it’s your car but I’d never ever draft behind a truck kicking up rocks to your 50k car. You don’t need to save energy that’s bad. If it’s my 2006 Prius with 300k by all means draft away but Jeeez a tesla model 3 never.
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Emergency Charging Solutions to Solve Range Anxiety
- Thread starter Smitty79
- Start date
Confusing. Why does the data seem to indicate that you're driving 60mph? A screenshot of your inputs page may be useful. Did you only change Max Speed? I usually don't touch that. Instead I change Reference Speed. If limit is 65mph, adjust to 115% if you're planning on driving 75mph. Just punching in the numbers you spec'd, I come up with a trip that only takes 10h38m, about an hour quicker, and with 4 stops for 1h14m. And that's with a starting SOC of 90% and enroute SOC minimums of 15%, to provide an adequate buffer.
Wh/m is 307. Yours appears to be a lot higher.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
This trip will be infinitely better for you (and the time difference probably close to negligible) If you use the Eugene and Mt Shasta City chargers.
Mt Shasta City supercharger is literally adjacent to the freeway. Couldn’t be closer. Eugene is not a huge detour either.
Get yourself out of the mode of thinking less stops are better. Don’t try and outsmart the trip planner.
Mt Shasta City supercharger is literally adjacent to the freeway. Couldn’t be closer. Eugene is not a huge detour either.
Get yourself out of the mode of thinking less stops are better. Don’t try and outsmart the trip planner.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Playing with ABRP a bit does indeed show that using Springfield and Mt. Shasta City results in a trip two minutes shorter than trying to skip them. So it's a wash time-wise and should completely eliminate your range anxiety. Easy decision.
It's interesting that it doesn't add significant time to stop more often. What is the difference between the area that is in light background and the area in the dark grey background (Corning, Manteca) I did add Mateca so I have power to work with while visiting.
Here are my settings. Am I messing anything up?
Here are my settings. Am I messing anything up?
eprosenx
Active Member
I did Hillsboro to Berkeley this summer with the family in my M3 LR RWD. It was totally cake... (great trip!)
We stayed overnight in Ashland since we had our four year old with us.
Question: Are you going to do this in one day? If not, then the calculus totally changes if you can stay somewhere overnight with a charger (or even an outlet).
We did it with one SC stop each day at lunch. We had charging at both ends of the trip (so could roll in empty) and kinda sorta charging (120v, but I augmented with some Level 2 chargers while out during dinner) at the hotel each way.
Winter is a bit of a different beast though so that will be slightly worse. Also your dual motor is ever so slightly less efficient than me.
I am also frustrated by the supercharger spacing. We really need them to open Roseburg.
We stopped in Springfield for lunch, but that is too close to Portland. Car got done way too fast while having lunch (even taking it to 100%). Had to go move it. Then charged L2 in Ashland city parking lot during dinner. Then 120v 16a (20a circuit) at hotel overnight. Hit Shasta the next day just for funsies for a few minutes. (should have gone direct to Corning) Note that Corning can be a choke point on busy days. They are building a new SC South of Corning I think - there is a web site that tracks the progress. Corning can have a line (basically everyone has to stop there). Ate at the olive pit in Corning (recommended). Then drove through to Berkeley to my destination. Slow painful charging on a 15a circuit shared with a bunch of lights so it slowed to like 9 amps sometimes (but a day and a half later I was back to 90%).
Did the reverse on the way back. Used the Aerovironment L2 Charger (pay using PlugShare) at the shell station in Ashland all evening and then plugged into 120v again when I went to bed at midnight. Hit Eugene again for lunch.
What others have said is good advice. Energy use will be higher in winter. Charge while battery is warm if you can. Set Superchargers as destination in NAV so it pre warms battery on the way to them. Charging is greatly faster from 5-50% battery than above 50%. So riding the bottom 2/3rds of the battery is a good strategy for minimum charging time (even with more stops). Pre warm the car from shore power if available before leaving (in really cold weather it will also pre warm the battery).
