Road Trip: 1,200 miles in my X75D + Efficiency Data

[arijaycomet]

(clicking photo will also take you to my blog post article)


READ the FULL ARTICLE at this LINK:
Road Trip: Driving 1,200 miles in a Tesla Model X SUV

For those who don't want to read the article, here is my raw data:

Distance - wh/mi - ext. temp - destination

0.0 - DAY 1 - 77 F - Tampa, FL
93 - 388 wh/mi - 66 F - Ocala, FL
80 - 419 wh/mi - 55 F- Lake City, FL
105 - 430 wh/mi - 50 F - Tifton, GA
101 - 438 wh/mi - 44 F - Macon, GA

0.0 - DAY 2 - 40 F - Macon, GA
89 - 454 wh/mi - 38 F - Atlanta, GA (Rain)
110 - 399 wh/mi - 46 F - Chattanooga, TN
89 - 383 wh/mi - 49 F - Knoxville, TN
?? - ?? - ?? - London, KY (forgot to collect, around 380?)
70 - 399 wh/mi - 51 F - Lexington, KY
86 - 426 wh/mi - 45 F - Newport, KY

0.0 - DAY 3 - 30 F - Newport, KY
131 - 381 wh/mi - 50 F - Columbus, OH
?? - ?? - 52 F - Mt. Gilead (forgot to collect, around 405?)
105 - 368 wh/mi - 53 F - Beachwood, OH

Speed typically 75 mph (5 over limit)
Most of route is via I-75
Pirelli Scorpion (All-Season) Tires

 

[arijaycomet]

@goneskiian if you want to add my FULL data to your spreadsheet here is the data:

1,233.2 total miles travelled since purchasing my CPO
494.3 kWh energy consumed
401 Wh/mi average efficiency overall

This data is interesting to consider, given the fact it was basically all freeway miles. My prior 2016 Tesla Model S 70D (face lift) with 19" wheels had around 295 Wh/mi average over 11,500 miles and that was probably 75% freeway miles. I'll be curious to see how the X does with the 22" setup as I do more of a mix of driving.

Figured you may want to add this data, for now-- but in a few thousand miles I'll get you an updated overall Wh/mi for the spreadsheet data. Ciao!

PS: Obviously they did a full reset of the 17" display, so the only data I have would be since purchase as noted here. But do be aware the car had 5,995 miles at time of pickup, so that means the tires were NOT new anymore, and the vehicle itself is about 9-10 months old too. Just in case anyone is curious.

 

[goneskiian]

@goneskiian if you want to add my FULL data to your spreadsheet here is the data:

1,233.2 total miles travelled since purchasing my CPO
494.3 kWh energy consumed
401 Wh/mi average efficiency overall

This data is interesting to consider, given the fact it was basically all freeway miles. My prior 2016 Tesla Model S 70D (face lift) with 19" wheels had around 295 Wh/mi average over 11,500 miles and that was probably 75% freeway miles. I'll be curious to see how the X does with the 22" setup as I do more of a mix of driving.

Figured you may want to add this data, for now-- but in a few thousand miles I'll get you an updated overall Wh/mi for the spreadsheet data. Ciao!

PS: Obviously they did a full reset of the 17" display, so the only data I have would be since purchase as noted here. But do be aware the car had 5,995 miles at time of pickup, so that means the tires were NOT new anymore, and the vehicle itself is about 9-10 months old too. Just in case anyone is curious.

Great stuff! Thanks for sharing!

 

[dhcp]

Great write-up, I love reading trip reports. One thing you didn't mention - how low were you letting your charge get when you pulled into the SC?

I'm always amazed when people elsewhere talk about empty superchargers or people coming to talk to them about the car. Teslas area freaking everywhere here, the Prius of Silicon Valley. Can't imagine what it is like there!

 

[arijaycomet]

Great write-up, I love reading trip reports. One thing you didn't mention - how low were you letting your charge get when you pulled into the SC?

I'm always amazed when people elsewhere talk about empty superchargers or people coming to talk to them about the car. Teslas area freaking everywhere here, the Prius of Silicon Valley. Can't imagine what it is like there!

We spent 12 days in California two months ago (Xmas/New Years). First a week in the bay area, and a Tesla factory tour. Then a week in the greater LA area. During that trip I would see dozens of Tesla vehicles, as you stated. Given the additional state rebates CA offers over top of the Federal incentives, and the cost of gasoline, it is truly no surprise to see so many. Still, it is polar opposite. Here, seeing a Tesla, especially a Model X, is quite a treat!

To answer your question, @dhcp -- I set my car to show % rather than remaining miles -- so that is what I can offer. Though I didn't record this data, I can say the lowest I ever was at SoC was 11% when reaching a charger-- and the highest was around 35%. More typical was around 20-25% SoC when reaching a charger. And the SoC when leaving the charger really just depended on the distance to the next one-- ranging from 60% to 90% with the higher % being more due to my lingering (eating a meal, etc) -- not really "hard numbers" I realize, but sort of answers your question!

