Range anxiety.......I don't want the stress

[Chopr147]

OK , so I was on the Chevrolet website yesterday and it has a mileage travel question. Basically put in where you want to go and it will tell you if you will need to re-charge your Chevy Bolt. (Rated 200 miles according to Chevy) (a little math yourself can do this of course) So, for shts and giggles I put in my upstate house which is 147 miles away. One way. "You will need to re-charge for your trip" WTH! Is it 200 miles or not? To be clear I am NOT buying a Bolt! I will wait for my Model 3. One of my main concerns is getting upstate w/o having to re-charge just to get there or back home. I have calculated this in my head several ways since my reservation. A/C, heat, mountain roads, snow,rain and I drive fast etc.....I hope the M3 does not cut this close every time. I may not be at 100% charge each time I go upstate which occurs more often when my wife starts to aggravate me
There is a Tesla supercharger about halfway which is lucky for me but my 2 and a half hour ride has now become more than 3 hours if I need that.
Enough of my whining! My real dream is a Tesla in the driveway. A Tesla Powerwall and solar panels.
I have the solar panels. I reserved my Model 3. Waiting on the Powerwall to hit the market. I am not reserving until I know it will work with my invert-er . I may have the Powerwall before the driveway candy.......time will tell.

 

[Boourns]

Get the bigger battery and you will have no problem, unless you plan on driving at 95 mph when it's -25 degrees out and have the heater on full blast the whole way.

 

[Big-T]

Well I mentioned this in a similar thread, but as someone who's never owned an EV I was surprised to hear recently that you're not supposed to charge your batteries to 100%, rather no more than 90% for day to day stuff and that there's a slider bar in current Tesla's to set the max percent. They say 100% is fine for occasional use but that means the normal recommended max on 200 miles would be 180. Has me rethinking whether to stay with the "base" battery when the configuration pages open up. We'lll see what the price difference is.

 

[JeffK]

Plug the tesla in at the supercharger for 5-10 min as you make a pit stop and be on the road again. Even with a base model you'd be fine.

 

[EdA]

Get a Model S

 

[Evbwcaer]

The very worst my S85 has ever done on a full charge would be about 195, I went 165 and had 30 projected.

That trip was -20f to -25f with over an hour in bumper to bumper and then speeds of 70-75mph.

I assume there will be a Model 3 with 260 rated.

My suggestion would be a 100/90 amp HPWC so you can top off real quick. As said before, no way is that SC stop 1/2 hour in this scenario.

Also as said before, get an S today. I see them on here for 50k or so. Have it now and don't worry about the tax stuff.

I bet a 3 will get to 50k pretty quick if equipped like and S 85.

 

[mikes_fsd]

Well I mentioned this in a similar thread, but as someone who's never owned an EV I was surprised to hear recently that you're not supposed to charge your batteries to 100%, rather no more than 90% for day to day stuff and that there's a slider bar in current Tesla's to set the max percent. They say 100% is fine for occasional use but that means the normal recommended max on 200 miles would be 180. Has me rethinking whether to stay with the "base" battery when the configuration pages open up. We'lll see what the price difference is.

Nonsense, been charging to 100% every day/night. Do not see any adverse effects on range in the last 20k miles.
I think the battery management and battery build quality has improved greatly over the last few years.

 

[Booga]

Well I mentioned this in a similar thread, but as someone who's never owned an EV I was surprised to hear recently that you're not supposed to charge your batteries to 100%, rather no more than 90% for day to day stuff and that there's a slider bar in current Tesla's to set the max percent. They say 100% is fine for occasional use but that means the normal recommended max on 200 miles would be 180. Has me rethinking whether to stay with the "base" battery when the configuration pages open up. We'lll see what the price difference is.

Yeah - I think public knowledge of battery technology has room to grow. You aren't supposed to routinely run the battery down to very low levels either, this goes for your phone too. When you've heard about batteries exploding in phones, it's when they get run down low, because they physically expand and have space built into the design to allow for this.

This is a part of why I think a 300+ mile range is going to be hugely beneficial to owners of the cars of the life of their purchase. If you charge to 80% for daily use (bjorn does this I believe), then the 300 miles is really 240 miles of range. That is plenty for daily use and not running it down to the last 30-40 miles no matter how "bad" things get (rain/snow, cold temperatures, headwind, etc.).

I live in the midwest and so I'm used to getting bad winters, so some of this may be specific to my experience. Can't wait for my M3, but the range upgrade is a necessity for me and the amount of driving I do. I like the flexibility to be a little spontaneous depending on the people around me. (I'm a planner by nature, but not everyone is that way)

 

[Booga]

Nonsense, been charging to 100% every day/night. Do not see any adverse effects on range in the last 20k miles.
I think the battery management and battery build quality has improved greatly over the last few years.

Have you seen the Teslabj0rn videos on youtube? What do you think of his approach to only charging to 100% when he is going on a long trip that needs it?

 

[Mark Z]

Nonsense, been charging to 100% every day/night. Do not see any adverse effects on range in the last 20k miles.
I think the battery management and battery build quality has improved greatly over the last few years.

Two questions that could help us understand the quality you are enjoying:

What is the usual voltage and amperage during the charging every day/night?
How long do you normally leave the charge at 100% before driving?

