Colorado Springs to Ski Resorts

[SodBuster493]

Picking up a model Y this afternoon and super excited. First EV, and have an obligatory range question.

I have found plenty of articles about Denver to I-70 ski resorts. But my question is from Colorado Springs. Round trip from my house to the Airport lot is 230 miles. The car is of course rated for 326 miles, so the distance is about 70% of the rated range. But there are a few mountain passes and not to mention skiing will cold soak the battery....anyone make this trip? Do I have a right to be worried? There seems to be only 2 truest public lvl 2 chargers in Breck.

 

[jcanoe]

Have you tried using ABetterRoutePlanner? It appears that it would be better if you go through Silverthorne for the return trip. Depending on your state of charge when you leave Breck you will need to charge at either at the Silverthorne SC or at the Idaho Springs SC.

 

[Lionel Hutz]

Used to live in that area. I'd be worried on range. With cold and the potential to be driving on wet/slushy roads, plus the significant elevation changes, you're asking a lot of the battery.

 

[MY2Ski]

I have been driving my Y here on Mt Hood Oregon and have seen some large changes in rated range with snow, cold and elevation changes. The good news is that you get back almost all of the elevation change drain on the way back down and it handles very well in the snow. That said I have been seeing much higher watt-hours/mile (690) and you should only count on around 50% of the warm/dry range. Going up the hill maybe only 33% but you get some back later.

 

[Jiver]

I do Colorado Springs to Steamboat. It's not an issue. The MY can make it in summer (one way) going non-stop. Winter is different and I recommend a small charging stop (and dinner), but why the worry? There are no less than 5 Superchargers between Colorado Springs and Steamboat. There are four between Colorado Springs and Breck. You have Park Meadows (I take 105 instead of I25 and skip this), Colorado Mills (just 3 miles north of C470/I70 off of 6), Idaho Springs, and Silverthorne. If you go to Steamboat you can throw in Kremmling.

When leaving Breck, if you make it to the top of the tunnel then you can almost coast back to Idaho Springs and maybe even Colorado Mills. I prefer Colorado Mills because it is much less congested than Idaho Springs. If you can't make the top of the tunnel you can stop at Silverthorne.

BTW, my airport round trip is about 170 miles from the Air Force Academy area. You must be farther south. Everything still applies. Just hit the most convenient Supercharger (if needed) and enjoy the fresh air.

 

[SodBuster493]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I will be pushing it to the limit. I’ll have to do a test run. There certainly are superchargers on the I-70 corridor, but that route can add 2-10 hours depending on weather and traffic. 24 is always pretty reliable.

Wish more places other than hotels would install chargers.

 

[jcanoe]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I will be pushing it to the limit. I’ll have to do a test run. There certainly are superchargers on the I-70 corridor, but that route can add 2-10 hours depending on weather and traffic. 24 is always pretty reliable.

Wish more places other than hotels would install chargers.

If you are staying in Breck overnight then bring your Tesla Mobile Connector with the 5-15 plug adapter and an extension cord. You would able to gain 3 to 4 miles of range per hour of charging. Over 12 or 24 hours it could make the difference.

 

[rvatornate]

Thanks everyone. Sounds like I will be pushing it to the limit. I’ll have to do a test run. There certainly are superchargers on the I-70 corridor, but that route can add 2-10 hours depending on weather and traffic. 24 is always pretty reliable.

Wish more places other than hotels would install chargers.

There is a new Chademo charger in Fairplay that recently opened according to Plugshare. You could drop in there if needed to and have the adapter.

 

[CO-comet]

Thanks for posting this question! I had the same concern. I was assuming I'd make it there on 24 and possibly back on 70 (ugh). The Fairplay charger seems interesting.

 

[SodBuster493]

Ooo. Thanks for the Fairplay tip. My PlugShare filters were hiding the Chademo charger in Fairplay. That adapter is expensive, but I make this trip about 15-20 times a year...so that might be worth it. Not that there is much in Fairplay, but even the J1772 there might be enough with a cup of coffee over at the Java Moose.

I’m thinking I’ll probably do a test run or two by going up via I-70 and hitting the super charger on the way in. That way I can see how much juice I need to get up and over Hoosier pass with a cold batter. Once I’m over Wilkerson pass, it’s all down hill.

 

[rvatornate]

Ooo. Thanks for the Fairplay tip. My PlugShare filters were hiding the Chademo charger in Fairplay. That adapter is expensive, but I make this trip about 15-20 times a year...so that might be worth it. Not that there is much in Fairplay, but even the J1772 there might be enough with a cup of coffee over at the Java Moose.

I’m thinking I’ll probably do a test run or two by going up via I-70 and hitting the super charger on the way in. That way I can see how much juice I need to get up and over Hoosier pass with a cold batter. Once I’m over Wilkerson pass, it’s all down hill.

We stopped at the new Chademo in Fairplay and grabbed some caffeine at the Java Moose on our way to Leadville yesterday. Charger was in great shape, but expensive. $.25 per Kw plus $.25 per minute. Thankfully the service was fast at the Moose, so we were only there for a bit. The electrons cost us more than the caffeine. Should work well though for an safety fill up on way back to the Springs!