I even just use the Google Maps app on my phone sometimes when I'm looking for RV parks. It's convenient, and has contact information I can use to just call to verify their availability. Luckily on road trips I've never HAD to use an RV outlet, but I have used the NEMA 14-50 outlet at a campground I was staying at overnight and it worked great. I also have the TT-30 adapter and I've only had one occasion to use it so far in nearly 20,000 miles of driving.
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Nonsense. Using Superchargers properly, the typical time is 10-15 minutes to have enough charge to make it to the next Supercharger or overnight destination. Over the past nine years, we've traveled about 85K Tesla road trip miles (longest was over 5,000 miles, the minimum distance for one of our trips is around 1,500 miles). 10-15 minutes is enough time to make a pit stop and purchase a drink. Of course, this only applies to Teslas. The trips take the same time that they did pre-Tesla.
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
I used to spend more time per year getting my oil changed than I do charging my car publicly.
OrbiterTI4
Member
I concur that 10-15 minutes is enough time for a pit stop for drink/food purchase.
I disagree that 10-15 minutes is enough time to gain sufficient charge to reach the next Supercharger for pre-100/LR vehicles (based on my experiences traveling via 2015 S85D to SAT/DAL/NOLA).
roblab
Active Member
If you plan to charge while you are taking a bathroom break or a lunch break, the charging time is not a problem, as even my big car will charge up for the next leg in a little over a half an hour. As an added benefit, a charging stop gives the opportunity to get out of the car and take a walk, if only around the parking lot.
My Model S charges up in about 30 minutes at a Supercharger. I try to use the lower 3/4 of the battery because it charges faster, and never try to charge the top fourth of the battery capacity while on a trip as it's wasteful and unnecessary. Even if I need to take longer, it's rarely a problem, but that's why I got the big battery: I don't need to stop as often as someone with a 60 kWh battery, and it really doesn't take very long to charge the lower half.
I'm leaving for Phoenix (over 700 miles) next week. That's three supercharging stops. At each one, we will use the bathroom and grab a snack, so we spend precious little time sitting in the car stressing over the "long charging time". My wife doesn't like driving, so gets out for a walk, and the stop gives me time to unlax from the concentration of watching semis weave into my lane or crazy drivers pass me at 100 mph in their Hondas. That's like doing 130 in my car. Bit much, maybe.
airborne spoon
Active Member
terrain is the biggest thing i have an issue with when i travel, (which i do A LOT). For example this weekend I'll be going to NV and its exactly 400 miles and my car currently says 235 miles at 100% (just a frame of reference for my batt quality, i don't go to 100). I have to stop and charge 4 times on the way there and only 2 times on the way home. Obviously its all uphill to get there and down the other way. But this has to be accounted for, It takes exactly 8 hours to get there, and even when i speed at about 95mph instead of my standard 85mph it only saves me about 10 min over the entire trip.
When i do stop though, you're correct its a good time to walk. Which is why I always take my dog for a walk usually about mile which takes us like 20 min since he has to stop and piss on every single thing he sees. That gives me most of the time passed for charging, the other 15 min i will watch my Plex on the MCU.
Once I got over my range anxiety (only took one leg of the first road trip to do that), I noticed this effect as well: while the overall trip from start to finish may take a bit longer, I arrive MUCH more refreshed having taken multiple short breaks to charge (generally at abetterrouteplanner.com's suggested stops) than I would going between fill-ups in an ICE car.
te37theworld
Tony Lee
gavine
Petrol Head turned EV Enthusiast
Same here. Range anxiety typically goes-away once you own the car. I had range anxiety back in 2014 while awaiting delivery of my Model S. Two days after delivery, once I realized the battery meter drops about the same rate as a gas gauge, range anxiety went-away for me and never came back.
I'm planning a first trip involving charging away from home. Like first time at summer camp...
Assume vehicle range 300 miles. Distance to destination 260 miles.
Option 1: Charge midway, then charge at destination. Destination charge requires picking more expensive hotel, parking valet, to get "free charge" ($400-500 extra cost).
