I am still waiting on my Model Y but have been driving a Model S for over 9 years now. My general rule of thumb for long road trips is 25% range cushion in nice weather and 50% in cold weather (meaning below 40F, -25 C just doesn’t happen around here!). On routes I know really well and have a feel for range usage, I’ll cut it finer in nice weather but generally stick to the 50% rule in winter. When I’m driving, I keep track of my “cushion” and the rate it gets smaller. Say I have 100 miles to go, I want 150 miles range. My cushion is 50 and I expect it to drop slope of 1 as I drive. Halfway there at 50 miles to go I expect 75 miles of range. It usually doesn’t as that slope is worst case scenario. If my cushion is disappearing too early in the trip, then I slow down, turn off heat, etc. I’ve only had to do that a couple of times and every time I’ve gotten home with single digits left (maybe 4-5 times) I knew it was going to be tight starting out.
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range anxiety
- Thread starter railroader1988
- Start date
@railroader1988 Your location just says "brampton". We don't know what state...or country...or continent that is. That would help some to have a better idea of what your situation is like, to know how much charging infrastructure is available around you and what the temperatures and climate are like. You did mention -25 degrees C, though, so that's cold but aside from that, it's hard to say.
Rocky, you've been around long enough to know you can click on the location and it will open up a map....
What?! No, I never knew that. That's some really strange bad UI design then. There's just a bunch of plain black text there that all looks the same. It doesn't look like links. There are four lines of information, and the first one (date) is not a clickable link. How would people know the other three below it that look exactly the same are clickable? Plus, I've seen some really weird vague descriptions on that line, like "Somewhere around" and "Planet Earth" and "far away", so that just looked like some random text field, and definitely not anything that pointed to a specific clickable location.Rocky, you've been around long enough to know you can click on the location and it will open up a map....
And so it's also doubly bad UI design then, because if it is verifying it against map locations and associating it to that, then it should fill it in with the full location, by including the state/province and country.
We have that in healthcare as well. It's called Hover to Discover. Apparently the programmers think it makes for a neater looking patient record. Never mind that you would have to "hover" over hundreds of items to find out whether or not they hide any critical easter eggs.
Doesn't everybody think like a gamer?
MrsWinterWheat
Member
I am also waiting on a MY and like you have occasionally had the thoughts of “what if”. I think once I get the car and can get use to how it drives and real world range I think I will be more settled.
Just think if here in Saskatchewan people can make a SR work I think your MYP should be good.
I am curious to see first hand how my MYLR is going to handle the cold. We average -25C in the winter as well but are known for cold snaps, last winter the coldest day was -40C (with windchill it was -53C). But in those temperatures we don’t travel too far from home so a range hit isn’t going to matter much.
I might have to attempt a range test when we get weather like that again.
Just think if here in Saskatchewan people can make a SR work I think your MYP should be good.
I am curious to see first hand how my MYLR is going to handle the cold. We average -25C in the winter as well but are known for cold snaps, last winter the coldest day was -40C (with windchill it was -53C). But in those temperatures we don’t travel too far from home so a range hit isn’t going to matter much.
I might have to attempt a range test when we get weather like that again.
I just made a "short notice" 1,800 mile round trip. It was a pain in the butt to drive strait through 900 miles, do my business and drive right back 900 miles, and doing it in an ICE would have been more convenient at 14 hours on the road vs 16 hours each way in the MYP... but as is, it cost me $180 in supercharging... so it cost me 10 cents a mile to do the trip. In my last ICE car that I sold, I would typically get 28 mpg when traveling on the highway... with the average gas price in the states I traveled through being $4.50 a gallon right now the same trip in the Miata would have cost me $289, an extra $109 for an average of 16 cents per mile.
In other words, with zero planning you can do a cross country trip to just about anywhere, no need for range anxiety.
Keith
In other words, with zero planning you can do a cross country trip to just about anywhere, no need for range anxiety.
