Farmington, NM to Page, AZ Superchargers - Sweat it or not?

[cpa]

You can always start out the leg going a few miles beneath the speed limit. Keep your eye on the energy graph. Let's assume the car thinks that you will arrive at Page with 6%. Just go slower than normal. The energy graph shows a gray line (original calculation) and a green line (adjusted calculation based on the actual usage.) After 15-20 miles of driving, the green line on the graph should move up and reflect a larger arrival percentage, guessing 8%. In essence you have banked additional range at the expense of driving more slowly. Continue your speed until the graph determines the arrival percentage that you are comfortable with. Once your arrival percentage is in your comfort zone, you can increase your speed slowly until it more or less stays +/- 2% of your target.

Once Page is within your sights, perhaps 30-40 miles away, and your reserve upon arrival is decent, you can zoom as fast as you like.

I made the trip from Blanding to Flagstaff without stopping in our '14 S85. This was before the energy graph. I left Blanding with 100%, and drove around 54MPH all the way to the junction with US89. I had about 30% remaining in the battery, and I drove about 65-70 all the way to Flagstaff, arriving with about 8%.

One year later, I drove the leg from Salina, Kansas to Goodland, Kansas, roughly 143 miles. There is a 1600+ foot elevation gain, and the northwest wind was easily blowing 35 MPH. I left Salina with 96%. By now the energy graph had been installed on the touchscreen. My arrival % was estimated to be 24%--ample I thought even with the crosswind. Wrong! After 30 miles my estimated reserve had dropped to under 8%, so I slowed from 62 to 58 to 55 to 52 before cruising at a leisurely 48. The reserve started to increase slightly to around 12%. I made it!

 

[Carolina Karl]

Folks,

Thanks to all for very helpful and insightful comments and suggestions. I'll try to respond to questions in groupings.

I ABRP'ed it at 70 mph, and even tweak the time of day settings, in addition to date. We'd be willing to even drop it back to 45-50 mph on game day, if necessary. Per Google Streetview, the speed limit appears to be about 60 mph throughout much of the trip. On this trip, I'm willing to have a very light foot when necessary. Otherwise, my driving style ranges between moderate and spirited.

My time of day isn't ideal because I'm set on spending the afternoon and evening before in Durango, CO, and then hitting Aztec Ruins National Monument before topping off at 100% in Farmington, NM and heading west to Page. Gotta hit Page at the right time to get the last tour out for Antelope Canyon.

As to A/C, I learned to drive in the California central valley in 112ºF in the 70's with no air conditioning! I'm okay going a few hours without A/C; haven't broached the subject yet with my passenger wife, a South Carolina gal! I'll just tell her, "Don't worry; it's a dry heat!"

I'm unsure whether no A/C is only a comfort issue, or whether there's a point in high ambient temperature driving where range falls off rather than increases over cooler ambient temps. Maybe you desert folks have insight into that issue.

I agree with SageBrush's and other's comments about Plan B's and C's. Col. Hannibal Smith: "I love it when a Plan comes together" until it doesn't! Thus, my motivation for posting this challenge! And SageBrush, I appreciate your "elevation" component needing to be factored in. I'd ignored that. Plus, your comment about L2 charging being available 20 miles North of Kayenta is a great suggestion. At that relative mid-point in the leg, I should have a sense of success or not.

I appreciate dhiltonp's, dgpcolorado's and Jeremy3292's confidence. I like my current performance from my 2020 LR and share that confidence, but since this is an August 2022 trip (part of a rather bold 48-state trip that's taking months to plan), I realize there will be some range degradation over the next 12 months. Plus, I'll probably have about an extra 200 lbs. of gear which is like adding a third occupant.

KenC, my calibrated efficiency is below average per my monthly Recurrent report. I've been working to better understand why (which I understand is explained, in large part, to my driving style).

And dgpcolorado, your comment about Kenyata being a glaring hole is spot-on. I would have thought the Tesla planners would appreciate that with folks trying to get cross-country through that part of the country.

I deeply and sincerely appreciate everyone's comments. When the time comes, I'll definitely report back, hopefully not from the front seat of a tow truck.

 

[gene]

You can make it in most Teslas from Tuba City to Bluff Utah. It's only about 150 miles.

Otherwise there is L2 at locations already discussed near Monument Valley.

And please sign this: Tell AARP: Stop lobbying to kill rooftop solar

 

[Carolina Karl]

You can always start out the leg going a few miles beneath the speed limit. . . . Once Page is within your sights, perhaps 30-40 miles away, and your reserve upon arrival is decent, you can zoom as fast as you like.

cpa,

Thank you, too, for your suggestions. Exactly what I think I'll be doing, with the chance to bale north of Kayenta if absolutely necessary.

 

[SageBrush]

Musing out loud here ...

You can try to game the hot weather by using max cooling during your last charging in Farmington. That will not only cool down the air in the cabin, but also some of the car mass. After driving some 15" or when the cabin is comfortable, turn on the AC to 'auto' and set the thermostat to whatever temp results in the lowest (or off) fan speed. At that point your AC will only operate to expel radiant heat, and some of that heat will equilibrate with the car.

