Roadster route planning

[pwwojcik]

Hi!

I'll be picking up my roadster in New Hampshire (Yay!) and then driving down to Maryland. I'll be using Henry Sharp's CAN JR and CAN SR to make the trip (that guy is amazing). I understand that certain chargers don't work well with the Roadster. I have been looking at a few different route planning / charger searching apps and was just wondering if anyone wants to share preferred tools.

Thanks!
Paul

 

[Roadster]

Congrats on your new acquisition and welcome to TMC, @pwwojcik! Just be patient and enjoy the journey. Alternately, you may want to consider having the car shipped. There are any number of great threads on here discussing this topic.

 

[DeedWest]

Congratulations! Which Roadster did you end up with? As @Roadster outlined, it is mostly important to pack a lot of patience and take your time. When I took a long distance journey from Dallas to Colorado, I utilized RV parks and their 50A connectors. With the UMC, I could charge at 40A maximum, which is about 34 miles an hour of charge. I made sure to plan my routes anywhere from 120 to 175 miles apart to ensure the journey would go smoothly. This helps, as the car charges considerably slower in the lower SOCs (state-of-charge), as well as being healthier for the pack. With your situation using the CAN Sr. and destination chargers, I would make sure to have a backup to your backup. Research and confirm at least three charging locations at each stop if possible.

For example, when I was traveling from Amarillo to New Mexico, I researched stops in Tucumcari AND Santa Rosa, NM, just so that I had a backup plan if the first stop did not work out. For your destination chargers, I would recommend PlugShare. It usually provides the most up-to-date reviews of charging spots.

As a backup, there are thousands of RV parks in the U.S. and I'd imagine there is no shortage of them along your route. If your car comes with a Universal Mobile Connector with NEMA 14-50 plug, you can utilize these RV parks provided they have 50Amp hookups. I usually never had to pay more than $5 to $10 for electricity. Regardless of destination charger or RV park, make sure to check up on the car's charging status regularly. I learned this the hard way on my return trip after I napped for three hours and realized the car hadn't been charging for two of those hours. Yikes. Aren't I awesome?

Keep us updated with photos from the journey if you'd like! I did the same thing, and it made for a nice way to pass the time while I waited for charging.

 

[gregd]

For general trip planning and execution, I use a combination of Google Maps, Plugshare, and EVTO-Tesla (all on my Android phone, or Google Maps on the PC pre-trip). Energy use prediction depends a lot on terrain, weather, and how you drive, so it will take some experience to get the best predictions. Since this is your first big trip in the car, be conservative in your planning (try to stay above 30 miles or so), and include alternate charging sites in the inevitable case that at least one of the planned stops will be out of order, fully used, or "ICE'd" (blocked by a gas car).

After referencing Plugshare, you should take note of what company sponsors the various charging stations along your route. Some use a membership card for activating the station, and for billing if there is a charge. Visiting their website or calling the number will get you started with them.

I haven't experienced much in the way of trouble with either of Henry's CAN adapters, but some have reported that the newer Tesla Destination chargers may take 30 seconds or so to cycle through incompatible modes before finding one that works. So you may get a few errors before it actually starts charging. Also, at least one of the Clipper Creek chargers (HCS-40?) charge just fine, but then keep cycling short (several seconds) charging sessions forever after the primary charge is complete. This is hard on the battery and contactor, so don't leave them connected overnight. There are some older Siemens chargers that have been reported to be problematic, not working at all.

As DeedWest says, don't overlook the RV parks, but you will need the Mobile Connector (UMC) in order to access their 240 volt outlets. In any case, take your time and aim for destinations with charging for over night stays, leisurely meals, sight seeing, etc.

Good luck with your first Roadster adventure, and welcome to the Forum and the community!

 

[slcasner]

I made sure to plan my routes anywhere from 120 to 175 miles apart to ensure the journey would go smoothly. This helps, as the car charges considerably slower in the lower SOCs (state-of-charge), as well as being healthier for the pack. With your situation using the CAN Sr. and destination chargers, I would make sure to have a backup to your backup. Research and confirm at least three charging locations at each stop if possible.

I concur with the recommendations for distance and backup, but I'm not sure what you were saying about the charge rate. The car charges at full speed from low SOC up to 80% or so, then tapers down to reach full.

 

[DeedWest]

I concur with the recommendations for distance and backup, but I'm not sure what you were saying about the charge rate. The car charges at full speed from low SOC up to 80% or so, then tapers down to reach full.

I always thought that ideal charging speeds were from 10% to 80%. Is this not the case on the Roadster?

 

[hcsharp]

Keep us updated with photos from the journey if you'd like! I did the same thing, and it made for a nice way to pass the time while I waited for charging.

I second this suggestion! I've driven that route several times over the last 7 years. I also would repeat the idea of having a backup for each charging stop, and a backup for the backup.

I always thought that ideal charging speeds were from 10% to 80%. Is this not the case on the Roadster?

Ideal charging for battery preservation is about 50% to 80% SOC. Not exactly sure what you mean by "ideal speed" but maximum charging speed is from 0% to about 80%. If you average the "ideal preservation" charging SOC with "maximum speed" charging SOC, perhaps you come up with "ideal speed" charging SOC of 10 - 80%.

 

[Roadrunner13]

I've had pretty bad luck with SemaConnect Network in Vermont with the roadster.
Car would not charge in both White River and Montpellier chargers from that network. I've reported it on Plugshare site.

Luckily there are alternatives in both towns, not always as convenient. So plan B and C may be important!

On the other hand, I've had good success on the Chargepoint network all around.

 

[pwwojcik]

Thanks everyone! These are great tips and I appreciate them. If everything goes smoothly I will be driving #357 later!!

 

[pwwojcik]

OK! So far so good! I've been grinning for years with my Model S but now I have super grin....

Using the ChargePoint for now.... I'll try the Destination Charger later.....

The range goes down pretty fast but I'm not driving to optimize range at the moment.

 

[hcsharp]

OK! So far so good! I've been grinning for years with my Model S but now I have super grin....

Using the ChargePoint for now.... I'll try the Destination Charger later.....

The range goes down pretty fast but I'm not driving to optimize range at the moment.

Congratulations on your new ride! It looks beautiful. My only complaint: You are relocating one of the few Roadsters left in northern New England. It's getting lonely up here! Please bring it back when you're done. In the meantime, keep posting pics.

 

[pwwojcik]

Made it! Went about 450 miles in 24 hours. Stopped to charge four times:

Chili's in Auburn MA -- ChargePoint
Promenade Shops at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor, CT -- Destination Charger
DoubleTree hotel in Norwalk, CT -- Destination Charger
Glendora, NJ -- Destination Charger
This last one bailed me out when the charger I intended to use turned out to be a weak Blink charger.

The car is a joy to drive. You feel all the bumps! Kudos to the prior owners who kept it in spectacular condition.

Thanks again for your trip advice. It is a different experience than with my Model S which is usually charged at home or with Superchargers on occasional trips. Patience was key!!

 

[DeedWest]

Wow! You did awesome. Congratulations on a successful and safe trip home! Please post any photos from the trip as well as "first meeting" with your Roadster & your Model S.

 

[pwwojcik]

Welcome to the family....

 

[DeedWest]

Yes!!! This makes me happy.
Every Roadster deserves a home next to another Tesla.