Winnipeg to Saskatoon in a Chevy Equinox EV: A Prairie Road Trip, Stop by Stop

Road Trip Report  ·  June 12–14, 2026

Winnipeg to Saskatoon in a Chevy Equinox EV: A Prairie Road Trip, Stop by Stop

I woke up at 2:30 a.m., packed the car, and hit the road three hours before my alarm was set. Here's what happened — every kilometer, every kilowatt, and every dollar spent on the way to my cousin's wedding.

James·True North EV·June 2026·~10 min read

787 km One way

8Charge stops

~$150Total charged

$200+Gas equivalent

5,912 km On the odometer

My alarm was set for 4:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12th. I woke up wide awake at 2:30, lying in bed staring at the ceiling, and thought — you know what, let's just go. By 3:00 a.m. I was loaded up and rolling out of Winnipeg in my 2024 Chevy Equinox EV with 90% state of charge and 5,912 kilometers on the odometer. The destination: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for my cousin's wedding.

I'd been wanting to do a proper long-distance road trip report for the podcast for a while, so I tracked everything — every charging session, every kilowatt-hour, every dollar. If you've ever wondered what it actually looks like to do a big prairie drive in an EV, this is it. The unfiltered version.

A quick note on the tools I used: almost everything was managed through the MyChevy app. It let me start charging sessions remotely, track stats in real time, and pull up the full session history afterward — which is where most of the numbers in this post came from. It was a bit slow finding my location sometimes, and the charger map took some getting used to, but overall it worked well. More on that as we go.

The Drive Out: Winnipeg → Saskatoon

Stop 1 — Neepawa, Manitoba

Stop 1 →Tesla Supercharger · Neepawa, MB4:24 – 4:59 AM

39.7 kWh Energy added

$23.33Cost

65.7 kW Avg rate

90.1 kW Peak rate

~211 km Range gained

39% Battery gained

Unplanned stop — no battery preconditioning, which kept charge rates lower than they could have been. Tim Hortons at 4 AM is a special kind of Canadian experience. Left at 87% SOC.

This stop wasn't in the plan. The car hadn't pre-conditioned the battery for it — which is when the car warms or cools the battery pack ahead of a fast charger stop to get it to optimal temperature. Without preconditioning you don't quite hit peak charge speeds. That said, it was fine. I needed a stretch break, the Supercharger was right there, and the Tim Hortons was open. Prairie road trip, ticked every box.

One thing worth knowing if you're new to EVs: preconditioning makes a real difference at fast chargers. The Equinox does it automatically when you set a charger as your navigation destination. If it's an unplanned stop like this one, you won't get it — and the charge rates reflect that.

Stop 2 — Yorkton, Saskatchewan (with a small detour)

Stop 2a →ChargePoint · Yorkton, SK8:07 – 8:11 AM

51.3 kW Avg rate

55.2 kW Peak rate

~19 km Range gained

3% Battery gained

Nav sent me to the wrong side of the city. Plugged in briefly while I sorted out which charger I actually wanted to use. Max speed at this ChargePoint was 125 kW vs. 250 kW at the Superchargers.

Stop 2b →Tesla Supercharger · Yorkton, SK (Canadian Tire)8:24 – 9:00 AM

57.9 kWh Energy added

$34.04Cost

91.8 kW Avg rate

136 kW Peak rate

~309 km Range gained

56% Battery gained

Battery was preconditioned for this stop. Also bought a camp chair at Canadian Tire because I completely forgot to pack one. No regrets.

The Yorkton stop had a bit of a navigation hiccup. The car sent me to a ChargePoint charger on the other side of the city from where I was headed — and it maxed out at 125 kW, versus 250 kW at the Tesla Superchargers nearby. I plugged in there briefly while I pulled up my apps to confirm there was a Supercharger, then crossed back to the Canadian Tire lot where it was waiting.

While I was charging at the Supercharger, a woman pulled in with a Cadillac Lyriq and headed toward the Flo chargers right next door. She'd seen the "For Teslas Only" sign on the stalls and assumed she couldn't use them. I let her know that the sign is outdated — most Tesla Superchargers in Canada are now open to all EVs with an adapter.

