Can someone program a trip in SR+ for me, please?

[Blucenturion]

My car arrives tomorrow. On Friday we have a baseball game that is 203 mi distant. For planning purposes, can someone with an SR+ program Mckinleyville, CA to Mt Shasta Supercharger? Redding is midway, but they're apt to be still building the place, and not open yet. Thanks in advance!

 

[pdx3181]

Try A Better Routeplanner

 

[Blucenturion]

I did, it takes me thru Grants Pass OR, and adds two hours. My preferred route, is SR 299 thru Redding, I-5 Mt Shasta

 

[pdx3181]

Try A Better Routeplanner

Well, I just looked. Oddly, that routes you through Grants Pass, Oregon, which is a longer route. It appears you can't make that direct trip at normal speeds . . .

 

[powaking]

Hmm I just planned it and it says you should arrive with 10% if you leave with 100% but you can't go more than 44mph.

A Better Route Planner

Of course all is not lost. Check the plugshare.com site, it does show some J-1772 locations along the way. Even just making 1 stop along the way would get you to your destination.

 

[Blucenturion]

Hmm I just planned it and it says you should arrive with 10% if you leave with 100% but you can't go more than 44mph.

A Better Route Planner

Of course all is not lost. Check the plugshare.com site, it does show some J-1772 locations along the way. Even just making 1 stop along the way would get you to your destination.

That's my summation too; stop at Redding "just long enough to reach Mt Shasta charging". Thanks to you and PDX for the help!

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

That's my summation too; stop at Redding "just long enough to reach Mt Shasta charging". Thanks to you and PDX for the help!

I think you might be able to make it on a single charge. The route on 3 through Weed is shorter distance-wise (184 miles) but may involve more up and down and twisty roads (I have no idea).

Here is my Better Route Planner for this trip; it says arrive at 4% starting at 100%, with a route up I-5 (I turned off battery degradation, etc.):

A Better Routeplanner

It says 266Wh/mi - 25Wh/mi or so of that is due to elevation, and I think 240Wh/mi is probably high for the SR+ on this route.
It's hard to say - the up and down on this route will definitely hurt the economy, if you are forced to regen. Up-and-down is not great for efficiency if the hills are steep enough to force you into regen. Twisty roads don't help either.

This is a 4000-foot ascent, which, depending on how heavy your car is, deducts about 30 miles from the range (assuming 200 pounds of human in the car). If you have 300 extra pounds of people & stuff, that will add to the mile deduction a few miles (you'll get more miles back on the return as well).

But the SR+ is SO efficient - it is rated for 247 miles in reality - so you should be able to make 217 miles in ideal conditions at these relatively low speeds for much of the route. You'd want to skip the AC, etc., of course.

These roads are slow (except for I-5 of course); looks like largely below 55mph, so it should be very efficient on that section.

I guess you just see how you are doing and keep an eye on the predictions on the trip planner in the car. It would be cool to see if it could make it. Not ideal for the first long trip in the SR+ though. You have to be sure before heading up the grade to Mt. Shasta, of course. The good thing is that the really efficient section is first, so you should get a good idea.

The return will be no problem at all; you don't even need to charge to 100% - and you shouldn't since you'll be starting out downhill (I would do 85-90%, but it would depend on how I actually did on the outbound leg). Here is the return:

A Better Routeplanner

Honestly, in an SR+, I really think you could make the outbound route, if you were experienced at driving efficiently, just used the fan for cooling, dry conditions, no significant headwinds, etc. It does require that environmental factors be ideal, but the warm weather will improve your efficiency, if you can avoid AC most of the time.

Keep in mind you can drive a few miles below 0 rated miles (maybe just 2 if you are going uphill!). Not recommended though. Especially not with a brand new car you don't know.

 

[momo3605]

i will say on my SR+ for mostly flat freeway driving. I've done a couple 100-150 mile trips, when i was able to go 70mph the whole way, i averaged 225Wh/mile. The other time there was heavy traffic and my average speed was only like 30mph, that time I averaged 205Wh/mile.

So in general, SR+ is really efficient!

 

[Blucenturion]

Def doing Dest Chg in Redding, not trying for the whole enchilada. SR299 winds along Trinity River, sweeping turns, not a 45 mph road unless you're riding in back of a hearse. And speaking of AC! Redding is the center of Hades, well Red Bluff, really, but close anyway. I'l check efficiency at Redding for the 146 mi behind me, because that's one of only three ways we can leave Humboldt, so a pretty important route, and not one on which to dilly dally.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Def doing Dest Chg in Redding, not trying for the whole enchilada. SR299 winds along Trinity River, sweeping turns, not a 45 mph road unless you're riding in back of a hearse. And speaking of AC! Redding is the center of Hades, well Red Bluff, really, but close anyway. I'l check efficiency at Redding for the 146 mi behind me, because that's one of only three ways we can leave Humboldt, so a pretty important route, and not one on which to dilly dally.