 

[Solarman004]

I'll be curious to see how the X does with the 22" setup as I do more of a mix of driving.

Great write-up--thanks.
You noted the ambient temps and your 22" wheels. I'm curious about a few other parameters:
1. Range Mode on or off?
2. What cabin temp did you have set?
3. At your overnight stops, did you preheat the car in the morning?
4. And, unrelated to efficiency, it looks like, from your blog, that you didn't encounter any full Superchargers where you had to wait. Any SC issues on your adventure?
I'm curious because your 75D consumption seems higher than mine (292 Wh/mi summer, 332 winter, 5500 miles) and I can't believe that the 22" vs 20" tires would create that much of a difference. We're doing our first 3000+ mile trip next month so I'm always looking for good ideas!
Thanks again for your write-up.

 

[Tjhappel]

I have 22's on my 90d x. I have about 5000 mikes and I drive literally 98% freeway miles. I can't manage to get under 385 wh/mile no matter what I do. That's me driving 65-73 mph in so cal by myself. The wheels are absolutely destroying the range, I can't make 200 ever! I am switching them asap and I'll make sure to write up a full report once I do. I drive almost 1000 miles a week so plenty of data,

Do not get the big wheels unless you A-domt drive much and or B-do not car about range and efficiency. As it stands when I have my 2 kids and all my family gear in the car we are talking about 150-165 miles per full charge. AWFUL for trips.

 

[ram1901]

19" Model S 70D - 17596.4 miles - 297 wHm - as of 2/8/17
On road trips of over 500 miles - averaged 331 wHm - mostly highway - 5 over speed limit -
Looks like you'd really benefit by the 20" X tires. Those 22"s really use up the juice.

 

[Tjhappel]

Thanks for the nice blog post, I didn't read it until after my post above, it's amazing to me in hindsight anyone in their right mind (myself included) could think this car is a great road trip vehicle for families. On average your stopping every 100 miles or less which simply doesn't cut it for me with kids. Imagine putting bike racks on fhe back! It would be even worse.

I'm getting the 20's immediately even tho I do not care for the look compared to the 22's.

 

[goneskiian]

Thanks for the nice blog post, I didn't read it until after my post above, it's amazing to me in hindsight anyone in their right mind (myself included) could think this car is a great road trip vehicle for families. On average your stopping every 100 miles or less which simply doesn't cut it for me with kids. Imagine putting bike racks on fhe back! It would be even worse.

I'm getting the 20's immediately even tho I do not care for the look compared to the 22's.

If you like the looks of the 22's find some nice light aftermarket 22's you like. You'll spend a pretty penny but it's the weight of the wheel/tire combo that's killing our range with the 22's.

 

[arijaycomet]

Great write-up--thanks.
You noted the ambient temps and your 22" wheels. I'm curious about a few other parameters:
1. Range Mode on or off?
2. What cabin temp did you have set?
3. At your overnight stops, did you preheat the car in the morning?
4. And, unrelated to efficiency, it looks like, from your blog, that you didn't encounter any full Superchargers where you had to wait. Any SC issues on your adventure?
I'm curious because your 75D consumption seems higher than mine (292 Wh/mi summer, 332 winter, 5500 miles) and I can't believe that the 22" vs 20" tires would create that much of a difference. We're doing our first 3000+ mile trip next month so I'm always looking for good ideas!
Thanks again for your write-up.

1 - Range mode was off. There has only been one time in my 3 years of Tesla ownership that I've put a car in Range Mode and that was because I was seeing single digit % arrival figures to my next charger. It was also the first winter I owned a Tesla, before I realized the benefit of supercharging 5 extra minutes for padding at each stop. I like my HVAC to run at full tilt too much! haha...

2 - Cabin was set to 68-F for most of the trip. There were a few warm spots in the start where that was set to 70-F, but for the most part 68.

3 - Yes in both cases on the 2nd/3rd day I did pre-condition the cabin. But in both instances, only 10-15 minutes prior to departure.

4 - Atlanta was the only supercharger I visited with 3 other cars charging when I arrived, and that location has an amazing 10 stalls, so it wasn't an issue. All the other chargers had anywhere from 0 to 2 other cars charging, meaning the chargers were always, at most, 65%-75% open/available when I arrived. This is typical for this half of the country.

Hope this data helps you out. It seems like the 20" wheel owners are getting a VERY wide range of efficiency (300-380) whereas from what I think I remember seeing (dont quote me on this) 22" wheel owners see not much better than 370 Wh/mi but as bad as 460 Wh/mi .. but typically more focused in the 380-430 range. It does seem that, indeed, 22" wheels are adding ~10% worse Wh/mi as Tesla had once included on their web site details.

 

[vandacca]

I'm getting the 20's immediately even tho I do not care for the look compared to the 22's.

I feel the same way. However, I found that powder-coating the 20" a dark gray made them look a whole lot better.

 

[Lysol]

Thanks for taking the time to document and write this up. I'm hoping more people with the 75d will do the same.

