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Long distance driving

Discussion in 'Tesla' started by bwilson4web, Mar 8, 2023.

  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Left Huntsville AL, 9 AM Monday and arrived at Las Vegas 7:45 PM. Distance 1,888 miles, 525 kWh, with an overnight stay in Albuquerque at a motel with free breakfast and EV charging. Autopilot did the driving while I supervised. Part of a 'timeshare promotional', I may visit my west coast relatives as well as my Arizona brothers. Took the direct route I-40 (aka., Route 66 parallel.)

    I'll take the Southern route on the way back and visit the widow of my high school, best friend. More details to follow and will of course answer questions.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #1 bwilson4web, Mar 8, 2023
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  2. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Looks like we're both ready for a long run. Will be leaving Sat 3:00 a.m. from Kalispell MT to the daughters & grand kids in Nashville. 4,050 miles round trip. Only a couple hundred miles on electric - but crossing the Rockies this time of year we'll appreciate scavenging heat off the ICE.
    .
     
    #2 hill, Mar 9, 2023
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  3. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Staying at a Hilton motel in Manassas triggered a cold-call offer for three free nights at different locations for a 'time share' sales pitch. I chose Las Vegas to combine visiting my Arizona brothers, west coast relatives, and driving my 2019 Tesla Model 3:
    • 16 - Supercharger sessions to Las Vegas
    • $166.31 - Supercharger costs
    • 1,888 miles - $0.088 per mile, $8.80 per 100 miles
    • $332.62 - total
    In contrast, the the cheapest flight, next month, Huntsville to Vegas with car rental:
    • $207 - airline fare, round trip, $0 return
      • no refund
      • no changes
      • no sight seeing
    • $30 - checked baggage
    • $32 - Huntsville parking
    • $381 - Rental car in Las Vegas
    • $650 - total
    Driving took 42 hours but I sat in the front, first class seating, watching AutoPilot do all the work. The front window view was immense with a 20 minute break every 2-3 hours. Meals were terrific. For example, Oklahoma has 'Chicken Fried Steak' which is real steak coated and fried up versus the mystery meat patties called 'Country Fried Steak' in Dixie. Driving is slower but cheaper, more flexibility, more enjoyable, and less stressful than flying.

    My last full day, I decided to tour the SuperChargers but only made it to 3 of 9:
    1. Las Vegas Linq High Roller - did not even try to stop due to busy traffic, additional parking fee, and 'it looked tacky.' I'd read about it but seeing deflated any interest in stopping.
    2. Sahara Ave - actually on the Tesla Service Center property ... what a lovey store with remarkably helpful staff. For example, I need two parts for my Tesla and the sales staff, not having many self-maintenance walk-ins, found the part numbers that I need when I get home. Worth a visit if only as an example of what every other Tesla Service Center should aspire. BTW, there are three Tesla Service Centers in Las Vegas.
    3. Bridger Ave - so good, it was my last stop. Less than half a mile from Fremont, it is covered by a building, free parking, and time-of-day metering. It was so good, I decided to return to the casinos as I came to Las Vegas to gamble and this SuperCharger perfectly compliments 'Old Town', the comfortable Las Vegas casinos.
    The Hilton sales pitch was for a discount hotel package ... pay a monthly fee and get discounts or free motel stays at their list of ideal vacation spots. Gambling is my fun time but they have nothing in Tunica or Vicksburg MS, the nearest ones to Huntsville. They have reasonable coverage of Gulf coast and New Orleans but did not show Lake Charles LA. I liked their staff but the time pressure kept us from 'chatting'. Once they realized I was not a good prospect, things ended friendly but quickly.

    If you want an affordable motel for a couple of days, call Hilton Grand Vacations, and find out what properties they give their presentation. Yes, they claim it is a
    'one time' offer but for warned is for armed. They charged me ~$200 for three nights in Las Vegas. When I asked about getting a motel with electric car charging, they moved me from old, seedy Tropicana to newer, seedy Trump International Hotel.