Yeah, I know, it can be hot in Redding. I'm all for making sure you have your destination charging planned - makes sense to have that option for sure. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with your efficiency on that SR299 route though. It is very hilly (close to net zero gain in the end) but the speeds are low enough that I think you'll do really well. Just don't touch the brakes (but be safe!), and don't start downhills with a lot of speed and feather the accelerator to stay out of regen for as long as possible on the descent - you want to minimize regen to get maximum efficiency (while also never using the brakes). Regen is inherently inefficient, though much better than braking. (Definitely leave the car on standard regen.)

Report back with the numbers for how you did, if you can. Pictures of your trip meter/screen before and after each segment would be awesome to see!

Safe travels...

 

[pdx3181]

Yeah, I know, it can be hot in Redding. I'm all for making sure you have your destination charging planned - makes sense to have that option for sure. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with your efficiency on that SR299 route though. It is very hilly (close to net zero gain in the end) but the speeds are low enough that I think you'll do really well. Just don't touch the brakes (but be safe!), and don't start downhills with a lot of speed and feather the accelerator to stay out of regen for as long as possible on the descent - you want to minimize regen to get maximum efficiency (while also never using the brakes). Regen is inherently inefficient, though much better than braking. (Definitely leave the car on standard regen.)

Report back with the numbers for how you did, if you can. Pictures of your trip meter/screen before and after each segment would be awesome to see!

Safe travels...

I am curious about your perspective on using regular regen vs. low. I have read multiple times here that regen is inefficient, and that you should modulate the accelerator to stay out of it.

Wouldn't that be easier to achieve with low regen? Or do the cons of less regen slowing outweigh the modulation benefits (such as requiring more use of the brakes)?

I have always been confused by this.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Wouldn't that be easier to achieve with low regen? Or do the cons of less regen slowing outweigh the modulation benefits (such as requiring more use of the brakes)?

I have always been confused by this.

It depends on how good your accelerator pedal control is. In standard regen mode, you can achieve low regen by not releasing the accelerator all the way and keeping the bar at close to zero regen.

The only real difference as far as I can tell is how the accelerator position maps to the amount of regen (and obviously there is a limit to how much regen you can get in "low" mode, with the accelerator completely released).

So, if you have good control, you just leave it in standard regen, modulate with the accelerator, and then when you really need it (like a hill!) you release the accelerator and take the "hit" on the regen. The standard regen benefits you in those cases, because in low regen mode you'd have to use the brake.

If you're on a very flat route with no traffic, it might well be better to use low regen in some cases, just because you don't have to be as careful about the accelerator pedal. But in that mode you need to avoid using the brake instead - if you do that, it's not helping you. Also, in theory, with appropriate pedal control, it should be no different (and likely better in standard regen mode because for sudden unexpected slowdowns, you'll get some energy back).

To minimize regen, it is good to coast (no green bar, no black bar) up to the brow of a hill, bleeding off kinetic energy (speed) as you gain potential energy, and then just gradually pick up speed on the downhill (no green bar, no black bar), until regen is required. Without annoying other traffic of course! For a long enough, steep enough hill, there is no way to avoid regen - and you should be using standard regen for those cases.

 

[Blucenturion]

Okay, now I see how to manage battery consumption. All learned in one intense lesson! At Grant's Pass with the final 117 mi to reach Mt Shasta Supercharger, I put in 138 mi, a good 21 mi cushion. Only problem is I went nuts on the accelerator, unnecessarily wasting energy, before getting a warning that I was going to be six mi shy of my destination. I stopped in Yreka, hunkered down at a restaurant and called for a tow. That went completely sideways, AAA assigned the case to the wrong company, and didn't discover the mistake for two hours. It then took two additional hours for him to arrive. In the weird way luck works, it turned out to be providential that I had time to read the booklet on tow mode, as the driver had no clue about Teslas. I showed him paragraph, and let him see I selected Transport Mode on the touchscreen. His initial attempt to hook under the car didn't succeed, so he put straps in the wheels, as these photos illustrate. On my return to Grant's Pass I stayed at 65 mph, and arrived there having used 123 mi of juice to make the 117 mi trip, implying that the even spot would be 60 mph. Before I close, I'd like to ask where the gauge that looks like a tachometer is located. The post above alludes to it, I think, where regen is mentioned. I know I saw it in a post someplace

 

[MrMassTransit]

Thanks for the update! I'm a bit curious, you said you stopped in Yreka to wait for a tow. According to Plugshare, there's a Chargepoint L2 charger (J1772) and an RV park that offers 14-50 outlets to charge. Is there any reason why you didn't stop at either of those to charge, rather than being towed? Either of those should have been able to provide around 25 miles/hr of range. Given you just got the SR+, did it not come with either a 14-50 or J1772 adapter? I can see forgoing the former, but I'd never travel without a J1772 adapter - Level 2 charging stations are everywhere now and are great in a tight pinch like this. I'd highly recommend it if the car did not come with one.

 

[Blucenturion]

In another thread I reported that Tesla forgot the bag when the car was delivered on Friday.

 

[MrMassTransit]

In another thread I reported that Tesla forgot the bag when the car was delivered on Friday.

Ah, yes, I didn't put two and two together until now. Sorry to hear that their oversight caused such an inconvenience.

