5 Great Lakes. 24 hours. One all-electric Nissan Ariya.

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• Nissan Ariya is the first known EV to record a trip to all five Great Lakes in less than 24 hours
• NissanConnect Services'^® Intelligent Route Planner allowed us to easily find DC quick charging stations ahead of time, helping us stay on track

Visiting all five Great Lakes in one day is a daunting undertaking for any driver. But would it be possible in an electric vehicle? This fall, the team at EV Pulse invited us to join their quest to find out.

We faced a substantial logistical undertaking: covering more than 600 miles across rural Ontario and Michigan, demanding careful planning amidst a growing but still relatively sparse network of charging stations. Plus, the EV Pulse team had to build in several additional hours for filming their video about the trip.

Thankfully, NissanConnect Services^® and the MyNISSAN app proved invaluable for easily planning our route and helping with timely arrivals at each stop along the way.

Easily monitor your Ariya's charging status with the MyNISSAN app. All 2024 Nissans equipped with NissanConnect Services come with a 3-year Premium Package trial.¹

Seamless and stress-free planning

To ensure we took the most optimal route, the EV Pulse team used the Intelligent Route Planner, a feature seamlessly integrated into the MyNISSAN app. The tool automatically identifies the necessary charging station waypoints² needed to assist us on having a smooth journey. In most cases, we could even charge while visiting lakeside destinations³.

Plus, we could enter our waypoints on the MyNISSAN app and send the route directly to the Ariya.

"Being able to input your destination and have the vehicle figure out where to charge is essential for longer trips, building confidence in the EV ownership experience," said Chad Kirchner, vice president of content for EV Pulse.

Our route included eight scenic stops in Ontario and Michigan.

Our electric road trip began in Hamilton, Ontario, at 7 a.m. and we immediately headed toward Port Stanley on the shores of Lake Erie. With the MyNISSAN app⁴, we could monitor our charging status from anywhere and would be alerted if a charger became disconnected while we were away.

Everyone knows how frustrating it is to discover your phone didn't charge. Imagine if the same happened to your car. But with MyNISSAN, there was no need to worry.  

The MyNISSAN app also allowed us to check our range in real time, making it easy to know when we were ready to get back on the road. Plus, we could lock and start the vehicle from afar – and set the climate control so it was the perfect temperature when we returned to the vehicle.

"The app works well," Kirchner said. "There wasn't a ton of wait time for the car to wake up and respond to commands."

Convenience for journeys near and far

From Port Stanley, we continued northwest into Michigan, making a stop at Port Austin on Lake Huron near the tip of the mitten-shaped state's "Thumb." It was nearly dusk, and the dimming skies reminded us we still had hundreds of miles and two lakes to cover. Bolstered with a fresh charge, we set off toward Charlevoix – our Lake Michigan stop.

As the hours ticked away, NissanConnect's many features proved not just convenient, but essential to completing our journey on time. For example, we could search for charging stations that were open 24 hours. We could also search exclusively for DC quick charging (also known as "Level 3") stations to ensure we would have access to the correct type of charger. These features are equally useful during busy everyday routines, when drivers need to quickly find a charging station.

NissanConnect helps drivers quickly find the charging station they need.

After a quick stop in the charming town of Charlevoix, we headed to our final destination: the small town of Brimley on Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Fueled by convenience store energy drinks and kept comfortable by Ariya's Zero Gravity seats, we arrived in Brimley at 4 a.m. – 21 hours after we left Hamilton.

The Ariya had done it.

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1. Available on properly equipped vehicles. Compatible device, service, and consumer activation of NissanConnect Services package required. Use only when safe and legal. Subject to third party service availability. For more information see www.nissanusa.com/connect/legal.
2. Public charging networks are provided by independent companies, and are not within Nissan's control. Availability of charging stations not guaranteed.
3. Charging time and capacity may vary based on power source, ambient temperature, battery temperature, condition, and age, and use of vehicle accessories while charging. See Customer Disclosure Form for details.
4. Available on properly equipped vehicles. Compatible device, service, and consumer activation of NissanConnect Services package required. Use only when safe and legal. Subject to third party service availability. For more information see www.nissanusa.com/connect/legal.

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