Michigan Tesla Owners

[Joel]

Thanks for the awesome info info everyone. I'm looking forward to the trip on Thursday. I will take some pictures along the way and post them. The average energy @michiganmodels got was awesome at 264 Wh/mi. I'm hoping to get under 300 going 65 mph for most of the trip.

East to West travel is always less efficient due to wind. Drive the speed limit, use cruise control and should have no trouble achieving 300 wh/mile or less. Brighton to St. Joe's is 165 miles. I live 30 miles East of you and made the trip on Aoril 25, when the temperatures were in the high 40s, low 50s. I was close to 300 wh/mile, but the temperature was less than ideal in April, you'll be able to achieve 300 wh/mile no problem. Let us know how it goes.

Here's my Chicago trip:

 

[tcunning]

I easily made it to Chicago. The super chargers are amazingly awesome, and they worked faster then what I thought they would. The St. Joseph charger is about 170 miles from my house (around Brighton) via i94. I did a full charge to 260 miles of range. My speed was between 65 and 70 the entire time which resulted in 282 Wh/Mi. It was a beautiful day with 75 degree weather, and I easily made it with 86 miles to spare

There is a Moe's Mexican and a Panera right by the chargers. So I just went in and had a late lunch. After about 30 minutes of charging I had over 200 miles of range which was easily enough to make the Highland Park supercharger in Chicago (120 miles). However, I wanted a full charge so I just did a little e-mail and played a couple of games on my iPad until I had around 255 miles of range. It was a little over an hour total, but I could have left sooner. I just lost track of time.

The Highland Park supercharger is only about 11 miles from the super charger in Highland Park. It is at a Tesla service center, and there isn't much else around it. The distance was 120.7 miles from St. Joseph, and I achieved 283 Wh/Mi. Leaving me with 135 miles of range left. With that one charge in St. Joseph we were able to drive all around Chicago land the next day.

On the return home trip, I went a little faster from the St. Joseph charger and it was a bit hotter (around 80 degrees). I charged up to 255 mile range and made it home with 57 miles to spare using 318 Wh/mi.

What an amazing car, and thank you Tesla for the free trip to Chicago land and back. My total miles done on the trip was around 928 miles, and I used 3 different super chargers: St. Joseph, Highland Park, and Pleasant Prairie. That trip would have cost me about $100 is gas with my ICE car. Well worth a few extra minutes waiting for a charge

- Tod

 

[mknox]

Here's some recent numbers from a few legs of my Toronto to Chicago area trip in case it's of any help:

Detroit - Angola IN: Actual Miles - 132; Rated Miles - 124; Wh/mi - 268
Angola, IN - Mishawaka IN: Actual Miles - 68; Rated Miles - 73; Wh/mi - n/a
Mishawaka IN - Aurora IL: Actual Miles - 143; Rated Miles - 140; Wh/mi - 281
Cary IL - Angola IN: Actual Miles - 214; Rated Miles - 203; Wh/mi - 273
Angola IN - Detroit: Actual Miles - 155; Rated Miles - 153; Wh/mi - 284

 

[Joel]

Does anyone have Charging Options in the Traverse City area (outside of the Old Town Parking Deck)? I will be in the Traverse City area August 1st, and I would like to diversify my options.

 

[samcarney]

Does anyone have Charging Options in the Traverse City area (outside of the Old Town Parking Deck)? I will be in the Traverse City area August 1st, and I would like to diversify my options.

Last October I stayed at the Grand Traverse Resort they have 2 charging stations, 240 volt 30 amp was not working, 120 volt 16 amp only. Staff said 240 has not worked in a long time. Wish they would have told me when I booked.

Anyway the Cambria Suites Hotel, 255 Munson Ave, Traverse City, MI, 49686

has charging station in the parking lot. I tried it, it was working at 208 volts 30 amps.

happy trails

 

[Joel]

Last October I stayed at the Grand Traverse Resort they have 2 charging stations, 240 volt 30 amp was not working, 120 volt 16 amp only. Staff said 240 has not worked in a long time. Wish they would have told me when I booked.

Anyway the Cambria Suites Hotel, 255 Munson Ave, Traverse City, MI, 49686

has charging station in the parking lot. I tried it, it was working at 208 volts 30 amps.

happy trails

Thank you.

