Planning a trip for next weekend MS or ICE?

[Earthdog]

So I am going to a Youth Football Jamboree this Friday the 15th returning the 17th. I am trying to decide wether to take my ICE or my 2 week old Model S P85.

Departing Canton, GA
Arriving in Cookeville, TN

Distance 188 miles
Route I-75 to TN 111

All in all this seems doable but being my first real trip I am concerned. If/when I make it to Cookeville there appear to be several Blink Stations around. The trip up time is an issue I need to make the trip up in 4 hour's to make my arrival window. My return trip is more variable.

Any thoughts tips of advice would be great as this is my dry run. If all goes well then I plan to take the Fiancee from Canton, GA to Nashville, TN for a long weekend. She will not be so understanding if I get us stuck on the side of the road by miscalculations.

Thanks for anything you can offer.

 

[efusco]

So I am going to a Youth Football Jamboree this Friday the 15th returning the 17th. I am trying to decide wether to take my ICE or my 2 week old Model S P85.

Departing Canton, GA
Arriving in Cookeville, TN

Distance 188 miles
Route I-75 to TN 111

All in all this seems doable but being my first real trip I am concerned. If/when I make it to Cookeville there appear to be several Blink Stations around. The trip up time is an issue I need to make the trip up in 4 hour's to make my arrival window. My return trip is more variable.

Any thoughts tips of advice would be great as this is my dry run. If all goes well then I plan to take the Fiancee from Canton, GA to Nashville, TN for a long weekend. She will not be so understanding if I get us stuck on the side of the road by miscalculations.

Thanks for anything you can offer.

188 is very doable, try to find a hotel with or very near a charger. You'll be glad you too the Model S...I had a lot of anxiety about trips of similar distance when I first got my S as well, now almost a year in that distance doesn't even give me a moment's pause.

Still, have a backup plan, get the recargo and plug share apps and identify locations where you can do an emergency top up if weather turns really bad. Make sure you know where and when you'll charge in Cookeville, a hotel is always best, IMO so you don't have to even think about it.

 

[purplewalt]

Definitely take the P85, there is no time like the present to learn about your new car...
Just keep an eye out for your rated range, always keep some spare charge (I use 40 miles as a base buffer, 30 miles of range as a minimum buffer).
Terrain takes extra energy, so be prepared to slow down to account for that loss should you encounter steep roadways.
The flip side is, on your return trip, going down-hill you are regaining some of the previously used energy.

You CAN do it, just be prepared to adjust you speed at the beginning of your trip to take into account anything that might occur later.
If you see you are only 50 or 40 miles from your destination, and you still have 120 miles of rated range, THEN drive whatever legal speed you deem appropriate.
But it takes a bit of conservative driving to still HAVE that 120 mile still available near the last third or quarter of your drive.
If you circumstances develop that you need a charge, start looking, or better yet, have a plan ahead of time.
Learn to use the cruise control on flat terrain, as it will hold a steady pace.
Should you encounter mountains, you might consider slowing down to conserve energy.

Recargo and Blink have apps you should have on your phone.
You will need a Blink card at some point, some Cracker Barrels in Eastern Tennessee have them, they use the J 1772 adaptor.
A little slow (~17 miles of range per hour) but, they do work.

RV Parks and State Parks have 14-50 outlets, optimally charge @ 30 miles per hour.
Some Whole Foods have charging stations that are sometimes free.

You will need to learn a bit about the Energy bar graph, make sure it is set on "Average", not "Instant".
There are multiple threads about driving distances and some of the effective strategies for a successful trip.

If you keep your kWh around 20 (or less) (the orange/yellow dial on the right side of the speedometer), your actual range will nearly match your rated range.

 

[Al Sherman]

Totally doable in the MS. The distance should not be an issue at all at the speed limit, and the 4 hour trip should be no problem at these speeds. Have some alternate charge stops at hand in case energy usage is high for whatever reason. It should not be however. Range charge should not be necessary but may provide extra peace of mind.

At Cookeville you have the IDEAL situation. Two overnights at a hotel with two chargers. Perfect. The LaQuinta Inn and Suites hotel in Cookeville has two Blink chargers. Make a reservation and call the manager to confirm that the chargers are operational. Reserve one with your room reservation if they allow this. Policies vary, but with two overnights your car should be full for the days driving and for the return trip.

Please let us know how it goes.

 

[dsm363]

Great advice from everyone. Agree , should be an easy trip to make it there. Just make sure the slider is all the way to the right in the 'trip' area or also called a Max or Range charge.

 

[Btrflyl8e]

One thing I found helpful when I drove my 60 from Tampa to Miami (I had the luxury of a super charger halfway) was to use nav for your final destination and just mute the sound. This way you will always know exactly how many miles you have to go, and can quickly do the math against your remaining rated range to know if you need to adjust your driving. It also have me peace of mind knowing where I stood at a glance. I also made sure I knew where all the closest RV parks were for charging options at my destination, although my hotel ended up having an outlet I could use.

It sounds to me like your trip is the perfect distance and length of stay for your first road trip in your MS! Take it and safe travels, post your experience!

 

[JohnQ]

My first long trip was 170 miles from my home to Boston and I've done it 8 times so far in the past 7 months. Fairly hilly but not mountainous; driving 75 mph the whole way (except the last 20 miles in Boston traffic. With a range charge I never have less than 50 miles remaining and usually 70 or more. As long as you have several charge options, and at least 10 hours at your destination to charge, definitely take the S.

