Central Valley CA (Modesto) to LA in a Model 3

[Runebane]

We did the drive a couple weekends ago, but from Visalia. I could have done it in one shot with the LR RWD, but we always stop at Wheeler (Tejon Ranch) anyway for a break, so we topped up there. From Modesto to Wheeler, in a P3D you should be close to 40% battery depending on what you start at, so it should charge back to 85% pretty quickly. And you said you had a destination charger, I don't see how it would take 2 charges to get to the destination. Of course it also depends on where in LA you are going to drive to.

As a note, I've been told by co-workers that the Fresno SC has lines now, but it's a smaller one anyway. I've never witnessed a line at Wheeler, but I try to time my trips to not hit LA during rush hour. The most I've seen is half full.

 

[RayK]

Modesto to Santa Clarita (about 280 miles) might be possible if you hit all of the right points:

100% charge at the beginning
Travel light
Smooth easy acceleration
Staying at or just below the speed limit (70)
No head wind
No heat or A/C
Go real easy up the Grapevine
Draft where possible

Modesto to Tejon Ranch (230 miles) is doable but there's only 8 chargers there so depending on luck, you may have to wait. On the plus side, charging will be fast. Fresno has 10 chargers and if you charge to 80% there you should make it at least to Glendale (213 miles but includes Grapevine). However, the SoC will be high so that means a slower charge there.

You could make it in one stop (either Fresno or Tejon) but if it's your first trip I would try hitting both and gauge your comfort on how the car performs under your normal driving style.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Modesto to Santa Clarita (about 280 miles) might be possible if you hit all of the right points:

With the 20" PS4S tires? abetterrouteplanner says no.

Modesto to Tejon Ranch (230 miles) is doable but there's only 8 chargers there so depending on luck, you may have to wait.

To me this would be a deal breaker if I had to take the trip more than once a month. Waiting for a supercharger is by far the worst part of the Tesla ownership experience IMHO. I've just driven a few hours and now I've got to sit in a parking lot, no thank you.

 

[RayK]

Which is why I first recommended that he stop at Kettleman City but his preferred route is down 99.

 

[Daniel in SD]

Which is why I first recommended that he stop at Kettleman City but his preferred route is down 99.

Yeah, it looks like Tesla needs more superchargers on the 99. Weird that there's not one in Bakersfield.
Anyway unless superchargers are placed optimally and not congested it's hard to recommend a Tesla to someone who's interested in traveling long distances as fast as possible on the interstate.

 

[RayK]

Weird that there's not one in Bakersfield.

Coming soon (2019) according to the SC map.

 

[asmite]

I recently did a few trips from Bakersfield to Tucson. It's a 600 miles drive that can be done in 8 hours if you keep your average speed at 75MPH. But, between 3 charging stops, it comes out to be about 10 hours. In actuality, my trip took almost 11 hours because SoCal superchargers are always full of Tesla. In the best case, I charge at half the speed (60kw) because stall next to me is also been used. Worse case, I actually had to wait 30 minutes before getting a spot.

So, if time is valuable to you in a long drive, ICE still beats EV hands down.

 

[Daniel in SD]

I recently did a few trips from Bakersfield to Tucson. It's a 600 miles drive that can be done in 8 hours if you keep your average speed at 75MPH. But, between 3 charging stops, it comes out to be about 10 hours. In actuality, my trip took almost 11 hours because SoCal superchargers are always full of Tesla. In the best case, I charge at half the speed (60kw) because stall next to me is also been used. Worse case, I actually had to wait 30 minutes before getting a spot.

So, if time is valuable to you in a long drive, ICE still beats EV hands down.

Is that really faster than driving through Barstow?
They should call the V3 supercharger a megacharger so that it's not subject to free unlimited supercharging and then charge a premium for it. That would make long distance travel much more competitive with ICE.

 

[Bruinfan]

There is no way you could make it to Santa Clarita from Modesto in a P3D unless you drove ridiculously slow.
At 45mph (the lower legal speed limit) abetterroutplanner says it could be done if you're willing to arrive with less than 10% charge.

well, it's 231 miles from modesto to tejon down 99.

you're telling me that the P3d will use 280 rated miles? I find that hard to believe.

evtripplanner says it will use 220 rated miles at 75mph, for a long range.. no distinction btwn AWD or RWD or P, but shouldn't be that far off.


so with 100 rated miles left, and 50 miles to get to Santa clarita... with half of it downhill... seems doable to me.

 

[Daniel in SD]

you're telling me that the P3d will use 280 rated miles? I find that hard to believe.

Believe it. Total range at 75mph is 240 miles.
abetterrouteplanner lets you set the model type. Set cruise at 59mph and you can make it there with 11% battery left: A Better Routeplanner

 

[Runebane]

Yeah, it looks like Tesla needs more superchargers on the 99. Weird that there's not one in Bakersfield.
Anyway unless superchargers are placed optimally and not congested it's hard to recommend a Tesla to someone who's interested in traveling long distances as fast as possible on the interstate.

They have several down the 99 that they supposed to be doing this year, including a 2nd in Fresno. Visalia is also supposed to get one.

