Musk says he's delaying cross-country trip to Spring Break

[JST]

FYI, heard the question asked on the investor call about the timing of the cross-country trip; Musk's response was that due to kids' schedules, weather, and the short days a trip across country by the end of the year was not the best idea. He said it would probably happen over spring break, instead.

No explicit mention was made of the Supercharger network contributing to this decision (or being impacted by it), but it seems as though that trip will no longer be an impetus for construction to be complete by the end of the year.

 

[Discoducky]

Bummer as I was planning to use the superchargers to go to Salt Lake after the new year.

 

[bhuwan]

December didn't make sense to me to begin with (snow), but I believe it's related to the SuperCharger network.

 

[bonnie]

It makes total sense to delay it for the reasons he stated - he has memories of roadtrips to Mount Rushmore and other places as a kid & wants to recreate that with his kids. Not nearly as much fun when you're freezing and walking around in snow. Short days and snowy Midwest weather doesn't make for a good roadtrip with the kids. He's a dad. That's why he's doing this. Great to get some PR out of it, but let him put his family first.

 

[brianstorms]

I fully expected this delay the moment he first mentioned this trip months ago. a) winter trip thru Upper Midwest? crazy; and b) no way no how were all the superchargers on his route gonna be ready in time. I bet he puts it off until summer 2014.

Prioritizing superchargers that 1% or less of customers would use never made sense to me. Prioritizing chargers on heavily trafficked corridors (read right and left coasts) makes tons of sense and will push demand. Superchargers in remote Dakotas or Nebraska etc not so much.

 

[Cottonwood]

Makes sense for the family, and its a much prettier time to cross the desert southwest. The desert in bloom can be wonderful. Besides, Farmington, NM needs to be finished first. :wink:

Still disappointing to see the delay. :crying:

 

[AnOutsider]

It makes total sense to delay it for the reasons he stated - he has memories of roadtrips to Mount Rushmore and other places as a kid & wants to recreate that with his kids. Not nearly as much fun when you're freezing and walking around in snow. Short days and snowy Midwest weather doesn't make for a good roadtrip with the kids. He's a dad. That's why he's doing this. Great to get some PR out of it, but let him put his family first.

I think you're putting far too rosy a tint on that. It's far more likely it's due to the SC rollout. The rest, while possibly true, is more PR spin than anything.

 

[brianstorms]

I think you're putting far too rosy a tint on that. It's far more likely it's due to the SC rollout. The rest, while possibly true, is more PR spin than anything.

Agree. I think Elon tried to squirm out of this question by not bringing up delayed SC installations, but by going the other direction, namely, didn't wanna go drive in deepest darkest winter, he was bringing up a potential Safety Debate that I think the analyst instantly caught and tried to pursue, and then it sounded like Elon realized he was heading for the Safety Debate and quickly cut the thread short by just saying end of March with a loud but unspoken "NEXT QUESTION PLEASE, ANYBODY, ANYBODY AT ALL"...

 

[bonnie]

When he first talked about the roadtrip, he said he wanted to do it for the reasons I stated. Sometimes things are just what they are.

Would YOU want to take a bunch of young boys cross-country on a road trip in the middle of winter?

 

[Discoducky]

When he first talked about the roadtrip, he said he wanted to do it for the reasons I stated. Sometimes things are just what they are.

Would YOU want to take a bunch of young boys cross-country on a road trip in the middle of winter?

As a dad of a boy I would ensure that there were adequate cold weather related activities waiting at each overnight stop like tubing, ice skating, snow ball fights, fires for smores...stuff like that. I can't wait to teach my son to snowboard and make a great snow ball to throw at my wife In a good and fun way!

 

[markwj]

When he first talked about the roadtrip, he said he wanted to do it for the reasons I stated. Sometimes things are just what they are.

Would YOU want to take a bunch of young boys cross-country on a road trip in the middle of winter?

Which is why I found it strange he announced this as a winter trip in the first place I'm certainly planning mine for the summer.

The superchargers are definitely not ready now (and seemingly unlikely to be ready within the next 2 months), but I also think that when he sat down and planned it he probably realised winter was not the best time.

