Maine to Flordia Trip: Advice needed!!

[Khanhvngo]

Hi everyone the forum. We are planing a big trip to Disney Land in FL. Here is what we are working with!

2016 60D X
Starting point is Windham ME
Destination is Disney in FL
Mid April departure
Half way rest stop at hotel


We have never driven down to FL before any advice would be appreciated!!

Route to take?
Route to Avoid?
Fastest Time?
Least Toll charge?
Tips or tricks with SC?

Thank you everyone in advance!

 

[wesley888]

I just came back to NY from skiing in Sugarloaf, Maine, and stopped at Freeport for some shopping for a day. Even though I planned my trip so many times using EVTripping before the trip, I ending up just swing it. I just used the car's build in estimate and aim for the farthest Supercharger I can get to. Rinse and repeat. TACC 99% of the time. Super stress free driving.

I have no experience driving to FL, but I'm going there in August. So, I'm subscribing this thread.

 

[MX1028]

I would definitely recommend the Delaware Supercharger if you are taking I95 South or coming back I 95N. It has enough amenities and has 12 Tesla SCers. Charges very fast. There is a way to avoid the toll right after that supercharger. Its both ways so after the supercharger you want to take the last exit before toll and follow signs for University of Delaware. Its a 4 mile detour but saves like $5 or $8 dollars each way. Want to do the same coming back... last exit before toll. Hit me up if you want more details and I can send you a google map of the roads you should take to avoid the toll.

I use the above once a month to my trip to D.C and when coming back.

For your overnight stay I would say Pick a hotel that you would get to with 10%-20% battery and make sure they have a Tesla Destination Charger. Plug in all night and set charge limit to 100% so you're ready to go in the morning.

 

[ToddS]

In Florida, take 95 to I-4. Should be easy. Not sure of the supercharger stops yet as I get my car tomorrow.

 

[kort677]

I would try to use I95 which has SpCs spaced out so you can be confident of not getting caught without a charger. I would try to avoid NYC and the DC metro areas at rush hours because the traffic can be horrendous.
this will assist in your planning
EV Trip Planner

 

[BerTX]

A quick run through EVTripplanner estimates at least 32 hours of driving and charging for that trip. Are you sure you want to try to do that in two days?

 

[Chopr147]

There is a way to avoid the toll right after that supercharger. Its both ways so after the supercharger you want to take the last exit before toll and follow signs for University of Delaware

Wow never heard of this detour. I have gone this I-95 route many times but only once since getting my S. I used this Supercharger and was all alone with the 8 chargers

 

[kort677]

Wow never heard of this detour. I have gone this I-95 route many times but only once since getting my S. I used this Supercharger and was all alone with the 8 chargers

if the few bucks is worth the detour go for it, it will cost you at least 15 minutes. I do it when the toll booth traffic backs up

 

[wesley888]

There is a new thread in reddit talking about similar trip using a Model S 60:

2700 mi trip in Model S 60...range anxiety NOT • r/teslamotors

 

[MX1028]

Just checked the toll details of the I95 Interstate in Delaware... its $4 each way.

 

[Jurnimon]

Recommend to use plugshare to find a hotel with a charging station on your overnight stops. On my trip from Boston to Atlanta, all of my hotel stops had a charging station 100% free and one hotel even has a Nema 14-50 that I plug into. Waking up to a full charge saves a considerable amount of time.


I stop at the Newark, DE SC on my trips south every time is it is a pretty decent rest stop. Tons of OK food options, convenience stores in either direction and two Starbucks, a stand alone and one in the main area.

 

[SM18]

Try to find a hotel with destination charging, as others have mentioned, so you don't have to use the supercharger on the highway service plaza. Also, Disney World (not Land) is actually south west of Orlando in Kissimmee. Make sure to book a hotel that's by the parks and not in Orlando to spare yourself the traffic headache.

 

[figers]

I am doing this trip from Boston in my MX 60D in mid-April to Hilton Head, great discussion

 

[jbcarioca]

Many of us make this trip or longer ones regularly. In South Florida where I have my S, many Quebec Tesla's are around. I have driven Quebec City-Miami and NYC-Miami and vice versa a few times. Bluntly, there are no problems, the trip is as easy as in an ICE and much more pleasant.

Flooding other people's advice, you'll save lots of time and aggravation by choosing a hotel based on destination career or other connections. I usually use PlugShare to make my decisions. If you're just looking for an ultra convenient overnight, many tesla people stop at Santee, SC where the Supercharger is in the parking lot of Clark's hotel and there are a variety within a few steps of the SC. None are stellar but they are convenient. For much nicer digs there are many very nice hotels along your route with excellent charging. BTW, the Orlando area has lots of hotels with charging facilities. I almost always go through Delaware to avoid the DC crowds, but pretty much follow I-95 to I-4 then West.

There are a handful of Superchargers along the way that present odd situations. The two notable ones, in my view are Savannah ( located in an odd access in the airport, free parking when validated in the terminal at visitor services, lousy food services) and St Augustine (in a lousy shopping center, but you'll turn on I-4 before getting there anyway). All in all the trip is quite painless. The tricks are, as in ICE, finding a nice place to stop with the family. Luckily there are chargers available at most nice places along your trip. Plugshare and Tesla Destination Chargers work.
If you click on the link to Florida tesla Enthusiasts below you'll find lots of good Florida information, including a compendium of Florida Hotels with charging.

