Has anyone driven to LV, NV from CO/NM/WY?

[2krazykats]

I'm planning a long distance road trip to LV over the summer and I've used evtripplanner.com as well as Supercharger maps to try and find the most optimal route with planning for sleeping overnight and charging. There's a lot more planning involved with driving an electric car (eg Tesla) there than there would be driving an ICE.

If anyone's driven that route and have thoughts to share, I would love to hear them.

Thanks

 

[MrClown]

LV was just one stop on a longer road trip but we took I-70 to I-15 using most of the superchargers along the way. We stayed overnight in Cedar City because it was convenient for seeing Zion the next day before continuing to LV. The Abbey Inn there had an HPWC which was very nice.

 

[2krazykats]

Thanks MrClown, that's good to know. We're trying to time our nightly stops close to where we would be
able to charge over a longer period so a destination charge such as the one you mentioned would be great.

 

[TaoJones]

Have driven the other direction - from Los Angeles to Custer, SD for the annual Sound of Silence (Black Hills Tesla Rally) festivities in late May. Itself worth searching for in this forum or at the TM forum for more info. It's a must-do trip and about as much fun as can be packed into a weekend. Plus it's a SC-all-the-way trip, and Custer has 48 chargers during the event. Most connected small town on the continent.

So if you map the above journey using evtripplanner, you'll see the SCs through NV, AZ and Utah, plus the 2 in Cheyenne and Lusk. Note the Cheyenne chargers are hidden amongst a sea of RVs most of the year, and there's a puddle around 2 of the spaces, so watch where you step. The Lusk charger is located at a very nice motel for the area, and the food is surprisingly good not at the adjacent drive-in but diagonally up the block at a local diner - with about a dozen different kinds of pies. But I digress, as you probably won't need either of those chargers unless you do decide to attend the rally next month or one of these years.

So for the Vegas trip, be sure to download and review the .csv file from evtripplanner as it will show those legs with more or less net elevation. For example, the stretch east from Green River, Utah (despite leaving with considerably more than the recommended charge) caused Nav/Trip Planner to have a hissy fit and resulted in making a long day even longer due to an unnecessary return for additional charging (I had 74%, and returned for 95%). In that case, there was a bug, since confirmed and presumably fixed, but the point is that by knowing what legs may or may have elevation concerns, you can add charging sufficient to reduce any concerns or wasted time.

I plan to loop through OR WA ID MT on the way to Yellowstone (WY) in a couple of months, but haven't mapped the route. I've been told to allow at least 3 days for Yellowstone itself, and will rely upon Plugshare for any destination charging that might be necessary.

One recommendation I would make, although you probably won't need it, is to buy or to borrow a ChaDeMo adapter if Plugshare shows a few along the way (look for the orange icons and configure to taste in the settings). Some regional networks are excellent (see AeroVironment's full-strength, fully-functional ChaDeMo network along the coast of Oregon), and some are all but useless - however, most Nissan dealerships will have at least a throttled (by manufacture) 20kW ChaDeMo that may or may not be available during business hours. I've experienced very kind accommodation at the dealership in Tucson, for example, but have heard tales of exactly the converse elsewhere. In any case, ChaDeMo chargers are the only game in town other than SCs for making way as one might with an ICE.

Destination chargers are only useful for overnights or, of course, places you choose to visit where there is just nothing else around and you need enough to get to the nearest SC.

 

[2krazykats]

Thank you for the useful info TaoJones! I will keep elevation in mind more than previously. I've taken my car up to the Rocky Mtns a few times but always for quick trips. The cold was a bigger factor than the elevation differences and over the summer, the cold is obviously less a factor.

I don't have a ChadeMo but have heard of people loaning them so will look into that as the trip gets closer.

The trip to SD sounds fun but to drive that far over a weekend just in the cards for us. We'll most likely sign up for the many electric charging networks like chargepoint and evgo. Certainly the superchargers will be our primary charging stations.

 

[Barry]

I did the drive in Oct 2015. I-70 to I-15 is the way to go. Superchargers all the way, so shouldn't be a problem.

Prior to leaving, I charged to 100% and skipped Silverthorne, making my first stop at the Glenwood Sprgs SC.

We stopped for an overnight in Moab, spending time at Canyonlands NP. Used the Supercharger there twice. Be advised the Moab SC may be ICEd at night, especially during busy season in the summer, as they are in the parking lot of the Best Western.

Stopped for another overnight at Zion Lodge at Zion NP, spending 2 days hiking there, and destination charged at the Lodge (two J1772 30A chargers at the far end of their parking lot), obviating the need to stop at St George on the way to Vegas. Also skipped the LV SC, destination charging at Caesars Palace (via valet parking - they are familiar with Teslas and will ask you for your J1772 adapter), where we spent a few nights.

Heading back east from Vegas, did stop at St George SC and spent the night in Green River, without any significant sightseeing side trips on the trip home.

The way to plan how long to charge at each SC is as follows: When you start charging at one, enter the next one in as your destination, then go to Trips in the Energy app on the big screen. You'll have to choose your own comfort level, but having 15-20% remaining is the most "cost effective," assuming no rain or strong headwinds. The exception to this is driving in Utah. As the speed limit on I-70 through most of the state is 80 mph, you will use more energy than the car calculates you will. It accounts for elevation changes very well and is very accurate up to about 70 mph. Therefore, charge to 30% remaining at your next destination Supercharger. In the summer, you might want to bump up the 15-20% buffer to 25%, as temps are likely to be triple digits in UT and NV, and you'll be using a lot of A/C.

I believe you'll be at the get-together later this morning. Be happy to discuss further, if you wish.

 

[cpa]

There is also a destination charger in Tuba City AZ. The drive from Blanding through Monument Valley is wonderful! I made the journey from Blanding to Flagstaff without stopping two years ago before the HPWC was installed. I kept my speed to 55-60 until the last leg heading south on US89, when I ramped it up.

Depending on time of day, a lunch break for an hour or so will add 25-30 miles of range (not sure if the plug is rated 80A or if you have dual chargers.)

You might consider taking this back way either going or returning home. Interstate 40 is easy from Flagstaff to Los Angeles, and you bypass Lost Wages (unless of course that is one of your stops!)

You can even take another back road from Needles to the LA area by heading south out of Needles on US95; heading west on SR62 at Vidal Junction, then southwest on SR177 to Interstate 10. The Indio Supercharger is about an hour west once you get on I-10.

 

[txakoli]

If an overnight stop in St. George, UT is in your plans, I recommend The Inn on the Cliff. A great place to spend the night, great views, and there's a nice restaurant on the premises. They have a single NEMA 14-50 plug for guest use. I was able to get a range charge overnight. There is a SuperCharger in town, but I found it more convenient to charge the car while we slept.

The Inn on the Cliff is on Plugshare.