Round Trip From Fresno SuperCharger to Sequoia National Park

[mikeemike]

Hello, I was curious if anyone has any experience with travelling from the Fresno Supercharger to Sequoia National Park in a Model S. If not, does it seem reasonable that I can make that round trip in an 85S with a payload of about 600 pounds? Here's a map of my planned route:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tes...1fa699584f731!2m2!1d-118.7319704!2d36.6042534

...and a snapshot (10MB) of the elevation profile:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwkBHNpXTLjqQzZTeXE4S1lGQ2M/view?usp=sharing

Here is what I am estimating to make it there and back:

• Fresno SC to Sequoias: 90 miles, plus an extra 60 miles because of 8,000ft ascent
• Sequoias to Fresno SC: 90 miles, minus 25 miles because of 8,000ft descent
• 20 miles for extra payload

Assuming I leave with a full charge from the Fresno Supercharger and driving no faster than 65mph, it looks possible, but it doesn't leave a whole lot of room for error. Since there's no charging until I get back to Fresno, I'm going to get stuck if I'm wrong. :crying:

This would be my first time driving this route if I decide to go. I put the route into EVTripPlanner, and it calculated the round trip would take 50kWh (I'm guessing closer to 75kWh). That seems too low to me, and since I haven't used that tool for a road trip yet, I'm not sure if I trust it just yet.

Anyone actually make this trip yet in a Model S, or at least think I'll be able to make it?

Thanks!

 

[mshuang]

Hello, I was curious if anyone has any experience with travelling from the Fresno Supercharger to Sequoia National Park in a Model S. If not, does it seem reasonable that I can make that round trip in an 85S with a payload of about 600 pounds? Here's a map of my planned route:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tes...1fa699584f731!2m2!1d-118.7319704!2d36.6042534

...and a snapshot (10MB) of the elevation profile:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwkBHNpXTLjqQzZTeXE4S1lGQ2M/view?usp=sharing

Here is what I am estimating to make it there and back:

• Fresno SC to Sequoias: 90 miles, plus an extra 60 miles because of 8,000ft ascent
• Sequoias to Fresno SC: 90 miles, minus 25 miles because of 8,000ft descent
• 20 miles for extra payload

Assuming I leave with a full charge from the Fresno Supercharger and driving no faster than 65mph, it looks possible, but it doesn't leave a whole lot of room for error. Since there's no charging until I get back to Fresno, I'm going to get stuck if I'm wrong. :crying:

This would be my first time driving this route if I decide to go. I put the route into EVTripPlanner, and it calculated the round trip would take 50kWh (I'm guessing closer to 75kWh). That seems too low to me, and since I haven't used that tool for a road trip yet, I'm not sure if I trust it just yet.

Anyone actually make this trip yet in a Model S, or at least think I'll be able to make it?

Thanks!

I'd see if while you're there in Sequoia you can get access to a RV charger (30/40 amp), because your car will get a bit of drain just sitting, so depending on how long your stay is, you might not have enough to get back.

 

[Blue_Model_S]

You shouldn't have any problem in making the trip. I am also planning on making that trip some time this summer. evtripperplanner is quite accurate. I have used it for almost 3 years on several very long trips. Be sure to put the correct temperature and speed multiplier (1.2 as a max works well for me).

 

[mikeemike]

I'd see if while you're there in Sequoia you can get access to a RV charger (30/40 amp), because your car will get a bit of drain just sitting, so depending on how long your stay is, you might not have enough to get back.

I will have my mobile connector along in case there is RV charging in the area, just in case. :smile:

You shouldn't have any problem in making the trip. I am also planning on making that trip some time this summer. evtripperplanner is quite accurate. I have used it for almost 3 years on several very long trips. Be sure to put the correct temperature and speed multiplier (1.2 as a max works well for me).

On evtripplanner, I re-ran it with 1.2 on the speed multiplier, bumped up the exterior temperature to 90, lowered the internal temperature to 70, and moved the payload to 700. The energy used is now 59kWh, and the estimated rated miles is 200. That seems a lot more realistic.

