Is driving Tesla from Canada to USA a bad idea?

[RealDeael]

Once the pandemic is over we would want to drive from Ontario, Canada to US, Florida.

Recently I saw some video on youtube and I must say it affected my opinion.
Not sure if it is a good idea.

If you are in States how often you see situations like this one?

Here is the video

 

[jjrandorin]

Im not clicking the video, so can you provide a cliff notes version of what this video shows / your concern?

 

[CDN-Build]

I’m from Canada, but I have been through the US in my Tesla many times, and I’ve not seen that scenario once.
I think it may depend on the area your in, and if it’s a major holiday or long weekend or something.
Some areas are busy all the time, but not most I don’t think.

 

[Krash]

...If you are in States how often you see situations like this one?

Never. Have supercharged a hundred times and only once had to wait. It was less than ten minutes and it was during a solar eclipse summer weekend with insane traffic.

 

[RealDeael]

Never. Have supercharged a hundred times and only once had to wait. It was less than ten minutes and it was during a solar eclipse summer weekend with insane traffic.

Thank you! I appreciate it

 

[RealDeael]

I’m from Canada, but I have been through the US in my Tesla many times, and I’ve not seen that scenario once.
I think it may depend on the area your in, and if it’s a major holiday or long weekend or something.
Some areas are busy all the time, but not most I don’t think.

Thanks man! Sounds good

 

[RealDeael]

Im not clicking the video, so can you provide a cliff notes version of what this video shows / your concern?

Very long waiting line to Super Charger station

 

[jjrandorin]

Very long waiting line to Super Charger station

Ahh ok,

Well, I think the general answer to this would be, as long as you are not attempting to travel during a major US holiday, you will likely not encounter anything like long supercharger lines.

Those normally happen in areas with high tesla density of ownership, and during US holidays that are normally "driving" holidays where people go visit family. Avoid those times and you will be completely fine.

 

[Sandor]

I've personally supercharged at that SC last year and was just fine, more than half open on both outgoing and incoming trip; BTW that SC is in San Louis Obispo, Central California, and it's a v3 one, but it's way-way out of the way if you want to go from Ontario, Canada to Florida (it's out of the way even from Ontario CA(lifornia) )

 

[Rice&Curry]

Generally California has higher Tesla population base so on long weekends on popular routes the SC gets busy. I have been to this SC near Madonna Inn off US 101 and had to way for 30 mins , I don't think you will face such issues if you are not travelling on long holiday weekends. But there is a huge backlog travel due to COVID and as folks gets vaccinated , I'm sure we will see more than normal travel this year , so plan and your travel and budget your travel times accordingly.

 

[Rocky_H]

If you are in States how often you see situations like this one?

Well, you're referring to the U.S. as if it's the same with all Superchargers throughout the country. It's definitely not. I've been to over 60 Supercharger locations in over 30 different states, in 7 years, and I've still never seen a car having to wait. Not even once. However...

Generally California has higher Tesla population base so on long weekends on popular routes the SC gets busy.

Yeah, that is mainly the thing. As long as you are not in the huge Los Angeles or San Francisco metro areas, you will likely never see any full stations and waiting, but there, yeah, they have such a huge popularity and density of Teslas that they have had some crowding and capacity problems. I have never taken my Tesla to California.

 

[jjrandorin]

Well, you're referring to the U.S. as if it's the same with all Superchargers throughout the country. It's definitely not. I've been to over 60 Supercharger locations in over 30 different states, in 7 years, and I've still never seen a car having to wait. Not even once. However...

Yeah, that is mainly the thing. As long as you are not in the huge Los Angeles or San Francisco metro areas, you will likely never see any full stations and waiting, but there, yeah, they have such a huge popularity and density of Teslas that they have had some crowding and capacity problems. I have never taken my Tesla to California.

This sort of reminds me of the videos I saw of people in japan getting pushed onto trains because they were so crowded, when I was going to go there on vacation in 2012. The videos happened, but it was a very specific set of circumstances that did not exist 99% of the time. When I told a couple family members I was going to japan on vacation, one of them sent me that video (its pretty famous online actually).

I rode trains all around the country for like 2 weeks, and while a few were a bit crowded at times, it was nothing like the video. Standing room crowded, at rush hour on a monday was as crowded as it got.

The point of my rambling story was, I see the idea of supercharging overcrowding videos just like that.

 

[Rocky_H]

This sort of reminds me of the videos I saw of people in japan getting pushed onto trains because they were so crowded, when I was going to go there on vacation in 2012. The videos happened, but it was a very specific set of circumstances that did not exist 99% of the time. When I told a couple family members I was going to japan on vacation, one of them sent me that video (its pretty famous online actually).

I rode trains all around the country for like 2 weeks, and while a few were a bit crowded at times, it was nothing like the video. Standing room crowded, at rush hour on a monday was as crowded as it got.

Welllll...it is very funny you mention that, because my wife went to Tokyo for about two weeks for a business trip, and...
Yeah...the people with white gloves shoving people in the train cars to get the doors to close--she got to ride in exactly that every morning to the office.

The first morning, she had not known that was coming, so she had gotten a coffee on the way to Tokyo Station from her hotel. Ha! She said the had to hold her arm with the coffee straight up above her head, because there was no place for her arm to be down by her side holding the coffee with all of the other bodies crammed against her.

 

[jjrandorin]

Welllll...it is very funny you mention that, because my wife went to Tokyo for about two weeks for a business trip, and...
Yeah...the people with white gloves shoving people in the train cars to get the doors to close--she got to ride in that every morning to the office.

The first morning, she had not known that was coming, so she had gotten a coffee on the way to Tokyo Station from her hotel. Ha! She said the had to hold her arm with the coffee straight up above her head, because there was no place for her arm to be down by her side holding the coffee with all of the other bodies crammed against her.

Lol! I never saw it, and rode a couple times at rush hour just to see it, lmao. Just goes to show, timing is everything. I was in shinjuku, as well, which is basically the middle of tokyo.

 

[Rocky_H]

She was on that trip, in Tokyo, when we were trying to get the paperwork transferred and e-signed back and forth across opposite time zones buying our Tesla!

 

[RealDeael]

Thanks everyone. Your comments made me feel better with regards to our trip. Sounds like we should be good.

 

[Wvapoker]

On thanksgiving weekend 2019 I waited about a minute at a supercharger in Charlotte, nc. Then thanksgiving weekend 2020 people were waiting after I started charging at the new v3 charger in Hardeeville, SC. I have also planned my trip to skip either charger as there are multiple option now.

Considering these were holiday weekends it was to be expected. The Brunswick SC has 24 plugs and it was completely empty the same weekend.

I just did a 4211 road trip out west and barely saw another Tesla at a SC in 33 stops.

 

[Birdman325]

Now just need the border to open.
I have taken my Model 3 on several trips from Toronto down to New York, NJ and through PA. Thankfully, I have never had to wait, but I have not done any of those trips during high travel weekends. (I have actually hard a lot more "congestion" at Kingston when I drive To - Mtl and back.)

 

[emiliorescigno]

I have had to wait exactly once. As I arrived at the Duluth, MN supercharger, I pulled up right as someone got out of their car and was unplugging and leaving - I took that spot. It's also only a 4-stall location.

 

[Gasaraki]

Once the pandemic is over we would want to drive from Ontario, Canada to US, Florida.

Recently I saw some video on youtube and I must say it affected my opinion.
Not sure if it is a good idea.

If you are in States how often you see situations like this one?

Here is the video

Wut? I don't see why that's a bad idea except for Florida Man.

But seriously, just avoid the major cities. Try to go around them.