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Road Trip from Redding, CT to Caryville, TN (north of Knoxville)
- Thread starter JohnQ
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- New England Road Trip USA
The return trip started this evening with zero concerns. Kept 5 mph over the speed limit and was hitting about 10% greater energy usage than rated range which included a trip into the Smokies to reach Asheville. Looking forward to the long downhill run to Burlington tomorrow then up the coast. Both winds and temps have moderated making things far easier.
I did the bulk of my charging at a Shell station in La Follette, TN, that had installed a 30A charger. The locals looked at me a little strange but were happy to have the charger in use.
I did the bulk of my charging at a Shell station in La Follette, TN, that had installed a 30A charger. The locals looked at me a little strange but were happy to have the charger in use.
Trip Summary
The trip to Tennessee couldn't have been more different from the trip back to Connecticut. True, the distances, route, overnight stop and supercharger stops were the same. But the weather was different and that made all the difference.
Before the Tesla
The drive to Tennessee
Temps: 18F rising to 30F then declining to 15F.
Winds: Quartering headwinds at 22mph gusting to 40mph.
Wind and cold conspired to force me to drive right at the speed limit but still used a whopping 364 Wh/mi from CT to Newark, DE. Although I range charged, I only had 14 miles pulling into the SC after a 190 mile drive. So, not only did I have to drive the speed limit, adding an additional 30 minutes in driving to this leg of the trip but I had to range charge in Newark (or slow down even further on the road to Glen Allen where I drove at or slightly below the speed limit) which cost me, probably, 20 more minutes. Multiply this by 4 legs of the first day for the speed limit driving and 3 for the SC stops.
It was 18 hours in total including some unscheduled bathroom breaks. An ICE would have taken me about 14 hours over that distance so roughly an extra 4 hours of driving over 780 miles. I would often do 2-4 mph under the speed limit to ensure I reached the destination.
The overnight in Asheville was simple with a 30A charger in the lot across the street from my hotel. Full charge in the morning and a quick 150 miles that day.
The drive back to Connecticut
Weather was the complete opposite of what I experienced on the outbound trip. Temps started in the high 20s but quickly rose to the low to mid 40s with mild breezes--typically a 5mph crosswind. I exceeded the speed limit in virtually all circumstances, usually driving 68mph if the speed limit was less than or equal to 60mph and 72mph if speed limit was greater than 60mph. I also was able to charge to around 225 rated miles and make the next stop with a 12-20 mile cushion, saving additional charge time. Although my drive time was still 18 hours, I lost 2+ hours in traffic in VA, MD and DE. I estimate that my trip would have been completed in 16 hours; about 2-3 hours longer than in an ICE.
Overall experience
The trip to Tennessee couldn't have been more different from the trip back to Connecticut. True, the distances, route, overnight stop and supercharger stops were the same. But the weather was different and that made all the difference.
Before the Tesla
Overall, a long drive in the Tesla required a significant change for me in how I conduct a road trip. In an ICE, I'd drive 15 mph over the speed limit on a long road trip, spending most of the time in the left lane. The only weather that impacted me was heavy precipitation. Rain made the drive annoying, snow made it slower and potentially dangerous. While winds certainly reduced mpg, it was easy to simply stop sooner at a gas station.
Because of that, all my prior road trips were an exercise in getting there as quickly as possible. Stops were kept to a minimum, using just enough time to gas up, use the restroom and get some food to eat in the car. I made excellent time and was able to cover significant distance in a typical driving day. I also fought traffic all day, got frustrated with long lines of cars that were camped in the left lane and not going quickly enough for me, and did not enjoy the driving portion of the trip. On the east coast I was unable to use cruise control except really early in the morning or late at night.
I mention the above so that you have my point of reference for my comments.
Because of that, all my prior road trips were an exercise in getting there as quickly as possible. Stops were kept to a minimum, using just enough time to gas up, use the restroom and get some food to eat in the car. I made excellent time and was able to cover significant distance in a typical driving day. I also fought traffic all day, got frustrated with long lines of cars that were camped in the left lane and not going quickly enough for me, and did not enjoy the driving portion of the trip. On the east coast I was unable to use cruise control except really early in the morning or late at night.