 

[AlanSubie4Life]

Okay, now I see how to manage battery consumption. All learned in one intense lesson! At Grant's Pass with the final 117 mi to reach Mt Shasta Supercharger, I put in 138 mi, a good 21 mi cushion. Only problem is I went nuts on the accelerator, unnecessarily wasting energy, before getting a warning that I was going to be six mi shy of my destination. I stopped in Yreka, hunkered down at a restaurant and called for a tow. That went completely sideways, AAA assigned the case to the wrong company, and didn't discover the mistake for two hours. It then took two additional hours for him to arrive. In the weird way luck works, it turned out to be providential that I had time to read the booklet on tow mode, as the driver had no clue about Teslas. I showed him paragraph, and let him see I selected Transport Mode on the touchscreen. His initial attempt to hook under the car didn't succeed, so he put straps in the wheels, as these photos illustrate. On my return to Grant's Pass I stayed at 65 mph, and arrived there having used 123 mi of juice to make the 117 mi trip, implying that the even spot would be 60 mph. Before I close, I'd like to ask where the gauge that looks like a tachometer is located. The post above alludes to it, I think, where regen is mentioned. I know I saw it in a post someplace

Well. That didn't go well. Though I have to say Tesla kind of hosed you by not giving you your UMC with the car, so you didn't even start at 100%...right? Any idea how many miles you started with? However, that UMC was not required for this trip, and you made the right call to go to Grant's Pass...unfortunately all downhill (figuratively, not literally) from there.

However...you should have been able to make this drive no problem, since you made it to the Grant's Pass Supercharger. Once you got there you should have been golden.

Were you using the trip planner (in the car) to determine what to charge to? Since that is uphill to Shasta, I think that it would have recommended MUCH more miles. If you program in your destination in the car, it should tell you exactly what you should charge to. It is not a good idea to ignore it - because it accounts for elevation and other factors. As you have discovered, the "miles" displayed on your car are units of energy - they don't tell you how far you can go - they really have very little to do with it, in fact.

You probably would have made it, if you had slowed down when it said you would be 6 miles short. You probably did not need the tow, though stopping at a safe spot was not unwise, I guess, and comfortable, presumably.

The thin horizontal bar below the speedometer shows green when regeneration is occurring, and black when you are consuming power.

Ideally the learning curve for charging on a road trip is not done with the very first drive... If you had had someone experienced along you would not have had a problem here.

 

[Blucenturion]

Pushing out 1,000 cars a day will lead to omissions. At least the car's condition was perfect, we were two looking at it, unable to find a single gig. The trip was a total gas, and I'm going to Reno this weekend. The baseball team will finish up this series of games there. They're in Chico now, but I need to regen at home.

 

[Blucenturion]

Well. That didn't go well. Though I have to say Tesla kind of hosed you by not giving you your UMC with the car, so you didn't even start at 100%...right? Any idea how many miles you started with? However, that UMC was not required for this trip, and you made the right call to go to Grant's Pass...unfortunately all downhill from there.

However...you should have been able to make this drive no problem, since you made it to the Grant's Pass Supercharger. Once you got there you should have been golden.

Were you using the trip planner (in the car) to determine what to charge to? Since that is uphill to Shasta, I think that it would have recommended MUCH more miles. If you program in your destination in the car, it should tell you exactly what you should charge to. It is not a good idea to ignore it - because it accounts for elevation and other factors. As you have discovered, the "miles" displayed on your car are units of energy - they don't tell you how far you can go - they really have very little to do with it, in fact.

You probably would have made it, if you had slowed down when it said you would be 6 miles short. You probably did not need the tow, though stopping at a safe spot was not unwise, I guess, and comfortable, presumably.

The thin horizontal bar below the speedometer shows green when regeneration is occurring, and black when you are consuming power.

Ideally the learning curve for charging on a road trip is not done with the very first drive... If you had had someone experienced along you would not have had a problem here.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Okay, now I see how to manage battery consumption. All learned in one intense lesson! At Grant's Pass with the final 117 mi to reach Mt Shasta Supercharger, I put in 138 mi, a good 21 mi cushion. Only problem is I went nuts on the accelerator, unnecessarily wasting energy, before getting a warning that I was going to be six mi shy of my destination. I stopped in Yreka, hunkered down at a restaurant and called for a tow. That went completely sideways, AAA assigned the case to the wrong company, and didn't discover the mistake for two hours. It then took two additional hours for him to arrive. In the weird way luck works, it turned out to be providential that I had time to read the booklet on tow mode, as the driver had no clue about Teslas. I showed him paragraph, and let him see I selected Transport Mode on the touchscreen. His initial attempt to hook under the car didn't succeed, so he put straps in the wheels, as these photos illustrate. On my return to Grant's Pass I stayed at 65 mph, and arrived there having used 123 mi of juice to make the 117 mi trip, implying that the even spot would be 60 mph. Before I close, I'd like to ask where the gauge that looks like a tachometer is located. The post above alludes to it, I think, where regen is mentioned. I know I saw it in a post someplace

It's generally much faster for overall travel time to charge more and drive faster. Also, then if the nav tells you you're not going to make it you can easily slow down. I think I can confidently say that your road trip experience can only get better from here!