 

[Aphysician]

Saline Summerfest

MEAA will have an Electric Car Show at Saline Summerfest. This year there will be an autonomous vehicle on display from Quantum Signal. Please RSVP to the organizers if you are planning to come.

Date: Saturday, August 9, 2014
Where: Quantum Signal Parking Lot, Saline, MI
Display Time: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm

 

[Joel]

Update: I just returned from Traverse City and all 5 Charge Point stations are operational in the Old Town Parking Deck: Downtown Traverse City :: Parking :: Overview

 

[Joel]

Woodward Dream Cruise Invite:

RSVP at:
Woodward Dream Cruise | Events | Tesla Motors

 

[ohaq]

Lifetime Average Wh/mi

For those who missed this.

Very interesting post by Jeff Miller. The post has 2 attachments a pdf (interesting with graphs etc) and a spreadsheet which just shows the numbers (still interesting)

 

[Aphysician]

National Drive Electric Week 2014

Dear Friends,

National Drive Electric Week is just around the corner and Michigan will have 3 different events this year. Links as below. Hope to meet you there.

Ann Arbor - National Drive Electric Week Event - Ann Arbor
Lansing - National Drive Electric Week Event - Lansing
Novi (Battery Show) - National Drive Electric Week Event - Novi

 

[RAUDIKAL]

Hello. I took delivery of my Model S 85 in June. After 7200 miles driven locally and in nearby states, I am pleased with the car and my decision. Not having to visit a gas station has been the best reward! I plan to attend the Ann Arbor event.

I am also looking for advice and experiences from other Model S owners regarding battery range and handling in this area during the cold, winter months. I purchased 19in wheels with Pirelli Sotozero tires in anticipation of a snowy winter. Thank you!

 

[Phoster]

Welcome Raudikal. I think you will enjoy the event in Ann Arbor. I attended the National Plug In Day event last year in South Bend. Fairly small turn out there, but it was still fun showing off the car and meeting other EV drivers. Looks like you will have good participation this year at Ann Arbor and will get to meet some other Tesla owners.

I got my Model S last June and now have 36000 miles. It does surprisingly well in the snow with proper snow tires so you will be fine. I averaged about 380 Watt-hours/mile in the winter with Michelin X-Ice III snow tires . Once the battery warms up range loss is not so bad however on extremely cold days where the battery heater has to stay on you will see significant range reductions. Regen will also be disabled until the battery warms up which also has a negative impact on range.

Schedule your nightly charging start time so that it completes charging shortly before you depart. This will help pre-warm the battery. Also use the remote app to warm up the car interior while plugged in, starting about a half hour before you leave. You can also use the VisibleTesla computer program to automatically schedule your daily warm up routine. You will also want to pre-warm the car for your return commute. This can help defrost the windows even before you leave the office. If you can plug in at work, even at just 110V, it can keep the battery from getting stone cold.

I kept my old SUV thinking I would drive it in the winter. That was a complete waste. I have only driven it a handful of times in the past year; mostly to keep its battery charged.

Enjoy your Tesla (which is a truly inane thing to say because of course you will).

 

[Aphysician]

@ Raudikal, Congratulations on your MS and welcome to the group. You will certainly enjoy the car. I must say 7200 miles in 3 months is great, seems you have made few trips. I have a S60 a year ago and currently around 9000, but then I dont use it for work. I also plan to attend AA event and hope to meet you there. Thanks @phoster for your insights. I agree with all that you said. MS does well in the snow. My Wh/mile use was similar. I ventured out on company 19 inches and it did well, traction control helps in slippery situations. I didnt take out the car if it had snowed more than 4-6 inches. Prewarming the battery and car is essential in winter months. Hope this helps.

 

[Aphysician]

Update for Michigan Owners

I made the call for annual service today. Columbus routed my call to Cleveland. It seems Cleveland will be now serving Detroit area owners.

There are also now 2 locations in Michigan with 80 amp chargers exclusive for Tesla owners. These are not superchargers, but 80 amp charging stations and will certainly help in planning trip.

Detroit - Atheneum Suite Hotel, 1000 Brush St, Detroit, MI 48226.
Atheneum Suite Hotel - Detroit's premier all-suite hotel.

