Tips for driving from Melbourne to Brisbane

[Bryanky5]

Hey everyone, in the near future I will be relocating from Melbourne to Brisbane and I am currently floating the idea of driving there but I have not done a drive this long in any car let alone an EV so am a bit unsure. Most of my things will be shipped there so I will only be carrying minimal things in the car itself.

I have put the route in ABRP to get a quick gauge on what the drive would be like however I was wondering if anyone who has done this trip would be able to give any tips on where to charge/stop over or just their general experience. At the moment I am planning to split the drive into three days.

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Maximillan]

1. Do it, its great fun. After my first drive Syd - Melb for a family holiday last year, we're doing it again this year and not flying.
2. Make sure that you also download the plugshare app.
3. ABRP will likely be conservative in its estimates if the weather is fair.
4. Watch a couple of Bjorn Nyland 1000km challenge YouTube videos before you go to get a hang of road tripping an EV.
5. Here's my summary of Melbourne - Sydney in case it helps - Melbourne to Sydney via Destination Charger

 

[moa999]

Very easy to do. Particularly over three days.

You could do it all Tesla (by the car nav), or also use some of the third party 350kW chargers that ABRP will suggest.

On such a route I probably wouldn't even worry about whether or not a hotel has charging.

 

[Hairyman]

@Bryanky5 are you driving an SR+, LR or P?

The ChargeFox, Evie, and Jolt apps will be worthwhile to have set up to give more charging options. If you have time to get those three companies to send you their RFID cards for charging it may help when mobile connection is spotty.

I ended up driving 1350km in one day after a series of unfortunate events. While frustrated by not being able to reach my goal, the car was extremely relaxing to drive and I did it without being worried by range or fatigue.

The charging produces natural breaks in the trip and I think that is one of the things that keeps you well rested.

I find that if I relax into the journey like that, rather than struggle to cannonball it, things are much much better.

The charging locations are near places to eat (I was just using the Supercharger network) and the car was always ready to go before I had finished eating or getting a coffee.

You might consider getting a BYO type 2 charging cable from someone like JetCharge to give a few more charging options if you are worried about the reliability of the non-Tesla rapid chargers and want access to slower AC charging.

The Tesla Owners Club of Australia have a cable lending scheme for members (you borrow someone else’s cable for a few days) but shipping might be tricky or expensive given it is a one way trip.

The Tesla Superchargers do seem to be quite reliable unless actually submerged.

It is amazing to see the car soak up electricity on one of the ChargeFox ultra rapids.

If you are an RACV/NRMA/etc member then you get 20% off for the ChargeFox branded ChargeFox chargers.

Telstra will have the best coverage for your mobile phone along even the Pacific Highway. I found Optus to be a bit rubbish unless I was in town. Not sure about Vodaphone or the small providers.

 

[cafz]

I have put the route in ABRP to get a quick gauge on what the drive would be like however I was wondering if anyone who has done this trip would be able to give any tips on where to charge/stop over or just their general experience. At the moment I am planning to split the drive into three days.

The fastest route at the moment seems to be going via the Hume and Pacific highways - the inland chargers are just too slow.

That being the case, if it were me I'd probably plan to:

• lunch at Barnawartha (Chargefox) or Wodonga (Supercharger);
• overnight in Goulburn (Supercharger, or stay at the Best Western which has 3 destination chargers);
• lunch at the Macquarie Centre in Sydney (Supercharger);
• overnight at Taree (destination chargers at Alabaster Motor Inn, or Evie chargers at the service centre) or Port Macquarie (Supercharger);
• lunch at Harwood Hotel (Supercharger).

 

[cafz]

The ChargeFox, Evie, and Jolt apps will be worthwhile to have set up to give more charging options.

Where are you thinking Jolt would be useful on a trip like that? I wouldn't want to be bothering with AC charging.

 

[Vostok]

I have put the route in ABRP to get a quick gauge on what the drive would be like however I was wondering if anyone who has done this trip would be able to give any tips on where to charge/stop over or just their general experience. At the moment I am planning to split the drive into three days.

I haven’t done this route in one trip, but these days Melbourne to Brisbane is easy-as, especially over 3 days. There are so many DCFCs along the Hume and Pacific highways/motorways that range anxiety really is a thing of the past. You could do this trip in 2 days if you were a bit mad, staying overnight at a hotel in Sydney with a destination charger.

My wife has done Sydney - Melbourne return twice in our LR, each time taking around 10-11 hours with typically 3 charging stops on the way down, but only 2 coming back. I note from your Sig that you have RWD so will will need to stop a bit more frequently.

Definitely sign up to ChargeFox and Evie. I find their stations often better located than Tesla superchargers (e.g. closer to amenities) but each to their own. Use ABRP or PlugShare to check out different options for each leg of the trip and where you could stop. The advantage of Tesla SC is of course larger number of stalls per location, so very little chance they will be all occupied or one is not working. If you plan to use Evie/Chargefox then use their Apps to verify their units are working the day you plan to use them, or look at PlugShare to verify there have been recent successful charges.

