Pacific Coast Highway EV Road Trip

A niche practical guide for anyone driving an electric vehicle down California's Highway 1 — the classic San Francisco-to-Los Angeles coastal route — without wondering where the next charger is. This map weaves five real Tesla Supercharger stops into the drive at natural intervals, alongside eleven of the route's most iconic scenic landmarks and three legendary regional food stops, so you can plan charging breaks around views instead of the other way around.

Who it's for

Road-trippers driving an EV (or planning a rental) who want the full Pacific Coast Highway experience — Big Sur cliffs, Hearst Castle, Morro Rock — but need the charging infrastructure mapped out in advance. It's equally useful as a general Highway 1 itinerary for gas-powered cars; just skip the charger markers.

How to use it

Open pacific-coast-highway-ev-road-trip_2026-07-23.html in any browser — no install needed. Stops run in driving order from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the dashed route line. Use the sidebar filter to show only Chargers, only Scenic stops, or only Food & Coffee, or click any stop in the list to fly the map there and open its popup. Every stop has a real photo (some with a small gallery — click the thumbnail strip or the sidebar photo badge to page through), a website link, and a one-tap Google Maps "Directions" link.

Top stops

• Golden Gate Bridge — the traditional departure point; charge to 100% here since the next Supercharger is ~1.5 hours south in Seaside.
• Bixby Creek Bridge — the single most-photographed spot on the entire route, a 1932 concrete arch soaring over Big Sur.
• McWay Falls — an 80-foot waterfall dropping straight onto a private beach cove in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.
• Hearst Castle — William Randolph Hearst's hilltop estate above San Simeon; book the guided tour in advance.
• Nepenthe and Duarte's Tavern — legendary Big Sur and Pescadero food stops worth timing your drive around.
• Tesla Superchargers at Seaside, San Luis Obispo, Buellton, Oxnard, and Santa Monica — spaced so no leg of the drive runs more than about 90 minutes between charges.

Verify before you go

Charger stall counts, speeds, and even exact station addresses change as Tesla and other networks expand — check the Tesla app or PlugShare for live stall availability before you commit to a charging stop, especially on holiday weekends when Highway 1 traffic is heavy. Hearst Castle tours require advance tickets and Highway 1 itself periodically closes for landslide repairs near Big Sur — check Caltrans QuickMap for current road status before departing. Restaurant hours (Duarte's, Nepenthe, Splash Cafe) and Hearst Castle admission prices are not included here since they change seasonally — confirm directly with each venue.