Crossing Canada can be a beast of a trip at the best of times. Tackling it in an electric-powered pickup adds a few unanticipated unknowns with a plethora of positive outcomes, says one North Saanich couple.

The 2023 60-day trip coast-to-coast and back was a bucket list item borne of Sally Biggar乌鸦传媒檚 breast cancer diagnosis in 2018.

乌鸦传媒淥nce you have a disease like that it makes you think about what you want to do with the rest of your life, and I have a list,乌鸦传媒� she told the Peninsula News Review.

On the list was driving across the country with husband Kerry D乌鸦传媒橝rgis 乌鸦传媒� specifically in an EV. 乌鸦传媒淲e wanted to see all of Canada and we knew it was going to be a bit of a challenge in the truck but also rewarding,乌鸦传媒� Biggar said.

The pickup was a natural transition from the North Saanich couple乌鸦传媒檚 first electric foray, predictably a Prius 乌鸦传媒� that just didn乌鸦传媒檛 cut it when it came to hauling gyprock, lumber and insulation.

乌鸦传媒淪o then when there was the opportunity to get the F-150 truck that was the natural choice,乌鸦传媒� Biggar said.

They乌鸦传媒檇 only used it on smaller trips to Pender Island so some research was in order.

D乌鸦传媒橝rgis downloaded apps that showed where chargers are in each community, packed a tent in the back and plotted a course. Accompanied by their dog Lucy, a Maltese mix, the couple covered just shy of 19,000 kilometres in the round-trip to Newfoundland in their F-150 Lightning 乌鸦传媒� making friends with others along the way.

Like many apps, the charger listings lean on user input, so at times they arrived at a listed station and found the charger not working, barely working or it stopped working after a few minutes 乌鸦传媒� throwing a wrench in the plans.

乌鸦传媒淵ou would see a charger and head that way and sometimes they weren乌鸦传媒檛 working at all. We had to adapt,乌鸦传媒� D乌鸦传媒橝rgis said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou just had to adapt along the way with the challenges you have.乌鸦传媒�

Northern Ontario is the scariest, both agreed, recalling a barely working charger ahead of the 400-kilometre trek south to Sault Ste. Marie. That night they slept in the cab of the truck.

乌鸦传媒淲e figured if we set the tent up the police would come,乌鸦传媒� D乌鸦传媒橝rgis said with a chuckle.

The sleepover scored them enough power to go an estimated 535 kilometres.

Other times it just meant a longer stop, getting lunch, walking the dog and taking in the sights of smaller communities.

They learned campgrounds were a wealth of both power and community as the perks of the truck made them popular.

The onboard exportable power charged their phones and tablet (serving as television) as well as powered the coffee maker, portable electric barbecue and the ice cube machine 乌鸦传媒� key for a chill evening drink.

While all of Newfoundland was neat to see, the best bit was coming around the corner and catching that first glimpse of an iceberg 乌鸦传媒� two or three actually 乌鸦传媒� bobbing in the water. The Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec comes in a close second.

乌鸦传媒淚t was neat going across Canada and seeing all the different towns and the way people live in different areas. It was really interesting and educational. Each province is different,乌鸦传媒� D乌鸦传媒橝rgis said.

The return trip was easier because they had a lay of the land and some chargers that weren乌鸦传媒檛 working on the way out, were working on the way back.

The North Saanich residents who recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary no longer have the tent 乌鸦传媒� instead hauling a teardrop trailer 乌鸦传媒� but continue to adventure and plan future big trips.

乌鸦传媒淲e want to go up to Tuktoyaktuk,乌鸦传媒� D乌鸦传媒橝rgis said.

Driving the whole way depends heavily on if they get chargers in past Dawson City.