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Tips for first roadtrip w/ Model 3 LR - Sac to Socal then Vegas and back

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Hey Tesla fam. I'm looking for any tips/suggestions for EVSE access in addition to relying on superchargers for my first roadtrip with my Model 3 LR RWD. We're leaving from Sacramento to go to the Los Angeles area for a Disneyland trip. From there we will be going to Las Vegas, and then head back home.

My trip planner indicates two supercharger stops on hwy 5 on the way to southern California. But i'm thinking of just making one stop to check out the kettleman city Tesla supercharger location because the stops from tesla trip planner seems to skip this one for some reason.

Once I get there, I plan on leaving my car plugged in the next day while we spend the day at Disneyland.

For our road trip to Las Vegas, I already identified one supercharger stop on the way. Once we get to Vegas, I can charge at our hotel, the Cosmopolitan, which I was vey intentional about staying at because it's the ONLY dog friendly hotel that also has Level 2 EVSE charging.

For our road trip back home, I figure I will just rely on the recommended supercharger stops on the way back to Sacramento.

I'm open to other tips and strategies, so please let me know of any other ones I should consider.
 
You probably won't really need slow charging along your route because of the ample supercharging available, but check out Plugshare.com for what may be located along your route. Maybe there's some place you want to visit that has charging available.

Use the in-car navigation to set the desired supercharger as your destination. This will not only set the battery to optimum temp for charging when you arrive, but also you can compare the estimated range vs. the distance to the supercharger as you go. On the way to Vegas my favorite supercharger stop is definitely Yermo. Eddie World has a wide selection of food so it's a good place to eat while you pick up a bunch of charge to get you into Vegas. On the way back home, you can charge up enough there that you can get all the way to Kettleman City. You don't want to charge in Mojave. The superchargers there are too few and too busy.

If you need a charge outside of your hotel in Vegas, the new V3 (250kW!) supercharger is right under the High Roller Ferris wheel. There are superchargers as well as free destination chargers there, but they do charge for parking after the first hour. The superchargers at Town Square have gotten very, very busy but maybe the new location will take the load off of those. I'd expect them to stay busy for awhile though, until word of the new location gets more widespread.

Personally I have found the in-car navigation to be less than optimal with regard to stops and charge time. Maybe it's just being more conservative than I prefer. Take a look at ABetterRoutePlanner.com and see how their navigation compares to the in-car version. You can adjust many settings to match it up with your car. It was pretty accurate for my long trip to NorCal last month - 1800 miles there and back.
 
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I wish that ABetterRoutePlanner and PlugShare could resolve their differences and combine forces. I always have to use both apps. PlugShare is "trying" to enter the routing business, but they have a LONG way to go.

With 100% charge, I have made it as far a Buttonwillow for my first stop going south. I have done the trip a few times, so I have also tried the 101 and Hwy 1 routes, and coming back from Vegas instead of using Hwy 5, I have also tried 99, as well as coming over the Sonora Pass from 395. Wow, THAT'S a magical route. Perhaps because I was there just before 7 am, no traffic, sunrise, vistas, and with a car that REALLY handles.

Turn off AutoPilot and enjoy!
 
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They are called "planners". Now that you know that you can do it and what your options are along the route, just do it your way. To make sure that the car keeps you honest, it you are heading to a specific Supercharger, plug it in as the destination, it will warn you if you can't get there.

Try to make sure that Supercharger stops are where you will take stretch breaks or meals. If you work it right, Supercharging can add NO time to your journey. I've had a number of times that I had to move the car off the Supercharger because it finished while I was still eating.
 
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Thanks for the tips and suggestions, everyone, especially about using ABetterRoutePlanner.com as I forgot about that. I also forgot to mention that I do use the plugshare app as well, which is what helped me to determine which hotels in vegas have "free" Level 2 EVSE out of the ones that are also dog friendly.

I also appreciate the tip on which superchargers are busiest and what to watch out for.
 
For a switch up on the way back from Vegas do this:

Take US 95 to Tonopah and charge (if needed you can stop at Beatty to charge too). Then take US 6 to Benton, CA and from there CA 120 to US 395. Go north on US 395 and charge at Topaz Lake. Then backtrack a few miles and go up CA 89 (Monitor Pass) to CA89 North at (CA 88). Then east on US 50 back to Sacto. A gorgeous drive.
 
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KC is a fun stop at least once for the novelty factor.

Buttonwillow and Bakersfield are very rarely busy.

Tejon Ranch can get busy because it’s often a must-stop for people coming down SR-99.

Do your best to skip any superchargers in the metro LA area as they are perpetually busy.

Second recommendation for Yermo as a nice stop, especially if you have littles.
 
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junk-car-forest[1].jpg


I forgot to mention you have to stop just before Goldfield to visit the International Car Forest of the Last Church.


This photo of International Car Forest of The Last Church is courtesy of TripAdvisor
 
Thanks for the tips and suggestions, everyone, especially about using ABetterRoutePlanner.com as I forgot about that. I also forgot to mention that I do use the plugshare app as well, which is what helped me to determine which hotels in vegas have "free" Level 2 EVSE out of the ones that are also dog friendly.

I also appreciate the tip on which superchargers are busiest and what to watch out for.

Finding hotels that are both dog-friendly and have EV charging is tricky.
 
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