Planning 750 mile trip in June to take the darling angels to camp. I did the trip calculator and it has me stopping like 4 times at superchargers for 30 to 60 minutes a time. Trying to get some idea of how realistic this is? Is it really that long and that many times? So far it's adding a good 2.5 hours to the trip each way.
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Trips and supercharging
- Thread starter robl45
- Start date
I’ve done a couple 800 mile trips from Maryland to northern Michigan, one in May and one in October. It requires 3 Supercharger stops of 40-50 min each time. The total trip takes about 1 hour longer than in our ICE van when you include meal breaks. The Nav system is very accurate and on the conservative side. However, if it’s very cold or snowy you’ll be adding an additional stop.
Your estimate sounds accurate.
Your estimate sounds accurate.
Sounds about right to me. Try planning at least a couple stops around meal breaks as you would have to take those in an ICE car anyway. But no matter how you cut it, long trips are going to take longer in an EV. But I say embrace the change, watch a little Netflix, get out of the car and play catch. Taking a little longer doesn't have to be bad. In the grand scheme of things taking an hour or two longer when you're helping to save the climate isn't a bad trade off.
doghousePVD
My grandfather’s car
A Better Route Planner is great for tweaking your travel stops. In contrast to the in car nav, it focuses on more, shorter stops when the SoC is down to 10%. It is much faster to charge 10% to 50% than 50% to 90%. (like half the time)
I agree the in car navigation is quite conservative and often find I spent too much time at SC unnecessarily, If you have range anxiety, great. If you track your power, you can stretch quite a bit and save time.
Remember, charging unlike refueling, you plug in the car and walk away for coffee, etc. No hanging around the pump waiting to fill. I find my bio break/coffee refill is often slightly longer than the recharge time, especially when traveling with extra people or pets. A 20 min recharge is usually enough to get to the next charger.
I agree the in car navigation is quite conservative and often find I spent too much time at SC unnecessarily, If you have range anxiety, great. If you track your power, you can stretch quite a bit and save time.
Remember, charging unlike refueling, you plug in the car and walk away for coffee, etc. No hanging around the pump waiting to fill. I find my bio break/coffee refill is often slightly longer than the recharge time, especially when traveling with extra people or pets. A 20 min recharge is usually enough to get to the next charger.
We are cheap and like to get home, especially on the way back so this sucks a bit, will be nice to be able to get out and stretch the legs though. My wife never has to use the bathroom so she doesn't like to stop, so at least I don't have to hold it for 12 hours.
On a serious note though, I have been playing with a better route planner, how accurate is it? Isn't 10% setting it kind of close? I assume I should set for the max speed we would go even though the time to arrival ends up off as going faster will burn up more battery. Is it safe to rely on the estimates it has, will I likely not run out of charge?
On a serious note though, I have been playing with a better route planner, how accurate is it? Isn't 10% setting it kind of close? I assume I should set for the max speed we would go even though the time to arrival ends up off as going faster will burn up more battery. Is it safe to rely on the estimates it has, will I likely not run out of charge?
Have several 2,000 mi trips in past few months and more shorter ones. ABRP was valuable. We prefer to stop for shorter periods more often except for dinner or the occasional long lunch. So we try to drop the battery down to 15-20% and then plug in for a while during which we go into the mall or restaurant nearby for a walk , bathroom break and maybe a drink or snack. 20-25 minutes later we're back up to maybe 55-60% and back on the road for another couple hours. I make sure to tell ABRP the temperature, road condition (rain!) and extra weight. (wife, luggage, Coffee thermoses) and estimated battery consumption rate. It's been very accurate. We also use other apps and now google maps to locate Level 2 chargers at museums, visitor centers and, of course hotels. Almost all we have used are free. Last 2000+ mile trip through shenadoah Mts, to Asheville, Atlanta, Savannah, Charleston, Fayetteville
, Great Dismal Swamp, Norfolk and back to Delaware took $51 in SC costs and never had a range anxiety issue anywhere. 2018 LR RW
doghousePVD
My grandfather’s car
It’s easy to track you usage. Input to the on board navigator and it will show you your expected arrival SOC. I always use per cent not miles.
So it says 20%. Watch it as you drive. I find I usually beat the estimate and see the estimated arrival SOC climb, a percent at a time. I may arrive with 25%.
If I see it dropping I can can adjust my speed. A strong headwind can really wreck your mileage. I use Tesla Wins to tell me. Once I was driving the Smoky Mountains and found I was bucking a 30mph heading. So driving at 70 was really driving at 100! I slowed down.
Watched the winds in real time and when the wind subsided and became a tailwind I sped up again. Could do 80 and still gain on the energy meter.
So it says 20%. Watch it as you drive. I find I usually beat the estimate and see the estimated arrival SOC climb, a percent at a time. I may arrive with 25%.
If I see it dropping I can can adjust my speed. A strong headwind can really wreck your mileage. I use Tesla Wins to tell me. Once I was driving the Smoky Mountains and found I was bucking a 30mph heading. So driving at 70 was really driving at 100! I slowed down.
Watched the winds in real time and when the wind subsided and became a tailwind I sped up again. Could do 80 and still gain on the energy meter.
PianoAl
Active Member
Check out the many Tesla road trip videos on YouTube. They will give you a good idea of the accuracy and time requirements. For example:
Here's a Valley Girl example:
But there are many more. I've binge-watched in preparation for our upcoming trips.
Probably not. Here's the defining principle: Charging is faster when you are low on charge (e.g. 10%), so you will save time if you make more stops and charge less at each.
Here's a Valley Girl example:
But there are many more. I've binge-watched in preparation for our upcoming trips.
