Considering a Seattle/LA/Seattle Drive

[ibdb]

I was picked for a golden ticket for the Model ≡ reveal. I'm trying to figure out the logistics of making the trip now.

I know that I'd have 100% supercharger coverage for the trip if I chose to drive it and am wondering if any one here has had any recent experiences with the route. As much as I'd like to make it a scenic drive, I have commitments back in Seattle on Saturday after the reveal, and most likely wouldn't be able to leave Seattle before Wednesday.

I've driven Seattle/San Diego and San Diego/Seattle in an ICE more than once driving solo, so I'm familiar with the route and the distance, but I'd like to hear from any Model S drivers who've made the trip more recently. I'll have a co-driver/passenger for this trip who also has more than a few long road trips in their history.

Flying down and back is still an option, too, but comes with some logistical issues of its own.

 

[ChadS]

I used to make that trip frequently in a Roadster. The first time I used campgrounds; after that we had HPCs installed. AFAIK they are all still running, but I haven't actually tried it for over 2 years. There is a lot of waiting on L2.

I've done it a few times in a Model S, though it's been over a year since the last time. No issues at all - the Superchargers are plenty close together. It's easy to take bio breaks and eat meals at Superchargers, though some stops are definitely better than others. You can make it to the Bay area in one day, though it's a pretty long day. I haven't tried driving farther than that without stopping at a campground or hotel. Traveling during the week, I don't think (?) you'll hit any crowding at Superchargers, except perhaps close to the reveal event if many people are driving.

If there's more specific info you'd like to know, please let us know.

 

[brianman]

Gratz on your ticket. /jealous

I already have a trip planned thru CA next week -- with the original intent of going to the Reveal. Alas no ticket. F it. I'm going to CA to see Tesla enthusiasts anyway. Probably won't make it to LA though without the Reveal to motivate me.

 

[Zextraterrestrial]

Gratz on your ticket. /jealous

I already have a trip planned thru CA next week -- with the original intent of going to the Reveal. Alas no ticket. F it. I'm going to CA to see Tesla enthusiasts anyway. Probably won't make it to LA though without the Reveal to motivate me.

next weekend is the Spring Enduro in Medford. If you happen to be passing through then I will be race practicing on Saturday and racing Sunday morning.

 

[brianman]

I have commitments back in Seattle on Saturday after the reveal, and most likely wouldn't be able to leave Seattle before Wednesday.

Napkin calculation....
1. evttripplanner.com
2. Seattle, WA
3. Hawthorne, CA
4. Route thru Superchargers
Distance 1182.5 miles
Driving Time 18:51

Let's estimate 1 hr charging per 200 miles -> (1182-200)/200 ~= 5 hours

A.
Let's estimate you go 80 mph the whole way (unlikely) -> 15 hours
Trip duration: 20 hours

B.
A more realistic 70mph the whole way (less unlikely) -> 17 hours
Trip duration: 22 hours

C.
A likely 60mph average -> 20 hours
Trip duration: 25 hours

Both of your constraints are achievable but I highly recommend having at least 2 drivers unless you want to a dangerous trip home.

 

[brianman]

Also a bit more data:

Single driver experience Bellevue to/from Mountain View:

• Chevy Equinox: 13 hours
• Mercury - P85D with 100% charge limit and 120 kW supercharging: 17 hours
• Tess - P85 Sig with 90% charge limit and 90 kW supercharging: 18.5 hours

I think I could probably do 16 hours in Mercury if I avoid traffic and construction, and it was summer weather.

 

[ibdb]

You guys were supposed to find some miracle math that showed me how wrong I was, and that the trip actually would take a lot less time than I'd thought.

Thanks for confirming what I was thinking. It's easily doable, but not easily doable in the time I have available. Looks like I'd better start looking for airfare.

 

[BigB]

I am leaving from home, in Prince Rupert BC. For those not knowing 207 miles south of Ketchikan. As it took me 4 days and 9 hours to drive home from Vancouver, BC, when I bough my Ethos, Tesla S P85.

I am taking the Ferry from Rupert to Vancouver island (port Hardy) and then headed down island to Victoria. (any help on that route will easy my wife and kids pain of the un known) I'd like to be into to Victoria as quick as possible.

An evening and a day stop at a friends in Vic. Then we will catch the Port Angeles ferry to Washington state or to Vancouver if the ferry to Washington does not fit our schedule.

We hope for the Port Angeles route then I'd like to make the drive via the senic coastal highway, this is where I really need the help.

Do you know where I can charge. If I have to zip inland a hr to beat a multi hour charge, so be it. But I'd like some info if any one has done this scenic drive. I've done it 4-5 times in my life as a kid, it is an epic drive as to why I'm doing it with my kids, and not in an I.C.E. and to go escape out abnormaly long snowy, cold and most dry, winter up here in Northern BC.

We leave Victoria on March twentieth and are to be in San Clemente by the twenty fourth. Hang for a week and then possibly to Arizona to suprize the grandparent or a liesurily drive back to Vic, up island to port hardy and back to the Rup, Where I hope winter and the copious amiuts of snow have been washed away!