For such a trip I think a Type 2 - Type 2 cable is unnecessary, since there are so many DCFCs on this route and all are tethered.

Enjoy! Long road trips in a Tesla are truly enjoyable experiences.

 

[Hairyman]

Where are you thinking Jolt would be useful on a trip like that? I wouldn't want to be bothering with AC charging.

It would not be very useful for a trip like that unless there were problems with access to other options. It is simple and cheap to set up, and provides a bit of redundancy.

 

[Chuq]

Melbourne to Brisbane? Don't even think about it. Don't even need to plan. Just drive!

 

[Bryanky5]

Thanks everyone for the information! I definitely feel a lot more confident about it now. Much appreciated

 

[cafz]

Thanks everyone for the information! I definitely feel a lot more confident about it now. Much appreciated

By the way, if you're planning to use the Macquarie Centre Supercharger, enter the centre carpark at the tower with the advertising signs on it, then follow the signs to Valet Parking (the Superchargers are in that section, but you don't actually need to get valet parking).

For useful tips like this, and just to find charging sites and check that people have successfully used them recently, it's worth getting the Plugshare app (if you don't already have it).

 

[Maximillan]

By the way, if you're planning to use the Macquarie Centre Supercharger, enter the centre carpark at the tower with the advertising signs on it, then follow the signs to Valet Parking (the Superchargers are in that section, but you don't actually need to get valet parking).

For useful tips like this, and just to find charging sites and check that people have successfully used them recently, it's worth getting the Plugshare app (if you don't already have it).

Macquarie centre is now my local shopping centre and I still haven't worked out a mental model on how to give directions to the Superchargers. Your advice about looking for the "Valet Parking" is as good as it gets!

 

[moa999]

By the way, if you're planning to use the Macquarie Centre Supercharger, enter the centre carpark at the tower with the advertising signs on it, then follow the signs to Valet Parking

Watch Tesla Tom's video.

Though personally if driving through Sydney and needing to charge i'd be targeting Evie at Seven Hills. Save you a few $s in tolls Vs Macquarie Centre as well.

 

[Hairyman]

Macquarie centre is now my local shopping centre and I still haven't worked out a mental model on how to give directions to the Superchargers. Your advice about looking for the "Valet Parking" is as good as it gets!

“Go in the Valet parking entrance, drive toward the valet, wave to the slightly uncertain valet, and turn left before you run them over and drive to the Supercharger.”

I agree, access to the Supercharger can only be known if you already know it.

 

[cafz]

Though personally if driving through Sydney and needing to charge i'd be targeting Evie at Seven Hills. Save you a few $s in tolls Vs Macquarie Centre as well.

Yeah that's a good option if you like Guzman y Gomez or Hungry Jacks for lunch. Macquarie Centre has a bit of a wider range.

 

[Vostok]

Macquarie centre is now my local shopping centre and I still haven't worked out a mental model on how to give directions to the Superchargers. Your advice about looking for the "Valet Parking" is as good as it gets!

Macquarie Centre is a labyrinth. It was a labyrinth 30 years ago and is even moreso now it’s 3 times the size. It’s the Gruen Effect on steroids. For the uninitiated it would be a nightmare. Avoid if you can!

 

[Chuq]

Melbourne to Brisbane? Don't even think about it. Don't even need to plan. Just drive!

I should clarify, this refers to driving up the Hume to Sydney and then up the coast to Brisbane. If you're going for the "straight line" (via Dubbo, etc) it's still possible but you probably do need about 15 minutes of planning

 

[Murbs]

I should clarify, this refers to driving up the Hume to Sydney and then up the coast to Brisbane. If you're going for the "straight line" (via Dubbo, etc) it's still possible but you probably do need about 15 minutes of planning

Of course you could also drive clockwise via Adelaide, Perth and Darwin, but that would require a little more than 15 minutes of planning

 

[meloccom]

The planning required for a trip from Melbourne to Brisbane is:
1: Get in your Tesla
2: Put the Brisbane address in the Navigation system
3: Wait a few moments for the car to calculate the route
4: Be amazed at the trip details that result, showing you where to stop, when you will arrive at each stop, how long you need to charge to get to the next stop, the battery states at each point and how long each leg and the entire journey will take.
5: Put the car in drive and start your trip.

 

[cafz]

The planning required for a trip from Melbourne to Brisbane is:
1: Get in your Tesla
2: Put the Brisbane address in the Navigation system
3: Wait a few moments for the car to calculate the route
4: Be amazed at the trip details that result, showing you where to stop, when you will arrive at each stop, how long you need to charge to get to the next stop, the battery states at each point and how long each leg and the entire journey will take.
5: Put the car in drive and start your trip.

I find it's better to plan out the longer stops yourself, because you're better off if you can have your meal breaks coincide with longer charger stops, and the car is just looking at charge levels. The car will, for example, happily leave you at Port Macquarie Supercharger for a 50 minute charge at dinner time when the restaurant at Cassegrain is closed.