 

[Daniel in SD]

They have several down the 99 that they supposed to be doing this year, including a 2nd in Fresno. Visalia is also supposed to get one.

Hopefully the Visalia one will be near the 99 and not actually in central Visalia (not that there's anything wrong with Visalia!).

 

[Runebane]

There's a newish area being built up near the 99, that's my guess for the location as they will have some amenities then. Honestly, they should have put it in Tulare near the Outlet Mall. There is so much more to do there movies, dining, shopping. Might be too expensive to get the land though.

 

[Bruinfan]

Believe it. Total range at 75mph is 240 miles.
abetterrouteplanner lets you set the model type. Set cruise at 59mph and you can make it there with 11% battery left: A Better Routeplanner

i tried to play with it... even with the Long range with Aero, it has the same numbers in the plan as the P3D, and as far as I can tell, both say you will arrive with 10%. I don't believe it.


I just drove 120 miles from Sac to past Santa Rosa, in the rain, and I only used 127 rated miles, at 75mph, no traffic most of the way. Most of the 7 mile loss was in the first 15 min.

Anytime I drive an hour or more at constant cruising speed, my wh/mi stays at 240-250 (assuming no wind or drastic elevation changes)

In this case, I'm going to trust evtripplanner more than abetterrouteplanner. No way you will lose 50 rated miles at 75mph on that drive, no wind.

and let's put it this way, if i have at least 80 miles at tejon, I think I can make it to santa clarita... only have to go <40 to get over the hill edit: make that <30.. it's 50 miles total)

 

[Daniel in SD]

i tried to play with it... even with the Long range with Aero, it has the same numbers in the plan as the P3D, and as far as I can tell, both say you will arrive with 10%. I don't believe it.


I just drove 120 miles from Sac to past Santa Rosa, in the rain, and I only used 127 rated miles, at 75mph, no traffic most of the way. Most of the 7 mile loss was in the first 15 min.

Anytime I drive an hour or more at constant cruising speed, my wh/mi stays at 240-250 (assuming no wind or drastic elevation changes)

In this case, I'm going to trust evtripplanner more than abetterrouteplanner. No way you will lose 50 rated miles at 75mph on that drive, no wind.

and let's put it this way, if i have at least 80 miles at tejon, I think I can make it to santa clarita... only have to go <40 to get over the hill

I get arrival with 27% charge remaining with aeros at 59mph: A Better Routeplanner
With aeros on RWD you can arrive a full 40 minutes faster (75mph vs. 59mph) with 11% remaining: A Better Routeplanner

Note that the Tejon Ranch charger is about 1000ft higher than Modesto too

 

[Bruinfan]

I get arrival with 27% charge remaining with aeros at 59mph: A Better Routeplanner
With aeros on RWD you can arrive a full 40 minutes faster (75mph vs. 59mph) with 11% remaining: A Better Routeplanner

Note that the Tejon Ranch charger is about 1000ft higher than Modesto too

and evtripplanner shows 30% remaining at 75mph. model3 LR

that seems too optimistic... but 11% seems way too pessimistic.

I've never lost close to 50 miles in my model 3, nonhilly, 75mph, no wind/rain.

1000ft elevation change over 200 miles is not a hilly drive... and coming down 5/99, it's driving up and down a bunch of dunes. (except at harris ranch, where it's a small climb and descent)

 

[Daniel in SD]

and evtripplanner shows 30% remaining at 75mph. model3 LR

that seems too optimistic... but 11% seems way too pessimistic.

I've never lost close to 50 miles in my model 3, nonhilly, 75mph, no wind/rain.

1000ft elevation change over 200 miles is not a hilly drive... and coming down 5/99, it's driving up and down a bunch of dunes. (except at harris ranch, where it's a small climb and descent)

abetterrouteplanner assumes 5% battery degradation (realistic after a year or so).
evtripplanner with a speed multiple of 1.13 seems to give 75mph, 229.5 miles travelled and 230 miles of rated range used so that's actually closer to 20% remaining if you start at 295miles. I'm not sure what the rest of the discrepancy is.
Anyway OP wanted to get the Performance and it's about 20% less efficient.
It's not that the route is hilly it's that you gain 1000ft of elevation. Isn't 6 miles or so per 1000ft?

 

[Runebane]

your abetterrouteplanner settings for LR RWD w/ aero 247wh/mi at 65mph is off, is that the default it uses?. I get better than that going 70mph on the freeway between Fresno and Visalia. A better wh/mi for LR RWD w/aero is 220wmi at 65mph. Not that it matters for the OP as he doesn't have LR RWD w/ aero.

 

[Daniel in SD]

your abetterrouteplanner settings for LR RWD w/ aero 247wh/mi at 65mph is off, is that the default it uses?. I get better than that going 70mph on the freeway between Fresno and Visalia. A better wh/mi for LR RWD w/aero is 220wmi at 65mph. Not that it matters for the OP as he doesn't have LR RWD w/ aero.

It appears to be the default.

 

[Runebane]

Weird. Thanks for the info.