 

[mitch672]

It's lack of SuperChargers for the east-west travel. See my thread link:
Looking for Model S owners with a HPWC in Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo NY
I'm basically renting an ICE for a business trip from Boston, MA to near Cleveland, OH, about 685 miles or so. Basically no SuperChargers, I did find a couple CS-90's on the way, thanks to "Sun Coast Highway", but it still makes a 10-11 hour trip in an ICE take at least double that, and my destination(s) hotel and business hardly have anything. A year from now I'd be able to do this in my Model S, not worth it today. I also emailed "ownership" and they are telling me nothing up and running for my Dec 1st trip as well.

 

[redi]

People living in the sunbelt often accidently forget what living in a real winter is all about, how early it starts, how long it lasts, the surprises it can bring.

One of the reasons I don't live in winter-land any more.

 

[AnOutsider]

When he first talked about the roadtrip, he said he wanted to do it for the reasons I stated. Sometimes things are just what they are.

Would YOU want to take a bunch of young boys cross-country on a road trip in the middle of winter?

Why originally plan it for then, then? Coincidence the network isn't ready for that trip?

 

[bonnie]

Why originally plan it for then, then? Coincidence the network isn't ready for that trip?

He lives in southern California where it doesn't snow. He's a guy. Do I really need to explain further?

 

[john01]

It's lack of SuperChargers for the east-west travel. See my thread link:
Looking for Model S owners with a HPWC in Albany, Syracuse and Buffalo NY
I'm basically renting an ICE for a business trip from Boston, MA to near Cleveland, OH, about 685 miles or so. Basically no SuperChargers, I did find a couple CS-90's on the way, thanks to "Sun Coast Highway", but it still makes a 10-11 hour trip in an ICE take at least double that, and my destination(s) hotel and business hardly have anything. A year from now I'd be able to do this in my Model S, not worth it today. I also emailed "ownership" and they are telling me nothing up and running for my Dec 1st trip as well.

Mitch, what are CS-90's? How does one find them and what rate do they charge?

 

[mitch672]

Mitch, what are CS-90's? How does one find them and what rate do they charge?

I don't want to derail this thread, they are basiclly 90A J-1772 EVSEs (72A to the car, derate by %20), if you have dual onboard chargers you can get between 45-55 mles/hour of charge, depends on the voltage (208-240), see Sun Country Highway link: Sun Country Highway they are basiclly in Canada and the Northern US (the ones I found where on I-90 in NY)

 

[glhs272]

I fully expected this delay the moment he first mentioned this trip months ago. a) winter trip thru Upper Midwest? crazy; and b) no way no how were all the superchargers on his route gonna be ready in time. I bet he puts it off until summer 2014.

Prioritizing superchargers that 1% or less of customers would use never made sense to me. Prioritizing chargers on heavily trafficked corridors (read right and left coasts) makes tons of sense and will push demand. Superchargers in remote Dakotas or Nebraska etc not so much.

I agree for the very near future superchargers in the Dakotas and Nebraska don't make sense. Getting the West coast and East coast corridors complete makes more immediate sense. However the value of the of those Dakota and Nebraska superchargers cannot be understated. It has nothing to do with people living in Nebraska. This is all about the transcontinental "Railroad" of EV travel. Connecting the two coast. Just like when the Union Pacific met the Central Pacific Railroad in Promontory point in Utah. At the time when they drove the golden spike, they thought that place would become a major metropolis. Go there today and there is nothing but a small museum. But look at the impact that the railroad had. It created the country we have today, and is one of Lincoln's greatest legacies (among many). Will the supercharger highway be of the same historical magnitude? Maybe not, but it's importance should not be overlooked.

 

[cinergi]

Though I wish he would experience driving the Model S in the cold first-hand ...

 

[brianstorms]

He lives in southern California where it doesn't snow. He's a guy. Do I really need to explain further?

When an attendee made a snippy generalization about women at TESLIVE the audience skewered the individual. The same standards should apply for making snippy generalizations about "guys".

I'd complain to the moderator, but . . . you are the moderator.