No More Road Trips

[Mandretti]

These trips were done prior to Tesla station availability.

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[2FlyMache]

Yeah, totally understand the anxiety around pre adapter travels. I just took a trip from Augusta GA to Birmingham which is right around 300 miles. Stopped at a Tesla chargers and got a bite to eat while i charged. Probably 40 minutes total and longer than I needed but it’s sorta nice to just chill while driving. BC 1.0 worked flawless. I love road tripping in my car. I have taken 2 major trips of 800 miles and one in the winter. Range was definitely impacted but still ok

 

[bbulkow]

These trips were done prior to Tesla station availability.

So you're writing a post in mid-december about the situation before March 1, which was... 9 and a half months ago????

(they open Tesla to us on Feb 29).

Color us all confused.

Out of curiosity, why did you choose to post about it now? Did your partner put her foot down about a winter roadtrip just now?

I admit I did all my road-trips solo until I had the adapter in hand and tested. Pre-supercharger was .... unpleasant.... and I didn't want to create a bad impression.

 

[SonicBlue]

For trips of 300 miles, I find that even my MME GT is basically the same as a gas car. I drive for 120-150 miles, stop for 15-18 mins to use the bathroom, get coffee + plug into a charger, then drive to destination.

… and then you arrive pretty close to empty and have to find another charger. And then you do it again on the way home. Those parts often get left out. Also 20 minutes to pee and grab a coffee?

 

[SonicBlue]

It's only going to get worse, as the new administration is talking about pulling funding for increasing charging infrastructure. Really a shame.

Yeah, we were jusssst about to see real benefits from that $7.5 BILLION allocated in 2021.

 

[bbulkow]

I agree, but let's be fair. Supercharger locations are not without issue. I took a trip through Canada to Vermont, with 4 charging stops. At 2 of the stops, 2 Superchargers were down. On a return a week later, one location still had the same 2 down.

If you do a sampling of SuperCharger sites on the Tesla app, you will find down stations. They aren't perfect, just much better than others.

Yes, I didn't mean there are never down stalls. I use the Tesla app because it tells me which stalls are down, by name, before I show up (I think this is in the Ford public charging app too). I believe I have seen things like 2 stalls out of 16 down once, and I've certainly seen a single stall down a handful of times.

We also have to deal with the Short Cord Problem.

I also had a Supercharger disconnect on me once, and I had to move to another stall. I think there were 12 stalls and 11 were free. It wasn't a big deal. Pretty nice location, too, at a medium-high-end hotel and there were signs up inviting anyone using the chargers into the hotel bar and a free (non-alcoholic) drink and to use the restrooms. This was in Reno which *literally* has one L3 charger, a single 50kw stall, for the whole city (there's also a small bank of EAs the next town over in Sparks, but as of last summer, just that one EVGo at a supermarket).

Which is what I mean by game changer....

I have also stopped at EA a number of times (pre-adapter and around home just to stay in practice). The larger stations with great plugshare, with good amenities. I even went to the EA "flagship" with 20 in SF once, just to experience it. The 8 stall EA stations with all 150kw+ chargers can be pretty good, and are sometimes closer to an in n out.

I think it's 100% fair to say Supercharger *PLUS* all the other networks is a game changer. I think it's hard to quantify the amount of extra capacity, because "chargers" vs "stalls", but my experience of the predictability of the Supercharger network has been, let's say, very high. VERY high. One disconnect. I've never had to wait (and would avoid a congested station, because of Short Cord). Tesla app has an accurate view of congestion and unavailable stalls. (near me, the EVGo app is unreliable, I think the EA app these days is reliable and up to date).

No wonder that, post adapter, I've been 100% supercharger (but always look at the others when I need to stop) on road trips.

 

[Tim H]

I've had problems with finding compatible Tesla charging stations. Seems like 90% are the older version charger.

 

[SonicBlue]

I was going to come back with all the reasons why this is wrong, but decided I can sum up the OP's take in one sentence:

My wife has... finally put her foot down.

In other words, he's not tossing in the towel, she told him he's tossing in the towel...

Yup. And the wife’s thinking is in line with the vast majority of the public who do not have the patience for, or take nerdy pleasure in, EV road tripping.

I will state I am not a Musk fan, I am very anti-Musk, but I'm also anti-inconveniencing myself, so when there is a better choice I take it.