Probably not. Here's the defining principle: Charging is faster when you are low on charge (e.g. 10%), so you will save time if you make more stops and charge less at each.
Birdman325
Member
Like many things, it depends. When I travel in the winter, I typically will not leave a SC with anything less than 18-20% estimate at arrival because I know I tend to drive faster than the speed limit, cold weather, wind and precipitation can materially reduce the state of charge and I find that an estimate of 18 - 20% will often get me to the next charger / my destination, with 9-10%. If you find you are getting too low, just slow down as speed makes a tremendous difference.
When the weather is nice, I am ok with leaving with a smaller estimate.
Some people are fine rolling into their next stop with 5%, but I still get nervous under 8 - 9% (and I have had my car since October 2018).
When the weather is nice, I am ok with leaving with a smaller estimate.
Some people are fine rolling into their next stop with 5%, but I still get nervous under 8 - 9% (and I have had my car since October 2018).
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Secret to less time at Superchargers is to stop only when your are near the bottom of your battery. Then grab a quick charge, but don't charge after the taper begins.
Results will be quicker time to get additional miles and more time on the road.
This goes against new owners fears. They fear they will run out, and always want to keep at least 1/2 tank.
Reality is that on longer trips, owners tend to find themselves distracted during stops. They go to restroom, grab a snack or something to drink. They check out a couple nearby shops or walk in a new and interesting place. They often charge longer than they had planned, because they find something interesting, and actually charge longer than is most efficient.
Just part of human nature. They have been preporgramed to believe it is in their best interests to make endurance contests out of a simple drive home. Instead of enjoying the journey the self flagilate and arrive home with busting bladders, hungry, thirsty, and on edge.
Take a deep breath and enjoy your new journey in a pure electric car. It can be transformational.
Don't let your drive be punishment. You are now driving on Angel Wings.
It's not the destination, but the Journey that brings contenment.
Results will be quicker time to get additional miles and more time on the road.
This goes against new owners fears. They fear they will run out, and always want to keep at least 1/2 tank.
Reality is that on longer trips, owners tend to find themselves distracted during stops. They go to restroom, grab a snack or something to drink. They check out a couple nearby shops or walk in a new and interesting place. They often charge longer than they had planned, because they find something interesting, and actually charge longer than is most efficient.
Just part of human nature. They have been preporgramed to believe it is in their best interests to make endurance contests out of a simple drive home. Instead of enjoying the journey the self flagilate and arrive home with busting bladders, hungry, thirsty, and on edge.
Take a deep breath and enjoy your new journey in a pure electric car. It can be transformational.
Don't let your drive be punishment. You are now driving on Angel Wings.
It's not the destination, but the Journey that brings contenment.
It’s about right I think. If you don’t have a way to charge at your destination that you can longer at your last supercharge stop before you destination.
I try to be conservative with soc at arrival because you never know if there’s a big detour that will take you off course. You just don’t know. So I try to get to each charge station with 15%. I don’t wholly follow the recommended charge since I stay longer charging. Just I’ve don’t over 8 road trips since getting my car in April 2019. 3x Bay Area, 1x Grand Canyon, 1x Death Valley, 1x Joshua tree, Solvang 2x.
I like stopping and charging but that’s just me. I enjoy walking around the area. It’s only annoying when there’s a line like there in in San Luis Obispo. California
I try to be conservative with soc at arrival because you never know if there’s a big detour that will take you off course. You just don’t know. So I try to get to each charge station with 15%. I don’t wholly follow the recommended charge since I stay longer charging. Just I’ve don’t over 8 road trips since getting my car in April 2019. 3x Bay Area, 1x Grand Canyon, 1x Death Valley, 1x Joshua tree, Solvang 2x.
I like stopping and charging but that’s just me. I enjoy walking around the area. It’s only annoying when there’s a line like there in in San Luis Obispo. California
doghousePVD
My grandfather’s car
ABRP is like all route calculators in that if you don't provide accurate information for it to do its job - don't complain when you don't make it to the charger 
If you intend to drive faster, put the max speed in so it can figure it out.
It's accurate within the realms of what it can do.
What it can't do is make up for constant speed changes and hard acceleration - the driver basically.
We did a 1700 mile drive over a week, preplanned with ABRP then used the car nav, didn't drive like it was a race and didn't have any issues following following it to our various destinations.
Planning our next one which will be just over 3000 miles, don't expect any issues with that either.
If you intend to drive faster, put the max speed in so it can figure it out.
It's accurate within the realms of what it can do.
What it can't do is make up for constant speed changes and hard acceleration - the driver basically.
We did a 1700 mile drive over a week, preplanned with ABRP then used the car nav, didn't drive like it was a race and didn't have any issues following following it to our various destinations.
Planning our next one which will be just over 3000 miles, don't expect any issues with that either.
I'm still trying to to figure out if there is any option to specify an exact amount of time to stop somewhere, say like an hour for lunch or something rather just long stop which isn't going to work for my wife to fit her lunch in those times.
I have set the speeds as you noted Twiglett, what I don't like is it says I'm going to get there faster than probably reality. I tried setting the speed slower to get more realistic times but then realized if I drive faster I might not make the station.
So I'm not quite clear how people use this. You set the nave for your destination in the car I assume and then you use the ABRP app on the phone for the drive as well?
I have set the speeds as you noted Twiglett, what I don't like is it says I'm going to get there faster than probably reality. I tried setting the speed slower to get more realistic times but then realized if I drive faster I might not make the station.
So I'm not quite clear how people use this. You set the nave for your destination in the car I assume and then you use the ABRP app on the phone for the drive as well?
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