You definitely want to avoid heating up the interior mass of the car when it is parked. That means parking facing the sun and using a sun-shield, and opening windows a little for ventilation. Don't turn your car into a greenhouse. It makes a HUGE difference in overall AC consumption. Try to park in the shade, and if you can, crack open the car windows at night to cool the car interior down to early AM ambient.

Have a good trip !

 

[SageBrush]

Wind 101 for the Tesla Nerd

Spend some time with a weather app, and you'll see that wind changes direction and intensity through the day. If you are so inclined and it meets your travel plans, you can try to match the wind to your driving.

You don't have to know a lot about physics to play this game. It comes down to three main things:

• A head (or tail) wind speed is the same effect as driving that speed faster or slower, respectively
• Wind is a vector (If that is gibberish, forget I mentioned it.)
• Most weather apps write the direction the wind is coming from. If you are lucky, you get an arrow

 

[Watts_Up]

@Carolina Karl To save energy from running the Air Conditioner, you can build a portable A/C using some ice and a fan:

 

[stopcrazypp]

For those who've made that trek, should I sweat it (by even not turning on the AC!), or is it doable? I realize I can wait until I get to the Farmington Supercharger to find out what Nav is telling me at that moment; but I'd rather go to Plan B well before then if I can't make it!

I don't have advice for the other parts, but I can give some advice to address AC usage, while keeping comfort. Besides from the advice being given about picking a time of day at lower temps to reduce usage, another thing that can help is to get some roof shades (the type with reflector inserts).

If you are charging before heading out, you can cold soak the car beforehand by having AC set to a lower temp than normal, then when heading out, set the temp target higher (with AC on), but not higher than outside temp (to avoid triggering heat). Don't however turn off AC, and especially don't run fan only, as you pull in the hot air which wastes all the cooled air in your cabin. With auto and AC on, the car will know to recirculate air to reduce AC demand.

Of course this does depend on the air temp in the outside. Personally I have ok heat tolerance and feel comfortable even with temp set to 75-80F when air temps are at upper 80s to the 100s outside, so AC never has to run full blast. If outside temp is lower than 80F, running fan only is ok for me, as the main thing is to fight the solar heating, but again depends on your heat tolerance.

 

[Gasaraki]

A handy tool while driving is to look on the energy page for the trip. It will show you your actual consumption vs the expected. So, while on the route, if you’re trending worse than expected, slow down a bit. Aerodynamic drag is a huge range killer. I find that in 70 to 80 degree weather, if I drive about 72 mph, my actual range beats the EPA range. What’s the speed limit on that stretch?

Oh, as someone else mentioned, check the wind conditions. If your consumption is a lot higher than expected for your speed, it’s probably the wind.

Wind is the BIGGEST factor in your range.

 

[Gasaraki]

Check out the elevation map from Google Maps in Bicycle mode.
It is read from Left to Right. Ignore the grey line.

There is a net elevation gain of about 1500 feet at 175 miles into the trip. How much extra weight is the car pulling that ABRP is unaware of ?

View attachment 688258

You can tell ABRP how much extra weight your are hauling.

 

[Gasaraki]

@Carolina Karl To save energy from running the Air Conditioner, you can build a portable A/C using some ice and a fan:

Swamp coolers don't work in high humidity

 

[bjrosen]

Keep in mind that in a Tesla the AC cools the battery as well as you. You may be willing to suffer but the car isn't, in extreme heat it will be using the compressor to cool the battery. I'd be curious to hear from the folks in Arizona and Texas about how much power the AC uses in extreme heat, it's just scientific curiosity I have no plans to ever drive in that kind of heat but one never knows, the people in Seattle and BC certainly never though they would see 120F temperatures but they did so it can happen anywhere.

 

[SageBrush]

Keep in mind that in a Tesla the AC cools the battery as well as you.

Is that correct ?

I'm under the impression that water cooled through a radiator passes through the battery. I'm not sure what happens if ambient gets *really* hot -- say over 110F.

And by the way, Teslas with an octovalve can separate cabin from battery temperatures. So even if the heat pump is cooling the battery, that does not force cabin cooling (or the converse.)

 

[GregD60]

I made a very similar trip a couple of weeks ago. I started at an RV Park just south of Cortez, CO where I charged up to 98%, and took the scenic route through Monument Valley to the Page Supercharger. I have a LR with the 18" Aeros. I drove at 5 to 10 over for most of the distance with the A/C set at 72 degrees, and made it with more than 50 miles to spare. Started the leg at about 9:30am, arrived in Page about 4 hours later; temperatures ranged from high 80s to just over 100 for the trip and there was little to no wind.

