Do I need to supercharge if traveling total of 182 miles both ways? (2023 MX)

[maytaurustiger]

Hello everyone, sorry if these are beginner questions because this will be the first time I'm going a bit far with an EV so I'm sort of nervous haha. I will be going somewhere total about 182 miles both ways (91 miles one way), and I'm trying to avoid needing to supercharge my car (2023 MX) since the resort I will be staying at don't have any chargers and I want to avoid leaving the resort by myself for safety reasons.

These are some of the questions I have:

1) I'm not sure what the real range is when charged to let's say 95% or even 100%. What level should I charge to if I want to avoid needing to supercharge?

2) I've heard that regen brake won't really work at 100% so is it better to just charge to 95% instead?

3) Do you usually have Sentry mode on when parked at a resort/hotel? I'll be there for like 2.5 days.

4) Anything else I should watch out for on my way there or anything I should prepare before driving 1.5-2 hours on the road? I have already refilled almost full bottle of windshield washer fluid so I should be good there.

Thank you in advance! Any input is appreciated!

 

[jjrandorin]

and I'm trying to avoid needing to supercharge my car (2023 MX) since the resort I will be staying at don't have any chargers and I want to avoid leaving the resort by myself for safety reasons.

Where are you driving in Southern Ca that there is no place at all for you to stop either on the way there or on the way back? Just because the resort doesnt have charging, that doesnt mean there is no place to charge on the way there or back.

Hello everyone, sorry if these are beginner questions because this will be the first time I'm going a bit far with an EV so I'm sort of nervous haha.

New Tesla EV owners tend to want to do this, with "this" being "Drive as far as possible without supercharging because...." (thats what I did in my ICE). Just plan on stopping somewhere on the way there or back, rather than trying to make it there and back and even wondering if you might or might not "make it".

 

[DCGOO]

Hello everyone, sorry if these are beginner questions because this will be the first time I'm going a bit far with an EV so I'm sort of nervous haha. I will be going somewhere total about 182 miles both ways (91 miles one way), and I'm trying to avoid needing to supercharge my car (2023 MX) since the resort I will be staying at don't have any chargers and I want to avoid leaving the resort by myself for safety reasons.

These are some of the questions I have:

1) I'm not sure what the real range is when charged to let's say 95% or even 100%. What level should I charge to if I want to avoid needing to supercharge?

2) I've heard that regen brake won't really work at 100% so is it better to just charge to 95% instead?

3) Do you usually have Sentry mode on when parked at a resort/hotel? I'll be there for like 2.5 days.

4) Anything else I should watch out for on my way there or anything I should prepare before driving 1.5-2 hours on the road? I have already refilled almost full bottle of windshield washer fluid so I should be good there.

Thank you in advance! Any input is appreciated!

I would charge to 100%. It is true, regen is limited at 100%, but that will not affect your driving after a few miles. See how much you consume getting there, and assume that is a reasonable estimate to get home. This might be different is there is a significant change in altitude. Sentry Mode does consume some energy, so you’ll have to decide if it is worth it. If you think you are going to come up short, you can always supercharge for five minutes, just to make sure you’ll make it home.

180 miles R/T should be easy. I have a trip I make routinely make that is 240 miles R/T. It is almost always there and back in the same day. Usually takes 40-45% to get there, and I drive at 80 mph. But with a little running around while I am there, I find that I usually stop at a supercharger for a couple of minutes on the way home. I try arrive at home with with 10%. Supercharges are expensive at roughly 35¢/kWh (In my area anyway). I can charge at home for 2.3¢/kWh, so I try to minimize supercharger time if I can.

 

[maytaurustiger]

Where are you driving in Southern Ca that there is no place at all for you to stop either on the way there or on the way back? Just because the resort doesnt have charging, that doesnt mean there is no place to charge on the way there or back.

Thank you for your input. I understand that there are superchargers nearby but I am just very afraid to be myself in a parking lot at an unfamiliar area perhaps at night too. That's my main concern. If I was with my hubby traveling then there's no issue at all. It'll be for work so I'm on my own. I'll try to look for one that's in a populated area if I end up needing to charge.

180 miles R/T should be easy. I have a trip I make routinely make that is 240 miles R/T. It is almost always there and back in the same day. Usually takes 40-45% to get there, and I drive at 80 mph. But with a little running around while I am there, I find that I usually stop at a supercharger for a couple of minutes on the way home. I try arrive at home with with 10%.