Keith
The Miata was the NC with retractable hard top, other than not having much room for my left foot it was surprisingly comfortable on road trips.
Keith
yeah, my days of toughing out the 12 hour road trips with a couple of gas stops are in the past. Love the fact reasonable stops are required now, arrive much more refreshed.
sleepydoc
Well-Known Member
Yeah, when people ask me about doing a road trip with my MY (or an EV in general,) I tell them it’s possible but depends on what your goals are. If you’re someone the likes to get in the car and drive for 12 hours only stopping once or twice for as little time as possible to get gas than an ICE car is better suited. If you’re willing to take it a little bit slower then EVs work fine and in some ways make for a more pleasurable trip.
I found that traveling in our Bolt is the most relaxing, each charging stop is at least a half hour, perhaps 45 min depending on distance to the next charger. You have time to relax, even take a nap if you want in addition to getting a bathroom break.
I find that in the MYP, it seems that (if traveling alone) the bathroom is a minimum of 10 min round trip, (4 min walk to, 2 min to TCOB, 4 min walk back to car) and by then I have 5 min left before moving on, some charging stops the bathroom is further away... traveling with the wife, it takes the entire charging stop to complete a bathroom break even when it is near by!
I still prefer travel in the MYP even though the Bolt is more relaxing because of the difference in travel distance per day. If I push I can cover 600 mile in a day in the Bolt, pushing just as hard (but not harder) I can cover 1000 miles in the MYP. If not pushing hard, reduce those distances to 450 miles and 800 miles.
<rant mode> EV DC Fast chargers (Tesla, Electrify America, who ever) need to have all the amenities of a gas station! I don't want to have to take a hike to empty my trash, take a leak, grab a snack! Especially if traveling at night!!! I have taken a leak in near by bushes on several trips because the local businesses are closed at night. Also, from an economic standpoint charging providers need to get the picture... gas stations make the lions share of their profits from the convenience store, not from selling gasoline... if the charging networks want to be profitable they need to get on board with having their own convenience store rather than "boosting local businesses" with extra customers. </rant mode>
Keith
I find that in the MYP, it seems that (if traveling alone) the bathroom is a minimum of 10 min round trip, (4 min walk to, 2 min to TCOB, 4 min walk back to car) and by then I have 5 min left before moving on, some charging stops the bathroom is further away... traveling with the wife, it takes the entire charging stop to complete a bathroom break even when it is near by!
I still prefer travel in the MYP even though the Bolt is more relaxing because of the difference in travel distance per day. If I push I can cover 600 mile in a day in the Bolt, pushing just as hard (but not harder) I can cover 1000 miles in the MYP. If not pushing hard, reduce those distances to 450 miles and 800 miles.
<rant mode> EV DC Fast chargers (Tesla, Electrify America, who ever) need to have all the amenities of a gas station! I don't want to have to take a hike to empty my trash, take a leak, grab a snack! Especially if traveling at night!!! I have taken a leak in near by bushes on several trips because the local businesses are closed at night. Also, from an economic standpoint charging providers need to get the picture... gas stations make the lions share of their profits from the convenience store, not from selling gasoline... if the charging networks want to be profitable they need to get on board with having their own convenience store rather than "boosting local businesses" with extra customers. </rant mode>
Keith
Mrbrock
Active Member
Good rant, but then many sites wouldn’t exist. Tesla isn’t going to be able to put in a sewer connection in the middle of most parking lots where stations are. Much less get approval from the center owners to build a competing business.
So I just drove to my inlaws cottage, about 85km each way. Took ~50% of the battery, which for me was quite surprising. Didn't gun it at all, actually tried to keep it within 80-100km/hr and drive like my dad, but had the A/C on the entire time (it's summer), and 3 to 4 people in the car plus a bit of luggage (not too heavy).
I have 20" tires.
Was pretty concerned at how much battery that one trip took up and not looking forward to the winter (especially for the hockey tournaments in Ottawa or Montreal), though will be switching to 19" stock rims in the winter which will help a tad.
