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Advice on a long drive..
- Thread starter as2324
- Start date
We just did a trip from Toronto, Ontario to Baltimore, Maryland with absolutely no issues. The on board computer give you the route and the supercharging stations and the information is very reliable. Just drive and enjoy the trip. It’s a fantastic car especially with the navigation on autopilot.
calebbender
Member
Just put in your destination and let your Model 3 route you accordingly. It will adjust your supercharger stops as needed based on how you are doing with your consumption. Bring your charging cable with your and look for places to charge while you are sleeping. I recently took a trip to Long Island and the hotel I stayed at had 3 chargers for EV's. My 3 was the only one charging and left each morning nicely charged. Range anxiety will happen a while for a new owner but there is nothing to be worried about. Enjoy your awesome car! I have the same one.
ModelNforNerd
Active Member
Where in VT? I'd plug the entire trip into Nav, and it will tell you where to charge along the way. However, once you're there, check out
Find Us | Tesla
For destination charging locations.
Try using plugshare and chargepoint to see if there are other chargers if there aren't any SC around your destination. Most ski places and some hotels have destination chargers included with the stay. Some towns have free chargers near their town halls as well if you're staying overnight near one.
Holo
Member
When I first got my Model S (about a year ago) I found the closest supercharger and went through the drill just to make sure everything went without a hitch before I started on a long trip. As expected, everything went smoothly so I was confident for the ride. You should know that in cold(ish) weather your max range will be less than the rated range of 300 miles (depending on how cold, how you drive, and how you keep the car warm inside)perhaps as low as 225 miles. However, there are many superchargers along your route so you shouldn't have to worry. Look at the supercharger map and get a sense of where you might want to stop to charge. Also, the car will recommend a charging stop but I generally like to charge sooner than the car suggests (just as a safety margin). All in all, you should have a fun and stress free trip! Congrats on the new car!
I have two bits of advice:
1. Watch David's video on long road trips. David Drives Electric
2. I have always wanted to know the status of surrounding superchargers when driving through an area with multiple superchargers. The Android phone app now shows this information and let's you send a destination to the car's navigation system. This is super cool.
Have fun!
1. Watch David's video on long road trips. David Drives Electric
2. I have always wanted to know the status of surrounding superchargers when driving through an area with multiple superchargers. The Android phone app now shows this information and let's you send a destination to the car's navigation system. This is super cool.
Have fun!
Knightshade
Well-Known Member
FWIW the tesla navigation will work- but often suggests making fewer, longer, stops- which isn't optimal compared to making more, shorter, stops.
Superchargers charge the fastest with lower battery, so stopping twice and charging 20% to 60% for example is much less total time spent charging than stopping once and charging 20% to 100%, even though both methods "add" 80% of battery capacity.
So generally you want to arrive at a supercharger with relatively low battery (10-20%) and charge just enough to get to the next supercharger with a similarly low battery, to maximize charging speed and minimize time spent AT the chargers.
I tend to use this tool to plan road trips-
A Better Routeplanner
Superchargers charge the fastest with lower battery, so stopping twice and charging 20% to 60% for example is much less total time spent charging than stopping once and charging 20% to 100%, even though both methods "add" 80% of battery capacity.
So generally you want to arrive at a supercharger with relatively low battery (10-20%) and charge just enough to get to the next supercharger with a similarly low battery, to maximize charging speed and minimize time spent AT the chargers.
I tend to use this tool to plan road trips-
A Better Routeplanner
dhrivnak
Active Member
I have taken a dozen long trips with NO issue or drama. The built in nav automatically routes you through the SuperChargers.
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Go Anywhere | Tesla works well for me. Just select the Model 3 option and your starting and end addresses. The day of the trip you just put the final destination in the cars navigation and it routes you through the require superchargers. I recommend leaving home with close to 100% battery.
If you are doing 5-10mph over the posted speed limit on the expressway, expect to use a bit more battery than the car thinks you will.
During my trip to Nashville, TN from Detroit, MI I drove about 75-80mph the entire way and I was arriving at superchargers with about 10% less range than it originally estimated. Headwind and a snowy roadway can also make a difference.
Above all, have fun and enjoy the comfortable ride!
If you are doing 5-10mph over the posted speed limit on the expressway, expect to use a bit more battery than the car thinks you will.
During my trip to Nashville, TN from Detroit, MI I drove about 75-80mph the entire way and I was arriving at superchargers with about 10% less range than it originally estimated. Headwind and a snowy roadway can also make a difference.
Above all, have fun and enjoy the comfortable ride!
bd7349
Member
Can confirm, A Better Route Planner is fantastic and suggests shorter stops than the in-car nav does which really can save a decent amount of time. Highly recommend checking it out. I drove from MA to Burlington, VT in December and it was super easy.
Huge tip: Charge as much as you can at the last supercharger station you're planning on hitting as the battery will charge at its fastest rate since it's warm from driving. DO NOT wait to try and supercharge your car after it has been sitting out in the cold, it'll charge extremely slowly since the battery will basically have become a giant cold brick. It's the opposite of what most people do with their gas cars (arrive to a destination close to empty and then fill up when leaving for the return trip).
M3BlueGeorgia
Active Member
I'll echo using the abetterrouteplanner.com website, because it allows you to set of parameters, such as outside temperature. Use it to create a route plan before leaving, so you have a good idea where to stop to Supercharge.
The built in navigation system sometimes offers dumb choices and (as people as said) does sub-optimal planning, but you should use it when driving.
When you Supercharge, decide where you will charge next and plug-in that destination while charging. When your expected arrival charge hits 20%, leave. Once you have confidence in your own route planning, or if there are intermediate Superchargers, you can go for a lower expected arrival charge level. Remember the fastest charging is when your charge level is low, and the slowest is as it gets closer to full.
Always Supercharge a warm battery, so (for example) when staying at a hotel charge on or shortly before arrival, not in the morning when your battery is cold.
Try to charge where you are staying, even if that means 120v/15A. Unless you have good destination charging or a nearby Supercharger, always arrive at your destination with a lot of charge.
Can't really comment on snow, but you should have good luck with AWD and all-season tires.
We use ABetterRoutePlanner to get a general idea of feasibility, what Superchargers to stop at, and timing. During the trip we use the nav to decide when to stop charging and hit the road (15% to 20% remaining at destination depending on how slow the charging or if we need to shop a bit more). We watch the percent remaining at destination carefully. If it is dropping we slow down a bit to keep it above 10%. The nav can't plan for a sudden rain or headwind, for example. Typically the nav tries for long charges and long driving segments. We usually just enter the next Supercharger on our list into the nav to get shorter drives and optimal trip times per the planner. Though I don't think the nav trip times a far off. The nav is also willing to have you drive a segment that requires a slower than normal speed to reach your destination, which again may be about the same trip time, but not fun.
RedModel3
Member
ModelNforNerd
Active Member
Vermont is usually good about their roads, especially the highways. Take it slow. and give the plows plenty of room. Not just for safety, but your paint. those plows pick up and fling everything in their path, not just snow.
We just returned from a trip from Colorado, to Florida and back. We were gone 9 days, only 4 days of driving. Used a better route planner for planning, then targeted specific superchargers. It was easy, safe, and the car drove most of it herself. Recommended as a good way to conquer range anxiety.