Thank you very much for the info! Yeah I forgot that supercharging is really fast so I don't have to be by myself for that long. I haven't supercharged since I got my car in March lol. Thanks again for your help!

 

[bruce4000]

When planning trips I use an app like “A Better Route Planner” while watching TV on my couch to get an idea, usually pretty accurate.

 

[SUP THO]

1) I'm not sure what the real range is when charged to let's say 95% or even 100%. What level should I charge to if I want to avoid needing to supercharge?

When going on a long roadtrip, I would charge to 100% and then take off. This will give you the max distance.

2) I've heard that regen brake won't really work at 100% so is it better to just charge to 95% instead?

Regen definitely doesn't feel the same around the 90-100% mark, but if you're mostly cruising on highway it is definitely less noticable. While doing city stop-and-go traffic, you'll need to apply your brakes like a traditional car.

3) Do you usually have Sentry mode on when parked at a resort/hotel? I'll be there for like 2.5 days.

Depends on the situation. If you feel safe and not worried about someone door dinging you or breaking into your car, I usually turn it off. You can save a few percentage/miles on your battery by turning this off for 2.5 days.

Turning off sentry also allows your car to go into "sleep" mode, saving battery.

4) Anything else I should watch out for on my way there or anything I should prepare before driving 1.5-2 hours on the road? I have already refilled almost full bottle of windshield washer fluid so I should be good there.

I would make note of your tire pressure and have it at optimal PSI (depends on your wheel/tire combo -- it should give you the recommended PSI on a sticker on the drivers side door). Having it at the optimal PSI will ensure you're running the max efficiency.

Also, if you are driving across a hot area and plan on using AC the entire drive, take this into account. Your car will use up battery with the AC on. On the plus side, if you are driving in a hot area, you'll get bettery efficiency compared to cold zones so it kind of evens out.

Overall, I think Superchargers are very safe. During the day, there is usually a fair amount of foot and car traffic. Just be sure to keep your doors locked when sitting in your car charging. Even if you plan on charging and grabbing a cup of coffee or bathroom break you should feel pretty safe during the daytime.

 

[Riceball777]

As long as you charge 100% before you leave and since the car will be parked for a few days when your there unplugged make sure to turn sentry mode and cabin over heat protection off you will have more then enough battery to get home with out charging. I have a 2022 model x plaid and I have done a few trips from los Angeles to san diego and back with out charging. These are 220-240miles trips and I usually get home with about 10%. In my opinion real life range for 2022+Model x is about 250miles. Real life to me is cruising at 80mph with climate control on.

 

[maytaurustiger]

I would make note of your tire pressure and have it at optimal PSI (depends on your wheel/tire combo -- it should give you the recommended PSI on a sticker on the drivers side door). Having it at the optimal PSI will ensure you're running the max efficiency.

Also, if you are driving across a hot area and plan on using AC the entire drive, take this into account. Your car will use up battery with the AC on. On the plus side, if you are driving in a hot area, you'll get bettery efficiency compared to cold zones so it kind of evens out.

Overall, I think Superchargers are very safe. During the day, there is usually a fair amount of foot and car traffic. Just be sure to keep your doors locked when sitting in your car charging. Even if you plan on charging and grabbing a cup of coffee or bathroom break you should feel pretty safe during the daytime.

Thank you sooo much for taking your time in answering all my inquiries! I will definitely keep all those in mind and thanks for the heads up on how braking works at 100%, super useful and important! Can't thank you enough!

As long as you charge 100% before you leave and since the car will be parked for a few days when your there unplugged make sure to turn sentry mode and cabin over heat protection off you will have more then enough battery to get home with out charging. I have a 2022 model x plaid and I have done a few trips from los Angeles to san diego and back with out charging. These are 220-240miles trips and I usually get home with about 10%. In my opinion real life range for 2022+Model x is about 250miles. Real life to me is cruising at 80mph with climate control on.

Thank you very much for the info and the suggestions! That's actually very very close to where I'm heading so that's perfect! I truly appreciate it!