Thanks to both of you for your help! If I do make the trip in the Model S, I'll report back on this thread about how it went.

 

[calisnow]

Have you called the park to ask if there is any EV charging there?

 

[mikeemike]

Have you called the park to ask if there is any EV charging there?

Yes. The spokesperson said there's no hookups in the park, or places to charge your car.

 

[iffatall]

I took a trip to Sequoia last Thanksgiving from the Bay Area. It was a Bay Area --> Sequoia --> Paso Robles --> CA Coast --> Bay Area trip. At the time, there was no Fresno SC. There was snow all over the park, and near freezing temperatures. Here is what I did (if it helps).

1. Day 0: Charged to 100% overnight at Best Western Fresno Airport Inn.
2. Day 1: Headed east on CA-180 to Kings Canyon Visitor Center, Grant Grove, Hume Lake. (Road to Kings Canyon itself was closed at Hume Lake)
3. Day 1: Returned back to Best Western Fresno Airport Inn (with plenty of charge remaining); charged again to 100% overnight.
4. Day 2: Headed south on CA-99 and then east on CA-198 via Three Rivers up north on Generals Highway up to Giant Forest Museum. Generals Highway closed at this point, so parked and took the shuttle bus from there on all the way up to Wuksachi Lodge.
5. Day 2: Returned back to charge at Three Rivers Hideaway RV Park. Very friendly owner. But unfortunately, I realized I left my UMC back home : (This had never happened to me before, and is very unlike me)
6. Day 2: Stopped to charge in Monarch Ford in Exeter further west on our way instead. Called them from the RV park, to ask if I can charge, as they were going to be closed by the time I would get there. They were very nice, and friendly too, and mentioned the charger was outside anyway. I don't know if they had to leave something switched on inside, or if the charger was always on. I was able to charge there - only, had to park on the sidewalk as the cable would not reach the curb otherwise. Went over to have some wine at Monet's Wine Bistro (although, I being the driver, only did a little tasting). Spent about an hour there, with sufficient charge left to reach the the Harris Ranch SC.

 

[sorka]

Hello, I was curious if anyone has any experience with travelling from the Fresno Supercharger to Sequoia National Park in a Model S. If not, does it seem reasonable that I can make that round trip in an 85S with a payload of about 600 pounds? Here's a map of my planned route:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tes...1fa699584f731!2m2!1d-118.7319704!2d36.6042534

...and a snapshot (10MB) of the elevation profile:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwkBHNpXTLjqQzZTeXE4S1lGQ2M/view?usp=sharing

Here is what I am estimating to make it there and back:

• Fresno SC to Sequoias: 90 miles, plus an extra 60 miles because of 8,000ft ascent
• Sequoias to Fresno SC: 90 miles, minus 25 miles because of 8,000ft descent
• 20 miles for extra payload

Assuming I leave with a full charge from the Fresno Supercharger and driving no faster than 65mph, it looks possible, but it doesn't leave a whole lot of room for error. Since there's no charging until I get back to Fresno, I'm going to get stuck if I'm wrong. :crying:

This would be my first time driving this route if I decide to go. I put the route into EVTripPlanner, and it calculated the round trip would take 50kWh (I'm guessing closer to 75kWh). That seems too low to me, and since I haven't used that tool for a road trip yet, I'm not sure if I trust it just yet.

Anyone actually make this trip yet in a Model S, or at least think I'll be able to make it?

Thanks!

evtripplanner has been spot on for me with trips into the mountains. I also get 50kWH. 36 of that will be on the trip up and 14 will be on the trip back.

 

[mikeemike]

I took a trip to Sequoia last Thanksgiving from the Bay Area. It was a Bay Area --> Sequoia --> Paso Robles --> CA Coast --> Bay Area trip. At the time, there was no Fresno SC. There was snow all over the park, and near freezing temperatures. Here is what I did (if it helps).