I personally have a kit with a 30’ 14-50 extension cord and adapters that let me use 5-15, 5-20, 10-30, 14-30, TT-30, and 14-50 receptacles even with the extension cord. (I actually own much more than this too adapters wise) This really is not necessary, but that set of items gives me massive flexibility. Being able to draw 16a instead of 12a on 20a 120v circuits (even if the receptacle is only 5-15 helps a lot- but that is an advanced topic to only be used if you fully understand the risks). Two of the adapters listed above are for dryer receptacles (old style and new style) which are obviously widely available when staying with folks. This is where the 30’ extension cord comes in also. Don’t let me scare you though, what I list is really not necessary.
It is a game to me to see where all I can find a way charge and to minimize my unnecessary stopping.Also, are you a member of the Portland Tesla Facebook group? PM me if interested (it has over 1000 members). Another good resource.
Oh, and if you are not going to make it, the nav system will warn you to slow down below X miles per hour so that you make it. The car can go like 600 miles at 30mph, so that is a great safety feature. Just slow down...
Just for full clarity here. Power usage while in Park will not count toward the Wh/mile counters in the car. Using the heater on short trips will cause a much higher Wh/mile, especially if you don't pre-heat while on shore power.
rhumbliner
Member
For me the ace in-the-hole is decreasing my speed whenever reaching my destination appears to be in doubt. We do a fair amount of traveling across Wyoming and Idaho in less than ideal conditions, like -20°F or strong headwinds. Dropping my speed from 5 or 10 over the speed limit to 5 or 10 under the speed limit makes a huge difference in range.
I did a 3k miles road trip a little while ago, and I found that having a CHAdeMO adapter was very useful. I only used it one time, and not because I had to, but it did allow me to be more aggressive in arriving at superchargers with less than 10% charge left as long as there was a CHAdeMO alternative 10-20 miles closer along my route.
Also, one time I used CHAdeMO was because there were nice dining options, and since I was planning to spend an hour+ eating it did not matter that I was only getting 44 kw from the CHAdeMO.
Since I consider myself to be a serious road tripper, I carry just about every adapter imaginable. And I also have a heavy duty extension cord. I only had to charge at an RV park one time, but having additional options is always a good thing.
Also, one time I used CHAdeMO was because there were nice dining options, and since I was planning to spend an hour+ eating it did not matter that I was only getting 44 kw from the CHAdeMO.
Since I consider myself to be a serious road tripper, I carry just about every adapter imaginable. And I also have a heavy duty extension cord. I only had to charge at an RV park one time, but having additional options is always a good thing.
It doesn't add time to stop more often because the charging curve is alot faster at SOCs below 50%. After that level, it starts to taper off, and gets really slow above 80%. So, keeping the segments short and charging from 10% to 60% is ideal.
But, to give yourself a cushion, set the
Charger Min Arrival to 15% (allows you to speed up or slow down with a cushion)
and, set the
Goal Arrival Charge to 21% (if that's the amount you want when you get to Escalon, let the software figure out where you should stop, adjust as necessary). Alternatively, you can click on the cogwheel to the right of Escalon in settings and set the Waypoint arrival SOC to whatever you like.
and, set the
Reference Speed to 115% (setting it to 100% sets it at the speed limit which may be around 60mph, based upon your driving time. Setting it to 115% gets you to your expected speed of 75mph if the speed limits are 65mph; and set it to 125% if the speed limits are actually 60mph.)
That should speed up your trip alot with minimal added time for stopping/charging. After you do a trip, you'll get better at testing strategies, and you'll find starting charge doesn't really matter a great deal, may save a few minutes, that kind of thing.
cpa
Active Member
You might consider rolling into Mt. Shasta City and having lunch at the motel. Food is pretty good.
Leave Mt. Shasta City with 95% or so; it is downhill all the way to Sac from there. I've averaged <200wh/mile between Mt. Shasta City and Corning in my 2014 S, so you will likely average around 160-175 all the way to Red Bluff. No need to leave with >95%; the regeneration from downhill driving will not be much when the battery is this full.
