The holiday season means packed suitcases, loaded trunks, and long drives to see friends and family across the country. For most electric vehicle drivers, charging at home is still the day‑to‑day norm, but this time of year sends many of them out onto the highway, turning public charging into a critical part of the journey. That is where Ford’s BlueOval Charge Network steps in, giving drivers a single, integrated way to access public chargers when they leave their driveway behind.
One of Ford’s public‑charging leaders, who also happens to be a devoted EV road‑tripper, has spent years testing this in the real world—driving from the Canadian Rockies down to the Rio Grande and back and forth along both U.S. coasts, logging more than a thousand fast‑charging sessions in North America. In just one year, he even managed to visit dozens of states in his F‑150 Lightning, proving that electric road trips can be both ambitious and practical.
What Makes a Great Charging Stop
Those thousands of miles make one thing clear: not all charging stops are created equal. An ideal break on an EV road trip usually includes three things:
- A charger available when you arrive, so you are not waiting in line behind other vehicles.
- A location with real amenities—places to grab a meal, walk the dog, or stretch your legs while your vehicle tops up.
- Fast charging that adds enough range in a short stop to comfortably reach your next destination.finance.
Planning becomes even more important in winter. Cold weather can reduce range and slow charging speeds, so checking your route, understanding your vehicle’s real‑world range, and picking smart stops in advance all help make the trip smoother. Ford and its partners share winter‑driving and trip‑planning tips to help drivers get the most out of their EVs in challenging conditions.
Planning a Smooth Electric Road Trip
A successful holiday road trip in an EV starts well before you pull out of the driveway. Drivers are encouraged to map out their route, identify charging hubs along the way, and factor in weather, terrain, and passenger needs. Modern trip‑planning tools in the Ford app can point out charging stops, estimate state of charge on arrival, and suggest optimal places to pause so the car and its occupants can recharge at the same time.
For those heading into snow and ice, Ford’s guidance underscores simple habits: preconditioning the battery and cabin while plugged in, moderating speeds, and planning slightly shorter legs between stops in extreme cold. Together, these steps help preserve range and keep holiday travel on schedule, even when the temperature drops.
BlueOval Charge Network: A “Network of Networks”
To make all this easier, Ford has built what it calls North America’s largest integrated public charging network: the BlueOval Charge Network. Instead of forcing drivers to juggle a dozen different apps and accounts, the network pulls together more than twenty partner providers into a single experience managed through the Ford app. With one login, drivers can find stations, see pricing, start a session, and pay across a vast collection of AC and DC fast chargers.
The scale is substantial. The BlueOval Charge Network now includes access to a large share of public DC fast chargers in North America, and Ford has added thousands of Tesla Superchargers for its customers via adapters, greatly expanding high‑speed coverage along major travel corridors. As new partners join and existing networks grow, Ford continually folds these points into BlueOval so that a single app remains the gateway for most on‑the‑go charging needs.
Plug & Charge: Easier Than Pumping Gas
Finding a charger is only half the battle; paying easily and reliably is the other. That is where Ford’s Plug & Charge capability comes in. With Plug & Charge, drivers simply connect their EV to a compatible fast charger and let the technology do the rest: the vehicle authenticates, starts charging, and processes payment in one seamless handshake—no app launching, RFID cards, or credit cards required.
Ford ranks among the first automakers to roll out Plug & Charge widely, initially working with Electrify America and later expanding to additional networks, including selected Tesla Superchargers. The company reports a Plug & Charge success rate above 99 percent for its drivers on supported stations, turning what used to be a fiddly process into something as simple as plugging in a phone.
New Partners: IONNA and Ford Charge
The Plug & Charge footprint is still growing. A new fast‑charging venture, IONNA, is rolling out sites across the United States, many of which already support Plug & Charge for compatible Ford vehicles. The long‑term plan calls for tens of thousands of high‑power chargers under the IONNA banner by the end of the decade, creating another dense layer of coverage for highway travelers.
On top of that, Ford is launching “Ford Charge,” a network of DC fast chargers installed at Ford dealerships across the U.S. and Canada. These stations are integrated into the BlueOval Charge Network and, over time, will also support Plug & Charge, giving Ford drivers a familiar, branded place to top up during long trips or while visiting local dealers. Many of these sites offer 24/7 access and live support, adding peace of mind for drivers who are still new to the EV world.
The Holiday Gift of Confidence
For Ford, all of these efforts—expanding the BlueOval Charge Network, adding Tesla Superchargers, partnering with IONNA, and deploying Ford Charge at dealerships—are about giving EV owners the confidence to say yes to road trips, not just short commutes. Combined with Plug & Charge, the goal is to make public charging feel routine and predictable, even during the busiest travel days of the year.
This holiday season, that means more electric drivers can load up their Mustang Mach‑E, F‑150 Lightning, or other Ford EV and hit the road knowing that charging along the way will be straightforward, integrated, and increasingly available. For the people at Ford who spend their days—and vacations—testing this system on real‑world road trips, helping others enjoy the same freedom is the best gift they can imagine.
