New owner, three quick questions please ? 🙏

[Stuart Watson]

Just three quick questions

Thrilled with my car, less so with the Tesla dealer !

(i) Chargers, why are there two leads on superchargers . Why won’t the larger plug release until I’ve removed and replaced the smaller lead ?
(ii) Autopilot , I’ve used it a lot, I’m impressed …. It I’m curious, do you all do long journeys with it engaged ? Slightly applying a turning pressure to the wheel. It feels odd to me !
(iii) Long distance journey planner…. It seems cautious.
Why do I say that ? I drive frequently from the Algarve to Warwickshire (sometimes Santander ferry , sometimes St Malo) .. What is the point of buying an EV with a 530km range if the Tesla route process plans superchrger stops every 210km ? The on board planning tool is very range cautious.

Do my of you disregard it, to achieve a run nearer to the car’s maximum? 400km plus ?
thanks for looking at my questions

 

[sleepydoc]

Welcome!
i) what plug are you using to charge? It sounds like you're describing a CCS (combined charging system) plug. The top half has some control wires, and possibly some AC charging wires while the bottom half has DC charging wires.
ii) Here in the states, autopilot requires you to provide some input every 10-30 seconds. More recently, Tesla has supposedly implemented attention tracking software using the cabin camera - I don't know if that's being used in the UK or not. Personally, I have my hands in my lap/on my knees and reach up and give the steering wheel an occasional tug. Some people will rest their hands on the wheel but I've never been able to get that to work consistently. The car will also 'accept' tapping the stalk or moving either of the scroll wheels as a sign that you're paying attention.
iii) I haven't used the trip planner a ton but yes, it is on the conservative side and tends to have you stop more often for shorter charging sessions. That's partly because charging occurs at different rates depending on how full the battery is.

 

[GtiMart]

If you don't appreciate the onboard navigation for its charge planning (in)abilities, you can try out ABetterRoutePlanner. If you input all the parameters correctly (there are a lot) it is very precise.

Real life range is affected by too many variables for anyone to give you a good answer. I never do the EPA range and the car's navigation is too optimistic for me. Others do the EPA and find the car's system precise... Depends how you drive, what the conditions are in your area etc... When you look at ABetterRoutePlanner's advanced settings you'll see all the things that influence range.