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Rocky Mountains Range Anxiety

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Good morning,

I ordered a Model X a few days ago, and have been drilling down on some time and range calculations.

I often make a trip from Fort Collins, CO to Salt Lake, UT. Current superchargers require a trip over I-70. Having ordered the 60D, and looking at winter temperatures and driving over mountains, it appears I can't make it to the first supercharger in Silverthorn. This is based off of evtripplanner. Has anyone had experience with a similar route that can ease my mind?
 
It might be a little close in winter with very cold temperatures. I will let another more experienced driver in cold climates reply with better information. A key to cold weather driving to maximize distance is to use the bun warmers in the seats over the cabin heater. The cabin heater sucks a lot of energy and can impact distance materially.

EVTripplanner says that during temperate times the trip down Interstate 25 and west on I70 is easy.
 
I often make a trip from Fort Collins, CO to Salt Lake, UT. Current superchargers require a trip over I-70. Having ordered the 60D, and looking at winter temperatures and driving over mountains, it appears I can't make it to the first supercharger in Silverthorn.
Another thing to watch for is the potential new Supercharger along I-25 in the Thornton area. I recently found the documentation submitted for the Lincoln, Nebraska Supercharger which shows several new locations along I-25, I-76 and I-80. At the Tesla event in Avon on Friday, the Tesla employee said that they are going to compete the gaps on I-80 this year.

While you probably wouldn't need the Thornton location in warmer weather, it could allow you to recharge before heading up I-70 in colder temperatures.

Here's an image @Chuq made combining the existing Supercharger map with those locations shown on the Lincoln application paperwork.
MiExwgy.png
 
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Good morning,

I ordered a Model X a few days ago, and have been drilling down on some time and range calculations.

I often make a trip from Fort Collins, CO to Salt Lake, UT. Current superchargers require a trip over I-70. Having ordered the 60D, and looking at winter temperatures and driving over mountains, it appears I can't make it to the first supercharger in Silverthorn. This is based off of evtripplanner. Has anyone had experience with a similar route that can ease my mind?
in winter those climbs will be taxing your capacity to the max, I charged 25-30% more than the trip planner in the car called for, and sometimes the extra range was needed
 
I would not recommend it. I spend a lot of time in Montana and Colorado in the winter and the cold temperatures can be extreme. I would get a 90D if that is your typical driving pattern. In fact if you live in any of the mountainous western states with cold winters I would get nothing less than a 75 but a 90 would be best.
 
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I agree with the previous posts. You will need more energy than you think. Your actual range will be lower than the rated range. I needed to charge an extra 25%-30% traveling at highway speeds over the continental divide yesterday, and was even more disappointed by my energy use in the winter. Get the 75 at least.
 
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Thanks for all the info, especially the added charger in Denver, that reduces my worry a bit. A quick stop there would be well advised in the winter for sure. The extra 25% is a good suggestion as well for a buffer. I'm definitely looking forward to the delivery!

Regularly is a few times a year for me. Definitely not super regular. Thanks for the advice!

Noneduck - What vehicle do you have?
 
Thanks for all the info, especially the added charger in Denver, that reduces my worry a bit. A quick stop there would be well advised in the winter for sure. The extra 25% is a good suggestion as well for a buffer. I'm definitely looking forward to the delivery!

Regularly is a few times a year for me. Definitely not super regular. Thanks for the advice!

Noneduck - What vehicle do you have?
Mine is a S 90D
 
I did a lot of mountainous driving in my X last winter. It's very common to see consumption of 500 Wh/mile, and turning off the heater doesn't help much because torque sleep switches off in freezing temperatures, causing the drivetrain to use 10-15% more power. Also, you can expect to consume 8 miles of range for each 1000' elevation gain, and recover 7 miles of range for each 1000' decline.
 
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I had an original 60 Model S when I lived in Denver. It's EPA range was 208 miles. I made many trips over the Rockies with no problems, many times during snow storms (please be sure to use proper winter tires!! I can't stress this enough). You may not be able to drive as fast as some traffic, but I was definitely comfortable at speed limits. I had to stop at every Supercharger, and charge for longer than Tesla advertises, but it's definitely doable. Would definitely be more comfortable with a larger battery pack, but I wouldn't be worried.
 
One benefit of the 60D (with the software-limited 75 KWh battery) is that you can charge to 100% all of the time, plus it charges faster than the old 60. However, Wind/Snow/Cold will drop your range by 20-50%. If you rarely do long drives in the winter, then it won't be very inconvenient to spend a little more time, stop for a level 2 charge to top up. However, if you're a serious winter lover or skier, then I'd recommend the 75D.