I mention the above so that you have my point of reference for my comments.
The drive to Tennessee
Temps: 18F rising to 30F then declining to 15F.
Winds: Quartering headwinds at 22mph gusting to 40mph.
Wind and cold conspired to force me to drive right at the speed limit but still used a whopping 364 Wh/mi from CT to Newark, DE. Although I range charged, I only had 14 miles pulling into the SC after a 190 mile drive. So, not only did I have to drive the speed limit, adding an additional 30 minutes in driving to this leg of the trip but I had to range charge in Newark (or slow down even further on the road to Glen Allen where I drove at or slightly below the speed limit) which cost me, probably, 20 more minutes. Multiply this by 4 legs of the first day for the speed limit driving and 3 for the SC stops.
It was 18 hours in total including some unscheduled bathroom breaks. An ICE would have taken me about 14 hours over that distance so roughly an extra 4 hours of driving over 780 miles. I would often do 2-4 mph under the speed limit to ensure I reached the destination.
The overnight in Asheville was simple with a 30A charger in the lot across the street from my hotel. Full charge in the morning and a quick 150 miles that day.
The drive back to Connecticut
Weather was the complete opposite of what I experienced on the outbound trip. Temps started in the high 20s but quickly rose to the low to mid 40s with mild breezes--typically a 5mph crosswind. I exceeded the speed limit in virtually all circumstances, usually driving 68mph if the speed limit was less than or equal to 60mph and 72mph if speed limit was greater than 60mph. I also was able to charge to around 225 rated miles and make the next stop with a 12-20 mile cushion, saving additional charge time. Although my drive time was still 18 hours, I lost 2+ hours in traffic in VA, MD and DE. I estimate that my trip would have been completed in 16 hours; about 2-3 hours longer than in an ICE.
Overall experience
- Relaxing. While I drove for 18 hours both days, and was fatigued, I wasn't exhausted. Not fighting traffic in the left lane, taking 60-75 minute breaks every 3 hours or so, and the comfort of the car made a big difference.
- Stayed sharp. Tracking range remaining and whether the gap between that and the distance to the next SC kept me focused and alert.
- Somewhat frustrating. When there's an open road in front of you, a 70mph speed limit and 200 miles to your destination, going 63mph to conserve range sucks.
- Distances. I think 600 miles would be my daily limit going forward. That's 3 legs of 3 hours each plus another 2.5 hours stopped for a 12 hour driving day (maybe 13 with unscheduled stops, slowing for weather/traffic, etc). That extra 3 hour leg at the end was a little too much.
- Pleasure. I find I'm willing to give up the 2-3 hours on a trip like this in exchange for a much more pleasant driving experience. We're already planning a summer trip to Michigan to hit the Lake Michigan shoreline (spent my youth there). Provided the upstate NY and Ontario supercharges are in place we'll overnight near Niagara then continue on.
- Savings. I saved about $300 in fuel costs (22mpg at $3.50/gal premium) for the trip which is simply a bonus. We typically would have done fast food, eating it on the road after a fuel stop. So, food costs were higher but certainly healthier.
David Rhee
Member
Glad to hear of a successful and safe trip! There seems to have been lots of folks on MS making their first long distance trips this holiday, including me!
It is definitely a different kind of road trip on a MS than on an ICE. Mt lack of understanding added unnecessary range anxiety on my trip to DC from Boston this weekend... A steady speed on a highway seems to be the secret to maximizing range... My confidence on MS in making long distance road trips has increased dramatically!
It is definitely a different kind of road trip on a MS than on an ICE. Mt lack of understanding added unnecessary range anxiety on my trip to DC from Boston this weekend... A steady speed on a highway seems to be the secret to maximizing range... My confidence on MS in making long distance road trips has increased dramatically!
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