Driving from Nashville to San Diego

[ev4thewin]

Hello! I'm curious if anyone has done the trek from Nashville to San Diego, or vice versa, in their Tesla? Overall, based on how I mapped it out, doesn't seem that crazy. Looks like the best route is Tennessee > Arkansas > Texas > New Mexico > Arizona > California. I'm in a M3 LR

Any areas to watch out for where I may run out of juice between superchargers? Any areas of concern? We're all moving to San Diego so it'll be my wife, two kids, and myself on this trek. We're planning on taking our time and checking out anything interesting along the way so any other must sees along the way appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[animorph]

You won't run out of juice unless you really try.

Use A Better Routeplanner to plan your trip. It's convenient to stop overnight at a hotel-based Supercharger, but not a necessity. I look at Google Maps around each Supercharger to find out what restaurants/hotels/stores/attractions are nearby. So I have an idea of where we will stop to eat, where the restrooms will be, and where we'll stop at night. Once you know your Supercharger stops you can just enter them (one at a time as you travel) into the nav and let it tell you your charge remaining at destination as you charge. I started with 20% margin and use 15% mostly now. Aside from having that margin, you can also slow down if the car is telling you the charge at destination is going to be very low. Heavy rain (or snow) and headwinds are other things that might require extra margin or speed reductions. I monitor the charge remaining at destination (at the bottom of the turns list) and slow 3-5 MPH if it goes below 10%.

The car is perfectly capable of doing all the routing for you on its own, but it favors long charging stops, which can make the trip slightly longer. Going cross-country, it will agree with ABRP stops much of the time since Superchargers are often spaced far enough apart that you can't easily skip them. We usually run pretty close to the ABRP timings unless we delay at a charging stop for non-charging related reasons.

I've traveled Texas, New Mexico, Arizona many times when traveling to North Carolina. We were going to go through Tennessee and Arkansas in March, but by then travel didn't look like it was going to work out very well. This is the first year that has looked feasible. Arkansas has been a hole in the I40 route, but is starting to fill in.

 

[Azlope]

I live in Phoenix, AZ. My son went to the University of Alabama in Huntsville this last year. Close to your route and did 3 cross country trips.. The last Trip was a kind of lighting Run to Humtville to get our son. One 6 hour stop to sleep after 22 hours of driving. ROUTE: From Memphis our drives typically Went Little Rock, Texarkana, Sulphur Springs (a must stop). From here you can either deviate North or South. Going up to Amarillo would add lots of extra time since you need to dive south to San Diego. Each have their charm, but I preferred the Going all the way down to I-10 Via Arlington, Cisco (stop and see Hilton's first hotel). Sweetwater. Midland, Pecos, Van Horn, El Paso, Deming NM, Wilcox, Tucson, Then I would go to I-8 and over to San Diego. There is a new 250KW charger in AZ.

ABRP is great for pretrip Planning. Good for figuring out about where you will be at certain times. Do not trust the exact times. It seems we are never ready as quickly as the car is. We use the time to walk, stretch our legs and Bathroom breaks. But it does help to know where to plan your Hotels to get the best rate. One Other thing. SC are not that expensive. The first time we made a point of staying where there were destination chargers. Most of the time the rates are higher. You can stay between chargers just make sure you add 10% to the charge at the previous charger to be sure you will make it to the next charger.

We have also gone ALL the way to the down to Mobile, AL (USS ALABAMA), Biloxi ( great area and Stop at the lighthouse and Pier). through Galveston (via the Ferry) and Houston (San Jacinto). Been to Marfa and Big Bend NP, Fort Smith for the observatory.. If you go to Big Bend, make sure you reserve Spot at the RV park. That trip with Kids would be campout.

Have NEVER had any issues with any of these trips except the last one. Tesla said Fort Stockton SC was temporarily closed but Looking at checkins on Plugshare it seemed incorrect. At the Ozona SC we talked to a couple on their way east and they said only 2 were out and Tesla had been contacted. The best I can figure out is miscommunication and Tesla thought it was all down not just two stations. So we drove 90 knowing we would have no issues. So I guess NO ISSUES ever. Plugshare is a great resource to keep tabs on the SC status'. Autopilot makes the trip SOOOO much easier.

Good Travels, I find it a blast as a pilot it is like flight planning but easier. And we look for places to see along along the way. STOPPING at EVERY SC is really faster as you don't have to charge as long and is less tiring so don't follow the Tesla Nav for suggested Stops. I typically drive 10 over so I add 10% to the nav predictor. AutoPilot is a godsend on these trips. Can I say lots of nothing across western Texas on to San Diego. Let's not forget the Green Tunnel from Memphis to Texarkana.

2018 M3 RWD LR, EAP, 18" tires, 40K+ miles.

 

[sduck]

Last summer the only problem area was Arkansas, and that wasn't really an issue for me. There's just not a lot of superchargers there, or was then, there might be more now.

 

[jpfive]

I live in Phoenix, AZ. My son went to the University of Alabama in Huntsville this last year. Close to your route and did 3 cross country trips.. The last Trip was a kind of lighting Run to Humtville to get our son. One 6 hour stop to sleep after 22 hours of driving. ROUTE: From Memphis our drives typically Went Little Rock, Texarkana, Sulphur Springs (a must stop). From here you can either deviate North or South. Going up to Amarillo would add lots of extra time since you need to dive south to San Diego. Each have their charm, but I preferred the Going all the way down to I-10 Via Arlington, Cisco (stop and see Hilton's first hotel). Sweetwater. Midland, Pecos, Van Horn, El Paso, Deming NM, Wilcox, Tucson, Then I would go to I-8 and over to San Diego. There is a new 250KW charger in AZ.

