Trip report: Santa Cruz, CA to Lovell, ME

[ShareLofty]

Next month I’m driving a 2022 X from FL to the PNW. Will be driving solo staying in hotels along the way. Plan to take 4 to 5 days. Don’t currently have EAP or FSD but will likely subscribe for the month. I’ve had FSD beta on a previous Tesla. Couple questions:

1. I love superchargers but is it worth hunting hotels that have destination chargers. Charge for free to 90%
2. Anyone else refuse to eat in their car? Will probably cost me time in route
3. If I want to subscribe to FSD I’ve heard I need to make sure my car software is up to date before subscribing. Should I subscribe a week before I leave?
4. Anyone bring 2 buckets to wash their car along the route? I refuse to go through a gas station car wash.

 

[jcanoe]

Using a hotel charging station (does not have to be a Tesla destination charger if you bring the Tesla SAE J1772 charging adapter that came with your Tesla), can offset some Supercharger charging costs. Assume that at each hotel one or all of the hotel's charging stations may be in use, ICE'd or not working. So have a Plan B. That could include charging the night before at the closest Supercharger or using a DC Fast Charge network, assuming your 2022 Model X support the Tesla CCS Combo 1 adapter.

For a cross country trip using A Better Route Planner (ABRP), available as a phone app and on the web, can provide charging recommendations along your route. A few hours with ABRP might help you to optimize your route to your final destination.

For a cross country trip many would want to have a spare wheel/tire in the vehicle. What do you plan to bring?

I would not worry about washing the vehicle but would bring a squeegee, paper towels, microfiber cloths and a streak free glass cleaner such as Invisible Glass spray. The windshield, front cameras and side camera lenses are going to need to be cleaned regularly if you plan to use Autopilot or FSD.

Most towns have a self-serve car wash where you walk around the vehicle using a pressure washer sprayer. That should suffice if you need to wash the vehicle.

 

[ShareLofty]

For a cross country trip many would want to have a spare wheel/tire in the vehicle. What do you plan to bring?

Great advice. Thanks. Are people really hauling around an extra 20” rim and tire with them? I guess at a minimum I’ll buy the tire patch kit.

 

[jcanoe]

Great advice. Thanks. Are people really hauling around an extra 20” rim and tire with them? I guess at a minimum I’ll buy the tire patch kit.

Some do bring a full size wheel with tire. You can also purchase a spare wheel and tire kit for your Model X from Modern Spare. The minimum would be to bring a 12V tire inflator and a tire plug kit. You could also bring the Tesla Tire Repair Kit. The kit includes a 12V inflator and sealant that can seal some tire tread punctures but would not help if the sidewall is damaged.

 

[jcanoe]

You can create a free user account on ABRP or you can sign up for Premium ABRP (includes real time weather and traffic conditions when planning a route.) The Model X will have a higher consumption (Wh/mile) than the other currently available Tesla vehicles. Expect to stop more often to charge at a Supercharger than if you were driving any of these tesla vehicles (Model S, Model 3, Model Y). With ABRP you can specify your vehicle type and model, preferred driving speed (also maximum speed) and your charging preferences (charge at departure, charge when arriving at a Supercharger, charge remaining when arriving at the destination. For a longer trip you may want to plan a separate trip route for each day.

 

[jason.neuman]

Ordered a Model Y 2 weeks ago! We have a place on Long Lake in Harrison!

 

[tradosaurus]

I record my stops in an EV Trip Log I created. Makes keeping all my trip data in one neat location easy. Six bucks on Amazon and find my little log very handy. (see below)

Amazon.com

I also have a book out, which I update every six months, in order to keep track of the rapid changes in the EV world. Electric Vehicles: What About Them?!? See below:

Amazon.com

I use mostly PlugShare for general trip planning. For my purposes I find it a tad more useful than A Better Route Planner. But that's just me. In truth, with so many Tesla Superchargers out there now there is little reason not to just jump in your Tesla and go wherever you wish (within reason!).

Rich

Awesome!

Although I think your statement of

Within this decade it is likely a person will be hard pressed to find a newly manufactured internal combustion engine auto for sale. The reason for this disruption in our transportation way of life will be the direct result of a technically superior and substantially less expensive to purchase, own and operate machine replacing a type of technology moving into obsolescence.

is a bit melo-dramatic. New ICE vehicles, especially trucks, will be here a while.

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

Awesome!

Although I think your statement of

is a bit melo-dramatic. New ICE vehicles, especially trucks, will be here a while.

Me, melodramatic? You sound like my spouse!!!

Sure, ICE will be with us for quite a while, but I do think the handwriting is on the wall as far as the ultimate transition over to battery powered personal transportation vehicles.

Rich

 

[ModelNforNerd]

Me, melodramatic? You sound like my spouse!!!

Sure, ICE will be with us for quite a while, but I do think the handwriting is on the wall as far as the ultimate transition over to battery powered personal transportation vehicles.

Rich

It will be a generational shift. The kids of people driving EVs now will be the ones to drive it home.... so to speak.