Being originally from Denver, I’m not sure I’d want to drive over the Rockies this time of year. Especially if the inclines would decline the range of an electric vehicle without enough places to plug in. His route is not a bad route, for the time of year and type of vehicle.
Yeah inclines fuck your range, especially with a heavier loaded vehice, and climbing into colder climates fuck your batteries too. and hitting a closed mountain pass in an EV and having to turn around or wait for it be cleared can be disasterous.
Imagine running out of battery to run your heater! Not considering the final incident at all (I don’t want to speculate about that)… If we’re just considering the route to get there, it was probably the correct choice.