Be honest: is SCing on a long trip annoying?

[kort677]

It's a local television news station. Don't get your conspiratorial panties in a bunch.

local news are even more incompetent, they can't even read the scripts right

 

[wdolson]

Yes, that's what I said in my post. They phased out the credit in GA. Sales of EVs dropped by 90% the month after the tax credit went away.

They did also add the EV registration charge (but $200/yr vs $250) you mentioned. That registration charge was irritating because it was meant to replace the revenue from the gasoline tax that EV drivers weren't paying that they argue goes to maintain the roads, etc., but a car that gets 25 mpg and is driven 15,000 miles per year would only generate about $165 in taxes so EVs are getting way over-charged.

Washington State did the same thing. There still is a sales tax holiday on cheaper EVs (below $42K), but they not only started an EV tax, but they raised it this last year. What is very unfair IMO is that pure EVs get taxed, but hybrids don't.

 

[wdolson]

local news are even more incompetent, they can't even read the scripts right

It varies by market. Local news people in larger cities tend to be better quality than small towns. The stations in the larger cities can afford to pay better. In Los Angeles a lot of the news people are out of work actors and other people trying to break into the entertainment industry. The main weather guy on KNBC in Los Angeles when I was a kid was Pat Sajak. At the same time Connie Chung was an anchor on KNXT (now KCBS). The LA market also had some news people who had been on air for a long time. Hal Fishman anchored the KTLA newscast throughout most of my childhood and had been on the air long before that.

I lived in Bakersfield and San Luis Obispo during college and the news people in those markets were definitely minor league compared to the LA news people.

 

[Gremlin]

So I love how Tesla has more or less eliminated range anxiety with their rapid buildout of SCs nationwide in the US. But I've been mapping out some long trips on evtripplanner.com. Because SCs are currently spaced so that you really can't afford to skip one (even if you have the 90D), it seems like the longest you can drive (on average) in a leg is about 2 or 2.5 hours. Then you have to stop for 30-60 minutes.

For those who've done significant long distance trips, doesn't this get tiring/annoying? Compare it to an ICE car where you could literally go 4-5 hours without stopping (and maybe more) if you wanted to.

Driving to Cincinnati from VA it was a pain. Cold weather and mountain rage took my normal range away (going up). One Supercharge (Wheeling WV area) stop read 50 minutes so took at late lunch. With a 90D won't be making as much stops :- P I will say this, I was A LOT fresher and rested than if I did that in an ICE vehicle when I was 30. That is for sure.

 

[ohmman]

I don't think this angle has been mentioned yet, but I'm considering purchasing an Airstream travel trailer to pull behind my X. The ground has been broken on that concept. Range is clearly a concern, but it's manageable with some planning (and for me, that's a big part of the fun). However, charging to 100% at Superchargers on a relatively frequent basis is going to make for vastly increased times at the Supercharger. That time doesn't include unhitching when necessary (@JimVandegriff seemed to make it work much of the time without doing so, but that all depends on the congestion at the charger).

Will it be annoying? That's a pretty big concern for me. The upside is that you've got your own travel trailer with you, so you're not sitting in the car waiting. You can make your own food, get some work done, get on TMC and make snarky posts, etc. But as far as "getting there," it could get frustrating.

 

[RogerHScott]

get on TMC and make snarky posts, etc. But as far as "getting there," it could get frustrating.

But if you can do the former, why would you care about the latter?

 

[kort677]

I don't think this angle has been mentioned yet, but I'm considering purchasing an Airstream travel trailer to pull behind my X. The ground has been broken on that concept. Range is clearly a concern, but it's manageable with some planning (and for me, that's a big part of the fun). However, charging to 100% at Superchargers on a relatively frequent basis is going to make for vastly increased times at the Supercharger. That time doesn't include unhitching when necessary (@JimVandegriff seemed to make it work much of the time without doing so, but that all depends on the congestion at the charger).

Will it be annoying? That's a pretty big concern for me. The upside is that you've got your own travel trailer with you, so you're not sitting in the car waiting. You can make your own food, get some work done, get on TMC and make snarky posts, etc. But as far as "getting there," it could get frustrating.

I think the X is the wrong tool for this job.

 

[ohmman]

I think the X is the wrong tool for this job.

It's not the easiest. That doesn't make it wrong.

My personal commitment is not to own an ICE. Therefore, the X is the only tool available to me. I wouldn't get a travel trailer otherwise.

 

[aesculus]

I don't think this angle has been mentioned yet, but I'm considering purchasing an Airstream travel trailer to pull behind my X.

I think I see drafting in your future. Can you say Convoy?

As you pointed out having to charge to 100% could be a real deal killer. Anything you can do to arrive at a supercharger where you only have to charge to 90% would be game changer.

 

[kort677]

It's not the easiest. That doesn't make it wrong.