She mentioned she'd tried to use one in Davidson, Saskatchewan with her GM adapter and it hadn't worked — and she was right about that. Davidson is, as far as I know, one of the only Tesla Supercharger locations in western Canada that is still exclusively for Teslas. So that wasn't a faulty adapter or user error — it was a genuine exception. Worth knowing if you're planning a route through Saskatchewan.

Stop 3 — Wynyard, Saskatchewan

Stop 3 →Tesla Supercharger · Wynyard, SK10:48 – 11:13 AM

72.1 kW Avg rate

92.8 kW Peak rate

~184 km Range gained

32% Battery gained

MyChevy app wasn't showing the Tesla chargers here — only the Flo units. I used the Tesla app to start the session, so cost isn't logged in MyChevy. Tip: zoom in on the in-car map to find all charger types at a location.

This stop taught me something useful about the MyChevy app. It was only showing the Flo chargers in Wynyard — not the Tesla Superchargers right next to them. I ended up using the Tesla app to start the session, which worked fine, but it means the cost and history aren't in my MyChevy account for this one. I later figured out you can zoom in further on the in-car map and tap on the individual charger icons to see all the options. Good to know for next time.

Stop 4 — Saskatoon (Flo charger)

Stop 4 →Flo Charger · Saskatoon, SK1:27 – 3:01 PM

55.4 kWh Energy added

$23.55 Cost (Flo credit)

34.3 kW Avg rate

39.3 kW Peak rate

~319 km Range gained

57% Battery gained

Slower 50 kW charger — hence the longer stop. But the location had tons of shops and restaurants nearby, so it didn't feel like lost time. Used up remaining Flo account credit from my old Kona Electric days. Tesla Superchargers were right next door, but the Flo credit needed spending.

I needed to charge to close to 100% in Saskatoon because my Airbnb had no charging access, and I had a full day of city driving ahead before the wedding on Saturday. I chose the Flo charger partly because I had leftover credit in my account from when we had a Hyundai Kona Electric. I'd been meaning to use it up, and this was the moment. Tesla Superchargers were literally right next door, but the Flo credit won out.

The charger was slower — 50 kW versus the 250 kW the Superchargers can do — so I was there for about 90 minutes. But the location had shops and restaurants, I got a few things done, and honestly it wasn't a bad way to ease into Saskatoon.

The Drive Home: Late-Night Departure

The wedding was just outside Saskatoon on Saturday. Great day, great family time, great campfire. When it wound down, I headed back to the Airbnb, packed everything up — and then lay in bed completely wide awake. Same thing that happened Friday morning. It was about 11:30 PM, and my original plan was to leave by 4:00 AM at the latest. So I made the call: let's go now.

Stop 5 — Wynyard, SK (Return) — the nap stop

Stop 5 ←Tesla Supercharger · Wynyard, SKJune 14 · 1:30 – ~2:12 AM

54.6 kWh Energy added

$35.97 Cost

73.3 kW Avg rate

130 kW Peak rate

~286 km Range gained

54% Battery gained

No rush. Moved the car to a darker corner of the lot and napped in the car while it charged. One of the genuinely underrated aspects of EV road trips — quiet, comfortable, no engine noise. By this stop I'd figured out the MyChevy app zoom trick, so this session is fully logged.

I want to put a pin in this one because I think it's an underrated aspect of long EV road trips: napping in the car at a charging stop. The Equinox is dead quiet when it's plugged in. No engine idling, no vibration. I parked in a darker spot in the lot, reclined the seat, and caught about 20 minutes before the car was charged enough to keep moving. That kind of flexibility — being able to stop, rest, and recharge both yourself and the car at the same time — is genuinely useful on a solo overnight drive.

Stops 6, 7, and 8 — Home stretch

Stop 6 ←Tesla Supercharger · Yorkton, SK4:16 – 4:46 AM

24.6 kWh Energy added

$15.62 Cost

50.5 kW Avg rate

56.6 kW Peak rate

~136 km Range gained

26% Battery gained

Planning stop. Topped up and worked out the last stretch home.

