Featured Tesla Cannonball

i'd like to see the details, route map, charging locations and etc. fun stuff though.

 

details will follow, but there is a video and map if you click the link.
Tesla Model 3 Sets New EV Cannonball Run Record of 50 Hours, 16 Minutes - The Drive

I'm not sure of the point of that. Here is the gasoline record. Atlanta man shatters coast-to-coast 'Cannonball Run' speed record - CNN

 

I read Yate's book (Cannonball) in sub school while the nation was still languishing under the 55mph speed limit, and yes.....as a teenager I dreamed of having a car (or...van!) worthy of the trip, but that was decades ago and technology notwithstanding it's probably something that looks better in the rear-view mirror.

Somehow, I'm not sure whether the EV community's adds to or takes away from the legacy of Edwin Baker, but I heartily applaud the effort!
The EV crowd could use the street cred, and I think that Elon himself is the perfect not-quite-an-evil-Gennius CEO to clandestinely underwrite a trophy dash team, complete with spotters (airborne if not orbital) blockers and paid local "observers" once you get into the long flat parts.
EVs......sure!
Eventually SEVs will be efficient enough for a one-hop run.
I do not remember that the official rules prohibit hyperloops but they're probably outside the guard-rails.....pun almost unintended.
Driver-less cars are a wobbler, since driving is sorta part of the whole thing, and it would result in a quandary over whom (or what) to award the trophy or cite if LEO gets involved.....


Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash - Wikipedia

 

ignoring the inherent danger of averaging 100mph for a moment, a significant strategy the record setters had was to carry (iirc) 60ish gallons of gas, so they'd have WAY less down time spent on refueling. and iirc, the fuel tanks could be refilled simultaneously, further getting them back up to speed.

If Tesla corporate were willing to participate & REALLY wanted to make this event spectacular, they could set up (even if only temporary) 13 traction pack swap stations (13 X 220 miles per swap = 2860 miles). Oh wait - Model 3 pack not set up to click in & out the way X's & S's can do. Ok, then back to Model S

Just think though! In stead of replenishing 220 miles in ~ 37 minute stops, it'd only take 2 minutes to do a swap ... a savings of 35 minutes per stop.
35 minutes saved at 13 stops would represent shaving off an additional 7½ hours of the 50hr time. 2 days, in stead of 3. Not that it proves anything.
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I know this is a bit of a tangent, but this really reminded me of an article in Motorcyclist magazine about an LA to NY trip they did with the newly released Yamaha XS1100. They made it in 59-1/2 hours without actually trying to set any speed records, and this was in the federally mandated 55 mph days. The whole article is here, but below is the page that I thought was really interesting. Glad I wasn't that guy!!

 

I'm just curious what a Bolt could do it in.

 

(Compared to model 3's 130kW's+ charge speeds) Don't the Bolt's SAE-DC plug stations typically (only) charge at around 40kW, best case scenario? I know some stations publish they'll deliver 50, but I've never seen anything higher than 42, & many only deliver <25kW's even on the ones rated for 50kW.
So - presuming both cars make stops at 200 mile markers, & each car's getting 3 miles per kWh, they'll each discharge ~ 60kwh's.
The bolt needs 1½hrs to recharge its depleted 60kWh, if it's on a 40kW station.
otoh, The model 3 is back on the road & up to speed in less than ½ that time. So each stop, the Bolt looses ~ 45 minutes from slower charges.
Realistically though, the model 3 doesn't have to make as many stops, so it's more like gaining over 1 HR per stop .... the stops won't be as numerous for the 3, having more capacity. Bottom line, with SAE's slower charge speed variabilities, you'd be looking at at least 1 full day longer for the Bolt, imo.
I don't know if there actually are SAE Chargers sufficiently close enough together, to do 200 mile stints the whole trip, w/o taking a long Gander at the plug share website.
The other elephant in the room, you typically only have 1 DC SAE charger in typical locations, & if it's in use? or if it's down? Yeah that's not too cool. The SAE units are not as well internet-connected too - so sometimes ... they're like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get ('till you arrive) .
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isn't that just like GM .... "yes! - we built this Ev that'll charge at 80kW's !! no, we're not providing infrastructure." .... if GM isn't going to Pony up any 80kW DC Chargers along the highway? .... (or 30's 40's 50kW's) is there any point in bragging what it would do - if only?
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Thanks for doing the back of the napkin math. I think the bigger issue is the lack of chargers. There would be MANY spots along the trip where you'd actually be charging at Level 2 stations. I wouldn't be surprised if the trip took close to a week. Being totally serious.

 

The original canonball runs were about having the technology to be able to do it. This is similar to the tesla canon ball run, but now that they can do it with the super charger network, its not very exciting to me.

Having read up on the thing (I had a week of down time with the flu), the reinvented canon ball run was about how fast you could do it with the lower speed limits. If you got pulled over for speeding tickets well that would cost you money and slow you down. Some of these big gas tanks were illegal, but no one got caught. The only serious injury on a canonball run, was actually making the movie, not running the race. A stunt woman was paralyzed, but this had nothing to do with high speeds on the highway, which the canonball run in the 70s was all about.

Yeah, kind of stupid ;-) I think the roadster may have swap-able packs for track days ;-) It is no longer the 1930s where cars are not reliable to go cross country, or the time when car companies said you can't fast charge a car. These are many hobbyist type executions. No reason for the model 3 to set any kind of long distance record. I do expect some to race light to light against the mustangs and corvettes in southern california as some macho show of acceleration and braking ;-)

 

reminds me .... back in the day, the fast acceleration/breaking speed freaks had a 0-100mph-0 contest. Don't know if it's been broken since I kept track, & we're talking decades ago, but the 1960's Cobra was #1 (~10 seconds) Porsche was #2. I'd have to guess the hybrid spider may have broken it within the past few years, but maybe I'll see if I can find out who's the new champ, if any.

 

I'm reminded of another article they did back in the late 90's when Montana moved to a "safe and prudent" maximum speed limit on some highways. They took two of the fastest road bikes of the time, capable of 185+mph, to see just how fast they could cross the state. Interestingly they found they needed to SLOW DOWN to around 95 mph due to poor fuel economy (duh) combined with smallish fuel tanks (5 gallon) and spending too much time going to gas stations.

 

For those who want to hear a story about the original cannonball run:

 

In the dash that Gurney/Yates won, second place was taken by a Chevy van driven by the Polish Racing Drivers of America. The van was prepped by a Chevy dealer that used to be about 3 miles from here.