Brisbane - Winton Road Trip

[Vostok]

The Stats
3270km, 629kWh of charging and average efficiency of 192Wh/km.

Interesting stuff, since I will soon be doing a road trip to southern QLD and going inland but nowhere near as far as you.

Average efficiency of 192 Wh/km shows how far Tesla has come on the efficiency stakes (although S is obviously a big and heavy car). My Model 3 LR has a lifetime of 156 Wh/km and as posted in another thread, with climate control off I’ve done decent stints on highways at under 140 Wh/km.

I have planned ahead for my trip with a Type 2 - Type 2 cable and 5-pin UMC adaptor. Not cheap for something I may not need to use, but you can be sure regret would be writ large if it turned out I did need one of these but didn’t have it in the boot.

And yes, I checked with the more remote accommodation I’ll be staying at whether they have outdoor power points and can I use them to charge my car (when there is no indication on PlugShare). No problems so far. And I work out a “Plan B” if things go awry with Plan A.

I also checked routes using ABRP as wells as nav in Apple and Google maps. It’s interesting how they can pick slightly different routes and also how the distances don’t always agree. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Blue heaven]

The Stats
3270km, 629kWh of charging and average efficiency of 192Wh/km.
Total charging cost: $150 (including the Winton rip-off hotel of $70). Predicted petrol cost: $525 (assumed 8L/100km, $2/L)
View attachment 827742

So what did we learn from this?

• Always ring ahead. It's a good idea to check with hotel staff that the charge point is working, is accessible and they are happy for you to use it. This is also a good idea if you are relying on a GPO in a remote location.
• Make sure you enter your destination in the nav, so that you can get an estimate of battery state of charge on arrival. This number seems pretty accurate.
• If you're pushing the range limits, learn how to use the ABRP app. Being able to see the terrain profile before/during the trip is useful. It can save a bit of stress if you realise the start of our trip is a constant ascent, but the second half of the trip is a nice descent. Also regular small hills will chew up battery.
• I also found that to try and save range, it's a good idea to turn off cruise control on the hills. It does a damn good job at holding the speed to exact kilometre, but it will also jump to 100kW in no time. So if you come to a small hill and you know there's a decline on the other side, turn off cruise control, let the car drop 5km/h and pick up the speed on the decline.
• Learn how to use PlugShare to check available chargers. If there are no chargers in town, then contact the council. It seems most towns have a showground with 3-phase outlets.
• Make sure your phone will have reception in the bush. As I mentioned earlier, we are with Belong who are owned by Telstra and claim to cover 98.8% of the population. Apparently this does not cover the small regional towns and only works in the larger towns. I ended up taking a screenshot of ABRP before leaving.
• If you're charging and your phone has no reception, make sure you check on the car a few times. Particularly if charging off a GPO off a poor quality power source
• When planning the trip, don't underestimate the car's efficiency. I had built a spreadsheet and estimated the trip on 180Wh/km, since I'd seen the car run at 160Wh/km around Brisbane highways. This was far too optimistic for country roads with hills. The average ended up being 196Wh/km. I also forgot to account for the battery degradation of about 10%. As I found ABRP will do a lot of this for you.
• Take lots of charging adapters and extension leads. If you are a TOCA member, then the charger loan program is fantastic.
• Take a tyre repair kit, compressor, etc.
• Have lots of fun! We loaded up on podcasts and audio books to keep the kids entertained and it worked well

You mention Winton being a rip off, what price were expecting before arrival?

 

[meloccom]

You have to remember that many remote sites run off a diesel generator set and you can’t assume city prices for electricity. Back in 2018 when I charged in Marla SA at the Roadhouse it was $50 per charge, oddly at Glendambo SA the day before they had only charged me $20 per charge even though the Roadhouses were owned and managed by the same people. I did question it but as I was only the second person ever to charge there, they were still working out pricing. $35 sounds like a reasonable compromise and should allow them to recover costs plus a bit more for profit and ongoing maintenance of the equipment.

 

[Willy81]

You mention Winton being a rip off, what price were expecting before arrival?

The other hotels I stayed at were free for guests and $20 or $25 if not a guest. So that’s why $35 seems a bit steep to me. They are not running off a diesel generator out there. Also, there “charger” was just a 3 phase outlet where as the other hotels were Tesla destination chargers, so very little / no maintenance required. Anyway, it is what it is. I’m happy they allowed me to charge, otherwise I would have been using the Showgrounds which looked very busy.

 

[Willy81]

Interesting stuff, since I will soon be doing a road trip to southern QLD and going inland but nowhere near as far as you.

Average efficiency of 192 Wh/km shows how far Tesla has come on the efficiency stakes (although S is obviously a big and heavy car). My Model 3 LR has a lifetime of 156 Wh/km and as posted in another thread, with climate control off I’ve done decent stints on highways at under 140 Wh/km.

I have planned ahead for my trip with a Type 2 - Type 2 cable and 5-pin UMC adaptor. Not cheap for something I may not need to use, but you can be sure regret would be writ large if it turned out I did need one of these but didn’t have it in the boot.

And yes, I checked with the more remote accommodation I’ll be staying at whether they have outdoor power points and can I use them to charge my car (when there is no indication on PlugShare). No problems so far. And I work out a “Plan B” if things go awry with Plan A.

I also checked routes using ABRP as wells as nav in Apple and Google maps. It’s interesting how they can pick slightly different routes and also how the distances don’t always agree. Better to be safe than sorry.