ABRP is great for pretrip Planning. Good for figuring out about where you will be at certain times. Do not trust the exact times. It seems we are never ready as quickly as the car is. We use the time to walk, stretch our legs and Bathroom breaks. But it does help to know where to plan your Hotels to get the best rate. One Other thing. SC are not that expensive. The first time we made a point of staying where there were destination chargers. Most of the time the rates are higher. You can stay between chargers just make sure you add 10% to the charge at the previous charger to be sure you will make it to the next charger.

We have also gone ALL the way to the down to Mobile, AL (USS ALABAMA), Biloxi ( great area and Stop at the lighthouse and Pier). through Galveston (via the Ferry) and Houston (San Jacinto). Been to Marfa and Big Bend NP, Fort Smith for the observatory.. If you go to Big Bend, make sure you reserve Spot at the RV park. That trip with Kids would be campout.

Have NEVER had any issues with any of these trips except the last one. Tesla said Fort Stockton SC was temporarily closed but Looking at checkins on Plugshare it seemed incorrect. At the Ozona SC we talked to a couple on their way east and they said only 2 were out and Tesla had been contacted. The best I can figure out is miscommunication and Tesla thought it was all down not just two stations. So we drove 90 knowing we would have no issues. So I guess NO ISSUES ever. Plugshare is a great resource to keep tabs on the SC status'. Autopilot makes the trip SOOOO much easier.

Good Travels, I find it a blast as a pilot it is like flight planning but easier. And we look for places to see along along the way. STOPPING at EVERY SC is really faster as you don't have to charge as long and is less tiring so don't follow the Tesla Nav for suggested Stops. I typically drive 10 over so I add 10% to the nav predictor. AutoPilot is a godsend on these trips. Can I say lots of nothing across western Texas on to San Diego. Let's not forget the Green Tunnel from Memphis to Texarkana.

2018 M3 RWD LR, EAP, 18" tires, 40K+ miles.

Also an old pilot. I love flight, er.., trip planning. I sit down at the kitchen table with a legal pad and create what we used to call a "jet log". Why? Because I love to do it. It really engages me with the trip. Like they say, it's the journey, not the destination.

 

[rdskill]

Did a 6,100 mile trip in an SR+. Just plug in your destination and go. Its that simple.

 

[RedModel3]

Charge well in Memphis. Arkansas is a stretch, so the Little Rock charger is pretty much a must stop. It's kinda wonky to find as well, and my nav gave me wrong directions. I stopped at the Greenville, TX charger, which was off the interstate but in the middle of a small town, right by a police station.

 

[Saghost]

Hello! I'm curious if anyone has done the trek from Nashville to San Diego, or vice versa, in their Tesla? Overall, based on how I mapped it out, doesn't seem that crazy. Looks like the best route is Tennessee > Arkansas > Texas > New Mexico > Arizona > California. I'm in a M3 LR

Any areas to watch out for where I may run out of juice between superchargers? Any areas of concern? We're all moving to San Diego so it'll be my wife, two kids, and myself on this trek. We're planning on taking our time and checking out anything interesting along the way so any other must sees along the way appreciated.

Thanks!

If you include a detour through the Colorado Rockies, that was about the middle third of my summer road trip last year.

There are plenty of resources to help, and more than enough Superchargers these days to make it an easy, fun trip. The car will tell you when you’ve charged enough, and notify you if you’re getting in to trouble - which can almost always be solved simply by slowing down a bit.

 

[Uncle Paul]

Welcome to San Diego. It is a very Tesla friendly city. Lots of Superchargers, good service and fantastic back roads for enjoyable day trips.

Your Model 3 LR will be a great car for your trip. Onboard computer will tell you where to stop and for how long. You can select your destination before setting out to get an idea of route options and time charging with meals to make the trip time efficient.

There are 3 active Tesla clubs here. San Diego, Orange County and LA. Each are very welcoming and events are open to neighboring clubs members. Many join all 3.

If you will be buying a home here, the climate is very Solar friendly, with many enjoying "running on Sunshine"

 

[ev4thewin]

Wow! This is incredibly helpful. Thank you all. I definitely have less anxiety planning the trip. We're super excited

 

[Mastequila]

I have driven across the country several times, if you can afford the extra time and drive, skip west Texas to San Diego on the southern route. I'd go up through Colorado and Utah. Unless you like the desolation of the desert, there is nothing to see on the Southern Route. The Colorado route is gorgeous and takes you in close proximity to many national parks. Then you can come down through Vegas. Of course there is nothing to see from Vegas through the LA area either.

 

[XLR82XS]

I have driven across the country several times, if you can afford the extra time and drive, skip west Texas to San Diego on the southern route. I'd go up through Colorado and Utah. Unless you like the desolation of the desert, there is nothing to see on the Southern Route. The Colorado route is gorgeous and takes you in close proximity to many national parks. Then you can come down through Vegas. Of course there is nothing to see from Vegas through the LA area either.

I did a northern route driving to Vegas from Detroit. Made time to visit Grand Canyon and visit a friend in Scottsdale. Colorado route is gorgeous with lots of excellent photo-worthy areas.

 

[cOoTeR]

Depending where you're coming through AZ the supercharger in Casa Grande is hit or miss. It's in a busy area right on the access road for multiple businesses and you have to back in. I've gone there multiple times and at least 2 of the superchargers were down or only charging at 8kw.

Kingman AZ is also another one to avoid. It takes twice as long to charge up than the estimate says.