Stop 7 ←Tesla Supercharger · Russell, MB6:09 – 6:20 AM

9.9 kWh Energy added

49.2 kW Avg rate

50.3 kW Peak rate

~48 km Range gained

9% Battery gained

MyChevy app couldn't get the session started here — poor signal or a glitch. Switched to the Tesla app and it worked immediately. Cost not captured in MyChevy.

Stop 8 ←Tesla Supercharger · Portage la Prairie, MB9:58 – 10:10 AM

24 kWh Energy added

$15.72 Cost

107.8 kW Avg rate

133.4 kW Peak rate

~124 km Range gained

23% Battery gained

About 100 km from Winnipeg. Just over an hour from home. Quick 12-minute top-up and then done.

The Part Everyone Wants to Know: Did It Cost Less Than Gas?

Yes. And not by a small amount — especially when you consider that I was using public fast chargers the entire time. That's the most expensive way to charge an EV. Charging at home overnight is a fraction of the cost.

Trip Cost Comparison

⚡ Total charging cost (EV)~$150

⛽ Estimated gas cost at $1.56/L$200+

✅ Estimated savings$50–$100 on a single weekend trip

* Gas estimate based on ~$1.56/L and typical mid-size SUV fuel economy of ~10L/100km, over 1,600+ total km (787 km each way plus city driving in Saskatoon). Two charging sessions were started via the Tesla app and costs weren't captured in MyChevy, so the EV total may be slightly higher.

The one-way distance from Winnipeg to Saskatoon is about 787 kilometers. Add the driving I did around Saskatoon on Saturday — running errands, getting to the venue outside the city, back and forth — and the total for the weekend was comfortably over 1,600 km. At $1.56 a liter and a realistic fuel economy for a comparable gas SUV, that's well over $200 in fuel. Probably closer to $250 depending on the vehicle.

The EV came in just over $180 — charging exclusively at fast chargers on the highway, which is the premium option. If I'd had Level 2 access at the Airbnb or been able to plug in overnight at a hotel, that number would be even lower. The math for EV road trips in Canada works. Full stop.

Five Things I Took Away From This Trip

What I'd tell anyone planning a similar drive

• The range prediction was accurate to an almost eerie degree. The car consistently said I'd arrive at each stop with X% remaining — and I did. If it said 15%, I got there with 15%. On a 787 km drive across the prairies, that reliability made the whole trip feel stress-free.

• Speed matters for efficiency. I ran cruise control at 100 km/h most of the way there. On the return trip I was pushing 105–110 for the last few hours because I was getting restless. You feel the difference. If range is tight, stick to the posted limit.

• Preconditioning is not optional on long drives. When the car pre-conditions the battery for a charger stop, you get significantly better charge speeds. Set your destination in the nav — don't just drive in the general direction and wing it.

• Most Tesla Superchargers in Canada are open to non-Teslas. With the right adapter (GM provides one), the Equinox works at Tesla Superchargers. The exception in western Canada appears to be Davidson, SK — which is still Tesla-only. Worth checking ahead if you're routing through there.

• The 360-degree cameras are legitimately useful for plugging in. Pulling up close enough to a charger without a guide can be tricky. The cameras tell you exactly how close you are. Also: the in-car infotainment screen has a "stop charging" button, but it only worked for me about three quarters of the time. Better to unplug physically.

Thinking About Making the Switch to Electric?

True North EV Consulting helps Canadians find the right EV or plug-in hybrid for their lifestyle — and walks with you through every step, from first conversation to home charger installation.

Enjoyed this post? Share it with someone who's on the fence about going electric — or find us on Facebook at @truenorthev. You can also catch the full episode breakdown on the True North EV podcast, wherever you listen.

Also check out Kilowatt with Bodie — he's way more knowledgeable than I am and puts out a fantastic show.

Charging stats sourced from the MyChevy app session history. Two sessions (Wynyard going, Russell returning) were started via the Tesla app and costs were not captured. Gas comparison based on $1.56/L and ~10L/100km fuel economy for a 2026 Chevy Equinox . Your results will vary based on driving speed, temperature, and vehicle.