Tesla Cross-Country Driving Tips, I-80

[dkeller]

1. OVERCHARGE, OVERCHARGE, OVERCHARGE!

My Model S has a maximum range of ~240 miles. Depending on the terrain and weather, I burn through >50 miles more than actually driven. The car rating is fairly accurate, but it does not account for extreme cold or heat, heavy use of Heat/AC, inclines or traffic.

2. Reduce energy consumption to skip charging stations.

If you want to avoid stopping every 2 hours or less, reduce your energy consumption in the car and charge as close to maximum range as possible. If you charge close to maximum range, the navigation will automatically skip charging stations. This greatly reduces your time on the road. CAVEAT: If you don’t have at least 10% battery predicted at your next charging spot (this is listed next to the destination on your navigation screen), you may not make it. Search a closer supercharger or charge more before continuing your trip.

3. Drive methodically.

Do not risk driving between superchargers with barely enough range. You must charge beyond 210 miles when you are in the middle of the country or you run the risk of being stranded where there is absolutely nothing.

4. Beware of Inclines.

Inclines burn an inordinate amount of energy. The terrific inclines on I-80 between CA and NY are (a) Sacramento, CA to Truckee, CA; (b) Winnemucca, NV to Elko, NV; (c) Salt Lake City, UT to Evanston, WY; and (d) Strongsville/Cleveland/Akron, OH to Falls Creek, PA. Charge to maximum range and conserve energy in the car.

5. Weather

The stock Tesla tires are not rated for any type of weather. The 2wd Model S is NOT a snow car. In the snow, the regenerative braking caused my Model S to slip and the traction control did not prevent the slippage. Bottom line: If your Tesla is not AWD, consult Tesla before driving in the snow and carry chains.

6. Be kind to your supercharger sponsor.

Most I-80 superchargers sit in hotel, gas station or grocery store parking lots. Please make every effort to be kind to the sponsors and keep the supercharger area clean. I made every effort to patron whatever business was sponsoring the supercharger. The hotels typically have a lobby area where you can sit. The grocery stores had cafes where you could eat. Remember, without the superchargers, it would take a month to travel cross country. You can read more about the I-80 superchargers in my post titled Tesla Cross-Country Trip, I-80 Superchargers, Nearby Services.

 

[Ciaopec]

1. OVERCHARGE, OVERCHARGE, OVERCHARGE!

My Model S has a maximum range of ~240 miles. Depending on the terrain and weather, I burn through >50 miles more than actually driven. The car rating is fairly accurate, but it does not account for extreme cold or heat, heavy use of Heat/AC, inclines or traffic.

2. Reduce energy consumption to skip charging stations.

If you want to avoid stopping every 2 hours or less, reduce your energy consumption in the car and charge as close to maximum range as possible. If you charge close to maximum range, the navigation will automatically skip charging stations. This greatly reduces your time on the road. CAVEAT: If you don’t have at least 10% battery predicted at your next charging spot (this is listed next to the destination on your navigation screen), you may not make it. Search a closer supercharger or charge more before continuing your trip.

<SNIP>

6. Be kind to your supercharger sponsor.

Most I-80 superchargers sit in hotel, gas station or grocery store parking lots. Please make every effort to be kind to the sponsors and keep the supercharger area clean. I made every effort to patron whatever business was sponsoring the supercharger. The hotels typically have a lobby area where you can sit. The grocery stores had cafes where you could eat. Remember, without the superchargers, it would take a month to travel cross country. You can read more about the I-80 superchargers in my post titled Tesla Cross-Country Trip, I-80 Superchargers, Nearby Services.

Everyone has a technique but the first part goes against everything I do on road trips. I may charge fully the night before but during the trip (save for a planned lunch/dinner break for instance) I charge to around 50%. Charging to 100% every stop is a time waster. (Check other threads on time to charge after about 50%). I don't care to sit in the car for 3 hours so I'll drive less than 180 miles and take a 20-30 minute break while charging. I think it's a civilized and relaxing way to travel. (Your milage may vary).

I try to spruce up the charger areas and patronize when possible.

 

[quickstrike12]

I must agree with @Ciaopec
It seems logical what to always charge to maximum but most of the veterans on here have it down to a science and typically only charge enough to get to the next charger and leave themselves a small margin. 20-25 minutes at a charge is all they want depending on where the next charge is. It’s just too slow to get that last 15% of charge to 100% due to the rate tapering down.
I personally believe just going 5mph slower will get me farther and need not as much time at the at the next charger.
Just my personal expirience of course.

 

[P85_DA]

Yah I don’t agree with OPs comments ..if u have driven Tesla’s for awhile and have done long distance travel ...all his “advice” does is make travel longer ...

 

[quickstrike12]

Of course all this only works if you have the superchargers spaced out that work well along the route. I drive a 75K car and out here in the south east we sometimes have to punch the distance to the max range just to get to the next stop.
So in those cases for me I have no choice but to sit at the charger and wait for enough range.

 

[Ciaopec]

Of course all this only works if you have the superchargers spaced out that work well along the route. I drive a 75K car and out here in the south east we sometimes have to punch the distance to the max range just to get to the next stop.
So in those cases for me I have no choice but to sit at the charger and wait for enough range.

