Ha! Long range Rwd from Ventura to Big bear on one charge

[Rottenapplr]

I’m glad you made it home, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it again. I actually got stuck at 0% in big bear and had to be towed down the mountain (the following morning). I had the same amount of charge as you at the top. The issue was, halfway down the mountain there was an accident (not uncommon) and going 5-10mph for 1-2 hours in 30 degree weather kills the charge rapidly. What started as having 10% estimation at destination became 0% halfway down the mountain with no options for turning back around or making it down before sunset. I’ve definitely learned my lesson to make sure there’s ample charge in places where there aren’t stopping options.

Ya I would I wouldn’t push my car range wise if it’s the winter time since I’ve read range can get pretty affected. Up to 40%! SoCal mild winter is fine but anything under 45 I would be wary.

 

[Rex Kramer]

2) Big Bear in the winter - CHP is so anal up there, I see so much chain control on dry roads up there it drives me crazy.

"Flatlanders" drive so poorly in the mountains, even in the driest of summers, that I assume this is out of historical necessity.

That said, I have been known to drive up to Big Bear or Arrowhead (usually from the northern, high desert routes) and pretend I'm filming a car commercial. The 3 is great fun, especially when there isn't any traffic going up. The locals will still scream past me in their Subaru Foresters when going up Hwy 18, however.

 

[MikeR55]

I'm surprised that you want the RWD for two main reasons:

1) You are installing chargers
2) Big Bear in the winter - CHP is so anal up there, I see so much chain control on dry roads up there it drives me crazy.

As you can tell by my avatar and username I'm a big skier. I've driven the Model 3 all around California for skiing and the range hit on AWD vs RWD is negligible when you consider the time and hassle of having to chain up. ...and 100 times worse if CHP makes you chain up on dry roads, so bad for tires, chains, and the road.

Also, the fun factor on the AWD vs. RWD is greatly improved. Do me a favor and when you do buy your AWD take in the snow in an empty parking lot and just have some fun. I am 10 years younger after that experience in the Canyon Lodge (Warming Hut 2) parking lot up at Mammoth. I could have spent a couple more hours flooring it and drifting it around.

Just my 2 cents. I've got the AWD and haven't regretted once, even on the haul up to Mammoth that I do on a regular basis.

Thanks- I avoid Big Bear at all costs in the winter. Ha! That's why I have people up there working for me! I am headed up today for the week though and hate that I don't have a Tesla yet to enjoy the twists.

Let me know if you ever want to stay in Big Bear!

Oh and why does #1 matter?

 

[abasile]

I’m glad you made it home, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it again. I actually got stuck at 0% in big bear and had to be towed down the mountain (the following morning). I had the same amount of charge as you at the top. The issue was, halfway down the mountain there was an accident (not uncommon) and going 5-10mph for 1-2 hours in 30 degree weather kills the charge rapidly. What started as having 10% estimation at destination became 0% halfway down the mountain with no options for turning back around or making it down before sunset. I’ve definitely learned my lesson to make sure there’s ample charge in places where there aren’t stopping options.

I agree that it's best to leave the mountain with enough charge to turn around and/or take an alternate route in such situations, but 40% should have been plenty. If stuck for hours in traffic and/or behind an accident, my advice would simply be to reduce or eliminate heater use if there's any question about having enough range. Crank up the seat heaters, and if that's not enough, grab a blanket or a winter jacket. That's far easier than having to call a tow truck!

When driving through the mountains in cold temperatures, you should always carry warm clothing and blankets in the car anyway, regardless of what type of car you're driving. What if you're in an accident and need to keep warm until emergency services can reach you, or what if your car malfunctions?

Another recommendation would be to check PlugShare, as there are some folks up here (including me) who will let you charge if you're in a bind. Anything but the tow truck!

In years of Tesla driving up here, we've never run out of charge, and we've only rarely needed to watch our heater use.

 

[petecrayton]

Wow so I went on a day trip yesterday from Ventura county to Big Bear. I drove 260 ish miles with a huge elevation climb to 6700 feet. I started off with a 90% charge, pre-cooled the cabin. I arrived with about 40% charge! Heading back for sure I thought I would need to supercharge. I got a warning to stay below 75mph. Navigation showed I’d arrive with 5% state of charge. So I took a leisurely drive home keeping it under 70 mph. A third of the way though my estimate soc at arrival climb to 12% so I thought screw it, I hit 75 which is usually how fast I drive with the flow of traffic. Got home with 10% SOC including a stop to eat dinner in my car with the ac running!

Anyway I really just marvel at this car. It’s such amazing tech and I don’t have to gas up! There were 4 super chargers on my way but I decided to skip it given if I received a warning I would run out of charge I can stop at any of them along the way. Navigation did a great job calculating my arrival range and gave me enough information to help me decide to keep going home without charging. I also cross check my arrival charge with ABRP and also was given the information I would arrive back home on a single charge with close 5% charge.

Overnight I recharged the car back to 90%. Stats app reported the following:

Added miles: 256
Added kwh: 59.9
Cost: $9.87 ($0.14/kwh)[/QUOTE

I'm jealous. I have a '17 MS and I top out at 230 miles. That has resulted in some white knuckle trips from the east coast to west coast of Florida. Typically, by using the last super charger available en-route I have enough juice to get to my destination and then back to the same charger, but I don't have enough to comfortably drive around at my destination. I try to stay at hotels with superchargers but there doesn't seem to be a comprehensive source for those locations. There should be an app.