My personal commitment is not to own an ICE. Therefore, the X is the only tool available to me. I wouldn't get a travel trailer otherwise.

maybe the trailer isn't the best idea. J/S

 

[WannabeOwner]

Bjorn seems to manage OK with MX + Trailer. He does seem to spend more time charging at Chademo stops, than before (i.e. where range compromised such that he cannot make the hop to next Supercharger, which he would easily be able to do without trailer)

... perhaps a love of Burgers is a pre-requisite?

 

[ElectricTundra]

However, charging to 100% at Superchargers on a relatively frequent basis is going to make for vastly increased times at the Supercharger.

What are the biggest contributors to higher energy use and what can be done to alleviate some bit? Maybe time to introduce the Airstream folks to the aerodynamics folks at Tesla. The new Airstream Hover could lower rolling resistance a bit and possibly even reduce the weight penalty.

 

[ohmman]

What are the biggest contributors to higher energy use and what can be done to alleviate some bit? Maybe time to introduce the Airstream folks to the aerodynamics folks at Tesla. The new Airstream Hover could lower rolling resistance a bit and possibly even reduce the weight penalty.

The biggest contributor is air resistance. We have a few threads on this - here and here are good ones. As @aesculus notes, drafting is likely beneficial. Lowering one's speed is the easiest and best way to extend range, but is difficult to do on interstates (which are also where most of the Superchargers are located).

As far as aerodynamics, the Bowlus Road Chief is already winning that game. It just didn't really fit in the "accessory" budget for me, and it's not great for a family of four.

 

[ElectricTundra]

Bowlus looks pretty nice but seems it would be tight for a family. Nice blog write up on pulling it behind an X.

 

[cpa]

The biggest contributor is air resistance. We have a few threads on this - here and here are good ones. As @aesculus notes, drafting is likely beneficial. Lowering one's speed is the easiest and best way to extend range, but is difficult to do on interstates (which are also where most of the Superchargers are located).

As far as aerodynamics, the Bowlus Road Chief is already winning that game. It just didn't really fit in the "accessory" budget for me, and it's not great for a family of four.

But, Ohmman, you know that in California the maximum speed limit for automobiles towing a trailer is fifty-five, that's 5 - 5 miles per hour. That speed should increase your range by at least 25-30 miles while you tow your home away from home. And I just know that you are assiduous in adhering to all traffic laws.

 

[ohmman]

And I just know that you are assiduous in adhering to all traffic laws.

Oh, I'm most certainly something of an ass...isudous individual.

 

[David99]

Will it be annoying? That's a pretty big concern for me. The upside is that you've got your own travel trailer with you, so you're not sitting in the car waiting. You can make your own food, get some work done, get on TMC and make snarky posts, etc. But as far as "getting there," it could get frustrating.

When I go on long road trips, charging does get annoying without a trailer. I suppose it depends on how you make your trip. If the goal is getting from A to B quickly and it requires a lot of charging stops, then yes it will really slow you down to have a trailer. Even in my S without a trailer there are many legs where I have to charge to 80% or more to make it to the next one comfortable. I can't imaging the extra time and slower drive time with a trailer. But then, if you plan your entire trip more relaxed, it might be OK. After seeing all the videos and experiences of people towing trailers with their Teslas I personally really think it's not there yet. Range is so much reduced.

 

[roblab]

The biggest contributor is air resistance. We have a few threads on this - here and here are good ones. As @aesculus notes, drafting is likely beneficial. Lowering one's speed is the easiest and best way to extend range, but is difficult to do on interstates (which are also where most of the Superchargers are located).

Why is it "difficult to do on interstates?" I see trucks, cars pulling trailers (just like Model X!), old cars, old pickups, etc., driving well below the speed limit. The difficulty seems, to me, to be psychological. Everybody wants to get there as fast as possible. When people are passing, it becomes hard to hold a speed. But that's what cruise is all about.

Was talking to my daughter today, and she was complaining about almost being unable to make it to the SC on the way to LA. The problem? She want to do 80 mph. She'd have tons of range if she'd slow DOWN 5 or 10 mph, but her response, maybe like yours, was, "yeah, but you don't have 4 kids." But slowing down, even a couple miles an hour, putting it on cruise, you will get the range. Yeah. I know. "It's difficult."

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

I don't think this angle has been mentioned yet, but I'm considering purchasing an Airstream travel trailer to pull behind my X. The ground has been broken on that concept. Range is clearly a concern, but it's manageable with some planning (and for me, that's a big part of the fun). However, charging to 100% at Superchargers on a relatively frequent basis is going to make for vastly increased times at the Supercharger. That time doesn't include unhitching when necessary (@JimVandegriff seemed to make it work much of the time without doing so, but that all depends on the congestion at the charger).

Will it be annoying? That's a pretty big concern for me. The upside is that you've got your own travel trailer with you, so you're not sitting in the car waiting. You can make your own food, get some work done, get on TMC and make snarky posts, etc. But as far as "getting there," it could get frustrating.

Sounds like fun to me. I would do it.

 

[Cyclone]

You don't find gas stations being 5 minutes -- or even 2 minutes -- off of the highway.

You do in some parts of Charlotte - Miami trips! But usually you just go to a different exit rather than driving the couple miles to the gas station.