Road trip. Thinking of renting a car?

[AltLogic]

Good luck with the decision. Here are my thoughts and experiences.

I make this drive every year. Generally leave around 10 am from LA and stop for lunch for about 45 minuets and stop for dinner and gas for another 45 minuets. On the way back usually leave in the afternoon and only stop once for dinner and gas on the way back for about 45 minuets. One of the locations I stay at in Tucson is about 5 minuets from the new super charger. I can charge at 120v where I stay so I shouldn’t have to charge at the Tucson supercharger.

Next time I am going to take my Model 3. I figure I won’t loose much time on the way to Tucson making the same two stops. I should be fully charged for the return trip but might loose 30-40 minuets charging including travel to/from supercharger if needed. I always fill up a gas car there too so I might save time if I don’t have to supercharge. I plan on stopping in Quartzite on the way back and fully charge there. So I may loose 30 minuets on the way back. So it is a minimal inconvenience for my situation.

If you are an eat in the car and only stop for gas, bathroom and to pick up food, a rental car might be best for you.

Last year I was offered a Tesla Model X60D for the trip while that person drove my short range EV. That would have required 3 stops (200 mile range). I elected to pay for a rental car and gas instead of the Model X with free supercharging.

 

[David99]

How is it taking you 2-3 hours extra in your Tesla? On a 7 hour drive I'd expect about 1 hour extra at the extreme and that's if you don't stop at all in your ICE.

My daughter is in Tuscon and we live in LA. I have driven back and forth many times. Just did a little optimizing using EVTripplanner. I can bring my charge time down to 1:40 in my S and to 50 min in the Model 3. Darn the Model 3 charges so much faster and uses so much less energy!

But as mentioned above, you have to add the charge time at your destination. Arriving at 10% would mean you got there fast, but now you can't use the car to get around town. So you either add the charge time at the previous Supercharger or account the time to charge in Tuscon so you have a usable car.

 

[SSonnentag]

I'm just glad I love driving. These sorts of dilemmas just don't happen in my life. Our road trip from Arizona to Washington state this summer was the best road trip ever, and our first in the Tesla. Just do it.

 

[240W]

Just drive the tesla. No one is going to live forever. Enjoy the ride.

Similar to those wanting to keep the car forever, but somehow forever ends up to be between 5 to 10 years, lol

 

[Dagold]

Thanks for the input. I’m not sure what to do. I want to take my Tesla but I can’t charge at the hotel. In the previous times I have driven to Tucson I just stop for gas and go. But with auto pilot I want to take the Tesla. Also, I am concerned about the paint on the front of the car. I like the idea of wax but would that really help? My trip is not to October so I have time to decide.

 

[Big Dog]

I want to take my Tesla but I can’t charge at the hotel.

Any other hotels in the 'hood that offer destination charging? (I just did a road trip from SoCal to NorCal and purposely stayed at the hotel with destination charging+free parking. It worked great. Had free electrons to tool around town, and then charged to 100% the night before we returned.

 

[outdoors]

Why did you buy a Tesla?

 

[Rogue one]

Just made a 1,000 mile road trip in our model 3 RWD. Short answer is I wouldn’t make this trip any other way ICE car or even flying. The trip was almost exactly 1,000 miles it is 14 hours cannon ball run style in an ICE car and was 15 1/2 hours in our model 3. We made 6 stops 15 min each roughly just enough time to go to the bathroom and grab a quick bite to eat. All three adults on the trip commented how much less tiring and more relaxing it was to stop every couple of hours instead of onece maybe twice. Also auto pilot is something I’ll never road trip without again.

At one point in Nebraska a noticed my car shaking violently, I disengaged auto pilot fearing the worst I told myself, tire, suspension problem, what... ) : I quickly realized it was a 30+ MPH cross wind I proclaimed out loud “screw this” and reactivated auto pilot smiling and laughing on my way to Denver.... a few years ago I made the same trip and ran into the same situation in my ICE car my arm almost fell off fighting that darn cross wind...

 

[EV Revolution]

Also, would not have to worry about paint on front bumper.

I am concerned about the paint on the front of the car.
I like the idea of wax but would that really help?

I would worry more about parking my car in the street and having someone damaging my front or rear bumper.

I saw someone today parking a minivan and hitting very badly the car behind.

I would consider putting in fact some protection film or even more some additional bumper guard.

 

[WesC]

Drove my P3D from Vegas to Tahoe, 450 miles each way. Much better experience than some crapper rental.

 

[Evoforce]

OP, are you kidding??? I am in the middle of a 5000-6000+ road trip. Did the same trip last year too! Tesla is a breeze. You would be out of your mind not to take it! Plus, Tucson has 2 Superchargers.

 

[Uncle Paul]

If people had their exhaust pipe coming out the front of their cars, nobody would drive an ICE. They don't care who breaths that exhaust behind them, but would be totally upset if they had to breath their own exhaust.

 

[jerry33]

There is no reason to rent a car. I’ve done over 60K miles of trips with my S over the past 5.5 years (1500 to 5000 miles). Even if I didn’t save a penny—and I really dislike this emphasis on savings. A BMW or Mercedes doesn’t save money but people still purchase them—the better driving experience plus being more refreshed at the end of the driving day would be worth it. Many of my trips were before there was a decent SC network.

 

[halfricanguy]

Agreed, just finished putting on 10,000 miles within two months of owning my 3. Multiple 800 mile trips and partially off road at times. Still going strong!

 

[ratsbew]

I can't agree enough with this thread. Take the Tesla. It's AMAZING how much less fatigued you'll be with autopilot and the mandatory stretching breaks. I daydream about taking road trips now when it used to be a chore.

 

[S4WRXTTCS]

If you've never taken a road trip in your car then definitely do it.

You need to do a decently sized road trip in the 3 to discover how good the experience is.

 

[Dagold]

Ok. I’m going to take the m3. Thanks for the advise.

 

[ratsbew]

Report back how it goes!

 

[djplong]

I did an 8-day, 3,000-mile road trip from New Hampshire to Indiana to Philadelphia back home to new Hampshire for an hour then off to Montreal for a weekender before returning home. It was quite the pleasurable experience.

 

[ShockOnT]

So far loving my model 3. Need to drive from Los Angeles to Tucson Arizona for 3 days. Thinking of just renting a car for 3 days for $112. My reasons why are gas car takes about 7 hours vs m3 takes 9 hours with charging each way. Also, would not have to worry about paint on front bumper. And based on Tesla trips would only save $12 vs gas. Have to pay for supercharger. But I know model 3 would be a nicer to drive. Any thoughts?

Do you have autopilot? That makes a long road trip much more comfortable.