    Trump Hotel has valet only parking but their staff is barely Tesla literate. For example, 'valet mode' confused them as they insisted on having my key-card. Be sure and have a PIN to drive turned on! Worse, they are not very good about charging my Tesla ... not good at ALL! Self-parking at free L2 chargers works great because you can make sure everything works. Valet staff is less committed and you have to bribe tip them for it.

    I still have a return trip and at 4 AM my last night, I am typing this note without knowing whether I'll try to visit West coast relatives. But for sure, I'm headed to Arizona to visit my three brothers and their families. Then I'll take the southern route back and visit the widow of my best (only) friend in high school. This flexibility would be unaffordable with commercial flights, car rentals, and motel expenses.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #3 bwilson4web, Mar 11, 2023
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  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    I have seen tons of teslas and a few other ev’s over the last 8 weeks at the resort here in Orlando.
    Many from thousands of miles away .

    bob, does your charger locator tell you what hotels have them?
     
    #4 bisco, Mar 11, 2023
  5. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    I use PlugShare and it does:
    1. Filter on J1772 and Tesla L2.
    2. Pointer survey to find them.
    3. Read reviews.
    Bob Wilson
     
    #5 bwilson4web, Mar 11, 2023
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  6. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

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    Speaking of Kalispell...where are the best places to stay near there for visiting GNP and to get good charger access?
    (I'll be going there in late June)

    Mike
     
    #6 3PriusMike, Mar 15, 2023
  7. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Try white fish - ½hr due north of us .... both J-plugs (city lots free) as well as Tesla HPWC's at some of the resorts.
    Our 4K mile round trip - will be leaving Nashville 3am after midnight tonight - 1st stop tomorrow - some 900+ miles to Sioux City. I found Bob's trip experience to be similar to this Nashville drive - as tons of ice formed inside the wheel rims causing them to be seriously out of balance. Fortunately a pair of neoprene gloves allowed me to dig it out. So far it looks like just under 300 of the 4K miles will be EV.
    Weather looks like it will be much much better than when on the trip down here.

    .
     
    #7 hill, Mar 16, 2023
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  8. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    Orlando to Rocky Mount today. 620 miles, 4 biology breaks of 5 to 10 minutes, filled up on arrival across from hotel.
    42 mpg, around 15 gallons at $3.50/g = $52.50
    A bit under nine cents per mile
     
    #8 bisco, Mar 16, 2023
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  9. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    This is where audience is so important, my "in contrast" is quite different. Trips out to Wyoming are still not possible with the bZ4X, but there's no point. Since we also own a Prius Prime, which is mostly driven in EV mode, just take that instead is a no-brainer. Road trips are a rare event for us... well worth it to see the kids. So the expense is trivial. Heck, cost for gas is less than an evening out for dinner with them. 1,500 miles travel at 45 mpg is roughly $120.

    Knowing that the landscape for BEV travel will change dramatically over the next few years, there isn't much to the discussion anyway. NEVI funding will provide CCS travel corridors and Tesla will continue its move away from proprietary limitations. So, focus will shift more toward access rather than economics.

    It's a painfully slow transition from hybrid to PHEV to BEV... a cold, hard reality enthusiasts absolutely hate to acknowledge. I have friends now asking how to take that next step, very eager to see how I my shift from PHEV to BEV goes. Living in a metro area (Twin Cities, Minnesota) with a population of 3.5 million people and back in 2021 only having a single public CCS station, it was an existence dependent entirely upon level-2 charging. 2022 broke ground on CCS builds. 2023 will deliver enough to finally stir discussion. 2024 usher in California-Rule enforcement, where automaker/dealer inventory will finally address demand. Like it or not, we're stuck in the early stage for a few more years.