1. Day 0: Charged to 100% overnight at Best Western Fresno Airport Inn.
2. Day 1: Headed east on CA-180 to Kings Canyon Visitor Center, Grant Grove, Hume Lake. (Road to Kings Canyon itself was closed at Hume Lake)
3. Day 1: Returned back to Best Western Fresno Airport Inn (with plenty of charge remaining); charged again to 100% overnight.
4. Day 2: Headed south on CA-99 and then east on CA-198 via Three Rivers up north on Generals Highway up to Giant Forest Museum. Generals Highway closed at this point, so parked and took the shuttle bus from there on all the way up to Wuksachi Lodge.
5. Day 2: Returned back to charge at Three Rivers Hideaway RV Park. Very friendly owner. But unfortunately, I realized I left my UMC back home : (This had never happened to me before, and is very unlike me)
6. Day 2: Stopped to charge in Monarch Ford in Exeter further west on our way instead. Called them from the RV park, to ask if I can charge, as they were going to be closed by the time I would get there. They were very nice, and friendly too, and mentioned the charger was outside anyway. I don't know if they had to leave something switched on inside, or if the charger was always on. I was able to charge there - only, had to park on the sidewalk as the cable would not reach the curb otherwise. Went over to have some wine at Monet's Wine Bistro (although, I being the driver, only did a little tasting). Spent about an hour there, with sufficient charge left to reach the the Harris Ranch SC.

There was another thread about going through Three Rivers, which definitely would work too. I have seen RV parks change their policies on allowing EVs to charge, so I wanted to find a more dependable route, but my backup plan is to go the Three Rivers route.
Thanks!

- - - Updated - - -

evtripplanner has been spot on for me with trips into the mountains. I also get 50kWH. 36 of that will be on the trip up and 14 will be on the trip back.

I bumped up my numbers (temps, payload, and speed multiplier) and got a more realistic estimate. I'm much more confident with evtripplanner now. I have a different road trip between now and then, which will allow me to see how close or far off it is. From what others are saying, evtripplanner sounds pretty reliable.

 

[Sethsla]

I just returned from a trip to Sequoia. I charged up full at the new Fresno SC then cruised up Hwy 180 to Hwy 198, the northern entry into the park. The ride was fun and easy in the Model S 85. I was able to charge overnight at the Wuksachi Lodge. They have a 115V outlet behind the main lodge which yielded an extra 40 mile cushion overnight. After some back and forth driving around the park, there was no problem heading south down Hwy 198, making it all the way to Tejon Ranch for the next charge. The downhill range increase through regeneration was great. Although I didn't need to use it, the Gateway Restaurant and Lodge in Three Rivers also has an HPWC. Highly recommended trip. Enjoy the ride.

 

[mikeemike]

I just returned from a trip to Sequoia. I charged up full at the new Fresno SC then cruised up Hwy 180 to Hwy 198, the northern entry into the park. The ride was fun and easy in the Model S 85. I was able to charge overnight at the Wuksachi Lodge. They have a 115V outlet behind the main lodge which yielded an extra 40 mile cushion overnight. After some back and forth driving around the park, there was no problem heading south down Hwy 198, making it all the way to Tejon Ranch for the next charge. The downhill range increase through regeneration was great. Although I didn't need to use it, the Gateway Restaurant and Lodge in Three Rivers also has an HPWC. Highly recommended trip. Enjoy the ride.


View attachment 173792 View attachment 173793

Awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know. I'd much rather use Tejon Ranch than having to backtrack to Fresno, and now it looks like I can without any problem. I'm really looking forward to the trip. Thanks again!

 

[MikeC]

I did Sequoia a few years ago from the Tejon Ranch charger, topping off at the Three Rivers RV park each way.

