Skip to content
EVNorth

Road trips

Vancouver to Whistler EV round trip: charging stops and winter range

In January, 53 of 53 EVs make the 243 km round trip without charging at the destination; 53 need one stop or fewer.

round trip
243 km
make it in January
53 of 53
make it at −20 °C
53 of 53
January average
1 °C
fast-charging hubs
5

The Sea-to-Sky Highway climbs about 650 m from Howe Sound through Squamish to Whistler Village. The return trip is mostly downhill, which helps, but we still check the full round trip as if the hotel or condo has no charger.

I'm driving Vancouver ⇄ Whistler in .

243 km round trip, no charging at the destination · about 1 °C along the road in January · 5 fast-charging hubs along it

Which EVs make it

53 of 53 comfortably, 0 tight, 0 not recommended.

Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD

539 km official range · NACS port · Superchargers: yes · Heat pump: yes

Range in January
438 km
at 1 °C, highway, full battery
Longest stretch
58 km
Whistler to Squamish
Charging stops
None
Direct drive
Time
4:00
Drive 4:00 + charging 0:00 = 4:00
Charging cost
$0
Estimate · public DC only, not the charge at home

Comfortable. Every stretch between charges leaves about 20% or more of the usable range spare.

The road, stretch by stretch

243 kmWhistler (turn around)Vancouver · km 0Vancouver · km 243
Comfortable stretchTight stretchLonger than this car can safely goFast charger that fits (10)Charger with another plug or no access (0)

Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD, Vancouver to Vancouver and back: Comfortable, no stop needed. Longest stretch without a compatible fast charger: 58 km, Whistler to Squamish. 10 compatible fast-charging hubs on the way.

  • km 0 to 243: 243 km, comfortable

No charging stop needed: you arrive in Vancouver with about 44%.

The same trip in other months

Every EV on Vancouver to Whistler: July, January and −20 °C

Ranked by the January result. Temperatures are ECCC 1991–2020 monthly means averaged over Vancouver International (Airport), BC, Squamish, BC, Pemberton, BC; the cold-snap column uses a flat −20 °C. Round trips assume no charging at the destination.

EVPlugJulyJanuary−20 °C
Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
BMW i4 eDrive40CCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Tesla Cybertruck AWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Polestar 3 Dual MotorCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Polestar 4 Long Range Single MotorCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Chevrolet Equinox EV LT FWDCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Cadillac Optiq Luxury RWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Hyundai IONIQ 6 Preferred RWDCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
GMC Hummer EV Pickup 2XCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Preferred Long RangeNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Nissan LEAF S+NACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Chevrolet Blazer EV LT AWDCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Toyota C-HR SE FWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Ford F-150 Lightning Pro 4x4 SuperCrewCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Ford Mustang Mach-E SelectCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Volvo EX90 Twin Plus Performance (7-seat)CCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Lexus ES 350e SignatureNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Tesla Model 3 Premium RWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Tesla Model Y RWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Lexus RZ 350e SignatureNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Audi Q4 e-tron 45 RWDCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Chevrolet Silverado EV LT (Standard Range)CCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck (Standard Range)CCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
GMC Sierra EV ElevationCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Toyota bZ Woodland AWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia EV6 Land AWD GT-LineNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Honda Prologue EX-L AWDCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor PlusCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Subaru Trailseeker TouringNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Hyundai Kona Electric PreferredCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop needed
Polestar 2 Single MotorCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Rivian R1T Dual MotorNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Volvo EX30 CoreCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Volvo EC40 Twin CoreCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Volvo EX40 Core Twin MotorCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
VinFast VF 8 EcoCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Chevrolet Bolt LTNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia Niro EV WindCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Genesis GV60 Advanced AWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Subaru Uncharted FWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Toyota bZ XLE FWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia EV4 Light FWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia EV6 Light RWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Subaru Solterra ConvenienceNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia EV9 Light RWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia EV3 Light FWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Nissan LEAF SNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Nissan Ariya SV FWDCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stop
Kia EV5 Light FWDNACSComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stopComfortable1 stop
MINI Countryman SE ALL4 ElementaryCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stopComfortable1 stop
Volkswagen ID.4 RWD 62 kWhCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stopComfortable1 stop
MINI Cooper SE ClassicCCS1ComfortableNo stop neededComfortable1 stopComfortable1 stop
Fiat 500e BaseCCS1Comfortable1 stopComfortable1 stopComfortable3 stops