 

[Rottenapplr]

I agree that it's best to leave the mountain with enough charge to turn around and/or take an alternate route in such situations, but 40% should have been plenty. If stuck for hours in traffic and/or behind an accident, my advice would simply be to reduce or eliminate heater use if there's any question about having enough range. Crank up the seat heaters, and if that's not enough, grab a blanket or a winter jacket. That's far easier than having to call a tow truck!

When driving through the mountains in cold temperatures, you should always carry warm clothing and blankets in the car anyway, regardless of what type of car you're driving. What if you're in an accident and need to keep warm until emergency services can reach you, or what if your car malfunctions?

Another recommendation would be to check PlugShare, as there are some folks up here (including me) who will let you charge if you're in a bind. Anything but the tow truck!

In years of Tesla driving up here, we've never run out of charge, and we've only rarely needed to watch our heater use.

I just to make it clear I was up there this weekend in the summer. No heater or blankets were needed. I was wearing shorts and flip flops lol.

 

[MikeR55]

I just to make it clear I was up there this weekend in the summer. No heater or blankets were needed. I was wearing shorts and flip flops lol.

Yeah I actually just added AC to some of my cabins. Big Bear gets warm now.

 

[StellarRat]

Some people have posted that you can get another 8%-12% range just by using different tires. So when you're due for a new set you might do some research. One guy said with Pirelli Cinturato P7 all seasons he thought he was getting 8%-12% more range.

 

[MountainRatMat]

Thanks- I avoid Big Bear at all costs in the winter. Ha! That's why I have people up there working for me! I am headed up today for the week though and hate that I don't have a Tesla yet to enjoy the twists.

Let me know if you ever want to stay in Big Bear!

Oh and why does #1 matter?

#1 matters because you stated you wanted the RWD because of range. If you have chargers up there then range becomes a non-issue.

 

[Rottenapplr]

Big Bear has really poor charging infrastructure. It’s not really a big deal if you have long range and are only there for a day but in the winter I can see it’s a big issue. There is no EVGO or charge point chargers there. They really need fast chargers up there. There’s a 2 owners on PlugShare but it’s kinda weird to ask another person to plug in if it’s in the middle of the night.

 

[Rottenapplr]

Some people have posted that you can get another 8%-12% range just by using different tires. So when you're due for a new set you might do some research. One guy said with Pirelli Cinturato P7 all seasons he thought he was getting 8%-12% more range.

That’s good to know. I want to eek out more range lol.

 

[derkan]

AWESOME! I own 2 rental homes in Big Bear and manage 20 other rentals. Meeting with electrician this week to install chargers in some of the cabins.

I'm desperately trying to find a RWD car as I make the trip from Sherman Oaks to BB often. AWD would be nice in the winter- but I try to avoid the drive when it snows anyway.

Yes please install a bunch of chargers... We have trouble taking our MX 60D up to big bear, can not find reliable chargers and don't want to spend the time supercharging

 

[MountainRatMat]

Yes please install a bunch of chargers... We have trouble taking our MX 60D up to big bear, can not find reliable chargers and don't want to spend the time supercharging

Not quite a fair comparison because I'm in a LR Model 3 but every time I go to big bear I just plug in to 120V for the weekend and that has been sufficient.

I'd suggest getting a heavy duty 120V extension cord and you can pick up 30 miles overnight while you sleep.

...that is until you can stay at Mike's place when he installs the 240V NEMA 14-50 plug.

 

[StellarRat]

Not quite a fair comparison because I'm in a LR Model 3 but every time I go to big bear I just plug in to 120V for the weekend and that has been sufficient.

I'd suggest getting a heavy duty 120V extension cord and you can pick up 30 miles overnight while you sleep.

Indeed. When I go somewhere in the "wilderness" for vacation like a ski place or the coast the car mostly stays at the rental or hotel and we do a lot of walking around. So even a weekend with the car plugged into 120v for about 40 hours is plenty of time to get back a couple hundred miles of range.

 

[JimsChoice]

That’s good to know. I want to eek out more range lol.

I replaced Michelin Energy with the P7's on our Ford C-Max Energi and found that our EV range, as well as highway MPG on long trips went DOWN slightly. I will have to do some average calculations on long trips where we weren't able to plug in to compare, but if the to of my head, it seemed like .75 to 1.0 MPG less.

 

[MikeR55]

Yes please install a bunch of chargers... We have trouble taking our MX 60D up to big bear, can not find reliable chargers and don't want to spend the time supercharging

Charger port #1 is being installed tomorrow! Will be a 240v 15-40 port at 50 amps.

This will be the cabin it is installed at: 1950s Vintage Custom Cabin! HotTub, Yard, History - Cabins for Rent in Big Bear Lake, California, United States

Free to use for renters.

 

[MikeR55]

Not quite a fair comparison because I'm in a LR Model 3 but every time I go to big bear I just plug in to 120V for the weekend and that has been sufficient.

I'd suggest getting a heavy duty 120V extension cord and you can pick up 30 miles overnight while you sleep.

...that is until you can stay at Mike's place when he installs the 240V NEMA 14-50 plug.

You charge without letting the owners know?

 

[MountainRatMat]

You charge without letting the owners know?

Yes, I also use the water to take showers and cook when I rent a place without telling the owner.

If I damaged a circuit or blew a breaker I would notify the owner.

 

[MikeR55]

Yes, I also use the water to take showers and cook when I rent a place without telling the owner.

If I damaged a circuit or blew a breaker I would notify the owner.

Well charging a car is a little different, although maybe it's not that much money extra?

 

[MountainRatMat]

Well charging a car is a little different, although maybe it's not that much money extra?

I run a rental as well and found very early on it isn't worth sweating details like that. Damage yes, using the place and the amenities it has to offer, no.

Cost to you is negligible in the grand scheme of things.