 

[mblakele]

For posterity here are some numbers from my recent round trip on the 180 from the Fresno supercharger to Canyon View campground in Kings Canyon and back, in a 2016-03 TMS 90D with 19 inch wheels. The numbers from EV Trip Planner were very accurate, even with a little bit of rain on the outbound leg. I charged to 100% in Fresno, 293 rated miles, and then drove 97 actual miles in range mode. Despite the rain and a lot of elevation change, the drive was fairly efficient. I used 36.0 kWh leaving 162 RM, versus evtripplanner prediction of 38 kWh. It's a slow road and the rain made me slow down even more, which probably helped. After that I didn't use the car for four nights, and then it showed 150 RM. Back at the Fresno SuC I had 69 RM left, pretty close to what evtripplanner projected. I probably could have taken some short drives in the area without risking too much of that buffer.

The campground didn't offer electricity, but I asked about charging at the Cedar Grove lodge nearby. Sadly the person I talked to didn't show any interest in the conversation. Anyway I was fairly confident that I wouldn't need to charge, so I left it at that. My plan B was to stop at an RV park: there are a couple along the 180, and I had an app called "RV Parky" on my phone.

It's a very scenic drive, and fun with all the elevation swings. The road climbs to about 6000 feet before dropping a couple thousand feet to the canyon floor. In both directions I drove long stretches with high regen and a 999 mile estimated range, and the RM meter going up instead of down. At other times I'd be going up a steep slope, pulling 900 Wh/mi to push the car.

 

[GasKilla]

Plugshare.com indicates a few 120v outlets that folks have used to charge EVs. That website is great for finding chargers and has an app for mobile devices.

 

[cdub]

I'm going to do this trip from Los Angeles with my Model 3 once I get it. Sequoias and the glass room will be AMAZING!

 

[Viking1]

I'm planning a trip in Sep. to Sequoia. John Muir Lodge in Grant Grove. If I "fill" in Fresno it looks like about 100 RM to the campground. Too bad no Level 2 charging, but it looks like 120V is available at the lodge and at the market. Then we are planning to make a few trips to Hume Lake and General Sherman. Anyone stayed at this particular location?

 

[mblakele]

I'm planning a trip in Sep. to Sequoia. John Muir Lodge in Grant Grove. If I "fill" in Fresno it looks like about 100 RM to the campground. Too bad no Level 2 charging, but it looks like 120V is available at the lodge and at the market. Then we are planning to make a few trips to Hume Lake and General Sherman. Anyone stayed at this particular location?

I suspect you'll be fine. I'd charge close to 100% in Fresno, but the difference between 98% and 100% shouldn't matter. Grant's Grove gives you about 20 RM extra vs Cedar Grove, where I went. That should give you enough margin for at least two or three side trips, probably more. Also you have a facelift vehicle, so I understand your overnight loss should be a little lower than mine.

Here's my energy-saving checklist, in case it helps:

• smart preconditioning off
• energy saving on
• always connected off
• set to radio station, no usb
• disable door handle present
• remove fob battery, or store fob in a mylar bag

You can always use the vehicle nav to see how much margin you'd have to get back to the Fresno supercharger. You'll be offline, but in my experience the trip planner still works.

 

[GasKilla]

remove fob battery, or store fob in a mylar bag

What does that do?

 

[Tazman]

I'm planning a trip in Sep. to Sequoia. John Muir Lodge in Grant Grove. If I "fill" in Fresno it looks like about 100 RM to the campground. Too bad no Level 2 charging, but it looks like 120V is available at the lodge and at the market. Then we are planning to make a few trips to Hume Lake and General Sherman. Anyone stayed at this particular location?

My family has gone to Hume Lake every other year for 20 years. Absolutely beautiful though the camp itself is a kids camp so you have to be up for that. People are exceptionally helpful so I suspect you could find someone to let you plug in for a fee hours if desperate but no idea if you could find a, 240v or better.

 

[mblakele]

What does that do?

The idea is to keep the fob from waking up the car. Now that you mention it, I'm not sure that mylar works. But removing the battery certainly will.