    This reminds me a lot of gen-1 Prius ownership. The repeat of history is remarkable. So many focused on the moment, getting lost in the forest rather than engaging the journey. To me, it's quite obvious every automaker is striving to find a means of breaking out beyond the introductory phase. We know Toyota will be taking a "clean sheet" approach to their upgrade, very much like the transition we saw for gen-2 Prius. Just yesterday, we got the premiere of ID.2 from VW. Finding ways to cut costs and reach more consumers is that next step, when we can ultimately see beyond topics like this.

    In the meantime, enjoy your long distance driving.
     
    #9 john1701a, Mar 17, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2023
  10. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    The Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

    BEVs are not for everyone nor PHEV nor any modern transportation. I am OK with ignorance as coming here is how we fight our own and help others. I’m less patient with those unlike us who come ‘with an axe to grind.’

    We’ll battery is about charged up and breakfast paid with half in a box to go. Time to ‘make miles’ and watch over the car do the driving.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #10 bwilson4web, Mar 17, 2023
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  11. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Follow up on post #7. There are 4 Chargepoint DC QC stalls at the "Town Pump" / convenience store just prior to entering the town of Whitefish.

    Screenshot_2023-03-17-18-58-22-58_3d9111e2d3171bf4882369f490c087b4.jpg

    This presupposes you have either the Tesla to chademo or the Tesla to SAE adapter.
    100+ kW's
    Screenshot_2023-03-17-19-01-14-30_78a78a40873983f50312c9bf4f86e455.jpg

    We took friends up to Glacier late june last year & the road to the sun was not completely open yet .... it's hit & miss until mid July many years .... turning on how bad the road gets beat up during winter.
    Another 15+ hrs driving tomorrow morning to get home - & then I can crash under my own covers.
    .
     
    #11 hill, Mar 17, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2023
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  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    did 11 hours today. if i had to do 15 i'd be in traction. and the hycam seats are only more comfortable than prius seats
     
    #12 bisco, Mar 17, 2023
  13. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    We also were traveling over the spring break time frame. Unfortunately, it was nearly a worst case scenario: loaded cargo, 30-50f with 30+mph headwinds in BOTH directions (sigh.....), rain, snow and road closures. Well that's life.

    2021 Sienna Hybrid Limited (cross climate 2's)
    1970 miles.
    75-80 mph set speeds
    70 gal.
    28 mpg avg
    $3.18 gal avg
    0.11 cents/mile

    In warmer weather and more temperate winds, we typically get the EPA 36 mpg. So about .088 cents/mile at those prices.

    Approx. 950 mile legs covered in about 13 hours. Tesla planner estimates 18 hours in a model 3. ABR planner allows for headwinds (and other variables) and estimated it would take about 20 hours. Regardless both would necessitate a hotel stop.

    YMMV. ;)
     
    #13 fotomoto, Mar 19, 2023
  14. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    My recent Odyssey:
    • Huntsville AL; Las Vegas NV; Los Angeles; Tempe AZ, Safford AZ, and; Huntsville AL
    • March 8 - 19
    • 4,562 miles
    • 1,279 kWh
    A "time share" pitch in Las Vegas turned out to be a motel 'discount' plan. Pay ~$170 monthly to get discounted or sometimes 'free' lodging at a vacation resort. The older salesman implied these were great places to meet women, I'm a widower. Still, I like to gamble and except for the Gulf coast, not so much. They got me out pretty quickly as I was not going to buy into their discount plan. Regardless, I paid them ~$250 or three nights at Las Vegas Trump Hotel, and a $100 certificate at another Hilton property.

    I got to visit my Aunt Jane, brothers George, Charles, and Will, and stay in a Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. To Las Vegas, 1,888 miles costing $166 of SuperCharger fees. The longest, single drive segment ~1,300 miles took 30 hours. Tesla cross country driving consists of:
    • drive 1.5 to 2.5 hours
    • stop at fast food or mini-market for biology break and snack
    • 20 minutes charging for next segment
      • snack
      • walk
      • cat nap
    • Autopilot does the driving while I supervise
    I'm home and after catching up on sleep, I'm happy to be home.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #14 bwilson4web, Mar 19, 2023
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2023
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