 

[ngng]

Lots of good advice in here. My only additional suggestion would be to NOT push your car to a very low state of charge if you are new to road tripping in the Tesla. I would never push 10% on a route I am unfamiliar with. A quick charge is better insurance than running out of charge. In CA, there are plenty of SCs along major highways so this should be no problem.

 

[zoomer0056]

I can add one more thing. Use navigation in the car. It will predict what your percent charge will be at the destination. It can also be used to route you to a super charger if one is needed, also with predicted state of charge (SOC) on arrival. You're doing your research for this trip in a good place, TMC. Once you get on the road you'll see, it'll be piece-o-cake. 187 round trip is a good little trip to gain experience on.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

If you go to a Tesla service center they will show you the approximate range your car has at 80%
If that's not enough for the trip then they can show you how to set the charging higher for the trip.
I haven't been to a supercharger in an unsafe neighborhood but it sounds like you wouldn't need to be there for more than 15 minutes.

 

[NewbyMaybe]

And they can show you how to find the charger on your navigation screen.

 

[maytaurustiger]

When planning trips I use an app like “A Better Route Planner” while watching TV on my couch to get an idea, usually pretty accurate.

Thank you for the suggestion!

Lots of good advice in here. My only additional suggestion would be to NOT push your car to a very low state of charge if you are new to road tripping in the Tesla. I would never push 10% on a route I am unfamiliar with. A quick charge is better insurance than running out of charge. In CA, there are plenty of SCs along major highways so this should be no problem.

Thank you for the heads up! Kk I'll do a quick charge if anything.

I can add one more thing. Use navigation in the car. It will predict what your percent charge will be at the destination. It can also be used to route you to a super charger if one is needed, also with predicted state of charge (SOC) on arrival. You're doing your research for this trip in a good place, TMC. Once you get on the road you'll see, it'll be piece-o-cake. 187 round trip is a good little trip to gain experience on.

Thank you for the advice! You're correct, TMC is the best! Everyone here is super knowledgeable and very helpful! I was dreading the mini trip but yeah it's a good learning experience. Thanks again!

If you go to a Tesla service center they will show you the approximate range your car has at 80%
If that's not enough for the trip then they can show you how to set the charging higher for the trip.
I haven't been to a supercharger in an unsafe neighborhood but it sounds like you wouldn't need to be there for more than 15 minutes.

Thank you for the suggestion! That's great to hear about the safety at superchargers and yeah sounds like I won't need to stay too long even if I do need to charge, yay!

 

[Vaillant]

FYI, when you are at 100%, the car can simulate the feel of regenerate braking by automatically blending in the mechanical brakes:

“To experience the same amount of deceleration whenever you release the accelerator pedal, regardless of the state of the Battery, you can choose to have the regular braking system automatically engage whenever regenerative braking is limited. Touch Controls > Pedals & Steering > Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking is Limited.”

Model X Owner's Manual | Tesla

Understand your vehicle's braking system and stopping features.

www.tesla.com

 

[henderrj]

Hello everyone, sorry if these are beginner questions because this will be the first time I'm going a bit far with an EV so I'm sort of nervous haha. I will be going somewhere total about 182 miles both ways (91 miles one way), and I'm trying to avoid needing to supercharge my car (2023 MX) since the resort I will be staying at don't have any chargers and I want to avoid leaving the resort by myself for safety reasons.

These are some of the questions I have:

1) I'm not sure what the real range is when charged to let's say 95% or even 100%. What level should I charge to if I want to avoid needing to supercharge?

2) I've heard that regen brake won't really work at 100% so is it better to just charge to 95% instead?

3) Do you usually have Sentry mode on when parked at a resort/hotel? I'll be there for like 2.5 days.

4) Anything else I should watch out for on my way there or anything I should prepare before driving 1.5-2 hours on the road? I have already refilled almost full bottle of windshield washer fluid so I should be good there.

Thank you in advance! Any input is appreciated!

Many resorts do have a place where you could plug into standard 120. It won't do much for charging the vehicle, maybe a mile or two per hour, but it will offset the usage of sentyy mode. And, one to two miles per hour over two to three days, actually adds up pretty well. Check with the resort and see if they have a 20 amp plug in that would be available to you. Usually they do. I think it would be worth it. Of course, I guess the new Tesla's don't come with the universal mobile connector. So you would have to get one. Might be worth it to you though.