Traverse City - Crystal Mountain, 12500 Crystal Mountain Dr, Thompsonville, MI 49683.
Crystal Mountain | Michigan Ski, Golf Spa Resort

 

[xy46]

ohaq: I live in the Grand Rapids area.

- - - Updated - - -

Hopefully we can find some more Michigan owners to connect with here and elsewhere.

wmgill - I live in the Grand Rapids area, too and am picking up my P85D on Tuesday in Chicago. I am really excited to be joining the Tesla family. Only snag has been getting my HPWC installed - still not functional.

 

[Aphysician]

May 16 - Tesla Owners rally in St. Joseph, MI

Hello Friends and fans,

Our friends from Minnesota are organizing a rally to St. Joseph Supercharger. Please read below or click the link for more details. Please contact Vexar to participate.

May 16 - Tesla Owners rally in St. Joseph, MI

Delivering on promise from October, the Minnesota Renegades are once again exercising their rights of free speech and paying a visit to the great State of Michigan this Spring. We welcome all with open hearts to join us for a day of community and discovery at our second club rally.

Near the shores of Lake Michigan, at the Tesla Supercharger in St. Joseph, MI on Saturday May 16, 2015, several Tesla owners from Minnesota will be on-site for the day to show their vehicles, perhaps even giving a few rides. We are extending a special invitation to Michigan Tesla owners to join us, and we hope to see owners from the region, as well as EV owners in the area.

Summary:
Saturday, May 16, 2015
(approximately) 9:00am-5:00pm
Tesla Supercharger in St. Joseph, MI (near Panera Bread)

Additional Charging:
L2 - Benton Harbor (Whirlpool Corporation)
L2 - Buchanan, MI (Municipal)
L2 – South Haven, MI (Consumers Energy)

Hotels:
Contact View Profile: Vexar - Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum privately for this information; we are pursuing a group rate.

Please note: this is organized by private owners and it is in no way supported, staffed, or sponsored by Tesla Motors, in compliance with Michigan dealer laws. Permission was obtained from leadership of the Panera Bread franchise to hold the owners' rally. Please be considerate of restaurant patrons and park in back (by the superchargers).

 

[Aphysician]

2015 Events

Hope everyone was well over the winter. Please see below for few events that we will plan this year. Planning will start soon, please let us know if you can help with one or multiple events. This is based on the last year’s events. Please inform if any other events can be added.

(1) April 9, 2015: Washtenaw Community College (WCC) Earth Day Celebrations
- WCC is inviting Tesla Owners in MI to display their vehicles
- Thursday, April 9, 2015 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
- Contact: Bill Ghrist - 734-477-8787 or [email protected]

(2) MEAA Spring Meeting 2015 (To be decided)
- Agenda: Planning for 2015 events
- Contact: Bruce Westlake and Larry Tuttle - [email protected]

(3) Annual Michigan Electric Vehicle Show and Rally (MEAA Event)
- This event was held at Schoolcraft college every year for last 6 years. However it will not take place this year.

(4) May 16, 2015: Tesla Owners Rally at St. Joseph, MI
- This rally is planned by Minnesota Tesla Owners
- See the link below for more information and contact Vexar on TMC for booking
- May 16 - Tesla Owners rally in St. Joseph, MI

(5) June 12, 2015: Mayor's Green Fair on Main Street (Ann Arbor) (MEAA event)
- MEAA is planning to participate this year as well. If plans go through then we will be requested to showcase one vehicle at the fair.
- http://www.a2gov.org/departments/systems-planning/Sustainability/Pages/GreenFair2009.aspx

(6) June 27, 2015: Michigan Renewable Energy Fair
- MEAA and Michigan Tesla Club has been approached by Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association for this fair.
- This will be a large fair with plenty of activities and opportunities to learn about renewable energy
- Will upload details as soon as available from organizers
- http://www.2glrea.org/energyfair

(7) July 10-11, 2015: Saline Celtic Festival (MEAA Event)
- We have participated in this event for last 2 years (Dan Scherer in 2013 and Fred Glomb in 2014). We have not been contacted by MEAA this year, however event is taking place on above dates. I will update information later if there is plan this year to have electric cars.
- https://www.facebook.com/SalineCelticFestival
- http://salineceltic.org/

