- What do you envision as the history- Nope, that's the wrong word.

I meant to say the opposite word, which is the future.

-Oh.

- Hi, I'm Sophie.

I drove an electric car on a coast to coast round trip journey across the USA.

I set out to answer two questions: Can it be done and can it be fun?

What I found was so much more.

It's "Sophie's Great American Electric Road Trip."

[Sophie] Not a bad view in the morning.

We are about to leave Utah and we have quite a challenge in front of us because we have to make it to Silverthorne, Colorado with quite a bit of elevation and very few fast chargers available.

- When the crew went out to dinner last night we plugged our Rivian into their camper, the 50 amp, so we get a little extra rocket juice in that battery rather than just doing this drip charge all night.

- [Sophie] Let's talk about types of chargers.

Level one chargers are basically a regular outlet.

They're very slow because they draw the same power as like a hair dryer.

Level two chargers, like one installed in a hotel for guests, or a campsite 50-amp RV spot, draw more power to charge overnight.

Fast chargers are the fastest.

We can fully charge in under an hour when they are available.

-We have... da da da da da da da da da One hundred and thirty-six miles.

[Brendan] Hey, okay.

-90 hours left 'til 100% (Sophie and Brendan laughing) Does that give us enough that we can just go right to the next charger, and we don't have to go back 40 minutes and then 40 minutes again?

[Brendan] No.

-Oh.

(Brendan laughing) [Brendan] Because of the steep elevation that we're going through.

- [Sophie] Today's uphill terrain could drain our battery because the motor has to use more energy to fight against gravity.

We'll gain it back on the way down thanks to regenerative braking, but first, we have to go up 12,000 feet of up, which can be tough on any kind of car.

At high altitude, the air is less dense, which means less oxygen for a combustion engine to use.

That means reduced gas mileage and power.

So whether battery or air intake, for both cars it's literally an uphill battle.

- [Megan] Our "check engine" light came on the other day.

And we heard something squeaking really loudly in our RV last night.

- [Sophie] Okay.

So what does that mean?

- This might be it, guys.

(Everybody laughs) - [Brendan] Okay.

Let's not put that into the world.

- [Sophie] Well (knocks on wood) -[Brendan] Knock the entire cabin, please.

(dramatic music) (electronic soundtrack) - Thank you, Moab.

Off we go... ...To where we were.

- [Car Navigation] Drive northwest on US 191 -[Brendan] So we have to backtrack 40 minutes for this fast charger because that's the only option.

- This is supposed to be a beautiful drive ahead of us.

Let's just take the extra time and treat it as like an opportunity to slow down a little bit and just, like, enjoy the ride.

(electronic rhythmic soundtrack) Remember when I said, "Oh, it actually isn't that far of a detour.

It won't take that long."

Remember when I said that a long time ago?

(Brendan chuckles) Okay, it looks like it's going.

So let's get a snack.

- [Brendan] You got to be kidding me.

[Brendan, with Boston accent] They're closed, kid!

They're closed!

Are you kiddin' me with this?

- [Sophie] Oh, I could see the empty bottle.

( "Would you like fries with that? )

[Sophie] When our fuel runs low, our battery drains and "hangry" can happen.

Hangry is a real word, officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2018.

A delightful portmanteau of hungry and angry, being hangry does not feel delightful.

When it's been too long since your last meal, your blood glucose drops and your body amps up your stress hormones like adrenaline and hunger hormones like ghrelin, signaling your brain to find food ASAP.

Lower glucose has been linked to higher aggression and lower self-control.

So you're more likely to be impulsive or snap at a loved one.

Hangry can happen to anyone.

Not even just humans.

Birds, mice, meerkats, beetles, even fruit flies get hangry.

A study with finches showed steroid levels increase in hungry birds.

Hangry birds?

Steroids increase aggression, which could help an animal fight for resources, a.k.a.

food.

While the symptoms of hangry have been documented for centuries, we're still discovering what happens at a molecular level.

We do know that a snack can work wonders, though it can take a little bit to feel like yourself.

- [Brendan] And all of a sudden mood shifts.

- [Sophie] I'm still not happy about being late.

( "Thank you, have a nice day" ) [Brendan] You don't have to be happy about it.

(Brendan unwrapping paper) (Still unwrapping...) (STILL UNWRAPPING) - [Sophie] For the record.

[Brendan] You tend to take a way more negative approach to obstacles when you're hungry.

It's not to say that those obstacles aren't there.

[Sophie] Okay.

(upbeat music) -[Brendan] What?

-[Sophie] That.

Melons.

[Sophie] That big thing that has all the melons.

- [Brendan] Should we stop for a melon?

(Sophie laughs) [Brendan] She's obviously really enjoying chatting with the gentleman who has truly a wonderful assortment of melons.

