By EC Senior Associate Emily Pape
As someone who doesn’t own an EV but spends a good chunk of my time thinking, working, and presenting on electric transportation, I view any car rental situation as a chance to put my money where my mouth is. This meant that when I decided to go skiing with my sister in New Mexico (contrary to popular belief, Colorado, Utah, and Montana aren’t the only states in the area with world-class ski slopes), I decided to turn our trip into a tour of northern New Mexico’s EV charging infrastructure in our very own rented EV: a Chevy Equinox.
A note on New Mexico (also known as “the Land of Enchantment”); home to 2.13 million people, it’s the fifth-largest state by area and one of the least dense states in the country, with even fewer people per square mile than my home state of Idaho. Only the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska have less dense populations. All this to say—I wasn’t sure what New Mexico’s EV charging landscape would look like, but I figured our 319-mile range Equinox was up to the task. We were about to find out.
Hitting the Road
Miles: 0–130
Total charging stops: 0
We picked up our rental car on Thursday morning after flying into Albuquerque, the state’s largest city. Laura and I piled our ski gear and duffle bags into the Equinox and hit the road, bound 60 miles north for Santa Fe, where we shopped for Native-made jewelry on the plaza, explored the Santa Fe River Trail, and admired the state capitol with its many EV chargers (New Mexico’s Department of Transportation happens to be a member of the EC’s State Fleet Electrification Cohort). Next, we headed another 70 miles north, this time to Taos, where we quietly rolled into our hotel’s parking lot and settled in for a good night’s sleep before hitting the slopes the next morning.
Miles: 131–267
Charging stops: 1 (Level 2; while skiing; $20)
On Friday, we drove 20 miles farther north to Taos Ski Valley, pulling up to the ski area’s EV chargers with a comfortable 55% charge remaining. Since we’d be there for a few hours, we took advantage of one of the ski area’s plentiful Level 2 chargers. Taos Ski Valley reserves its 20 or so charging parking spots exclusively for EVs, giving those who choose to drive emission-free vehicles the best parking in the place—mere steps from the ticket office and chairlifts. I set the Equinox’s maximum charge level to 80% (better for the battery than 100%, and to leave room for the charge we would gain from coasting down the winding road that leads up to the ski area), paid the parking attendant $20 for a full day of charging, and plugged in. The car informed me it would reach maximum charge around 1:30 pm, and Laura and I headed up the mountain
The sun was out, the sky was blue, and the runs were steep. After a couple of hours of skiing and one lovely encounter with Taos’ very enthusiastic team of avalanche rescue dogs, we headed to Rancho de Chimayó for dinner at a James Beard-awarded restaurant 68 winding miles away. The food was well worth the 100+ mile round trip, and we returned to our hotel full and happy.
Miles: 268–308
Charging stops: 1 (DCFC; 35 minutes in downtown Taos; $20)
After a couple of Saturday morning laps at Taos Ski Valley, we headed back down the mountain to charge up in Taos before making our way to Bandelier National Monument. Instead of using the ski area’s slower Level 2 chargers like we had the day before, we took advantage of a public fast-charging station in town. We parked next to a Ford F-150 Lightning, plugged in the Equinox, and set out to explore Taos’ downtown. According to the car, we had about 35 minutes to kill.
We had no trouble passing the time—after window shopping throughout the town’s central square, we stumbled upon a chocolate shop offering tasting menus of sipping chocolate (a very rich relative of hot chocolate), mousse, and truffles. I went for the traditional spicy Mayan sipping chocolate, white chocolate raspberry matcha mousse, and a truffle—of which all memory is now lost in my chocolate-induced haze. It was incredible. Laura and I moseyed on back to our EV and hit the road for the 75-mile drive to Bandelier.
Miles: 309–490
Charging stops: 0
It was March, but it was also New Mexico, so I relented to Laura’s complaints and let her turn on the AC, bracing myself for our range to plummet. Turned out—no discernable impact; the Equinox’s heat pump-based climate control system keeps the cabin comfortable in all manner of weather conditions, minimizing impacts on range. After hiking around the remains of historic Native settlements at Bandelier, we drove the 106 miles back to Albuquerque, where we returned the Equinox at a 30% charge. (Enterprise allows you to return an EV at any state of charge, no payment required.) Laura and I both concluded that if either of us were in the market for a new car, the Chevy Equinox EV would be at the top of our lists.
Reflections Upon Return
I’ll be honest—I’m not much of a road-tripper. Gas stations bum me out, and there are about a million things I’d rather do than sit in a vibrating box all day. But this was nice—made all the nicer that we drove nearly 500 miles over three days, charged twice for a total of $40 and a half hour of pleasant window shopping, and didn’t have to go out of our way to refuel once in a sparsely populated state not exactly known for its EV charging
It’s clear that New Mexico’s state government is working hard to ensure EV drivers have the same transportation opportunities as people who choose to drive gas cars. Last year, NMDOT awarded almost $12 million to companies building fast charging stations across the state, with many stations already under construction.
It’s 2025—the EV road trip is increasingly defined by cars with 300 miles or more of range at prices comparable to gas cars (at $34,000. a new Equinox starts well below the average price of a new car) and access to efficient and convenient charging. My next trip to the Southwest is already on the books—I’m heading to the Grand Canyon with my parents in October. My dad is in charge of planning, and last week, following my return from Taos, he gave me a call. He’s planning to rent an EV.