Range versus comfort

[Rocky_H]

There is either a major problem with your car, or a major problem with your on-board FPU.

A few people have commented on that, but I think that's probably just the "first minute" misreading problem. When leaving my garage, I will sometimes see something like 600-900 whrs/mile for the first few minutes, so that first mile will have a really unusually high reading. That may be the car heating the battery up a bit, or maybe the car was using some energy while it was sitting still (while going no distance), which puts the initial per mile value out of whack. I wouldn't put any weight on what any reading says for one mile. It's too likely to be distorted, so it's not useful information. If the 5 or 15 mile averages in the energy app are still reading that high, then, yeah, there might be something going on.

 

[mikeash]

I'd do it if I needed to. So far I have not needed to, including several long trips and one trip from DC to Ft. Lauderdale, then home through Orlando.

There's no substitute for proper planning, of course. Be aware of what chargers are available on your route and while at your destination, how much driving you'll do while there, and how much charge you'll need to get home or get to the first Supercharger on the way back.

Driving a long way to a place with only a 120V outlet and burning more charge than you obtain from the outlet should never happen. Know what you need and what you'll get!

PlugShare is your friend. Public chargers are usually slow, but can still be worthwhile if you have something you want to do while the car is plugged in. And don't be afraid to hit up the Superchargers to get enough charge to spend around your destination.

 

[Rodolfo Paiz]

Let me add some more data points for context here. First, I think the OP's 1.36 KWh/mile number is probably just what he (she?) was seeing at the start of the trip. Cooling down the car in a 90-degree Florida day takes a ton of power, and I regularly see over 1KWh/mile for the first mile or two of a trip. As to what an older 85 will need in Florida, at 60mph and alone you should expect about 280 Wh/mile. At 80mph with four people in the car, such as when taking the family on a trip, I see 400-420 Wh/mile.

I had the kind of suffering the OP underwent once or twice in my early ownership. Seems like user error to me, though totally understandable. On a trip like this, I make sure to stop at Superchargers until I have at least 80% charge (the last 20% takes a lot longer), and plan ahead a little to ensure I'm never waiting for a 110V outlet to fill me up at 3 miles of range per hour. Check ChargePoint and Tesla to see which hotels have charging for you. As a Plan B, know which hotels you could go to for dinner and have them charge your car while you're there. And as a Plan C, I have a ChargePoint membership and have often used commercial chargers. They're slower and less convenient than overnight L2 charging, Tesla HPWC or Supercharging... but they beat the pants of 110V!

 

[Rocky_H]

And as a Plan C, I have a ChargePoint membership and have often used commercial chargers. They're slower and less convenient than overnight L2 charging, Tesla HPWC or Supercharging... but they beat the pants of 110V!

There is another good point in here. Every region and city has slightly different charging membership networks in that area, and it's a pain to be trying to figure them out when you're there. So when you are heading to a city, go ahead and get set up for the networks there so you will be ready to use them conveniently when you are there. Chargepoint isn't always the main thing in various cities, so check Plugshare to see what there is a lot of around the area you are going to. It may be Greenlots or EVgo or something else.