 

[TNEVol]

This is my country and I have driven the TN part of the route many times both P85 and ICE. IMO you will have no problem. I would risk it on a 220 mile charge. And since I am close to Cookeville on Nashville side in an emergency you can use my 6-50 outlet and adapter. My advice is to save energy in Ga and through Chatt. if you feel anxious there are several chargers in the Chatt area at Cracker Barrel and Hamilton Place hotels. Just be aware that the Blink chargers have mostly been derated and will give you about 14MPH. The GA-Chatt portion is easy to do at less than 300WhM due to terrain just set cruise at about 65. Once on 111 you will have a significant climb up the Cumberland Plateau right after leaving Chatt. However when you get to the top it is mostly flat all the way to Cookeville. Since the speed limit is mostly 55 and there is nothing to slow you down just cruise and enjoy the drive. The 111 route is beautiful. Where are you staying in Cookeville. I am only aware of 1 hotel charger at the 287 exit. PM me if you want more info. BTW there is no way I would do this in an ICE now. I have 9100 miles since 6/22/13

 

[efusco]

Here's an in vivo video I made on my first "big" trip of how I used the NAV, Energy screen, and rated range together to monitor my real range. Hope it helps:

Battery Range Estimation-Tesla Model S - YouTube

 

[Earthdog]

TNEVol: I am staying right at exit 287. CarStations shows J1772's at La Quinta Inn's, Cracker Barrel and the Nissan Dealer on Neal St. I am hoping the Nissan dealer will be willing to let me charge there. In Atlanta all the Nissan Dealers will let you charge for free at the moment. They seem to love having a Tesla there. Can you suggest anywhere else in the area?

Thanks,
Jeff

This is my country and I have driven the TN part of the route many times both P85 and ICE. IMO you will have no problem. I would risk it on a 220 mile charge. And since I am close to Cookeville on Nashville side in an emergency you can use my 6-50 outlet and adapter. My advice is to save energy in Ga and through Chatt. if you feel anxious there are several chargers in the Chatt area at Cracker Barrel and Hamilton Place hotels. Just be aware that the Blink chargers have mostly been derated and will give you about 14MPH. The GA-Chatt portion is easy to do at less than 300WhM due to terrain just set cruise at about 65. Once on 111 you will have a significant climb up the Cumberland Plateau right after leaving Chatt. However when you get to the top it is mostly flat all the way to Cookeville. Since the speed limit is mostly 55 and there is nothing to slow you down just cruise and enjoy the drive. The 111 route is beautiful. Where are you staying in Cookeville. I am only aware of 1 hotel charger at the 287 exit. PM me if you want more info. BTW there is no way I would do this in an ICE now. I have 9100 miles since 6/22/13

 

[MrSled]

I would definitely go for it. In my experience, the Nissan Dealers have been very good about letting Teslas charge at their stations so I don't think you will have any dealer issues. Also, there are a few Cracker Barrels along that route so you can always stop in and charge there. If you are in a bind on your next trip to Nashville, you are more than welcome to use my HPWC in Franklin. Have a 100amp setup so it will take you less time to charge.

 

[Chipper]

I would definitely go for it. In my experience, the Nissan Dealers have been very good about letting Teslas charge at their stations so I don't think you will have any dealer issues. Also, there are a few Cracker Barrels along that route so you can always stop in and charge there. If you are in a bind on your next trip to Nashville, you are more than welcome to use my HPWC in Franklin. Have a 100amp setup so it will take you less time to charge.

I am in Chattanooga about 1/2 mile from the Hamilton Place Mall and I75/I24. I too, have a 100 AMP HPWC and it is available to you. I don't even know if it works yet since they just installed it yesterday and my car is not due for another 13 days.

 

[GlennAlanBerry]

Lots of good advice here so far. Since it is your first relatively long road trip, I would definitely do a Max Range charge before you leave home (just to reduce your anxiety for the first trip). Start out driving somewhat slower, and you can always speed up as you get a better feel for how the car is doing from a range perspective. Have fun!

 

[DFibRL8R]

I've taken multiple road trips in my 60 kWh driving 16,000 miles in 9 months of ownership.

I have found that planning is the best strategy for longer road trips. I think you will have no issues but definitely have a plan B and plan C for backup charging options along your pre-planned route.

Download apps (plug share, charge point etc) and sign up for any access cards you might need to use certain brand chargers on your route.

Definitely call ahead to hotels, Nissan dealers etc and get the name of whoever gives you a yes on charging. I also like to remind the manager of the hotel, restaurant etc that I chose their business because of their EV charger.

I like to examine the route, looking for shorter distance routes when practical. Looking at the route you are going there seems to be an alternative route taking 127 in Chattanooga instead of 27. Shaves off a few miles and also remember the scenic route can be much more fun in the Model S. Admittedly, I am unfamiliar with the area and I don't know if this route would give more elevation change, more traffic etc.

Lastly, consider checking on your charge periodically via the app to make sure charging is still happening. A breaker trip, someone unplugging you etc can set you back if it goes undetected (one of my gripes about the app that it doesn't alert you when charging is interrupted).

Have fun!

 

[Earthdog]

Thanks for all the great tips. I am looking forward to the first adventure in the MS.

 

[babyrocket]

Here is the best information I've seen on how to plan for a long trip in the Model S:

The Rules of Model S Road Tripping - Blogs - Tesla Motors Club - Enthusiasts & Owners Forum

 

[ChrisC]

Hey Earthdog, how did it go?

Did you successfully charge anywhere that's not already listed on Recargo or Plugshare?