- [Sophie] We're going to be the life of the party.

Thank you so much, Jerry.

Nice to meet you.

A new species of melon!

Yeah!

- [Brendan] Welcome to Colorful Colorado.

- [Sophie] Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!

Rainbow!

(Sophie gasps) -Wow!

Aaawwww We turn a corner and it's another incredible thing.

There's another one!

There's another rainbow!

Look look look look!

Maybe it's the same rainbow and we're just seeing it from different angles.

That would probably make sense.

(gasps) [Sophie] You see it?

- [Brendan] Yep.

- That was so magical.

This is totally different from what we've seen before.

It's like a chevron pattern.

This is incredible.

Like herringbone.

Herringbone mountains.

If that's what these are called, I'm going to lose my mind, and then become a mountain namer as a job.

[Sophie] It's the Colorado River right?

[Brendan] It's damned at Lake Mead.

- [Sophie] That's right.

I see on a map the size of the river, but now that we've been- we were in Lake Mead several days ago, and it's taken us this long to get here.

- [Brendan] And it puts into perspective just how much of the country depends on this river, and this is the river that creates the Grand Canyon.

That's me popping my ears.

Also, a fly got into the car somehow, and I'm very careful about yawning to pop my ears.

- [Sophie] Welcome to Silverthorne.

- All right.

We did it.

(sleepy guitar music) Ooh, smells like melons in here.

Well, what's cool about this room, and I think the whole hotel or parts of the hotel is that it's made out of shipping containers.

So that's a really sustainable reuse of materials to create living space.

Oh, wow.

Oh, this is so neat.

I actually expected it to be, like, longer and thinner and more corrugated.

Well, we made it to Silverthorne way later than I though we would, but it ended up being okay because we got to see a rainbow... The crew is in the other room and I just really am going to miss them.

It's been really fun.

We don't have to budget for a big, huge production with the crew at this all the time.

And we'll see them again later on in the trip.

We just don't know exactly when yet.

We're still figuring that part out a little bit.

I'm nervous about it.

I just want this to be the best it can be, you know?

Everyone grab your melons.

Here we go.

Thank you, crew, for all that you've done to make this possible.

Cheers to- till the next time.

- Tastes like melon.

(Everyone laughs) - Let this be a symbol of how the whole trip is going to go.

Just amazing detours that lead to super sweet discoveries.

- [Tom] And cut.

(peaceful guitar music) - [Megan] Cute.

- [Sophie] Yeah.

- [Megan] Oh, I look tired.

I wonder why.

[Brendan] Boom!

[Megan] Call if you need anything.

We won't be able to help you, but call.

[Sophie] Bye!

Bye gas guzzling RV that we had to use because we couldn't find an electric one.

Now the real test begins.

We're on our own!

I feel more tired than I've felt.

Even when we've gotten so little sleep the past few days, I didn't feel like this.

There's like a heaviness in my head that is different.

Do you feel that?

- I don't, but we had a lot to learn yesterday.

We have a lot to learn today.

So there's pressure there.

And we're also at a high elevation.

I think all of it comes together.

We are headed towards Denver.

I think we have to go uphill before we go downhill.

- Well, it'll be interesting to see if I feel different when we go up and then down again, because I am wondering if this is altitude sickness.

The symptoms track.

The symptoms also are very similar to the symptoms of high stress.

So let's see, let's just get on the road.

- Yeah.

- It's pretty anyway.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

[Sophie] High altitude can be bad news for our bodies.

Like food, we need oxygen to produce energy.

In fact, some scientists want oxygen to be considered a nutrient just consumed through breathing, not eating.

People who live at high altitude can adapt to lower oxygen and lower air pressure, but those of us just passing through can get altitude sickness.

But mild altitude sickness can present like another problem.

It's time to play: Altitude or Anxiety!

(Game show music) Altitude sickness can mean increased heart rate!

Headache!

Nausea!

Fatigue!

Feeling dizzy or lightheaded!

Loss of appetite!

Weakness!

Trouble sleeping!

Acute anxiety?

Kinda same!

Altitude sickness kicks in above 8,000 feet and affects about half of all people who ascend too quickly.

Anxiety affects lots of people at any altitude.

Altitude sickness symptoms start about eight to 36 hours after ascent.

Anxiety shows up anytime!

Anxiety doesn't just go away at sea level... unless you're afraid of heights!

But Altitude Sickness will!

As we head back down, somebody perks back up!

Hello from Colorado!

I'm about to interview an expert in car charging and electric charging networks.

So I'm curious, what are your questions?

The winner: Altitude!

(Game show music finale) [Sophie Disclaimer] This is very serious sometimes.

It's not a joke.

But it was okay this time.

For the record.

[Sophie] Hello!

Good to see you!