(8) July 10-12, 2015: TMC Connect (TMC Event)
- This is the premier event for a Tesla Owner/Enthusiast
- http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/connect/

(9) August 8, 2015: Saline Summerfest EV Show (MEAA Event)
- Saline Summerfest and MEAA has been hosting an EV show for many years and we have partnered for last few years as well
- www.salinesummerfest.org/electriccar_show.html

(10) August 15, 2015: Woodward Dream Cruise
- Tesla has been organizing a meet & greet event for Michigan owners for last 2 years at Joel Szirtes’ business on Woodward Ave.
- We really need large numbers this year and as Frank Christopher said “We need to plan a takeover of the boulevard and cruise all the Teslas we can at the same time, we can line up at the red light and fill in the street all at once.”
- We will update the information about this year’s event as it becomes available
- http://www.woodwarddreamcruise.com/

(11) August 21-22, 2015: 28[SUP]th[/SUP] Street Metro Cruise
- We (Alan Gills) have been participating since last 2 years. This is a great event to attend on West side of the state.
- http://www.28thstreetmetrocruise.com/

(12) September 12-20, 2015: National Drive Electric Week (PlugIn America and MEAA Event)
- PlugIn Day has been rebranded as National Drive Electric Week since last year
- MEAA has been organizing this event successfully for many years. Event planning has already started and hope to have exciting details available soon after securing necessary permits.
- Please check the website as it gets updated with 2015 info later.
- https://driveelectricweek.org

(13) January 15 – January 24, 2016: NAIAS: Welcome Tesla to Michigan
- Getting inspiration from this year’s welcome of Elon Musk, we should plan a proper welcome of Tesla to our state.
- Waiting for ideas from all how to organize it.

Below are some events, in which we have participated in the past. If you have participated in any EV shows or have showcased your car to a large group to educate them about Tesla or EV in general then please let us know. We can include that into the list, this will give us ideas for future event. We all represent the club. Thank you for your support and continued enthusiasm.

(1) Concourse d’Elegance of America at the Inn at St. John’s – Michigan Tesla Club was invited by the organizers (Jonathan Mack in 2013). July 24 – July 26, 2015
(2) Washtenaw Community College Car and Bike Show – Owais Haq in September 2014
(3) Car & Driver Tesla Feature: Owais Haq in August 2013
(4) Meijer Car Show: Dan Scherer in August 2, 2013
(5) EV Expo at ITC (Farmington Hills): October 14, 2013
(6) Monroe Community College Tech Center: Dan Scherer on October 30, 2013

 

[Aphysician]

Courses on Workplace Charging by Clean Energy Coalition-Michigan

CEC Michigan is offering workshops workplace charging. Small businesses are available for state incentive for installing charging infrastructure at the property. There will be four workshops on this. Please click the link for more information.

Clean Energy Coalition :: bridging needs. advancing change. :: Incentives Available for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

Presenters will discuss:

• how to estimate EV charging demands,
• the process of citing and installing a station,
• financing options, and
  
• the requirements to apply for the available funding.

Grand Rapids

Where:
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids, MI
When:
Tuesday April 14, 2015
9:00am – 12:00pm ET
Click here to register

Ann Arbor

Where:
Ann Arbor DDA
Ann Arbor, MI
When:
Thursday April 16, 2015
9:00am – 12:00pm ET
Click here to register

Warren

Where:
EVITP Facility
Warren, MI
When:
Wednesday April 22, 2015
9:00am – 12:00pm ET
Click here to register

Kalamazoo

Where:
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI
When:
Wednesday April 29, 2015
9:00am – 12:00pm ET
Click here to register

 

[ohaq]

Come Experience All-Wheel Drive and Autopilot Tesla Model S in Michigan

Got an email 2 weeks ago, unfortunately i wont be able to go, here is the summary of the email.

Subject: Come Experience All-Wheel Drive and Autopilot Tesla Model S in Michigan

Event Location:
Townsend Hotel
Regency Room
100 Townsend St
Birmingham, MI 48009

Demonstration Drives are available by appointment from 10AM to 6PM Saturday, April 11[SUP]th[/SUP] and Sunday, April 12[SUP]th[/SUP]. Please call at 614-266-5177 with a preferred date and time to schedule. You are welcome to bring up to 3 friends or family members for the experience.