Well, I've spontaneously created time to spend my Labor Day weekend finally breaking in Verity, and … let's just say that I'm extremely displeased with the results so far.
At the start, yesterday, I depended too much on my pre-existing Chicago – Montana roadtrip rhythm; Two days, stopping either in Fargo, Sioux Falls, or MSP (if I feel up to driving a long second day.) I knew charging would eat up some time, but I assumed I could make up for it by driving fast … I wish someone'd reminded me that driving fast, means charging for longer (or simply not making it at all; more on that in a second.) So, it's one AM on the second day, and I'm only in Rapid City; I've got at least ten more hours of driving ahead of me, and almost certainly another hotel-stay. (Boom, there goes all the gas-savings I'd expected with an EV … -_-)
Anyway, that part's noöne's fault but my own. Unfortunately, on top of that, I've heard that the car's built-in trip-planner is terrible; so I've been trying to make use of EVTripPlanner.com … and let's just say it's … not going well.
On the most recent two legs, I charged to 100% on a whim (was walking dogs one time, and eating a meal the second), despite having expected usages in the zone of ~328/400km and ~301/400km; and thank the lords above that I did, because I arrived at both Murdo and Rapid City with ≤7% remaining; and for the latter, I was freaking out so much, that I was drafting a truck at ~100km/h in a ~128km/h zone for half that leg.
I've read elsewhere here, tonight, on here how to tweak EVTripPlanner to sort-of-represent the Model X, but I did a poor job of it the first time around. I'd assumed a speed-multiplier of 1.2 and an additional ~500kg of fake ‘payload’ would account for the MX — not even close; that worked out to ~250Wh/km, and I get more like ~330Wh/km when drafting; much less when I have to forge a path! Turns out, about half the stops along I-90 turn yellow or red, now that I've tweaked EVTripPlanner more realistically (1.4x speed-multiplier, 1,000kg payload, and a few extra degrees of fake heat, give me a Wh/km in the ~300s). So that's fun.
So, is this the Model X roadtrip experience? Despite having the largest battery Tesla's currently shipping, and it being ‘rated’ for 400km, the reality on the ground is a dearth of realistic estimation/planning tools, something like ~225km highway range, and debilitating ‘ranxiety?’ Or is this just South Dakota? Or am I doing something fundamentally wrong? (I'm happy to try anything; I'm already keeping the A/C off on any stretch over 200km, drafting semis, and travelling well underneath the 128km/h / 80mph speed-limit, despite the fact I'm already a solid day late to my destination … ugh!)
(Last week, I thought the $US 20k price-tag on the P100D battery-upgrade was, well … ludicrous. d: But right now, I'm starting to think that if 20k is what it costs me to make this vehicle roadtrip-capable … then I'd better start considering that an additional sunk cost to owning this damn thing! /=)
Thanks for listening to my rant. Any advice or criticism happily accepted. /=
At the start, yesterday, I depended too much on my pre-existing Chicago – Montana roadtrip rhythm; Two days, stopping either in Fargo, Sioux Falls, or MSP (if I feel up to driving a long second day.) I knew charging would eat up some time, but I assumed I could make up for it by driving fast … I wish someone'd reminded me that driving fast, means charging for longer (or simply not making it at all; more on that in a second.) So, it's one AM on the second day, and I'm only in Rapid City; I've got at least ten more hours of driving ahead of me, and almost certainly another hotel-stay. (Boom, there goes all the gas-savings I'd expected with an EV … -_-)
Anyway, that part's noöne's fault but my own. Unfortunately, on top of that, I've heard that the car's built-in trip-planner is terrible; so I've been trying to make use of EVTripPlanner.com … and let's just say it's … not going well.
On the most recent two legs, I charged to 100% on a whim (was walking dogs one time, and eating a meal the second), despite having expected usages in the zone of ~328/400km and ~301/400km; and thank the lords above that I did, because I arrived at both Murdo and Rapid City with ≤7% remaining; and for the latter, I was freaking out so much, that I was drafting a truck at ~100km/h in a ~128km/h zone for half that leg.
I've read elsewhere here, tonight, on here how to tweak EVTripPlanner to sort-of-represent the Model X, but I did a poor job of it the first time around. I'd assumed a speed-multiplier of 1.2 and an additional ~500kg of fake ‘payload’ would account for the MX — not even close; that worked out to ~250Wh/km, and I get more like ~330Wh/km when drafting; much less when I have to forge a path! Turns out, about half the stops along I-90 turn yellow or red, now that I've tweaked EVTripPlanner more realistically (1.4x speed-multiplier, 1,000kg payload, and a few extra degrees of fake heat, give me a Wh/km in the ~300s). So that's fun.
So, is this the Model X roadtrip experience? Despite having the largest battery Tesla's currently shipping, and it being ‘rated’ for 400km, the reality on the ground is a dearth of realistic estimation/planning tools, something like ~225km highway range, and debilitating ‘ranxiety?’ Or is this just South Dakota? Or am I doing something fundamentally wrong? (I'm happy to try anything; I'm already keeping the A/C off on any stretch over 200km, drafting semis, and travelling well underneath the 128km/h / 80mph speed-limit, despite the fact I'm already a solid day late to my destination … ugh!)
(Last week, I thought the $US 20k price-tag on the P100D battery-upgrade was, well … ludicrous. d: But right now, I'm starting to think that if 20k is what it costs me to make this vehicle roadtrip-capable … then I'd better start considering that an additional sunk cost to owning this damn thing! /=)
Thanks for listening to my rant. Any advice or criticism happily accepted. /=
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