First trip planning and a little range anxiety

[Earthdog]

So I pick up my P85 Wednesday and I think I am going to christen it with a trip to the Gaylord Hotel in Nashville. I have a little range anxiety trying to figure out the best way to plan the trip. I would be fine except the hotel doesn't have a charger.

I am coming from Canton, Ga I know its only 222 miles from my home but clearly I will need to recharge along the route via I-75 to I-24 into Nashville. Can someone share some education or experience the best way to plan a trip like this?

Sorry I know its a newbie question but I am trying to get comfortable coming from a PHEV to e BEV is exciting and concerning at the same time. And thanks to all, the talk about how much I will love to ALWAYS drive my Tesla instead of my Truck has made me decide to drive the Tesla.

TIA

 

[Enadler]

Check out this thread. It will give you all the info you need.

How to plan a road trip - how long will it take?

Good luck and enjoy your new S!!!

 

[Plug Me In]

Make sure you get a Chargepoint and Blink (or whoever is running Blink now) card. Sign up for Plugshare and log in. There are tons of chargers in Nashville area, including a listing for an outlet at the Gaylord. You'll need to find a place to leave your car overnight to charge for your trip back home. Don't be shy about calling private chargers listed on Plugshare. If you have fiends or family along the way, dryer outlets are an awesome resource. Either buy or make your own adapters for NEMA 10-30 and 14-30 outlets. Also take a 15A 110V extension cord for any emergency Level 1 charging. Make sure you have 1 or 2 backup plans if Plan A doesn't pan out. I think it's fun to do those kind of trips if you have the time for the charging and your traveling partners are also good spirited about the adventure. Theres tons of great info in threads here and over on Tesla Motors forums. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[TNEVol]

I made the trip from Marietta to Nashville when I picked up my car. It had a range charge about 270 and I had about 30 left. Although I used range mode I drove about 75 and put my foot to the floor a couple of times since I couldn't resist. My suggestion is to start out cautiously at least until the TN line or once over Monteagle Mountain. If you get anxious stop at any Cracker Barrel to eat and pick up about 15 miles. South Pittsburg, Manchester, Murfreesboro are just a few.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

Don't forget that RV parks are great places to charge if needed. I have the RVParky app on my phone so I can filter for those with 50amp spaces just in case I ever need one. If the hotel has a parking garage, I bet they have 110v outlets. Of course you'd have to let your car sit unused for a few days on 110v...

 

[jerry33]

Don't forget that RV parks are great places to charge if needed. I have the RVParky app on my phone so I can filter for those with 50amp spaces just in case I ever need one. If the hotel has a parking garage, I bet they have 110v outlets. Of course you'd have to let your car sit unused for a few days on 110v...

+1. I use RVPark (no "y") all the time. No range anxiety ever. Some RV parks have special rates for EV charging (and a few are stinkers, so call first).

 

[SteveH]

Agree. I'm about to take a long cross-country drive in my 60 with 2 or 3 stops. Three things keep me from having range anxiety:

1. I planned ahead and have backup plans for every stop and in the middle of the longest leg (all RV parks). I can always use the app to find another charging spot if needed.
2. Speed makes an incredible difference. If worst comes to worst get on side roads and go WAY below the speed limit. It's been proven that at 20mph, this car can go a long ways.
3. I pretty regularly compare the estimated range to the miles left to my destination. When the delta drops below 30 miles I start slowing down. Early in the trip, small changes in speed make huge differences in total range.

 

[bonnie]

All the advice here is good. And it's normal to have a little anxiety the first time you go out 'into the wild' where you have to rely on unknown information regarding charging spots, etc. (Remember there are a LOT more electrical outlets than there are gas stations.) I felt a little anxious on my first road trip in the Roadster. And once you make your first road trip, you'll never look back .

Report back and have fun!

 

[ChrisC]

You don't have to sign up for Recargo or Plugshare to use their mobile apps.

In North Georgia, Recargo has better data than Plugshare. They will eventually merge the data sets (they are the same company now) but until then, check both.

I can only speak for North Georgia, which I personally make sure is in good shape on Recargo. I have no business relationship with them, I just think Recargo has the best system and reward them for it by flowing all my finds into their system.

Blink's database of charger locations is awful (locations are frequently entered wrong) and Chargepoint's is somewhat better. The crowdsourced databases of Recargo and Plugshare are the best.

If you use an RV park that's not in the Recargo, please post about it here (in this thread, or elsewhere in the Southeast forum) and I will add it to Recargo. Or you can do so yourself!

 

[Plug Me In]

ChrisC I would clarify that signing up for Plugshare opens up the private chargers to view, so you may be able to find out of the way charging options or a Tesla HPWC.

 

[TNEVol]

So how did it go on your trip?

 

[Earthdog]

Leaving in 2 weeks trip got moved back but I am going to take the MS.

 

[TNEVol]

Really shouldn't be a problem. I am close by so PM if you need any info or a 50 A charge