Something I haven't thought about as I have been spoiled by the extensive supercharger network in the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast.

 

[quickstrike12]

Something I haven't thought about as I have been spoiled by the extensive supercharger network in the Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast.

It’s not bad really out here in the Texas area at all. But not quite as many as CA has for sure. I love my 75 MS but that extra 50 miles a 100 has would open up a whole new driving strategy for me.
Aaahhhh someday. I’ll keep playing lottery and Hoping

 

[SSedan]

5. Weather

The stock Tesla tires are not rated for any type of weather. The 2wd Model S is NOT a snow car. In the snow, the regenerative braking caused my Model S to slip and the traction control did not prevent the slippage. Bottom line: If your Tesla is not AWD, consult Tesla before driving in the snow and carry chains.

Wish you had told me this a year and a half ago, here I thought my P85 was just fine in the snow on the nearly worn out Primacys last winter, near Green Bay. I must have imagined effortlessly getting to work before the plows ran and running all my normal life errands...............

Newb just joined, clearly has no experience.

The Michelin Primacy 19" tires that came on the RWD cars are sufficient for at least Chicago east, I suspect they would only be a problem in the western mountain passes. That is based on my EXPERIENCE though which is no match for a well written shallowly researched set of bullet points from a newb

Maybe the newb thinks the 2wd cars all came with 21" tires?

 

[bmah]

Moderator note: Please keep comments respectful. Disagreement and debate are encouraged, but name-calling is against TMC forum rules.

Thank you,

Bruce.

 

[Zorg]

Isn't supercharging your battery to 100% a sure way to destroy the battery? Otherwise envious of the road trip.

 

[bmah]

Isn't supercharging your battery to 100% a sure way to destroy the battery? Otherwise envious of the road trip.

No. Supercharging it to 100% and leaving it at a high SOC can cause battery degradation. ("Destroy" is kind of an exaggeration.)

Feel free to charge the battery to 100% if you're going to be using the energy right away. However remember that your battery will charge more slowly as it approaches "full", so it might not be worth your time unless you think you really need every last bit of range (due to wind, elevation change, just wanting to be conservative, etc.).

The main reasons I've charged to 100% while on road trips are: 1) Early morning charge at a home/destination charger before heading out. 2) Meal breaks making long, planned charging stops. 3) Talking to other Tesla owners at Superchargers, causing unintentionally long charging stops.

Bruce.

 

[quickstrike12]

nah.....there are some great discussions on here about this so i won't go into detail.. just do a search for the topic.
bottom line is charging to 100 is fine ....its best to not let it sit like that for too long tho.....just do it before heading out on road trips where its needed. it will be fine

 

[Ciaopec]

@dkeller You have run up against a tough crowd! Your desire to share your experience and enthusiasm is well founded; it is a great road-trip car. Believe me, with 100,000 miles in a little over 2 years I know. But, despite my experience, I look around and see people who have been here since the beginning. Thousands of posts dating back to 2012 or before. A lot of these drivers know more about their VIN numbers than I will ever know about my car but I try to learn something each day. Perhaps it is the nature of the beast that a pilot wants to know the machine inside and out and blindfolded. I know much of what I know because "I stood on the shoulders of giants". So, I'll try to be succinct. Take some time, get to know your car, and read the forums. There are lots of "sticky" threads that hold a place of prominence because of the material they contain.

I read these(among others) before my first road trip:

How to save a lot of time on long trips

How to plan a road trip - how long will it take?

Another:

Putting some numbers on the factors that affect range

Some of the info is unnecessary now because the car calculates much of what the early drivers had to do with pen, paper, and ingenuity. But it may also help you understand what the computer is doing.

There are threads about supercharging etiquette: what to do and not do (don't charge on the same numbered charge post as another driver if possible-slows down your charge rate as you are sharing a supercharger). Most trips, I have never seen more than 1 or two others. (California drivers apparently show up frequently with 10 or 20 of their closest friends.

Enough. Keep driving. Keep learning. Share your thoughts. Tesla offers the most unique driving experience I have ever had; I'm giddy everytime I get in the car.

 

[snellenr]

With several winter trips along I-40 between Texas and Cali, I’d recommend:

• Always charge fully at each nights destination when the battery is at it's “nominal” temperature - the battery will be cold the next morning and will charge slowly (even at a Supercharger).
• Hit every Supercharger along the route, even if navigation says you can skip it.
• Learn to draft semis safely - a 2-3 second gap will reduce energy use significantly (obviously, only on dry pavement with good visibility. YMMV).
• Get comfortable with traffic passing you... if it helps, imagine that they’re checking out the car as they go by...

 

[dkeller]

I appreciate all of the feedback. My only comments are as follows

I did not mean to suggest charging to maximum range at every supercharger and agree that that would take far too long. I charged to about 210 miles, which is below my maximum range allowing for sufficient energy at the next stop to account for inclines, temperature, etc.

The "newb" post is a favorite. I am far from a "newb" having owned since 2013, but I have absolutely no experience in the snow in a 2wd Model S. I still don't know why i experienced problems in the snow and I will leave the slick roads to you snow birds.