at a DC fast charger at the La Quinta Grand Canyon hotel if needed to ensure you’ll have enough charge for the 130-mile journey to Kingman. About a 15-minute walk away, Cruisers Route 66 Cafe slings burgers and root beer floats amidst restored gas pumps and road signs. Across the street, which happens to be Route 66, soar over the Mother Road in car-shaped conveyances on the Route 66 Zipline. Then take a gander at the vintage cars and retro signs at Pete’s Route 66 Gas Station Museum.
From Williams, drive west on Route 66/I-40, veering north after Ash Fork onto Old Route 66. In Seligman, visit Delgadillo’s Snow Cap diner for a chocolate malt and Angel & Vilma Delgadillo’s Original Route 66 Gift Shop for a slice of history. Angel Delgadillo, a lifelong Seligman resident and barber, saw the rise and fall of the Mother Road when I-40 bypassed this area. He helped convince the state to christen the road between Seligman and Kingman “Historic Route 66” and to promote the string of nostalgic towns along the way. This story partly inspired the Pixar movie Cars.
Continuing west, you’ll pass a handful of hamlets, including Hackberry, where the general store is a must-see stop for photo-ops of classic cars, rusty gas pumps, and kitschy souvenirs. Cruising into Kingman, you’ll find several DC fast chargers on the north side of town and 16 Tesla Superchargers at the Kingman Visitor Center. At the latter, make a pilgrimage to the Arizona Route 66 Museum and the Route 66 Electric Vehicle Museum. Here, you can learn about the nearly 200-year history of EVs and see everything from 1940s micro cars to the Buckeye Bullet 2.5, which once clocked 307.6 mph.
Tucson to Sonoita, Sierra Vista, and Bisbee
While you could zip from the Old Pueblo to Bisbee in an hour and a half, this itinerary slows the pace, adding optional jaunts and overnights for wine tasting, bird watching, museum tours, and EV charging in charming spots. In downtown Tucson, plug into a DC fast charger at the Amtrak station while you check out railroad memorabilia in the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum or fuel up with Depot Mac N’ Cheese at Maynard’s in the historic train station. Alternatively, peruse paintings, pottery, metalwork, and more at the La Encantada Fine Art Festival, held three times a year, as you rapidly recharge at La Encantada Shopping Center.
From Tucson, foray about 50 miles southeast to Sonoita, Arizona’s original wine country. If you’re overnighting, indulge in a flight of unique reds and whites at Los Milics Vineyards’ stylish tasting room overlooking the Mustang Mountains. At Dos Cabezas WineWorks, tuck into a wood-fired pizza served from their crushpad, then tuck yourself into one of their crashpads (the Casa NextDoor or Casita NextDoor), complete with a level 2 charger.
From Sonoita, head 32 miles southeast to Sierra Vista, where the public library provides a DC fast charger. It’s a good excuse to pop into the newly remodeled Henry F. Hauser Museum next door to learn about Sierra Vista’s past through fossils, ancient Indigenous artifacts, and the world’s first McDonald’s drive-thru window. Nature lovers can bring their binoculars to Ramsey Canyon Preserve to saunter alongside a tree-shaded creek, looking for hummingbirds and other avian visitors. Military buffs can explore the Fort Huachuca Museum to learn about the history of the Army in the Southwest.
Leaving Sierra Vista, drive 24 miles east to Bisbee—a quirky, colorful former mining town tucked into the Mule Mountains. Descend into the Copper Queen Mine on an original mine train as retired miners tell tales about working in this surprisingly chilly chamber, which operated from 1877 to 1975. See how Bisbee has evolved into an arts hub at the Artemizia Foundation, which showcases contemporary creatives, with an emphasis on street artists. If you’re spending the night, prowl the haunted alleys on the Old Bisbee Ghost Tour.