Took a little road trip from Madison to Mitchell SD last week, stopping in La Crosse, Albert Lea, Worthington and Mitchell. I just wanted to share a scary moment and find out what others would have done!
The LaCrosse to Albert Lea distance is about 120 miles. Based on the energy I had been using from Madison to lacrosse, I calculated a charge to 180 would safely get me there with a little cushion. Well, turns out it is pretty much UP HILL the whole way. Plus I went through some sort of weather front so developed a big northwest head wind AND the temperature dropped from 25 in lacrosse to 5 shortly across the border into Minnesota. Despite slowing to 50mph for the last 2/3 of the drive, it became clear I wasn't going to make it, and you are pretty much in the middle of nowhere in southern Minnesota. My range went down to 0 with the supercharger still 6.5 miles away. I stayed on the highway and kept driving. About a mile later the gauge said CHARGE NOW!! in big red letters. I kept driving and hoping that "reserve" I'd read about was real. I was waiting for the gauge to say GAME OVER but it never did - pulled up to the Albert Lea charger, which is mercifully close to the interstate and easy to find, and backed in to the stall. When I put the car into Park there was a dire 'Charge dangerously low! Don't let the car get colder! You will lose energy!' message. I then plugged in, bowed down and said a prayer thanking the patron Saint Tesla, and cooled my heels at McDonalds until I was charged ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP.
So how close was I to wrecking everything? Would it turn itself off before the car committed battery suicide? My Plan B was to call a tow truck...
