Long Road Trips. My Experience and Why Tesla's are Currently Unfit.

[Matt L]

My family went on a ski trip this week to Utah. This trip had been planned for months and I seriously considered renting an ICE car for it. Then I reconsidered. After all, Tesla's supercharging network means that I can take long road trips. I studied the superchargers map on Tesla's website and confirmed that there were more than enough superchargers along my 531 miles journey from Denver to SLC. I decided to try it and drive the Model 3 with my wife, two young children, and luggage. I got winter tires (Pirelli Sottozero's), packed the car, and hit the road on a full charge. After driving nonstop for 2 hours, my range had decreased more than anticipated so I decided to make an unplanned stop in Laramie, WY to supercharge. The supercharging station was in a hotel parking and snow covered. I backed into a spot and hit the curb. I knew right away it was bad. I got off the car and noticed a scratch on the rim (not the first time it happened!). More concerning however was that the hit had damaged the tire's side wall. Before venturing on I-80, I decided to have it checked. I drove to a nearby tire shop (the only one in town) and the technician confirmed what I feared: The impact had exposed the radial cords and the tire was an explosion hazard. Being in Truck Country, the tire shop didn't have that tire size, less so in the winter variation. I became anxious but I knew my Model's 3 lack of a spare meant Tesla's mobile roadside assistance would come to my rescue. Little did I know... Yes, they could come but it would take 5 hours, cost me $900, and they only had an all-season tire. I became very worried. It was Saturday 3 pm, the little town was shutting down, there was no car rental agency or airport nearby. My Tesla had stranded me and ruined my vacation, my wife was in tears and my kids in fear. I did what I never thought I would do, I abandoned my cherished Tesla in a parking lot of a small rural town. I found an alternative transportation to SLC and began a search for that tire the next Monday. Wal-Mart and Costco couldn't get it and the only place I found it was on tirerack.com. I ordered it and had it delivered to the tire shop. A week later, I made it back to Laramie, had the tire installed and made it back home. One thing changed though, I don't trust my Model 3 or Tesla anymore and I know that, as a Tesla owner, if anything goes wrong, I'm on my own. Tesla's are incredible cars and have revolutionize my world. However, and until Tesla gets serious about customer service, I will limit my trips to in-town commutes and errands. I will rent (or buy) an ICE car for long road trips.

Lol, sounds like you are unfit for long trips, not your car.

I’ve taken many long trips in my 3 including several with my wife and kids...zero issues. Of course, I don’t bounce mine off curbs.

 

[Matt L]

The area was snow-covered so curbs didn't stand out visually or to sensors. It was my fault but I thought Tesla would be able to swap that wheel for me.

And do so for free, within 15 min...

 

[Matt L]

My 1992 subaru 4wd station wagon had a toy spare. I went to a junk yard and bought a full size wheel put a tire on it and amazingly it fit where the toy sat.

What stops the op from buying another wheel and tire and tossing it in the trunk. Mounting it to the back bumper etc.

Nothing, but it’s easier to blame someone else when you somehow hit a curve backing into a SC

 

[boaterva]

I still don’t see how you pick a supercharger stall that is near the edges in the snow when it was presumably deserted. I’d pick one in the center to be sure it was away from everything. No idea how a curb ever entered into this.

 

[jbcarioca]

I guess you have never owned a BMW made in the past 10 years or so. BMW loves runflats and hates spares.

I have owned four ICE made since 1995. None of them had a spare. Among them only the BMW has runflats. I'd prefer the risk of flats to runflats. I did have a flat in a remote area of New York in my Model 3, with the 20". Luckily I was within a few minutes of Watkins Glen and there was a Ferrari convention happening. The local tire shops had stocked up on those tires for the odd Ferrari. I still had to wait two days.

Assuming the OP was telling the truth there is nothing in any way unusual about that situation among cars today. People have complained about that in European cars since the 1990's when spares began to disappear. Carrying the dead weight and cost coupled with greater tire durability has led to this practice.

It really can be irritating when that practice coincides with very low profile tires subject to road hazards for tires and wheels.