Also, every time someone asks for a place to plug in their EV, resorts like this figure out they need to add it! You'd be helping the rest of us too. And, if they complain about giving you free electricity, tell them it's less than a hair dryer uses!

 

[maytaurustiger]

FYI, when you are at 100%, the car can simulate the feel of regenerate braking by automatically blending in the mechanical brakes:

“To experience the same amount of deceleration whenever you release the accelerator pedal, regardless of the state of the Battery, you can choose to have the regular braking system automatically engage whenever regenerative braking is limited. Touch Controls > Pedals & Steering > Apply Brakes When Regenerative Braking is Limited.”

Model X Owner's Manual | Tesla

Understand your vehicle's braking system and stopping features.

www.tesla.com

Thank you so much for letting me know! That's very useful since I'm so used to the regen brake feel and want to stick with what I'm more familiar with on longer rides. Thanks again!

Many resorts do have a place where you could plug into standard 120. It won't do much for charging the vehicle, maybe a mile or two per hour, but it will offset the usage of sentyy mode. And, one to two miles per hour over two to three days, actually adds up pretty well. Check with the resort and see if they have a 20 amp plug in that would be available to you. Usually they do. I think it would be worth it. Of course, I guess the new Tesla's don't come with the universal mobile connector. So you would have to get one. Might be worth it to you though.

Also, every time someone asks for a place to plug in their EV, resorts like this figure out they need to add it! You'd be helping the rest of us too. And, if they complain about giving you free electricity, tell them it's less than a hair dryer uses!

Thank you very much for the suggestion! Great idea! I will ask the resort when I get there to see if they have a standard 120 so it could cover some sentry usage if I end up using it. Yeah it doesn't come with mobile charger so I had to buy it when I first got the car. Yeah you're right, the more people asking for chargers onsite the more chances of them adding it haha. Thank you again for your help!

 

[ngng]

Thank you so much for letting me know! That's very useful since I'm so used to the regen brake feel and want to stick with what I'm more familiar with on longer rides. Thanks again!


Thank you very much for the suggestion! Great idea! I will ask the resort when I get there to see if they have a standard 120 so it could cover some sentry usage if I end up using it. Yeah it doesn't come with mobile charger so I had to buy it when I first got the car. Yeah you're right, the more people asking for chargers onsite the more chances of them adding it haha. Thank you again for your help!

If you're worried about range don't use the dashcam. Plugging into the wall will charge around 1kW/hr, for me that's about 1% and hour. Overnight, I'm able to pick up 15% or so.

 

[AndreyATC]

If you said 250+ mile roundtrip, i'd start thinking of charging a bit (maybe). Anything below 200mil on the new X with 20" wheels is easy.
Just dont go crazy on a speed (10mph over speed limit ok).
Disable cabin overheat protection
Disable dash cam while parked overnight only if you know the place is safe to leave the car without recording

It's a road trip, charge to 100%

 

[maytaurustiger]

If you're worried about range don't use the dashcam. Plugging into the wall will charge around 1kW/hr, for me that's about 1% and hour. Overnight, I'm able to pick up 15% or so.

Thank you so much for letting me know! When I get there, I'll evaluate if it's worth to put Sentry Mode on. Appreciate it!

If you said 250+ mile roundtrip, i'd start thinking of charging a bit (maybe). Anything below 200mil on the new X with 20" wheels is easy.
Just dont go crazy on a speed (10mph over speed limit ok).
Disable cabin overheat protection
Disable dash cam while parked overnight only if you know the place is safe to leave the car without recording

It's a road trip, charge to 100%

Thank you so much for the suggestions! I love the breakdown of everything and I appreciate you giving me a peace of mind that it should be fine.

 

[posity]

I make frequent use of the voice command 'show superchargers' when I am on a trip. Makes it easy to see all superchargers to your destination, how busy they are, and usually lets me plan a couple different locations to charge as I start getting below 1/3 'tank'.

Charging is super fast at 20-50% so only takes a few minutes to add quite a bit of charge. Many/most superchargers are right off the highway so you don't lose hardly any time adding a little more charge and that way I always feel comfortable that I will reach my destination. Select 250kw chargers and you can add an extra hundred miles in the time it takes to check your emails.

As far as feeling unsafe at a supercharger, the only one that has ever creeped me out was Oakland, CA. Sketchy.