Longest gaps between compatible fast chargers

Which chargers count depends on the plug and on Supercharger access, so the same road has four different gap maps. The three longest stretches for each group:

RankTeslaNACS-port (non-Tesla)CCS1 with Supercharger accessCCS1, no Supercharger access
158 kmSquamish → Whistler58 kmSquamish → Whistler58 kmSquamish → Whistler58 kmSquamish → Whistler
242 kmWest Vancouver → Squamish42 kmWest Vancouver → Squamish42 kmWest Vancouver → Squamish42 kmWest Vancouver → Squamish
314 kmNorth Vancouver → West Vancouver14 kmNorth Vancouver → West Vancouver14 kmNorth Vancouver → West Vancouver14 kmNorth Vancouver → West Vancouver

Round trip without charging at the destination

Weekend trips to Whistler often end at a cottage, condo or hotel with no fast charger, so we plan the drive up and back as one 243 km trip. The critical stretch is from the last compatible fast charger on the way up, to Whistler, and back to that same charger. In January, 48 of 53 EVs can do the whole round trip without charging at all.

  • Every plug type: there is a compatible charger in Whistler (km 122), right at the destination. If it is busy or down, the previous one is Squamish at km 63, which makes the stretch to Whistler and back 117 km.

Fast chargers on Vancouver to Whistler

50 public DC fast-charging sites at 5 charging hubs within 5 km of the route, from the NRCan/AFDC station list (snapshot Oct 16, 2026). Pricing is shown as the network reports it. A listing is not a guarantee the charger works today.