- [Maragret-Ann] Good to see you!

- [Sophie] Ah!

- Welcome to Colorado.

- Thank you.

Let me plug in and we can have a chat.

- Awesome.

- [Brendan] So it doesn't appear to be starting.

- [Sophie] Ooh, interesting.

[Margaret-Ann] Do you need to unplug it and re-plug it in?

- [Sophie] Maybe.

Yeah.

- [Margaret-Ann] The reality is it's not perfect.

Gas stations aren't perfect either.

- Right.

- It's just a little bit more frustrating because there's fewer of these.

- [Sophie] When gas stations first became a thing, they were fewer and further between.

People just sort of figured it out because we were earlier on in the infrastructure.

- [Customer Rep on phone] Would you like me to try to find another station nearby?

- [Sophie] Well, you know what, our neighbor is just about to leave, so I think we'll switch stations there.

We know that this just worked on this other car, so I feel good about it.

This is gonna work.

There we go.

Charging, great.

I'm gonna find a place where we can sit.

Yeah, we're here.

Ah, great.

Tell us all about what you do.

- I work for a company called National Car Charging, and we put in EV charging stations all across the country.

- Margaret Ann has been helping us for- - A couple weeks.

- A couple weeks?

It feels like months.

(Margaret-Ann laughing) The community around this whole subject seems to just kind of immediately bond.

- I think people get such joy out of the cars that they just want to talk about it.

I've made a lot of friends at charging stations.

- I have a bunch of questions for you.

- Sure.

- Irony of ironies!

This keeps happening!

I have 6% battery.

So this is going to be really rapid fire.

- Okay.

- With our audience questions: is it possible to overcharge an electric vehicle?

- No, actually, your car is smart, and so it will turn things off when it is full.

- John, on Facebook, asks, "Will there be a universal connector at some point for all EV cars?"

- Yes.

- Much like the USBC connector for phones?

- Yes.

You can put a charging station anywhere.

It can be your parking lot at work.

It can be your local elementary school, the grocery store down the street.

There's actually studies that have been done that in neighborhoods that have a higher prevalence of EVs, the quality of life is better, and the quality of air is better.

- Personal responsibility versus corporate responsibility, public responsibility, governmental responsibility, right?

What are your thoughts on that?

- I think we all live on this planet and we all have to take responsibility for it.

My daughter's generation is actually going to, I mean, is really going to feel it.

For us to say that we're not feeling it now, we're lying to ourselves.

The fires that we see all through the West, for example.

The storms... It's that younger generation that are the champions of this.

You know, they're the ones that, you know, come home and tell their parents that they need to recycle, or 'Mom, we need to put solar panels on the roof'.

So, and, and, we need to tap into that more.

- What drives you forward as you do this work?

- My daughter.

Yeah.

You know, I want to make sure that she has clean air to breathe when she's my age, and when her kids keep growing up, I mean, there's no other reason in my mind than for the people that we all love and care about.

You know, we need to make sure that they're safe and that this is my way of helping making them be safe.

- Now we're headed into Kansas through Missouri to Ohio.

- Yep.

- What are we in for?

- You are going to get into a space where there are less EVs and less stations.

You know, every new thing has growing pains.

The good news is, is we're working on it, and we're working pretty fast.

- And look at that.

We are at 97%, 331 miles on the range.

See, that was just the perfect amount of time for a lovely chat.

And now we're fully charged.

And ready to go.

It all works out.

(sighs) I gotta pee so bad.

Hey, need a ride?

-[Brendan] I'm good!

[Sophie] Okay, bye!

See ya!

Have a good day!

Oh, good morning.

- [Brendan] So where are we headed today?

- Lordburg.

Lord, Lordburg.

Lords.

Linds, Lindberg.

Lindborg.

Lindsborg, Kansas.

- [Brendan] So what's the deal with Lindsborg, Kansas?

[Sophie] Well, we found it on the map as we were looking through Salina and trying to figure out where we want to stay and what we wanted to try to get to today.

And then this town popped up nearby that is pretty close and is Little Sweden USA!

And my mom has Swedish roots.

So it'll be really cool to check it out and just get a feel for it.

Maybe we'll stay there if we can find a place.

All right.

Let's hit the road.

All right, Kansas, here we come.

- [Car Navigation] "Continue for three miles..." - [Brendan] Oh, only three miles to Kansas?

- [Sophie] Ah!

Piece of cake.

-[Brendan] I thought you said it was going to be long.

- [Sophie] Why is going to take eight hours?

(upbeat happy guitar) [Sophie] Big cow.

[Brendan] Big ol' cow - [Sophie] Huuuge.

[Sophie] Wind farms!

[Sophie] As far as the eye can see... - [Sophie] ...are windmills.

