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MichFin
Member
This summer I took a trip to the west coast of Michigan and the only worry I had was if I would get enough charge at the cabin I rented to drive around west Michigan and make it back to the supercharger. It really was a silly worry because I ended up having tons of extra charge even with a 110 plug and I had a level 2 charger 10 miles away as a backup plan.
I will admit that Tesla's are not for everyone because I had to take the time to research my drive and supercharger stops (5 minutes with the EV trip planner). I also made sure to bring a 10 gauge extension cord so I could plug in at the cabin. Lastly, I used plugshare.com to identify nearby level 2 charging facilities in case I couldn't charge at the cabin. Some people just can't handle spending 10-15 minutes planning.
But remember this is a once a year drive to middle of nowhere. The rest of the time I have a little fairy come into my garage each night and fills up my car so never have to worry about stopping for gas.
I will admit that Tesla's are not for everyone because I had to take the time to research my drive and supercharger stops (5 minutes with the EV trip planner). I also made sure to bring a 10 gauge extension cord so I could plug in at the cabin. Lastly, I used plugshare.com to identify nearby level 2 charging facilities in case I couldn't charge at the cabin. Some people just can't handle spending 10-15 minutes planning.
But remember this is a once a year drive to middle of nowhere. The rest of the time I have a little fairy come into my garage each night and fills up my car so never have to worry about stopping for gas.
HankLloydRight
No Roads
I know it's a little bit of a walk down (and back up) the hill, but why not just walk down and eat at the restaurant? There are several down there.
swengl
Member
I don't consider myself a patient person, so the absence of SuperChargers can cause delays, which can be frustrating. The network of destination charging is constantly growing however and I've had to rely on it a few times in places where it just wouldn't be possible to make the trip without charging along the way. The most I've had to do to plan ahead was determine my route, the distance, the charging options and allow for about a 20% SOC buffer (to compensate for colder temps, wind, delays due to accidents, etc) and I usually call the destination charging spot to ensure the charger is working and that it is OK to use it. I've had very positive experiences at destination charging in that the business managers who sign up are very interested in green initiatives and they actually appreciate the fact that I stop by (show me a gas station owner that feels that way!). The extra planning and possible frustration is mitigated by the fuel cost savings and the sheer joy of driving (or allowing Autopilot to drive) the car. That can't be understated: The car is like nothing you've ever driven and if you drive a Tesla, chances are you won't want to go back to driving an ICE.
swengl
Member
+1 to ckessel's comments. If you are traveling the supercharger route, it's easy. Also, you really only need to charge long enough to get the next supercharger.
However, as ckessel points out, once you are off the supercharger routes things can change quickly. For example, this past summer I took a number of trips, for one of the main routes I wanted to use, there were no superchargers and practically no chargers of any kind. To make the trip work, I went about 70 miles out of my way just to get on the supercharger route, and even then I had to range charge at the last supercharger to make sure I could do a return (which didn't quite work out, but I was close).
The reality is that the Model S or X is not yet for everybody. That said, Tesla is doing a pretty good job of getting the supercharger network built out, and the number of destination chargers is increasing at a nice pace too. Before long, it won't be too much different road tripping with the Model S then with any other car.
However, as ckessel points out, once you are off the supercharger routes things can change quickly. For example, this past summer I took a number of trips, for one of the main routes I wanted to use, there were no superchargers and practically no chargers of any kind. To make the trip work, I went about 70 miles out of my way just to get on the supercharger route, and even then I had to range charge at the last supercharger to make sure I could do a return (which didn't quite work out, but I was close).
The reality is that the Model S or X is not yet for everybody. That said, Tesla is doing a pretty good job of getting the supercharger network built out, and the number of destination chargers is increasing at a nice pace too. Before long, it won't be too much different road tripping with the Model S then with any other car.
rogbmw
Member
I 100% agree with this statement. We recently cancelled our X reservation (very low 200's#) because it was going to be for the wife. We make trips into the Midwest frequentlyl, and quite simply there are parts of the country where the supercharger network is not sufficient, nor is it projected to be for some time, so we needed an ICE for those trips. Supercharging is great and timely, but charging at an RV park for several hours is not my ideal way of traveling. I love my S, and drive it every day. One just needs to look at their needs, and associated charging facilities in all areas to make an informed decision.
In some cases you can find a nice Tesla owner with an HPWC. When I got mine almost three years ago now, the only SCs were in California. We took several trips from DFW to Nebraska, and it was still better than driving the ICE. With a Tesla, getting there is 3/4 of the fun.
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