planning to drive my model s(75) to Arizona this summer from Houston. Trying to figure out best route...have been following threads and since no immediate hope for fort stockton not sure if best to avoid I10west and head north through dallas. appreciate any tips / recommendations from others having done trip especially factoring in external factors (heat, wind) but as well as car settings to maximize energy efficiency....thanks!
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model s75 texas to arizona route?
- Thread starter htownarizona
- Start date
I can't speak for the S75 very well, but we've done the trip in our S85 a couple of times, First time we did the northern route, up through Phoenix, Payson and finally to I-40 in Holbrook, then via I-40 to OKC and then down via I-45 through Dallas, . The second time we did it via I-10 but at Van Horn detoured up to Midland via I-20 and then back to Ozona on 2 lane roads. Other that dear sightings on the 2 lane road it worked for the S85. I know it's too bad Ft Stockton is still not there- Seems to be a perpetual theme.
My advice: You need to do some route planning with either evtripplanner.com or abetterrouteplanner.com. You'll know which way to go after putting in the start and end and a bit of experimenting. Good luck
My advice: You need to do some route planning with either evtripplanner.com or abetterrouteplanner.com. You'll know which way to go after putting in the start and end and a bit of experimenting. Good luck
You might want to mention where you are going in Arizona.
Going the I-10 route is challenging between Ozona and Van Horn, obviously. Don't overlook the stretch between Flatonia and Junction, however. It is 200 miles with no Supercharger in San Antonio as yet. A slight bit between Kerrville and Junction has an 80 mph speed limit. Just don't get complacent about this stretch in planning for the "big one" in Fort Stockton!Yes heading to Phoenix...thanks for the tips and suggestions so far. I had completely forgotten about a better routeplanner, so thank you MyJoule for reminding me about that site! I assume its safe to add MyTesla login to help optimize and better plan the route
Plug share does show a KOA that may help get you down the road on I-10 if you are going that route and plan a lunch stop there.
https://www.plugshare.com/location/143888
https://www.plugshare.com/location/143888
From Houston in a S75 I would suggest Huntsville-Waco-Cisco-Sweetwater-Childress-Amarillo. Continue with the superchargers on I-40 to Flagstaff and then south to Phoenix. Try to avoid charging above 200 miles during the day unless you’re eating and have the extra time, and try to stay at hotels that have a supercharger or destination charging so you start with 100% charge. About half of the superchargers on I-40 are at hotels.
To maximize range:
- Range mode ON when driving/OFF when charging. This uses charger power to optimize battery temperature while charging. Experience has been that leaving Range mode on while charging results in high power consumption in first miles after restarting the journey, likely due to battery temperature adjustment after departure.
- Higher tire pressure. I do well with 48-50 psi COLD - before starting the day’s drive.
- Chill drive mode. Noticeable AutoPilot range improvement.
- Moderate speed. Our S100D range degrades above 75 mph. I dial back to 72mph to stretch range. Optimum speed may be lower without Dual motors. If your car is using noticeable power to manage cabin and battery temperature, going faster may provide best range, even with higher KWh/mile. Spending energy to go faster reduces elapsed time to next recharge. Less driving time between charges reduces total energy used for temperature control.
- Smart Air Suspension set to automatically go to Low position above 55 mph.
Have a safe, pleasant and low-stress journey.
- Range mode ON when driving/OFF when charging. This uses charger power to optimize battery temperature while charging. Experience has been that leaving Range mode on while charging results in high power consumption in first miles after restarting the journey, likely due to battery temperature adjustment after departure.
- Higher tire pressure. I do well with 48-50 psi COLD - before starting the day’s drive.
- Chill drive mode. Noticeable AutoPilot range improvement.
- Moderate speed. Our S100D range degrades above 75 mph. I dial back to 72mph to stretch range. Optimum speed may be lower without Dual motors. If your car is using noticeable power to manage cabin and battery temperature, going faster may provide best range, even with higher KWh/mile. Spending energy to go faster reduces elapsed time to next recharge. Less driving time between charges reduces total energy used for temperature control.
- Smart Air Suspension set to automatically go to Low position above 55 mph.
Have a safe, pleasant and low-stress journey.
Winds are definitely a factor to watch wherever you travel! There are prevailing, strong westerly winds in the Fort Stockton area as well, so it is tough to avoid them completely whatever route you take.
I would go the direct route through I-10 all the way. I would plan for a meal stop in Columbus and charge as much as possible while eating at the Mexican restaurant there, then stop again to top up to 95% in Flatonia. Then go to Junction and Ozona, charging to 100% in Ozona. Your problem here is that the winds often pick up in the afternoon, so you will need to be very careful and likely drive slowly (start off at 60 mph and speed up if it looks like you will have enough range) for this stretch. You do have a couple of places to charge in a pinch (Ft Stockton RV park and Balmorhea city RV park) but planning to use those will be much slower than simply slowing down. Some people think diverting to Iraan and charging there helps, but in my experience with my 48A charger it is not worth the extra miles and elevation change.
Driving at a slow speed on I-10 seems unsafe to someone from Houston, but this is not the same I-10 as you are used to. The trucks are mostly going 70-75 mph, and there just is not much traffic. You won't be clogging things up very much.
BUT, I'd watch the weather forecast very closely and not set myself up to have to be somewhere at a particular time. If the wind is blowing strongly from the west, your progress will be very much slower.
If you don't want to worry about things, the route that @TexasEV recommends is much better, definitely cutting from Cisco or Sweetwater up to Childress and Amarillo. No need to go through OKC at all.
arcus
Active Member
I can comment at least on the part of the route that brings you to AZ, since we just went that route about 10 days ago. Trusting the forum members we went with the recommended I-40 route. No issues at all on S75. I relied on the on-board computer most of the time, usually leaving the SC when it was estimating that I will arrive with 20% remaining.
I was sticking to speed limits within +/- 2 miles and using autopilot most of the time. 3 people, tons of luggage, tires inflated to > 45 psi. To beat the heat our departure time was usually before 6 am.
We were en-route to CA, so the only place where I was really careful with the amount of charge was Gallup (waited till almost 100%). Other than that it was a breeze.
I tend to travel in loops rather than just return the exact same way I came. It keeps things more interesting.
If you do do this, take the northern route when heading west and take the I-10 route heading east. The reason for this is the elevation change and prevailing winds on the I-10 route are both working against you when heading west, but they are working in your favor when heading east. Also, Iraan makes for a more useful emergency stop when heading east. You won't want to divert to Iraan heading west because it comes so early in the leg and you're not at a point where you know if you really need it or not.
If you do do this, take the northern route when heading west and take the I-10 route heading east. The reason for this is the elevation change and prevailing winds on the I-10 route are both working against you when heading west, but they are working in your favor when heading east. Also, Iraan makes for a more useful emergency stop when heading east. You won't want to divert to Iraan heading west because it comes so early in the leg and you're not at a point where you know if you really need it or not.
Wanted to add one more point. If you do this loop in my recommended counter-clockwise direction, you can skip Flagstaff and go directly from Holbrook to Phoenix (through Payson). You cannot reasonably attempt this leg in the other direction with a 75 due to the 4k ft elevation gain.
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