 

[Saxman]

(clicking photo will also take you to my blog post article)


READ the FULL ARTICLE at this LINK:
Road Trip: Driving 1,200 miles in a Tesla Model X SUV

For those who don't want to read the article, here is my raw data:

Distance - wh/mi - ext. temp - destination

0.0 - DAY 1 - 77 F - Tampa, FL
93 - 388 wh/mi - 66 F - Ocala, FL
80 - 419 wh/mi - 55 F- Lake City, FL
105 - 430 wh/mi - 50 F - Tifton, GA
101 - 438 wh/mi - 44 F - Macon, GA

0.0 - DAY 2 - 40 F - Macon, GA
89 - 454 wh/mi - 38 F - Atlanta, GA (Rain)
110 - 399 wh/mi - 46 F - Chattanooga, TN
89 - 383 wh/mi - 49 F - Knoxville, TN
?? - ?? - ?? - London, KY (forgot to collect, around 380?)
70 - 399 wh/mi - 51 F - Lexington, KY
86 - 426 wh/mi - 45 F - Newport, KY

0.0 - DAY 3 - 30 F - Newport, KY
131 - 381 wh/mi - 50 F - Columbus, OH
?? - ?? - 52 F - Mt. Gilead (forgot to collect, around 405?)
105 - 368 wh/mi - 53 F - Beachwood, OH

Speed typically 75 mph (5 over limit)
Most of route is via I-75
Pirelli Scorpion (All-Season) Tires

Nice write up. I also have a 75D with 20"

Do your distances each day represent each LEG to the next SC? If so, why did you stop so ofteN with under 100 miles on various legs? Was it more necessity or a desire to stop in that city? I'm just curious?

 

[arijaycomet]

Nice write up. I also have a 75D with 20"

Do your distances each day represent each LEG to the next SC? If so, why did you stop so ofteN with under 100 miles on various legs? Was it more necessity or a desire to stop in that city? I'm just curious?

Ultimately I just did whatever the car navigation told me. The only exception to that was that I left the Grove City, Ohio charger after 30min and it automatically added the Mt Gilead for me since I knew I wanted to check out that new charger. But yeah each stop is what the car navigation told me to do.

There were a few instances (but only maybe 1 or 2) where I could have spent more time charging and less stops. But because the charging speed slows down at high % it actually makes more sense to stop more, for more effective charging. Also the small battery + big wheels meant some of those distances were not possible, but would have been with the 20" and bigger battery setups.

Hope this makes sense and answers your questions.

 

[Saxman]

@AJC

I think it ultimately comes down to personal preference as to charge longer or stop more frequently. I've only had my MX since 12/22/16 but have put on 3900 miles with the majority in long distance trips.

I'm still learning the Art of Supercharging, especially in winter between CO & TX, going back & forth to the Mountains. It's a fun learning experience and should be even more enjoyable now with TACC and eventually EAP (more functional ).

Keep enjoying!

 

[goneskiian]

Ultimately I just did whatever the car navigation told me. The only exception to that was that I left the Grove City, Ohio charger after 30min and it automatically added the Mt Gilead for me since I knew I wanted to check out that new charger. But yeah each stop is what the car navigation told me to do.

There were a few instances (but only maybe 1 or 2) where I could have spent more time charging and less stops. But because the charging speed slows down at high % it actually makes more sense to stop more, for more effective charging. Also the small battery + big wheels meant some of those distances were not possible, but would have been with the 20" and bigger battery setups.

Hope this makes sense and answers your questions.

Yup. The "best practices" that have been determined by the real long haul folks is to start the day with a full battery. Only charge enough to get to the next Supercharger. Let it charge while eating meals (will likely fill up or darn close) and then overnight of course.

This way you spend as little time charging when you could be driving. Some might like to eat behind the wheel though so I suppose that would work too and then top up overnight.

 

[Saxman]

Yup. The "best practices" that have been determined by the real long haul folks is to start the day with a full battery. Only charge enough to get to the next Supercharger. Let it charge while eating meals (will likely fill up or darn close) and then overnight of course.

This way you spend as little time charging when you could be driving. Some might like to eat behind the wheel though so I suppose that would work too and then top up overnight.

Naturally everything seems contigent on your specific route and the DISTANCE between SC stations. I seem to need 3 to 4 SC stops on a 600+ mile per day drive.

 

[arijaycomet]

Naturally everything seems contigent on your specific route and the DISTANCE between SC stations. I seem to need 3 to 4 SC stops on a 600+ mile per day drive.

That's fairly typical, especially in a Model X. When I've had my Model s vehicles I've been able to skip the occasional charger. But the X just doesn't drive as efficiently. Luckily there are adequate chargers with short enough distances. Weather also plays a role. Cooler temps hurt efficiency let's not forget.

 

[goneskiian]

Naturally everything seems contigent on your specific route and the DISTANCE between SC stations. I seem to need 3 to 4 SC stops on a 600+ mile per day drive.

Ah, right, sorry. If I remember correctly this advice is intended for those with bigger batteries. I suppose those with 75D's and S's with 60's would need to fully charge at each stop.