I don't know how much difference the 19s make, but I wouldn't hesitate to take a LR with the 18" Aeros from Farmington to Page. Like a couple of people have mentioned, check Plugshare for any charging options along the route, just in case. Also, drafting off of a big rig makes a huge difference in range. On the run from Needles to Barstow, I found that on autopilot with the following distance set to 4, my energy usage decreased about 40% at 70 to 75MPH versus being in clear air.

P.S. The car was loaded up with driver, 2 passengers, and about as much stuff as you can fit in a Model 3.

 

[Carolina Karl]

Also, drafting off of a big rig makes a huge difference in range. On the run from Needles to Barstow, I found that on autopilot with the following distance set to 4, my energy usage decreased about 40% at 70 to 75MPH versus being in clear air.

Great suggestion; one I hadn't thought of, even though it's so logical. For that stretch, I'm very willing to sacrifice some mph to stay behind a big rig for a couple of hours until I see the real-time, game day performance.

I'll have a Jackery 500 which will power our phones, computer, Iceco Go20, and anything else it can for those long hauls, too. I realize that power savings is nominal in the larger power picture; but at a recent charging station, a guy came up 50 feet short, and he had to suffer the humiliation of getting a push from the rest of us charging (although we all gladly lent a helping hand)!

 

[augkuo]

Make sure you stop off at Shiprock for some cool pics!

 

[SageBrush]

Great suggestion; one I hadn't thought of, even though it's so logical.

I used to draft semis but be aware:

1. The truck drivers do not like it, and have been known to swat pesky drafters off their tail
2. It is dangerous, because you give up forward vision and time to react
3. The trucks throw up stones, and your windshield catches them

All things considered, I suggest you drive slower rather than draft if you run into a tough section.

 

[dhiltonp]

This stretch of road is mostly a rural 2 lane highway; you don't have an easy way to pass a semi anyway. They are rare but regular trucks are not.

Drafting any car should give some benefit, and aero benefits usually start to become noticeable when you get within 5 seconds of the previous vehicle (crosswinds can make drafting almost impossible when you just have a single lane).

 

[GregD60]

I used to draft semis but be aware:

1. The truck drivers do not like it, and have been known to swat pesky drafters off their tail
2. It is dangerous, because you give up forward vision and time to react
3. The trucks throw up stones, and your windshield catches them

All things considered, I suggest you drive slower rather than draft if you run into a tough section.

Points 1 and 2 only apply if you tailgate. With the follow distance setting on 4 out of 7 on autopilot, you are back at a reasonable distance behind the truck. Despite being a fair distance back, semis punch such a big hole in the air that it still makes a substantial efficiency difference, much more than I would have guessed before trying it.

It is true that trucks throw up more stones than cars, but by being a reasonable distance back, the risk is minimized. That said, they still throw up more stones. I would only follow a semi if I was concerned about making my next stop; otherwise, I'd rather make better time and have less risk of damage.

 

[DeepBlueMN]

You can always start out the leg going a few miles beneath the speed limit. Keep your eye on the energy graph. Let's assume the car thinks that you will arrive at Page with 6%. Just go slower than normal. The energy graph shows a gray line (original calculation) and a green line (adjusted calculation based on the actual usage.) After 15-20 miles of driving, the green line on the graph should move up and reflect a larger arrival percentage, guessing 8%. In essence you have banked additional range at the expense of driving more slowly. Continue your speed until the graph determines the arrival percentage that you are comfortable with. Once your arrival percentage is in your comfort zone, you can increase your speed slowly until it more or less stays +/- 2% of your target.

Once Page is within your sights, perhaps 30-40 miles away, and your reserve upon arrival is decent, you can zoom as fast as you like.

I made the trip from Blanding to Flagstaff without stopping in our '14 S85. This was before the energy graph. I left Blanding with 100%, and drove around 54MPH all the way to the junction with US89. I had about 30% remaining in the battery, and I drove about 65-70 all the way to Flagstaff, arriving with about 8%.

One year later, I drove the leg from Salina, Kansas to Goodland, Kansas, roughly 143 miles. There is a 1600+ foot elevation gain, and the northwest wind was easily blowing 35 MPH. I left Salina with 96%. By now the energy graph had been installed on the touchscreen. My arrival % was estimated to be 24%--ample I thought even with the crosswind. Wrong! After 30 miles my estimated reserve had dropped to under 8%, so I slowed from 62 to 58 to 55 to 52 before cruising at a leisurely 48. The reserve started to increase slightly to around 12%. I made it!

I almost got burned on that Salina KS to Goodland KS route too. I have never seen the estimated SOC% at destination fall so fast! Started the leg at 43% buffer at destination, and it dropped to about 10% buffer really fast, way before halfway.
I have also driven the Page AZ to Blanding UT leg. 200 miles. Started at 98%. (LR AWD 3 with 18s, but only 290 max est. miles at 100%) It was looking pretty surprisingly tight at the start, even at 5 under initially, but with A/C on. Would have surely made it, but we stopped in Bluff for lunch and a little L2 charge just to be safe. Remember that aggregate elevation change is important, as is wind, but the ups and downs on the way hurt you too, especially with some head wind (and extra load/weight).