50 Days, 6 Provinces, One Solo Mum and an EV

Striking a pose in Revelstoke, BC in front of our VW ID BUZZ

I can’t believe we’ve already accomplished 50 days across Canada in a fully electric campervan. If you weren’t following us on Instagram @melaninelectric , it was quite an adventure.

It goes without saying that it’s already a major undertaking to make it across this insanely vast country as a solo mum with a young kiddo and dog in tow - regardless of what car you’re driving.

Now, add the fact that I decided to camp almost entirely in our DIY campervan. It’s not surpising that even strangers started telling me I was crazy or questioned whether it’s even possible to drive an electric van from coast to coast.

I started sharing our journey online to find community, geek out over van life and maybe get cheered along by family and friends in the process. 80,000 views later I truly found what I was I was looking. In addition, it was impossible not to look at the deeper message of what is means when you’re a mixed race Black family crossing the country, let alone in a fully electrical vehicle. It goes without saying that there are so few of us on the road, even fewer attempting vanlife and just a smattering in the national parks we stayed in along the way.

Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta (charging from the camps electric hook up, minutes from the hiking trails in this UNESCO site.)

So bit by bit in my own playful way, this trip became about sharing our journey, feeling supported in solo parenthood while inspiring anyone who followed us to believe in their dreams. I hope that it also felt like an invitation to under represented communities to embrace the wilderness more in their lives and to show everyone without lifting my middle finger that yes this EV roadtrip trip truly is possible and it’s also….fun.

Dinosaur Provincial Park - hike right from our campground

Whistlers Campground, Jasper National Park

I posted daily on social media, while my little family and I built an even greater sense of belonging traversing this incredible country together.

We showed people how manageable and exciting it is to car camp along the way, and that it’s more than possible to do it from any kind of make shift set up.

Not to mention that driving an EV made the whole trip incredibly cost effective and climate friendly.

So many of us have been indoctrinated to believe that driving a gas-powered car is the only way. This was my first EV and I was surprised at how many people truly thought we’d get stranded.

And yet, we did it! and now I want to show you how.

Made it to Tofino, BC - also known as the end of the road!

Both here and on YouTube I will sharing what worked, what failed, what surprised us and the many ways that EV roadtripping is possible across this wondrous country to Canada. Hoping to drop some helpful guides in the coming weeks too - so stay tuned!

And no I’m not sponsored by Volkswagen in any way….