Did not make it to Mountains :( Please advise

[bell2041]

Hello everybody,

I took a 24 hours loaner P100D Model X (was brand new with 50 miles on the odometer) with 22" rims and was driving at 33F outside.

I left the house (zip code 11223) with 200miles range for 96 miles trip to Catskill (zip code 18372) and it showed me that I will be arriving with 12% battery left. After about 20 miles, Tesla started waning me that I need to drive 65mph or less to rich the destination, which I did (I was driving 74mph before). I did turn the "range" mode, but the % battery at the destination was still going down.

Halfway through my trip (at 56 actual miles left) Tesla showed me that I will arrive with 4% left and range went down to 76 miles, at this point, I freaked out and turned back.

There is no supercharges in the middle of the route, only at the destination. Did I do something wrong? or is a range of Tesla batteries is totally unreliable when going uphill?

Very confused and sad

 

[Derek Kessler]

Uphill is perfectly reliable — the trip calculator takes elevation into account.

What it doesn't measure is your payload and the weather. More weight means lower efficiency. But more importantly, child temperatures equally dramatically lower efficiency, and the car will rarely adjust appropriately even as the Wh average creeps up. You have a 100D, charge it fully for longer trips like this.

 

[Murph85]

Also 22" rims decrease the range by a good amount. There is an electec article saying 22.3% more power consumption switching from 20 inch rims to 22.

I wish the trip estimator showed it's math.

 

[BerTX]

Hello everybody,

I took a 24 hours loaner P100D Model X (was brand new with 50 miles on the odometer) with 22" rims and was driving at 33F outside.

I left the house (zip code 11223) with 200miles range for 96 miles trip to Catskill (zip code 18372) and it showed me that I will be arriving with 12% battery left. After about 20 miles, Tesla started waning me that I need to drive 65mph or less to rich the destination, which I did (I was driving 74mph before). I did turn the "range" mode, but the % battery at the destination was still going down.

Halfway through my trip (at 56 actual miles left) Tesla showed me that I will arrive with 4% left and range went down to 76 miles, at this point, I freaked out and turned back.

There is no supercharges in the middle of the route, only at the destination. Did I do something wrong? or is a range of Tesla batteries is totally unreliable when going uphill?

Very confused and sad

Definitely the cold weather (and lack of experience) that caused your issues. Also, when you put in your destination and it estimates your arrival battery state of charge, it is assuming you will be driving about 65 mph at 72 degrees F. Once you start driving, it will start taking the actual amount of energy you are using into account and revise the estimate. That is why you saw the sudden drop when you started driving 75 mph in 33 degree weather, which takes a lot more energy (whether in a gas car or an EV).

Doing what you did was the EV equivalent to leaving for the same trip in a gasoline car with 1/4 tank of gas and no credit cards or cash.

 

[scaesare]

Uphill is perfectly reliable — the trip calculator takes elevation into account.

Is this true for the on-board nav?

 

[skhenry81]

You need to trust the car. You are a victim of range anxiety. I was on a trip from Toronto to Manhattan last weekend and got to Superchargers with just 4% and 6% with no issue. Next time just take it easy and you find that you will make it with ease.

 

[HugoBoss]

Why didn't you charge before leaving?
We always charge when we're going on a longer drive. You never know anything could happen that you need the range. Just like a gas car, you top it up before longer drives.

 

[Derek Kessler]

Is this true for the on-board nav?

Yes.

 

[Shateam]

Why didn't you charge before leaving?
We always charge when we're going on a longer drive. You never know anything could happen that you need the range. Just like a gas car, you top it up before longer drives.

This ↑

 

[scaesare]

Yes.

Do you have any references for this?

I recall discussion some time back about the nav taking in to account elevation and wind, but don't recall any confirmation that it actually happened...

Thanks.

 

[Hoosier]

Cold weather dramatically reduces range. In my case usually by 40% when 40 F or lower and more when in the teens or less. In winter my X is a town vehicle. Period.

 

[BerTX]

Do you have any references for this?

I recall discussion some time back about the nav taking in to account elevation and wind, but don't recall any confirmation that it actually happened...

Thanks.

I remember the discussion you are referencing. The problem was that the statement was about elevation AND wind. The car does take elevation into account BUT NOT WIND OR TEMPERATURE.

 

[idoco]

Back of the napkin numbers I generally use.

20% hit for near freezing temps
5-10% hit for elevation/winds
10-15% hit for 22" tires
10% hit for speedover 65.

Yep...that sounds about right.

 

[ecarfan]

There is no supercharges in the middle of the route, only at the destination. Did I do something wrong?

You say you were driving a “loaner” but do not say if your own Tesla was in for service or if you have never owned a Tesla and the showroom let you borrow a Model X for you to try out.

I suspect the latter. So then I have to wonder if you asked for advice from the Tesla sales people about your planned trip or if you did any research in advance about the various factors that effect EV range. If not, I would say that was your first mistake.

Just like in a gasoline car, the EPA rated fuel efficiency (or battery range in the case of an EV) is measured under specific conditions and produce numbers which most people do not achieve in real life. The replies you have received in this thread do a good job explaining what happened to you during your trip.

I urge you to try the trip again after discussing it with the Tesla salespeople and absorbing the advice provided in this thread. With a little planning it is an easy trip for a Tesla. I want you to have a good experience and not get discouraged.

 

[bhzmark]

P100D Model X

with 200miles

Going uphill in the cold and you don't fully charge to at least 90%? Beginner mistake. Keep charged to 90% when you can, and range charge to 100 before setting out on any road trips to cover contingencies. Then never have any problems.

 

[Zero CO2]

there is a super charger in Kingston NY at eastern entrance to Catskills ... you need to charge up before entering the mountains....not to mention many areas in Catskills have no cell coverage so you will really be hosed in that case ...

 

[Zero CO2]

You may need to change your route(more miles) when driving an EV.....

 

[scaesare]

I remember the discussion you are referencing. The problem was that the statement was about elevation AND wind. The car does take elevation into account BUT NOT WIND OR TEMPERATURE.

I'm not disputing that it does... I don't have data one way or the other. I'm asking if anybody has a source for stating it does factor elevation in... or has any empirical evidence suggesting such.

I can't think of any routes around here where I could test this.

 

[mattack4000]

It definitely factors in elevation. When I came home from Tahoe, it knew I was going to burn very little juice. I used like 6% on 35 miles

 

[svp6]

The onboard trip energy calculator is outstanding and misleading at the same time:
1. The misleading part: it is always overly optimistic at the beginning. This can be particularly troublesome if you trust it and leave the supercharger when the app says you have enough to reach the next stop. I always take the worst case scenario and multiply what I need by 1.3 - and charge a little above that level. You may need more if you are going to have elevation / headwind / rain / snow.
2. The outstanding part: after 10-20 miles of re-balancing the calculations, the displayed range estimator becomes extremely accurate (it now included the weather / speed as you are already going through that. Bar any unforeseeable change (entering into storm / blizzard), it will be spot on for estimating the range. I would have trusted the estimated 4% at destination provided you do not change driving style.

What others have said (charging to full before trip) is obviously important. I also prefer to start slower, see what the trip estimator says after 10-20 miles, then adjust the speed upwards if it looks I have more than needed.