Road trip advice needed: Grand Canyon (South Rim) to San Diego

[2017ModS]

Hi everyone, I'm planning a road trip from South Rim of Grand Canyon back to San Diego and would appreciate any advice needed for this return trip. The outbound trip is already planned through Vegas, Page (AZ) with plenty of time for stops/charging. This is my first trip and am planning the route on EVTripPlanner (pls donate to the dev - Ben if you haven't already).

My plan is to split the drive over two days and EVtripplanner has me going through SC's in Flagstaff, Buckeye, Quartzsite, Indio and into San Diego. Can anyone give some advice on where to stay overnight along the I-40 route with suitable chargers? The other option is to go through I-8 (Yuma).

Thanks!

 

[Graffi]

All of my trips to/from east we go I-8 to Gila Bend, Phoenix, Flagstaff and I-40. Doing one in our new Model S 75D in two weeks. A 2-week cross-country trip to OH, GA, FL, San Diego. Unable to do I-40 through TX, but should be able to next year.

 

[snellenr]

We stayed at the Green Tree Inn in Flagstaff in last December. It's located around the corner from the Supercharger - small motel, but clean rooms, good breakfast, and a convenient location.

 

[Drumheller]

I recommend taking a look at the destination charging map

Destination Charging | Tesla

That will save you time at supercharger if you can arrive and charge overnight at the hotel. Call the hotel and verify that the station is in working order and available for you to use. I typically set my car to charge to 90% overnight, then move it to 100% and start it charging again while I'm getting ready in the morning. That way you leave with more than 90% but don't have the battery sitting at 100% during the night.

Be sure to bring your mobile charging cable and all adapters with you. If you are low on charge while up near the Grand Canyon, look for camp grounds. I used one in Monument Valley to add about 29 miles per hour while I was out on a jeep tour.

The Tesla mapping software does a good job of adding a buffer to your charge, but many of us still prefer to add extra buffer. I typically charge to what I need for the next section + 20% buffer.

The SuperCharger in Flagstaff is in the hotel parking lot. It can be a bit hard to find your first time. When you're going up the hill around the curve, follow the branch to the left down to the side of the hotel. The staff inside will give you free coffee.

The SuperCharger between Flagstaff and Phoenix is off of the Arcosanti exit (when going South on I17). It's in the parking lot of a large gas station that has a Subway inside. You probably won't need that stop coming down from Flagstaff, but it's an option if you're very hungry.

The last rest stop before you come into Phoenix will be Sunset Point. It is a nice view, especially at sunset.

I live in Phoenix and will be happy to offer assistance if you need it for some reason. I doubt you will, though.

 

[Drumheller]

Looking at the Destination Charging map, the Best Western at the Grand Canyon South Rim has two Tesla connectors, for example.

 

[EVCarGUy]

> I recommend taking a look at the destination charging map

Destination charging is a crap shoot. You never know if the chargers will be blocked or already in use by someone else. Or, even operational. You can call ahead, and some places will block off the spot, but 99% of the folks who answer the phone have no idea what you're talking about.