SitekmNetworkPlugsDC portsMax kWLast confirmedPricing
Vancouver, BC · km 0 · 67 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
BC Hydro - Vancouver - Downtown - Homer St561 Homer Street0BC HydroCCS1, CHAdeMO250 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
Vancouver, BC - Pacific Centre - Tesla Supercharger701 W Georgia StreetTeslas only0TeslaNACS2275Jun 18, 2026—
THE POST P1 STALL 28658 Homer Street0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
THE POST P1 STALL 29658 Homer Street0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
THE POST P5 STALL 127 L3658 Homer Street0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
THE POST P5 STALL 128 L3658 Homer St0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
THE POST P5 STALL 77 L3658 Homer Street0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
THE POST P5 STALL 110 L3658 Homer Street0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
MERCEDES VANC CPE 250 EV2550 Terminal AveLimited hours / customers only0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
MERCEDES VANC CPE 250 EV1550 Terminal AveLimited hours / customers only0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
MERCEDES VANC CPE 250 EV3550 Terminal AveLimited hours / customers only0ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
City of Vancouver600 National Ave0IndependentCCS1250Mar 7, 2025—
CAG- VAN PWR LNK530 Evans Avenue0ChargePointCCS12183Oct 16, 2026—
C01213 Vancouver1785 Main St0Shell RechargeCCS1, NACS2180 / 180Oct 16, 2026—
VCH - GF Strong - DCFC4255 Laurel St0FLOCCS1, CHAdeMO150 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
VCH - Vancouver General Hospital - DCFC899 W 12th Ave0FLOCCS1, CHAdeMO150 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
City of Vancouver455 W 10th Ave0IndependentCCS1250Mar 7, 2025—
Vancouver, BC - Seymour St - Tesla Supercharger898 Seymour StreetOpen to other EVs0TeslaNACS12250Jun 18, 2026—
PETRO-CANADA B 91340 - 11743 Burrard Street0Petro-CanadaCCS1, CHAdeMO1350 / 75Oct 16, 2026—
Vancouver, BC - Burrard St - Tesla Supercharger200 Burrard StreetTeslas only1TeslaNACS875Jun 18, 2026—
PARK PLACE PARK PLACE DC 1666 Burrard St1ChargePointCCS1, CHAdeMO162 / 62.5Oct 16, 2026—
C01310 - Vancouver1896 HASTINGS ST E1Shell RechargeCCS1, NACS2180 / 180Oct 16, 2026—
North Vancouver, BC · km 7 · 57 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
City of North Vancouver City Hall141 West 14th Street7FLOCCS1, CHAdeMO150 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
North Vancouver, BC - Lonsdale Ave - Tesla Supercharger2032 Lonsdale AvenueTeslas only7TeslaNACS12250Jun 18, 2026—
BC Hydro - North Vancouver - Lower Lonsdale140 1st St. E7BC HydroCCS1, CHAdeMO250 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
VCH - Lions Gate Hospital - DCFC231 15th St E7FLOCCS1, CHAdeMO250 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
SWTCH Energy Inc.1348 Marine Dr7SwtchCCS1225Jul 11, 2024Free
SWTCH Energy Inc.1308 Lonsdale Ave7SwtchCCS1824Jun 13, 2024$0.44 per kWh
North Vancouver, BC - Marine Dr - Tesla Supercharger801 Marine DriveOpen to other EVs7TeslaNACS20250Jun 18, 2026—
Park Shore BMW835 Automall DrRestricted access7ChaeviCCS1288Oct 16, 2026—
BC Hydro - North Vancouver City - Westview Shopping Centre2601 Westview Dr7BC HydroCCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO6180 / 180 / 180Oct 16, 2026—
C01217 - West Vancouver1305 MARINE DR7Shell RechargeCCS1, NACS2180 / 180Oct 16, 2026—
West Vancouver, BC · km 21 · 2 DC ports · CCS1, CHAdeMO
BC Hydro - West Vancouver - Horseshoe Bay6400 Bruce Street21BC HydroCCS1, CHAdeMO2100 / 100Oct 16, 2026—
Squamish, BC · km 63 · 56 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
BC Hydro - Squamish - Municipal Hall37955 2 Ave63BC HydroCCS1, CHAdeMO125 / 25Oct 16, 2026—
Beckett38115 Laurelwood Road63FLOCCS12160Oct 16, 2026—
Swtch Energy38255 Cleveland Ave64SwtchCCS1, CHAdeMO250 / 50Mar 4, 2022$15 per hour
SWTCH Energy Inc.38243 Bailey St64SwtchCCS1250Feb 12, 2024$16.2 per hr
Squamish Liquor Store38241 Cleveland Ave64SwtchCCS1, CHAdeMO250 / 50Jun 12, 2023$15 per hour
Squamish MB.HPC1200 Hunter Pl64Mercedes BenzCCS1, NACS6400 / 400Oct 16, 2026—
Squamish, BC - Commercial Way - Tesla Supercharger1257 Commercial WayOpen to other EVs66TeslaNACS12250Jun 18, 2026—
Brennan Park - Public Chargers Lv 31009 Centennial Way67FLOCCS13100Oct 16, 2026—
Squamish, BC - Tesla Supercharger40167 Glenalder PlTeslas only68TeslaNACS10150Jun 18, 2026—
Garibaldi Village (Squamish, BC)40270 Glenalder Place68Electrify CanadaCCS1, CHAdeMO4350 / 50Oct 16, 2026—
Greg Gardner Motors40321 Government Rd68SwtchCCS14120Aug 10, 2023—
Swtch Energy40310 Government Rd68SwtchCCS14120Aug 10, 2023Free
7Charge - Squamish 328451901 Garibaldi Way687chargeCCS1, CHAdeMO4180 / 100Feb 13, 2026Please download 7Charge app for current pricing.
Whistler, BC · km 122 · 28 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
BC Hydro - Whistler Conference Center4010 Whistler Way122BC HydroCCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO4180 / 180 / 120Oct 16, 2026—
Whistler, BC - Tesla Supercharger4599 Chateau BoulevardTeslas only122TeslaNACS1075Jun 18, 2026—
Whistler, BC - Lorimer Rd - Tesla Supercharger4370 Lorimer RdOpen to other EVs122TeslaNACS12325Jun 18, 2026—
Florence Petersen Park4325 Main St122SwtchCCS12100Sep 12, 2025$0.35 per kWh