M3 LR stats are impressive. As you say, the S is a big car. We’ve actually ordered an MYP, so we are looking forward to the extra range.

 

[positiv]

You have to remember that many remote sites run off a diesel generator set and you can’t assume city prices for electricity. Back in 2018 when I charged in Marla SA at the Roadhouse it was $50 per charge, oddly at Glendambo SA the day before they had only charged me $20 per charge even though the Roadhouses were owned and managed by the same people. I did question it but as I was only the second person ever to charge there, they were still working out pricing. $35 sounds like a reasonable compromise and should allow them to recover costs plus a bit more for profit and ongoing maintenance of the equipment.

Winton is on the Ergon energy grid. Charging $35 for what is probably $15 of electricity from a measly three phase outlet is exorbitant. It's not even a destination charger.

 

[Vostok]

Winton is on the Ergon energy grid. Charging $35 for what is probably $15 of electricity from a measly three phase outlet is exorbitant. It's not even a destination charger.

Well, yes, but what‘s the alternative? It might be possible to ”shop around” different motels / campgrounds at a given location to find a better deal but to what, save $15? Not worth it. There’s also the convenience factor to consider.

The market will sort this out over time, and as more DCFCs and destination chargers work their way into more remote areas, and the opportunities for extracting super prices will diminish.

 

[moa999]

Exactly. It's also that these places aren't in the business of selling electricity so they don't really know whats appropriate.

At least it's not an equivalent markup to what most hotels charge at the minibar.

I think all we can do is educate hotels about what prices typically are for public charging, and that not everyone will be pulling 50-80kWh, some will just need a small top-up.

About 18months ago I had an interesting email discussion with a Vic hotel that had implemented a flat $20 charge. They had fairly cheap rooms, so the fee was reasonable for an overnight guest, but also a decent (and not so cheap) restaurant. Just didn't seem to get that by overcharging on a top-up they were probably losing out on lots of profitable lunches and dinners to other places in the area.

 

[Blue heaven]

Winton is on the Ergon energy grid. Charging $35 for what is probably $15 of electricity from a measly three phase outlet is exorbitant. It's not even a destination charger.

Winton is on the Ergon energy grid. Charging $35 for what is probably $15 of electricity from a measly three phase outlet is exorbitant. It's not even a destination charger.

62kwh x 40 cents is $24.80 not $15. Secondly $35 for a charge is certainly NOT exhorbitant, motel owners are not living in outback Winton for the nice beaches and restaurants overlooking the water. Thirdly don't under estimate the value of a 5 pin 3 phase plug, they're far more reliable than a destination charger, a guaranteed charge is everything when chargers are in short supply.

 

[positiv]

62kwh x 40 cents is $24.80 not $15. Secondly $35 for a charge is certainly NOT exhorbitant, motel owners are not living in outback Winton for the nice beaches and restaurants overlooking the water. Thirdly don't under estimate the value of a 5 pin 3 phase plug, they're far more reliable than a destination charger, a guaranteed charge is everything when chargers are in short supply.

If they're on Tariff 11 with Ergon then power would only be around 24c/kWh. What's reasonable is in the eye of the beholder, but I'm going to side with the OP here. I think $35 is too much to charge guests for the use of an outdoor power-point. Especially if you don't need a full charge.

 

[Willy81]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I’m contemplating whether I should email the owners and nicely discuss that their price might be a bit high. When I requested my refund I did tell them the total power usage just to give them an idea of how much energy EVs actually use. On the other hand, maybe I should shut up otherwise they might get angry and just stop all charging. In a year or so’s time there will be a QESH charger in Winton and then they will probably lose most of their (small) EV charging business. For me, the on-site charger was the only reason I booked this hotel. I do feel $70 in total is a bit rough
considering the second charge was a small one, but it still beats filling up on petrol

By the way, I suspect Winton is on the same grid at Mt Isa (400km away) which is islanded from the coast and powered by gas turbines, so perhaps their prices are legitimately high.

 

[cafz]

By the way, I suspect Winton is on the same grid at Mt Isa (400km away) which is islanded from the coast and powered by gas turbines, so perhaps their prices are legitimately high.

Winton is on the NEM, it's serviced by a 66kV transmission line from Hughenden.

 

[Blue heaven]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I’m contemplating whether I should email the owners and nicely discuss that their price might be a bit high. When I requested my refund I did tell them the total power usage just to give them an idea of how much energy EVs actually use. On the other hand, maybe I should shut up otherwise they might get angry and just stop all charging. In a year or so’s time there will be a QESH charger in Winton and then they will probably lose most of their (small) EV charging business. For me, the on-site charger was the only reason I booked this hotel. I do feel $70 in total is a bit rough
considering the second charge was a small one, but it still beats filling up on petrol

By the way, I suspect Winton is on the same grid at Mt Isa (400km away) which is islanded from the coast and powered by gas turbines, so perhaps their prices are legitimately high.

Probably best to let it be just in case the owners are having a tough day and decide to cut the charger off completly. Another 18 months and they'll be a DC charger in Winton. (And then you'll find all the locals will be offering competitive EV charging to attract overnight guests)

 

[Willy81]

Probably best to let it be just in case the owners are having a tough day and decide to cut the charger off completly. Another 18 months and they'll be a DC charger in Winton. (And then you'll find all the locals will be offering competitive EV charging to attract overnight guests)

Haha. When hotels are competing on EV charging! Won’t that be the day…