If you want more information just PM me or anyone else who's often done this and you can get more information about specific locations along your route. I'm making my next trip FL-NYC next month.

 

[Galve2000]

Last January i did NYC-Naples, FL

Day 1: NYC to Santee, SC stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street from the SC b/c Clark's is not pet friendly and I had my pups with me.

Day 2: Santee to Citra, FL b/c I have family and stayed w\ them for a few nights

Day 3: Citra, FL to Naples, FL An easy drive for sure.

we repeated the reverse trip about a week later, except we didn't stay in Citra more than one night. my in-laws have an RV so they had a handy NEMA 14-50 plug for us to charge. otherwise we would have stopped at the Ocala SC instead. and probably done Santee to Naples in one day.

i'm not huge on road trips, so i cant say it was easy exactly. but if i were a big fan of big road trips and used to taking them I would say the whole thing was a peace of cake. predictably, the way down going into our road trip vaycay felt easier b.c we were high on the excitement of the whole thing. the way home (and back to reality) was less fun.

i hope to do this trip again one day. with the pups in tow.

 

[n88]

Made trip in X 90D
Most important, get through Boston, NYC & D.C. without traffic. Best to leave and arrive back on Sunday AM, early!
There's often a lot of traffic between D.C. and Richmond in the afternoon, even Sunday. South of Richmond should be easy going.
Used AP (lot less stress) all the way, except through NYC and D.C. lots of construction. In GA, used more kw/mi due to very humid thick air.
Hotels usually less expensive in NC and SC

SCs: All except along i95 between New Haven and NYC were available without wait.
DE turnpike, good place to stop,
N.J. turnpike, OK stop, typical.
Woodbridge VA in shopping area, movies, etc can have traffic delays, but lots of options once there
Richmond Glen Allen: few miles off 95, newer outlet shopping and dining
Rocky Mount, few miles off 95 couple hotels/rest next to SC
Lumberton, in shopping center, Restaurant (Texas ) gives 20% disc for Tesla chargers, burger surprisingly good, tasted like Burger Joint in NYC
Santee, few hotels, dining right there
Savannah, off 95 the most of the others, in covered parking lot, must walk into terminal to validate parking ticket
Kingsland, several hotels near SC, several restaurants, ez walk
Port Orange: newer outlet type shopping/dining
Orlando: in Florida turnpike rest stop, usual dining fare, like DE
Charging Level 2 at EPCOT, Animal Park and Disney Springs, but a bit pricey, but favorable parking spots.

 

[RR Runabout]

My two key lessons learned on my 2800 mile round trip from Charlotte, NC to San Antonio, TX and back...

- Work on the macro-level - I pulled an average of 398 wh/mi - 400 is number I work off of... keep it simple.. I drive it like a car, 10 over in daytime, 5 over at night and keep the temp comfortable. I don't try and eek out the small efficiencies.. Figure out YOUR average, its how you drive..

- Overcharge - Just relax longer at the charging stations - I would rather spend time relaxing as it charges well beyond what I need than driving pucker factor or wondering if I am going to make it the next charging station (or slowing down or having to draft) - on my first segments I arrived with less than 20 miles using the car's calculation

Going to rant a little - I hate the % percentage math in the navigation map that the car provides between supercharging station and always used Waze to calculate actual mileage between stations and then charge based on mileage with a big safety margin.. I either want it all in Watts, Miles or Watts/Miles.. Percentages are UNIT-LESS STUPID numbers...

P100DL 20 inch tires..

 

[Jmedlin]

If you have kids. I would take something else. 30-40+ minutes each stop is a considerable amount of additional time. If that isn't a big deal, it is enjoyable driving the vehicle.

I just did a Northern California to Southern California (Disneyland) trip. I have 3 kids under 10 and it gets to them with all the charging. We try walking and stretching but honestly the time lost is not worth it for me.

 

[travis010]

We live right behind the Magic Kingdom. If you need any advice on charging in this area or other help, please let me know.

Regarding charging at Disney:

Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Magic Kingdom all have charge point stations in their parking lot. $1.50 min. $0.35/kwh. They can be hit or miss on having available ports depending on how busy the parks are. Both Disney Springs (formerly Downtown Disney) parking garages have Charge point stations (same pricing) on their top deck. I have yet to see them full.

None of the official Disney hotels have a Tesla or EV charging station. A handful of them do have some parking spots where you can access a 110v outlet and fort wilderness campground has a 110v outlet built into the front of every cabin (put there to charge your golf cart).

If you get in a real bind, the Turkey Lake Service Center supercharger on the turnpike is only about 20 minutes away.

 

[boofagle]

I really wonder why Disney doesn't have more chargers at their hotels/parks. You would think it would be a huge benefit for them since it probably costs less for people to drive than for Disney to pick them up at the airport, arrange logistics with their luggage, etc. I've seen a Leaf in the parking lot (unplugged) of the Contemporary and thought, "wow, that guy has guts."

They've also committed to some amount of green energy with the giant mickey solar array so it would seem they'd welcome a large charging infrastructure.