 

[mikes_fsd]

Have you seen the Teslabj0rn videos on youtube? What do you think of his approach to only charging to 100% when he is going on a long trip that needs it?

People can do what they want, I am just saying that for me I do not see the need to worry about it, I charge to 100% and let the car do its thing - and do not see any range or battery capacity loss. (small sample size - just my car).

 

[gregincal]

Well I mentioned this in a similar thread, but as someone who's never owned an EV I was surprised to hear recently that you're not supposed to charge your batteries to 100%, rather no more than 90% for day to day stuff and that there's a slider bar in current Tesla's to set the max percent. They say 100% is fine for occasional use but that means the normal recommended max on 200 miles would be 180. Has me rethinking whether to stay with the "base" battery when the configuration pages open up. We'lll see what the price difference is.

There's a danger with that. Sometimes people suddenly think, well then I can only go 180. But do you really drive the longer distances every single day? Because even if it's once a week there's no problem charging to 100% for those drives. Even 180 miles is quite a ways for most people. I have a 70 mile daily round trip commute, but driving over 120 miles in a day is something I probably only do every couple of months. And charging my Tesla to 100% is something I probably do about 4 times a year.

 

[TaoJones]

140 mile range is entirely achievable in an S85. With net positive elevation, low temperature, and high speed. Don't even need rain.

However, slowing down is your friend. As is becoming one with evtripplanner.com (especially to download and study the .csv file and elevation characteristics of each leg the first time through *in both directions*), Plugshare and carrying a ChaDeMo adapter and planning ahead by acquiring various fobs/cards as necessary for various regional charging networks. In 41,000 miles of driving, I have never had to charge at a Level 2 charger *while traveling*. At a destination, sure, but that's why they're there.

Range anxiety will pass within the first year. Or the first 6 months. Or after the first long road trip. Am about to embark later this month on a 16,000 mile journey to visit the remaining 19 continental states - no concerns whatsoever, with the exception of the PITA it will be to add North Dakota and Arkansas to the list.

 

[jackbowers]

Starting and ending elevation are a key factor in determining range. Model 3 will likely require around 5 additional range-miles per 1000' elevation gain, while requiring 5 less miles per 1000' foot decline. The same thing happens with gas/hybrid cars, except the downhill benefit is not always as great due to a lack of full regen capability.

 

[Chopr147]

Duh! Upgrade to a larger battery. I will definitely be doing that. I am leaning toward that and most likely not performance or "Ludicrous" mode. HAVE to have auotpilot! I am expecting to pay in the 50k range with tax etc... But waiting until 2018??? Ugh

 

[Boourns]

Am about to embark later this month on a 16,000 mile journey to visit the remaining 19 continental states - no concerns whatsoever, with the exception of the PITA it will be to add North Dakota and Arkansas to the list.

Hope you plan to document your trip here and post pics.

 

[Steinwand]

So you have to stop at the super charger. It is probably faster than stopping for gas in an ice vehicle for the extra amount you need. Listen to your nav system and you won't run out. I was at full charge and when I stopped at next Supercharger it was within 1 mile of what it said I would have when I started with the full charge. More range anxiety out of an ice as milage is never that accurate in them.

 

[David99]

Way too early to speculate about trips in the Model 3. A lot of things will happen in the next two years. And the specs of the Model 3 are likely to change. Just don't expect to get the same features and range as a Model S for 1/3 of the cost. That's not going to happen as Tesla will not kill it's own high end business.

As for charging to 100%. That's totally fine in an EV. The factor that makes a battery age quicker is letting it sit at 100% for a long time. That's not happening in an EV. You charge it over night, you drive it. It never sits at 100% for a long time. There is way too much Angst about fully charging your battery and causing all this talk about how bad it is. It's nonsense. If you only need 100 miles a day, it's better to not charge to 100%, but if you are in any doubt about how much you need the following day, charge it up.

 

[Jeff N]

OK , so I was on the Chevrolet website yesterday and it has a mileage travel question. Basically put in where you want to go and it will tell you if you will need to re-charge your Chevy Bolt. (Rated 200 miles according to Chevy) (a little math yourself can do this of course) So, for shts and giggles I put in my upstate house which is 147 miles away. One way. "You will need to re-charge for your trip" WTH! Is it 200 miles or not? To be clear I am NOT buying a Bolt!

I believe that calculator assumes you are making a round-trip so a 147 miles one way would be 294 miles and would require a recharge mid-trip ".

If you drive like the European NEDC test cycle you could probably make it there on one charge with 20-30 miles to spare.

 

[TaoJones]

Hope you plan to document your trip here and post pics.

Funny you should mention - got enough requests about last year's sojourn (30,000+ miles, 28 states iirc) that a book and e-book will be ready soon at Amazon - plus a bunch of articles and images and videos and such on a supporting website. Will post links here thereto for some of the more unusual stuff. Although for existing owners who have also traveled, I don't know how interesting it will be. There was that one nekkid party thing tho in Key West...

And yes - the usual rambling posts here and at TM as well. Except I haven't mastered posting pics here with the new boardware yet - imgur was being difficult last I tried. Just another thing to do