My wife, golden retriever and I left our main home in Tampa area heading out for Spokane (ok, it was actually Coeur d’Alene, considered part of the Spokane-CDA Metro area). Our property in CDA boarders a national forest and as stated in original post just felt like I needed some fresh air and wide-open spaces. With all meetings being handled by Zoom, I figured why not. I received a lot of great tips in original post and thought I’d share the experience, not only insofar as the 2020 MX, but just traveling during Covid. We did it only staying 3 nights in a hotel, so this was not a leisurely drive but wanted to minimize the # of hotel stays. We also loaded up a metal cargo carrying trailer for extra storage and to carry the 90 qt cooler and my golf clubs, and so our Golden wouldn’t be cramped. I bungeed it big time and it worked like a champ. The cooler had all of our food and beverages. Apart from 2 Jimmy Johns sandwich (During a charge) and 2 McMuffins, we ate only our own food the entire trip.
Planning Method
I just took the advice of someone who posted not to overthink it and let the Tesla do all the work. It worked INCREDIBLY well. The only white knuckler was getting to a a Supercharger with only 6 miles, but the average was 30 - 40 miles. I’ve driven TPA - CDA several times and it selected the route I’ve always used, which is the quickest. Even in the vastness of the mountain west, no issues. The Tesla algorithm is a thing of beauty. All stops below were exactly those given to us by the onboard planner with zero modifications or overrides. The only change was night 1 the Holiday Inn Express had a charger so we were able to top off.
Day 1 - Tampa to Nashville
The autopilot was awesome and made the trip pleasurable. The handling was excellent. As for cons, I am not a big fan of the seats for long distances and mid-back seized up. I’ve made this trip in a Volvo XC 90 and was far more comfortable. Also, passenger compartment could be more quiet, again the XC 90 blows it out of the water. But man, that autopilot for a trip this long cannot be beat, and the trip planning baked into the MX was spot-on. I loved the way it doesn’t make you top off, which makes for shorter stops and is perfect for needing to stretch legs anyway. I think I only needed to top off twice.
Planning Method
I just took the advice of someone who posted not to overthink it and let the Tesla do all the work. It worked INCREDIBLY well. The only white knuckler was getting to a a Supercharger with only 6 miles, but the average was 30 - 40 miles. I’ve driven TPA - CDA several times and it selected the route I’ve always used, which is the quickest. Even in the vastness of the mountain west, no issues. The Tesla algorithm is a thing of beauty. All stops below were exactly those given to us by the onboard planner with zero modifications or overrides. The only change was night 1 the Holiday Inn Express had a charger so we were able to top off.
Day 1 - Tampa to Nashville
- Lake City, FL
- Tifton, GA
- Macon, GA
- Marietta, GA
- Nashville, TN (the Holiday Inn)
- Kuttawa, KY
- Mount Vernon, IL
- Columbia, MO
- Saint Joseph, MO
- Council Bluffs, IA
- Sioux Fall, SD (major Covid outbreak - First town with nearly all residents in masks)
- Oacoma, SD
- Wall, SD
- Spearfish, SD
- Gillette, WY
- Sheridan, WY
- Billings, MT
- Bozeman, MT
- Missoula, MT
The autopilot was awesome and made the trip pleasurable. The handling was excellent. As for cons, I am not a big fan of the seats for long distances and mid-back seized up. I’ve made this trip in a Volvo XC 90 and was far more comfortable. Also, passenger compartment could be more quiet, again the XC 90 blows it out of the water. But man, that autopilot for a trip this long cannot be beat, and the trip planning baked into the MX was spot-on. I loved the way it doesn’t make you top off, which makes for shorter stops and is perfect for needing to stretch legs anyway. I think I only needed to top off twice.