Winter tires have a higher rolling resistance and lower efficiency. This will negate any benefit from the smaller, lighter wheels.
My weather is almost identical to that of Brampton, ON.
I was exactly like the OP, over-analyzing and worrying about my weekly trips, which is 380km and I have to do it weekly throughout the year. I received my model Y LR back in late Feb.
Since then, I had to top up only twice during my trip and the rest I easily made back home. It's almost normal to arrive home with less than 10% on these trips. I don't feel uncomfortable at all.
The biggest factor by far, is the speed out of all factors you have control over. There is a surprising amount of range gain going from 140km/h to 120km/h to 100km/h. If you are nervous about the range, start out slow, and check your discharge chart often. Also on your way back, slow down and see how that affects the expected arrival %.
You'll get the feel for it soon.
I was exactly like the OP, over-analyzing and worrying about my weekly trips, which is 380km and I have to do it weekly throughout the year. I received my model Y LR back in late Feb.
Since then, I had to top up only twice during my trip and the rest I easily made back home. It's almost normal to arrive home with less than 10% on these trips. I don't feel uncomfortable at all.
The biggest factor by far, is the speed out of all factors you have control over. There is a surprising amount of range gain going from 140km/h to 120km/h to 100km/h. If you are nervous about the range, start out slow, and check your discharge chart often. Also on your way back, slow down and see how that affects the expected arrival %.
You'll get the feel for it soon.
Finally did a trip to Niagara Falls yesterday (165km). Charged to 95% thinking I should easily make it without needing to charge given the cars rating of 500km, ie 330km should be a no brainer.
Had myself my wife and 2 young kids in car, maybe 50lbs of luggage.
Drove slower and more carefully to not be hard on the accelerator than I have in my life. Literally killing me to drive 110km-115km/hr on the highway watching car after car pass me. Used Autopilot where I could. A/C on the entire ride as it was humid as hell.
Took 45% of the battery on the trip and told me I’d have 2% left trying to get home. So went to a super charger and charged to 80%. Thankfully I went early in the morn (25min out of the way and on the way back home, then turned back around to go back to the hotel) because even at 840 there were already 9 vehicles at the 12 chargers. Would imagine had I just gone on my way home it would have been more than an hour with a wait.
Same thing on way home in terms of how I drove, took 47%. So it’s not like both ways could have been uphill.
To say I’m disappointed in the range of this vehicle would be an understatement.
Can’t wait to do the hockey tournament 350-400km drives in the winter. Am I going to get 170km of range in the winter??
This can’t be normal??
Had myself my wife and 2 young kids in car, maybe 50lbs of luggage.
Drove slower and more carefully to not be hard on the accelerator than I have in my life. Literally killing me to drive 110km-115km/hr on the highway watching car after car pass me. Used Autopilot where I could. A/C on the entire ride as it was humid as hell.
Took 45% of the battery on the trip and told me I’d have 2% left trying to get home. So went to a super charger and charged to 80%. Thankfully I went early in the morn (25min out of the way and on the way back home, then turned back around to go back to the hotel) because even at 840 there were already 9 vehicles at the 12 chargers. Would imagine had I just gone on my way home it would have been more than an hour with a wait.
Same thing on way home in terms of how I drove, took 47%. So it’s not like both ways could have been uphill.
To say I’m disappointed in the range of this vehicle would be an understatement.
Can’t wait to do the hockey tournament 350-400km drives in the winter. Am I going to get 170km of range in the winter??
This can’t be normal??
So you were expecting to get the stock range with 4 people and luggage in the car, with non-standard summer performance tires? That doesn't even take into account any elevation changes or winds.
You do not need to drive like a granny - just drive normally and stop at a Supercharger when the car tells you to. Not sure what the big deal is. That's how you're supposed to use these cars. You're probably talking about 10 minute SC stops doing that.
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