- [Brendan] First charger of the day.

[Sophie] And it's available.

That one?

- [Phil] I think that one works.

[Phil] I plugged into that one and it seemed to be dead.

- Okay.

- Okay.

- All right.

We'll give it a try.

- [Phil] Try the one gets on the other side of me.

- Perfect.

Thank you.

Charging.

So what made you decide to go electric?

- Well, I think my son is the catalyst on that.

We already had the solar panels.

We'd done that piece.

- Okay.

- And it just makes sense to step into electric vehicles from the solar panels.

-[Sophie] So you're powering the EVs with the solar from your house?

- [Phil] Yes.

- And we're going to be road trip buddies for the day, right?

- Yes!

Yes!

- Because we're headed in the same direction.

- We're going to charge up the same place.

Yeah.

- Bye, Road Trip Buddy!

- Okay!

Bye-bye!

- Bye!

(Sophie laughing) New friends!

(Sophie and Brendan singing gibberish) (Gibberish intensifies) [Sophie] I'm sad that I missed the 'Welcome to Kansas' sign.

- [Brendan] I didn't see it.

I don't know, all of a sudden we were in Kansas.

(orchestral harp) [Sophie] That tracks.

[Brendan] Yeah.

[Brendan] It's like the opposite Dorothy.

(orchestral harp music continues) [Brendan] Hey!

There's Phil!

[Sophie] Hey!

Our buddy!

(Sophie chuckles) [Sophie] Nice.

Any changes in your thoughts in the last two hours since we saw you?

[Phil] I talked to my wife.

Our oldest dog has cancer.

He's walking, prancing around now and wagging his tail.

You know?

So.

But it's not a good prognosis.

We have two other dogs though, so we won't be alone.

(laughs) - [Sophie] Yeah.

Yeah, awww.

[Phil] I like your coat.

That's beautiful.

[Sophie] Thank you!

- [Sophie] This is very cute.

Wait, are- We're here!

We're in little Sweden.

- [Brendan] Yeah.

- [Sophie] Is this what big Sweden has?

Cute streetlights everywhere?

It's rather magical feeling.

And then there's a gas station.

[Sophie] Oh, well, this is so cute.

Oh, how cute is this?

Good morning.

Yesterday was the first full day without the crew, and it actually went pretty well, I think.

- [Megan] Today you guys are going to that library.

Dana is the contact there.

She's super nice.

- Everybody at the inn knows her because everybody knows each other in this town.

This inn has a charger in the back.

Their neighbor started an Airbnb and put in a charger and no one uses it.

So he said, "You can just use it if you want.

All of your hotel guests can use it."

So it's a very community feel, and we're going to use it tonight.

Who needs a crew when we can just be on our own and not stick to a schedule?

We're going rogue, baby!

Even in a small town in Kansas, you can be pretty radical.

(80s style rock/synth music) The library!

Or... The bibliotek.

Mmm.

Smells like a library.

Hello!

- Hello!

- Hi!

- Hi!

- I'm Sophie.

- Ok!

I'm Suzanna.

I'm the library director here at the Lindsborg Library.

- [Sophie] Excellent.

Ooh, thanks for having us here.

- [Suzanna] We have our young adult through here.

Fiction and nonfiction.

- [Sophie] There is a feature I'm noticing.

- There is a feature.

It was recently International Cat Day, and then we've realized that September was Cat Appreciation Month.

So the cats have just stayed.

- [Sophie] You can- - [Suzanna] Oh, yeah.

- [Sophie] Borrow a cake pan?

- [Suzana] Yes, borrow cake pans.

Over the summer, there's kids who will check them out and take them home and bake cakes, and sometimes they show us pictures and it's really fun.

- Wow.

That was an unexpected treat.

- Oh, yeah.

(both laughing) This is where we have our puzzle table setups.

- One of my favorite things about libraries is how many different things you can do here.

What do you envision as the history.

Nope, that's the wrong word.

I meant to say the opposite word, which is the future.

- Oh.

- So that's fine.

I guess I was also thinking about the past.

- Oh, well, we do both!

(laughing) -They're, they're related.

- Yeah, yeah.

- They're all part of the same continuum in this particular universe we live in.

What is your favorite part of the library?

- Oh, well, my favorite part of the library is the kids section.

- Let's go.

[Suzanna] We do like a early literacy self-paced program to encourage them to read a thousand books by kindergarten.

Just very easy to do.

- [Sophie] Wow!

Is it?

[Suzanna] Well, you know, it's okay if you read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" a hundred times, that counts.

The train table is huge.

- [Sophie] (gasps) Are these BRIOs?

- [Suzanna] Yes.

Ours were donated to us, to the library in '93.

- [Sophie] What a testament to these kind of natural material- - Oh yeah.

- Pieces too.