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All EV Rally, BC 2 BC (Canada 2 Mexico) June 2013
- Thread starter TonyWilliams
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And car #6 will be at TesLive as well. Badges are still on the car. If you see us say "Hi"
First off, congratulations to all participants on a truly remarkable journey!
I had the opportunity to meet the drivers of the iMiev at the Surfin Cowboy meetup in San Juan. Just wanted to include a shout out to John and Lee that, IMO, they take the cake for demonstrating sincere dedication to EVs. Driving with only 60 miles of range is a true feat. I was amazed to learn about all the planning and thought that went into making the journey in the iMiev - including having to drive with no AC, having all windows up, and strapping ice packs to their heads (in the scorching heat of the Central Valley, of all places).
Car # 2 team, you guys rock! Way to go.
adiggs
Well-Known Member
As a participant in the rally (Roadster), something I've learned in a way that just doesn't work to read about - after driving through Washington and Oregon and seeing how the Leafs and iMiev did with the DC charging network, the importance of DC charging capability if you want to go somewhere just can't be understated. When the Superchargers got switched on along 101, the Model S's took off and drove circles around everybody else. It's easy to know that in your head, but seeing it in person emphasized it that much more.
And in Washington and Oregon when there weren't superchargers available, even with twin chargers, you are arguably better off in a Roadster (ignoring space constraints!) than a Model S simply because 4 miles/kWh is easy in the Roadster, and MS is more like 3 miles/kWh. That difference in efficiency is paid back in charging time, and when charging time at a 'fast' charger is (generously) mile/minute, the MS needs 33% more charging time to get back the same driving distance.
The Leafs and iMiev, when the charging network is well built out, are arguably better cars for traveling middle to longish distances than the Roadster, for the simple reason that they have the chademo / DC charging capability, and the Roadster doesn't. At the very least, they aren't worse off. (That means they are also in the same ballpark, or better at some distances, than Model S - the infrastructure is that important).
My takeaway is that Tesla is spot on with the emphasis on building out the Supercharger network. Driving a Model S along the network looks like its functionally equivalent to driving a gas car. Anybody coming along with a new electric car that doesn't have DC charging capability is building and selling a NEV, whether they call it that or not (or maybe it'd be a MEV - Metropolitan EV).
And in Washington and Oregon when there weren't superchargers available, even with twin chargers, you are arguably better off in a Roadster (ignoring space constraints!) than a Model S simply because 4 miles/kWh is easy in the Roadster, and MS is more like 3 miles/kWh. That difference in efficiency is paid back in charging time, and when charging time at a 'fast' charger is (generously) mile/minute, the MS needs 33% more charging time to get back the same driving distance.
The Leafs and iMiev, when the charging network is well built out, are arguably better cars for traveling middle to longish distances than the Roadster, for the simple reason that they have the chademo / DC charging capability, and the Roadster doesn't. At the very least, they aren't worse off. (That means they are also in the same ballpark, or better at some distances, than Model S - the infrastructure is that important).
My takeaway is that Tesla is spot on with the emphasis on building out the Supercharger network. Driving a Model S along the network looks like its functionally equivalent to driving a gas car. Anybody coming along with a new electric car that doesn't have DC charging capability is building and selling a NEV, whether they call it that or not (or maybe it'd be a MEV - Metropolitan EV).
60 miles is tough, indeed, but they weren't the only ones driving without air conditioning in 100F heat!!! My ankles got so swollen in Grants Pass, Oregon that I had difficulty walking.
My car was one of two that did not have DC charging!!!
That's exactly right. Absent Superchargers, the Roadster is a noticeably faster road-trip car because it charges much faster on a range basis. The Model S is a much more comfortable road-trip car. But Model S + Supercharger is perfection.
adiggs
Well-Known Member
I never got that bad off (swollen ankles from heat) - when it got hot, I cranked up the AC. Except for a couple of times where the car had to choose between driver and battery (with the car choosing battery over me), we had no trouble.
Interesting side note for Roadster owners who haven't tried this - besides 2 or 3 driving segments of ~150 miles that went off without a hitch, I also set forth on a segment of 175 miles or so during the return journey. There's no way prior to the road trip I would have willingly left a functioning and working charger and planned to not plug in again for >170 miles. After all those miles and experiences during the road trip, the 175 mile segment went off without a second thought. I'm confident I could do 200 miles, but mostly I know what to be watching so I'll know well ahead of time if I need to make a change.
So one suggestion I would make to everybody that is new to driving an electric car or who hasn't gone on even a short electric road trip - find an excuse that gets you away from your garage to do some charging somewhere else. Definitely do some planning for that trip ahead of time as well, but find an excuse and go for a drive. I think you'll be surprised at how much fun the trip can be (and yes, it's ok to use your AC too).
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