Hawai’ian Island Style
Follow SightSee EV on an Electric Car Road Trip around the Big Hawai’i Island.
Spend a Day or Two Sightseeing the Big Island of Hawai’i.
Road Trip around the Big Island utilizing the public Electric Chargers.
A recent visit with friends on the Big Island of Hawaii left me wondering about the feasibility of a Sightsee EV Road Trip with an electric vehicle (EV).
The ChargePoint website revealed a scattering of Shell Recharge stations encircling the island. True to form, some charging stations show offline, and others had low reliability scores.
Having driven an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car around the island many times, I am not overly concerned about the charging station statuses; the distances between charging opportunities are not significant, and the slower speed on scenic winding two-lane highways will improve battery efficiency.
I borrowed a Kia EV6 and headed on an EV adventure in paradise.
Begin your Sightsee EV Road Trip by heading north from Kailua-Kona to Waimea, the seat of Paniolo, Hawaiian cowboy country.
The Hawaiian Belt Road/HI-19 runs thirty-two miles along the volcanic coast to your first charging opportunity in Puako, a beach town west of Waikoloa Village.
Look northwest beyond Hawaii Island’s Upolu Point to catch a glimpse of Maui Island’s Haleakala Mountain peeking from the clouds.
Puako Bay, Island of Hawai’i
Enjoy a stop at Puako Bay to experience the lava-strewn shoreline, then cool down with a visit to Puako General Store.
Charging is available at The Shops at Mauna Lani before continuing your Sightseeing EV Road Trip experience fourteen miles along The Hawaiian Island Belt Road/HI-19 to one of my favorite Hawaii Island towns, Waimea.
The high ground offers stellar scenic views while the local amenities delight the senses.
A community of local culture, Waimea offers dining at Merriman’s Restaurant, Big Island Brewhaus, or Pau Pizza.
Take in a show at the 490-seat cultural mecca Kahilu Theatre.
Spend Saturday mornings browsing locally grown produce, aromatic Kona coffee, and local artisan booths at the Waimea Town Market.
Hawai’ian Island Feral Goat Along Highway
Take the time to Sightsee EV Road Trip on the Kohala Mountain Road (HI-250) to Polulu Valley Lookout and soak in the Hamakua Coast. Keep an eye out, as wild goats tend to wander across the highway.
Stop by the Waimea KTA Supermarket as a second charging location before your Sightsee EV Road Trip journey continues east along The Hawaiian Belt Road/HI-19 to reveal splendid coastal vistas offering breaking waves, craggy lava rocks, and lush vegetation.
Laupahoehoe Beach Park, Hawai’i Island
Turn makai (ocean side) between highway markers 27 and 28 toward Laupahoehoe Beach Park to witness waves beating endless sea foam from rugged lava formations.
Explore the Hamakua Coast culture and local railroad history at the Laupahoehoe Train Museum.
Roll a short distance east to Papa’aloa Country Store & Café and enjoy a meal while replenishing your car batteries.
An eastern Sightsee EV Road Trip twenty-four-mile drive along the beautiful Hawaiian Belt Road/HI-19 delivers you to Hilo City, the gateway to dramatic waterfalls, fertile rainforests, and ancient banyan trees.
Akaka Falls, Akaka Falls State Park, Hawai’i
Slow down to island time and walk the boardwalk through Akaka Falls State Park, one of many spectacular waterfalls in the area. Discover the area’s fascinating history at the Lyman Museum, learn about terrifying hurricanes at the Pacific Tsunami Museum, or explore the wonder of the ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center.
After cruising along Banyan Tree Drive to witness Banyan trees planted by American Presidents, famous musicians, explorers, and sports icons.
Grab a hamburger at the Hilo Burger Joint. If you feel like breakfast food, then Ken’s House of Pancakes has you covered.
One of my favorite stops is the Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens, where you can wander around a rainforest environment displaying tigers, aardvarks, primates, and tropical birds. Take the time to enjoy this free attraction on the outskirts of Hilo.
Stop by the Hawaii Electric Light charger at 1200 Kilauea Ave, Hilo and top off before heading south toward the town of Volcano and then the next charger in Nasi'alehu.
Punalu’u Bake Shop, Nasi’alehu, Hawai’i
Sightsee EV Road Trip south, then southwest sixty-five miles on The Hawaiian Island Belt Road, now called HI-11, to charge at the Punalu’u Bake Shop in Nasi’alehu.
What can be a better combination than enjoying warm baked goods among scampering geckos in the gazebos while charging your EV.
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
On the drive south stop off at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park’s The Rim at Volcano House restaurant for lunch while observing the Kilauea caldera and the billowing Halema’uma’u Crater before exploring the park.
Punalau’u Black Sand Beach, Hawai’i Island
Your Sightsee EV Road Trip will pass the Punalau’u Black Sand Beach; enter by turning onto Alanui Road between mile markers 56 and 57. The black sand is formed by waves chipping away lava from Kilauea Volcano.
There are several endangered sea turtles in the beach area. Look but do not touch.
Distant Land is South Point at Ka Lae, Hawai’i Island
Before The Hawaiian Island Belt Road/HI-11 swings north, turn makai (towards the ocean) between mile markers 69 and 70 and head to South Point at Ka Lae, the southernmost point in the United States.
This windswept point of land offers leaning trees and ocean cliffs. Watch the cliff jumpers plummet forty feet to the water and then climb a precarious ladder back to the top.
Black Rock Pizza, Captain Cook, Hawai’i
Back on The Hawaiian Island Belt Road/HI-11, enjoy the fifty some odd miles of varied scenery as you enter coffee country around the village of Captain Cook.
Take a Coffee Farm Tour and Tasting at Hala Tree Coffee Growers and replenish your appetite at Black Rock Pizza with a tasty pie on the covered deck.
Kona Brewing Company, Kailua Kona, Hawaii
Roll into Kailua-Kona and grab dinner at Kona Brewing Company. Good food coupled with tasty beers plus friendly service is a complete win to end the journey.
Shell Recharge Stations - Hawai’i Island, Nov. 2023
You will find the island of many climates a friendly EV destination. Take the time to explore the sites and meet the locals.
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