Option 2: Same, but different hotel, and less certain about charging. The other hotel is nice, and advises that "there are garages around here" that have chargers but it's hard to call up a parking garage to determine if in service, rates, or even to confirm anything. Map (Downtown Houston) says there are a number of options. I'm not under any time pressure on arrival or departure, and walk ing a few block s in no problem. Would like covered parking in a structure with decent security, not a surface lot with tight quarters. Unsure if garage would need to relocate the vehicle after its charged, or if I need to return and disconnect. Trust hotel valet but not random lot attendant.
Option 3: If possible stretch first leg to get close to destination. Go 200 miles instead of 150. Then, don't worry about a charge in Houston unless it works out nicely. Charge when needed when getting out of town (maybe make halfway, probably 1/3 since charging to 100% at SC isn't sensible) then try to make it home, and if not, it's a brief fast charge on a low battery. The objective isn't to stretch, but to relax and see if one can get a little farther. If I cant charge easily in Houston, I can charge on the way out of town on departure day, and then half way home.
Option 4: If the friend flying to join me for the drive to the same event cancels, fly JSX airlines from private terminal, with Starlink internet on board.
Assume vehicle range 300 miles. Distance to destination 260 miles.
Option 1: Charge midway, then charge at destination. Destination charge requires picking more expensive hotel, parking valet, to get "free charge" ($400-500 extra cost).
Option 2: Same, but different hotel, and less certain about charging. The other hotel is nice, and advises that "there are garages around here" that have chargers but it's hard to call up a parking garage to determine if in service, rates, or even to confirm anything. Map (Downtown Houston) says there are a number of options. I'm not under any time pressure on arrival or departure, and walk ing a few block s in no problem. Would like covered parking in a structure with decent security, not a surface lot with tight quarters. Unsure if garage would need to relocate the vehicle after its charged, or if I need to return and disconnect. Trust hotel valet but not random lot attendant.
Option 3: If possible stretch first leg to get close to destination. Go 200 miles instead of 150. Then, don't worry about a charge in Houston unless it works out nicely. Charge when needed when getting out of town (maybe make halfway, probably 1/3 since charging to 100% at SC isn't sensible) then try to make it home, and if not, it's a brief fast charge on a low battery. The objective isn't to stretch, but to relax and see if one can get a little farther. If I cant charge easily in Houston, I can charge on the way out of town on departure day, and then half way home.
Option 4: If the friend flying to join me for the drive to the same event cancels, fly JSX airlines from private terminal, with Starlink internet on board.
juliusa
Active Member
Option 3. Start with 100%. Stop at the last supercharger you can reach before entering city, and charge to about 75% or so.
@Plood I've done a few multi-thousand mile trips. One of them was over 5,000 miles and I stayed mostly in AirBNBs, so I never bothered to try to figure out all of that nonsense with charging at a hotel. I just went directly to a Supercharger in that city first, charged up for 20-30 minutes, and THEN went to the AirBNB where I was going to stay that night. It was simple.
There are 7 Supercharger locations across the Houston area. I don't think "can't" is a realistic premise. You can catch a Supercharger in some direction going into or out of the city.
OrbiterTI4
Member
@Plood Having made a HOU-DFW round trip in the past month, my suggestion is charge at Centerville (V3 chargers) each direction. That said, per Plugshare there ARE several J1772 chargers in parking garages around downtown. Almost all have a charge fee above/beyond the parking lot fee, so I would not plan an overnight park+charge. You could also use the north Houston Supercharger; it is the "nearest" to downtown without going out of your way.
Thanks. I suppose I could charge faster in Centerville (halfway point), or deplete more to Huntsville (2/3 point) and charge relatively faster due to being more depleted.
What I'm hearing from all quarters is to relax, have an idea what the options might be, be flexible with either charging sooner if needed or farther if able, and not worrying about a little stop to add a little to make the difference.
What I'm hearing from all quarters is to relax, have an idea what the options might be, be flexible with either charging sooner if needed or farther if able, and not worrying about a little stop to add a little to make the difference.
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