2690 miles, 5 states, 18 charges and 46 trout

[DoogleMac]

A fly-fishing trip from Tucson to Mountain Home, AR was my first long trip in my month old 2023 premium with extended battery. I took 3 days to cross AZ, NM, TX AND OK to get there and two 14 hr days to get back.

The MME and BC performed well with a few glitches. A couple times in NM it seems like BC read route 54 signs as 45 MPH signs and abruptly decelerated. The seats were comfortable and I learned to appreciate getting out of the car every couple hours unlike my previous trips where I would drive 4-5 hours before stopping.

Charging was a challenge with NAV programmed stations sometimes being inoperative or unreliable. Heres the count: Electrify America-9, Francis Energy -5, EVgo-3, Charge Point-1. I found FE chargers in TX to be unreliable - in one station with 8 chargers all were inoperative. The closest fast charger to my destination was 120 miles away but fortunately the lodge had power for an RV which allowed me to charge to 100%. Charging was started between 0 and 52% and stopped from 62 to 88%. Initial charge rates ranged from 30 to 153 kW. Charging times ranged from 20 min to 75 min.

Here are the things I learned:

1. Do not let the NAV take you to a charger at a car dealership when it might be closed.
2. It may be faster to charge to 80% (if you have a charger with a good rate) than the shorter more frequent charges the NAV recommends. Even though the charging rate goes down you save the time of finding a charger, getting it to work and getting back on the road.
3. It is possible to drive at least 11 miles with 0% charge without crapping my pants.
4. A 14 hour day is acceptable because the car is comfortable and using BC can make the drive more relaxing.

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[RickMachE]

Why didn't you use ABRP?

I think you're lying about the 46 trout... All fishermen lie... ?

 

[leehinde]

Trout Fishing in America.

Most folks, I think, turn off the 'feature' that adjusts the speed based on a speed limit sign.

 

[DoogleMac]

Why didn't you use ABRP?

I’ve only looked at it briefly and think there isn’t a wat to transfer to the MME. Is there or do have to run it on your phone or just print the route?

I think you're lying about the 46 trout... All fishermen lie... ?

Good point! And it was catch and release

 

[DoogleMac]

Apologies
I’m still learning how to use the forum

 

[ChehRob]

The only problem I have had with speed limit enabled, is one exit has a 45mph slow sign, and the car reads that as a freeway speed sign. No I-90 problems so far.

 

[socalh2oskier]

A fly-fishing trip from Tucson to Mountain Home, AR was my first long trip in my month old 2023 premium with extended battery. I took 3 days to cross AZ, NM, TX AND OK to get there and two 14 hr days to get back.

The MME and BC performed well with a few glitches. A couple times in NM it seems like BC read route 54 signs as 45 MPH signs and abruptly decelerated. The seats were comfortable and I learned to appreciate getting out of the car every couple hours unlike my previous trips where I would drive 4-5 hours before stopping.

Charging was a challenge with NAV programmed stations sometimes being inoperative or unreliable. Heres the count: Electrify America-9, Francis Energy -5, EVgo-3, Charge Point-1. I found FE chargers in TX to be unreliable - in one station with 8 chargers all were inoperative. The closest fast charger to my destination was 120 miles away but fortunately the lodge had power for an RV which allowed me to charge to 100%. Charging was started between 0 and 52% and stopped from 62 to 88%. Initial charge rates ranged from 30 to 153 kW. Charging times ranged from 20 min to 75 min.

Here are the things I learned:

1. Do not let the NAV take you to a charger at a car dealership when it might be closed.
2. It may be faster to charge to 80% (if you have a charger with a good rate) than the shorter more frequent charges the NAV recommends. Even though the charging rate goes down you save the time of finding a charger, getting it to work and getting back on the road.
3. It is possible to drive at least 11 miles with 0% charge without crapping my pants.
4. A 14 hour day is acceptable because the car is comfortable and using BC can make the drive more relaxing.

Most importantly--how big was the one that got away?!

 

[RKinWA]

The only problem I have had with speed limit enabled, is one exit has a 45mph slow sign, and the car reads that as a freeway speed sign. No I-90 problems so far.

My problem with it is there are a lot of school zones near me, the "20 MPH when flashing or children are present" types, but the vehicle still changes the speed to 20 regardless of flashing or not. Plus there's a road near me that's 45 MPH, but you don't see the first sign for about a mile after getting off the 60 MPH highway, so it stays at 60 for a mile and you have to manually adjust (not the vehicle's fault, just an after effect, and a great speed trap). So I just turned it off. ?

 

[azerik]

Yeah that dealership charger is always closed. I know there's a unch of supposed work they'd have to do in order to not show you that one. It'd also affect the number of chargers supposedly available so I figure they like to keep those around.

As for the trout/fisherman stories.. my 12yr old girl still asks me where we can find the 'unicorn rainbow trout'. A story I started back when she was 4. We fish a couple times a year. But I have a standing bet with her that if she catches one I'll pay her $500. (She's terribly creative and sometime a few years from now I'm sure I'll get a photoshopped picture of said fish)

11 miles on zero. I'm sweating showing up to my cabin with 80+ on the GOM for some reason.

 

[Chainspell]

I’ve only looked at it briefly and think there isn’t a wat to transfer to the MME. Is there or do have to run it on your phone or just print the route?

For ABRP I believe you need a paid plan in order to have it show as your nav in the car. If I am doing a lot of traveling I might do a paid month for that then go back to free after. Alternatively you can just use the phone app to see which chargers it recommends (which will be much better recommendations than the car gives you) and then enter those destinations in yourself after each charge stop.

 

[Murse-In-Airy]

I, an Idaho Native, only clicked this story for photos of trout. I am sorely disappointed. 4 demerits.

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