 

[PLUS EV]

I am leaving from home, in Prince Rupert BC. For those not knowing 207 miles south of Ketchikan. As it took me 4 days and 9 hours to drive home from Vancouver, BC, when I bough my Ethos, Tesla S P85.

I am taking the Ferry from Rupert to Vancouver island (port Hardy) and then headed down island to Victoria. (any help on that route will easy my wife and kids pain of the un known) I'd like to be into to Victoria as quick as possible.

An evening and a day stop at a friends in Vic. Then we will catch the Port Angeles ferry to Washington state or to Vancouver if the ferry to Washington does not fit our schedule.

We hope for the Port Angeles route then I'd like to make the drive via the senic coastal highway, this is where I really need the help.

Do you know where I can charge. If I have to zip inland a hr to beat a multi hour charge, so be it. But I'd like some info if any one has done this scenic drive. I've done it 4-5 times in my life as a kid, it is an epic drive as to why I'm doing it with my kids, and not in an I.C.E. and to go escape out abnormaly long snowy, cold and most dry, winter up here in Northern BC.

We leave Victoria on March twentieth and are to be in San Clemente by the twenty fourth. Hang for a week and then possibly to Arizona to suprize the grandparent or a liesurily drive back to Vic, up island to port hardy and back to the Rup, Where I hope winter and the copious amiuts of snow have been washed away!

I've done this entire drive in an ICE before and I've done most of it in my Tesla. The parts that I haven't yet done in my Tesla (Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island), I have researched a bit.

So if I were you, I would obviously leave home with a full charge, then plan to stop for lunch or dinner or whatever in Campbell River while you charge there. If for some reason you whiff in Campbell River, there should be plenty of places in Nanaimo for backup. You'll need to do some research on Plugshare to get some ideas of where to charge (I just looked and you should be fine). Then be sure to charge overnight in Victoria. You'll need to zoom in on the area where you are staying to find something nearby where you can plug in overnight. This might require some phone calls to verify that you can charge overnight and you might need your friends to drive you to/from the charging station.

After that, if you take the ferry to Vancouver, you are on the supercharger highway and have nothing left to worry about. I would definitely recommend going the Port Angeles route however! And if you go that way, as long as you don't stray from Highway 101, you should be fine all the way to the Aberdeen supercharger regardless which way you decide to drive around the peninsula. At that point you are on the supercharger highway and you are fine and have nothing to worry about. In fact, you can drive the entire west coast on 101 or I-5 with only superchargers. You can even take the PCH in central CA as long as the road isn't washed out after this awful winter! Happy travels!

 

[jrover]

We did the Olympic Peninsula last year before the Aberdeen Supercharger was in place and were happy we brought our UMC Charger as there was a NEMA 14-50 plug in Port Angeles near the Ferry terminal (next to Red Lion). We also ended up staying in a Destination Charger - the George Washington Inn to get a complete charge overnight and headed up to Hurricane Ridge in the morning.

 

[NeverFollow]

1. evttripplanner.com

EV Trip Planner
(evtripplanner.com)

 

[NeverFollow]

next weekend is the Spring Enduro in Medford.

Going to Seattle from San Francisco, I previously made a little detour near Medford to go to Crater Lake,

and stay in a Bed and Breakfast just by the Rogue river. This was a very memorable moment.

Really worth taking an extra day if you can.

 

[BigB]

Hi All

Thank you, for the input.

I arrived on Vancouver island at port hardy, from home in Rupert. I had pretty much a full charge.

Stopped at the PH visitors center let the kids play and to see what the amps are at the charger 80amp.

Drove down island after a breakfast, Stopped at Woss, they had a 80Amp. After this they are 30 amps until you get to Courtney, The westerly hotel has a 80amp and a Tesla charger, they are through the main lot under the building on the far wall, near is the forbidden brewery,

Next stop was Nanaimo at the convention center at a chademo. Ate up the block at the firehouse, 1:20 min to full.

Victoria we were good for charge the 1st day we arrived . When we went walking the waterfront on day two we parked at the coast Victoria Harbourside on Kingston. 80 amps for 3 hours.

Late that night, I stopped in at uptown shopping center. Rode my one wheel for a hour, got a 80% to head over to port Angeles.


From here we drove 101 down to San Clemente. The tesla superchargers are awesome. Only concern was from Lincoln city to Bandon. We stopped at a hotel with tesla destation charger watchef a movie in the car for 30 min. Raining. Then went on. We had stopped at the Fredmyer chademo But it did not work

While in cali had a few warranty issues taken care of, Tesla made my visit awesome. Best auto service I've ever had.

Thank you, Tesla Costa Mesa, California. Above and beyond.

I long for the day to have the supercharger network on my local highways. Highway 16, 97, 37 andthe Vancouver island highway. Days of 10-14 hour stops ever city to be gone.

Now in Mesa. Info on where is quick to charge here, please. Went to a Blink today by Sears. $10.

Here for a few days a week. Then to the canyon and I think we may go through Yellowstone? Then back to the coast and back to Vancouver and then to Victoria and up island to the ferry and back to Prince Rupert