I bet you could skip Corning and charge at Sac (this is about a 5-minute jog off Interstate 5; closer than Manteca is off either 99 or I-5.)
Oakdale has a couple of public J-1772 chargers at the library and city hall. Take your adapter and enroll in the provider. (Check Plugshare.) No need to waste time at a Supercharger when there is adequate public charging five-ten minutes away in Oakdale.
You can leave for home with 90% after this public charging and make Corning easily for your return trip.
You can always fiddle with your charging stops and durations from the touchscreen. Combining food, or a good stretch and short walk, or a celebratory beverage sometimes allows alternate charging arrangements that do not line up with a computer-generated template.
Be flexible, and have fun.
Leave Mt. Shasta City with 95% or so; it is downhill all the way to Sac from there. I've averaged <200wh/mile between Mt. Shasta City and Corning in my 2014 S, so you will likely average around 160-175 all the way to Red Bluff. No need to leave with >95%; the regeneration from downhill driving will not be much when the battery is this full.
I bet you could skip Corning and charge at Sac (this is about a 5-minute jog off Interstate 5; closer than Manteca is off either 99 or I-5.)
Oakdale has a couple of public J-1772 chargers at the library and city hall. Take your adapter and enroll in the provider. (Check Plugshare.) No need to waste time at a Supercharger when there is adequate public charging five-ten minutes away in Oakdale.
You can leave for home with 90% after this public charging and make Corning easily for your return trip.
You can always fiddle with your charging stops and durations from the touchscreen. Combining food, or a good stretch and short walk, or a celebratory beverage sometimes allows alternate charging arrangements that do not line up with a computer-generated template.
Be flexible, and have fun.
I just looked at the area you are planning to travel on PlugShare with the CHAdeMO filter selected. I'd say get a CHAdeMO adapter, jump in the car and go. CHAdeMO stations are as thick as sprats along your route to the point where you don't really need to do any planning (it is still a good idea, though, to have an idea of what is out there along your route). Shoot for a Tesla charger a good way down the road and use the energy monitor to see how you are doing as you drive. You can always add an extra SC or CHAdeMO stop if it is necessary. You won't come to appreciate this until you have experienced it. The multiple exhortations here to relax and enjoy are spot on. In my experience range anxiety simply is not justified any more and I travel where the Tesla network doesn't reach.
As to skipping chargers the thing I found on my first road trip was that the efficient way (many short stops) led to one obvious problem. You barely have time to waddle from the charger stall to the comfort station, attain comfort and get back to the stall, let alone get a burger and eat it before the charge is complete. When traveling ICE we always rather enjoyed a leisurely lunch and perhaps a rest stop along the way (and as we got older it became more necessary). With the Tesla we (or to be more accurate, I) am always glancing at the cell phone to be sure we aren't inconveniencing another EV driver (use CHAdeMO charging almost as much as Tesla) or worse yet, getting caught up in the idle fee net.
As to skipping chargers the thing I found on my first road trip was that the efficient way (many short stops) led to one obvious problem. You barely have time to waddle from the charger stall to the comfort station, attain comfort and get back to the stall, let alone get a burger and eat it before the charge is complete. When traveling ICE we always rather enjoyed a leisurely lunch and perhaps a rest stop along the way (and as we got older it became more necessary). With the Tesla we (or to be more accurate, I) am always glancing at the cell phone to be sure we aren't inconveniencing another EV driver (use CHAdeMO charging almost as much as Tesla) or worse yet, getting caught up in the idle fee net.
eprosenx
Active Member
Back at my laptop now. Here is the discussion thread on the Williams California supercharger station. That would have been really great for me as another option and to take pressure off Corning (which is capacity constrained on heavy travel days).
Supercharger - Williams CA (under construction Aug 2019)
I suspect it won't be open in time for your trip, but double check that thread just in case! It would be cool to get updated photos of the status of the station if you to swing by. ;-)
Supercharger - Williams CA (under construction Aug 2019)
I suspect it won't be open in time for your trip, but double check that thread just in case! It would be cool to get updated photos of the status of the station if you to swing by. ;-)
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