Questions

Do most EVs make the Vancouver to Whistler round trip in winter?
In January (about 1 °C on average along the route), 53 of 53 EVs in our catalogue make it: 53 comfortably and 0 with a tight margin. In a −20 °C cold snap the count is 53 of 53. These are estimates from official range, ECCC climate normals and the NRCan/AFDC charger list, not road tests.
What is the longest gap between fast chargers from Vancouver to Whistler?
It depends on the plug. For CCS1 cars with Supercharger access, the longest stretch without a compatible DC fast charger is 58 km (Squamish → Whistler). For Teslas it is 58 km (Squamish → Whistler), for other NACS-port cars 58 km (Squamish → Whistler), and for CCS1 cars without Supercharger access 58 km (Squamish → Whistler).
How many charging stops does a Tesla Model Y RWD need from Vancouver to Whistler in January?
None in our estimate. About 376 km of January highway range covers the 243 km round trip with a 10% reserve (comfortable).
Are there backup chargers along the Vancouver to Whistler route?
NRCan/AFDC lists 50 public DC fast-charging sites at 5 charging hubs within 5 km of the route, 3 of them with limited hours or customers-only access. The data cannot say which chargers are working today, so check PlugShare or the network app before you leave.

More routes and winter guides

How the estimate works

What we model

  • Highway range = official NRCan range × 0.90 (steady 100–110 km/h) × the share of range kept at that temperature: 56% at −30 °C, 66% at −20 °C, 76% at −10 °C, 86% at 0 °C, 95% at 10 °C, 100% at 20 °C. Cars with a confirmed heat pump lose a quarter less (for example 75% instead of 66% at −20 °C). An unknown heat pump counts as none.
  • Temperature is the 1991–2020 ECCC daily mean for the month, averaged over 2–4 weather stations along the road. Cold snaps use a flat −20 °C or −30 °C.
  • You leave full and keep a 10% reserve, so the first leg can use 90% of range. Each later leg runs from 10% to 80% (70%). A trip is comfortable when every stretch uses at most 80% of that, tight when it works with less margin.
  • A charger fits when it has your car's plug and access: CCS1 sites need a CCS1 car or a carried adapter, Tesla Superchargers need a Tesla or a car with Supercharger access, "Teslas only" sites count only for Teslas. Restricted and limited-hours sites are never planned.
  • Stops are the fewest that work, counting the drive off the highway and back. Each stop gets the nearest other compatible hub that is reachable from the previous stop and still reaches the next one.
  • Charging cost uses the network's price from our public-charging table, plus 8% charging loss. Networks not in that table use a typical $0.45–$0.65/kWh. It leaves out the charge at home before you leave.

Not modelled

Wind, hills and mountain passes, snow on the road, winter tires, speeds above 110 km/h, passes that are colder than the route average, and chargers that are broken or busy. Charge times assume you navigate to the charger so the battery is preconditioned; without it, winter charging is much slower.

EV North estimates (no published source)

  • The temperature table, the heat-pump factor and the 0.90 highway factor. No highway winter test with a stated temperature and baseline was available to calibrate them.
  • Average DC power = min(90 % of charger kW, 55 % of the car's peak kW)
  • Unknown charger power assumed 50 kW; unknown car peak assumed 150 kW
  • Cold-charging slowdown ×1.10 at 0 °C, ×1.25 at −10 °C, ×1.40 at −20 °C, ×1.60 at −30 °C (with preconditioning)

Sources behind the model

Data sources