I am wondering if anyone has driven their Model S from the foothills of San Bernardino to Lake Arrowhead or Big Bear. If so, what type of indications for range did the vehicle provide prior to the climb and after the climb to elevation? In other words, for a climbing drive of approximately 15 miles (from Sea Level to 6000'), how much "range" did the car actually use? Any real world numbers or formulas would be appreciated. Thank you!
The rule of thumb I've seen before is roughly 6 miles of charge per 1000' with only partial recovery on the downhill side. That seemed about right for my estimates. Just to be safe, bump it up to 60 miles lost going up and ... it is only 41 miles on the roads? Pfft, can do it in almost any electric car if you've got charging @ Big Bear Lake.
Actually, I am trying to see if the 60kw S can do a round trip from North Orange County to the Arrowhead without the need for recharging. The house in the hills will sometimes lose power for a day, or so. Total distance door to door is 65 miles, one way. Of course, the last 15 miles is a climb from 1000 MSL to 5500 MSL. Anyhow, thank you for the WAG, it gives me an idea of what to expect. If you (or anyone else) has some more hard numbers, please let me know.
Six miles per 1000 ft of gain is a bit tight. I have heard 7 mi/1000' with a Roadster, so it might be even a little higher with Model S (due to weight). I have done this a lot. We live 1100' up on an island, so we do that climb almost every day. I have also driven to San Francisco from BC, across Snoqualmie Pass to eastern WA, and across the BC and Alberta mountains into the plains. A key thing on a really long climb is to do the numbers ahead of time, and then trust them. The "estimated range" will drop like a stone on a long climb, and that can be a bit unnerving. But if you keep to your budget, it will all work out. Conversely, on a long decent, do not get too cocky about getting the "estimated range" to soar to ridiculous heights; this will only last until the next flat section or upgrade.