So… you’re principled, but only up to the point you are inconvenienced.

 

[RickMachE]

Yup. And the wife’s thinking is in line with the vast majority of the public who do not have the patience for, or take nerdy pleasure in, EV road tripping.



So… you’re principled, but only up to the point you are inconvenienced.

 

[SonicBlue]

I would tend to disagree with OP. Does it take a little longer, Yes. But really it's negligable to me and my situation. If I am on my own, there is no big deal. The question comes with the Family. Well hell, usually the wife can't make it 3 hours striaight regardless if it is ICE or EV; so, we are stopping either way. With a little pre-planning (that I think I enjoy; reminds me of the old AAA map days) for chargers that are solid and have some amenities (food and restrooms) it is almost a wash.

This is a refreshingly honest take. Rather than deny the added time and effort involved in EV road tripping, people should just own it. If you enjoy it, own it! I’ll admit that I enjoy doing laundry, washing dishes, and mowing the yard. (But no, I’m never gonna enjoy playing the DCFC shuffle when I’m trying to just get there - especially with my kids.)

 

[RickMachE]

I've had problems with finding compatible Tesla charging stations. Seems like 90% are the older version charger.

As of mid-year, US has around 26,500 SuperChargers. 17,800 are open to us in the US and Canada. Around 70% open, not 90% closed.

You must not be looking using the right tools.

- FordPass only shows compatible locations
- Tesla app, when you enter your vehicle and that you have an adapter, only shows you compatible locations
- Tesla.com, if under Superchargers you click Open to Other EVs and Open To NACS Partners, only shows you compatible locations.

 

[devmach-e]

Yeah, we were jusssst about to see real benefits from that $7.5 BILLION allocated in 2021.

States had to submit plans in order to be granted the money. It takes time to figure out how to spend that money and get it approved by the feds. And then it take a while to do the actual construction of the NEVI funded sites, including getting permits at the local level.

 

[RickMachE]

This is a refreshingly honest take. Rather than deny the added time and effort involved in EV road tripping, people should just own it. If you enjoy it, own it! I’ll admit that I enjoy doing laundry, washing dishes, and mowing the yard. (But no, I’m never gonna enjoy playing the DCFC shuffle when I’m trying to just get there - especially with my kids.)

I find

This is a refreshingly honest take. Rather than deny the added time and effort involved in EV road tripping, people should just own it. If you enjoy it, own it! I’ll admit that I enjoy doing laundry, washing dishes, and mowing the yard. (But no, I’m never gonna enjoy playing the DCFC shuffle when I’m trying to just get there - especially with my kids.)

Who denies the added time and effort?

It's about 20% longer to take an EV vs. a gas vehicle for most long trips that you plan intelligently (which is clearly beyond the capability of many). People want to just get in and drive. Not going to happen for a while. AND, and to me this is key, the cart isn't coming before the horse. There isn't going to be an idle charging network every 50 miles waiting for drivers coming in a few years.

I bought 2 Ford EVs for many reasons, but one of them was CHOICE. I want Ford to succeed, I want GM to succeed, I want Rivian to succeed. I don't want boring, ugly, white vehicles to be the only choice. Therefore, by buying early in the curve, we have to PUSH the car companies, and push the charging companies, to make it better for the future.

Money got committed, plans got made and approved, and the funding is out there. It takes TIME, which of course many can't comprehend. Equipment has to be made, and shipped. Permits obtained, power companies have to order transformers. All takes TIME. But of course some say "nothing is happening". Fine, whatever.

As to road tripping with young kids, I wouldn't do it. When we did our 12 hour drives to visit Grandparents for Christmas, I was in drive, pee, and caffeine mode. The last 2 hours I couldn't will the minivan any faster. Now, no kids, no pressure, it doesn't matter when we get somewhere. Relax, don't drink caffeine at all most trips except my morning cup.

As to distance between stops - I can't do 4 hours anymore most legs. 3 to 3.5 is the max, and that works out perfect. A 30 minute stop is no big deal, we make most days 3 charging stops, leaving home or hotel with 100%, arriving at destination or hotel with 10%. Basically an 8 to 5 day, arriving at a brewery that somehow is near every hotel I pick...

 

[Sikkun]

I dunno my wife seems to think stopping every 4 ish hours to eat or let her pee makes me a better husband than screeching into a gas station after driving 6 hours straight and demanding she is done using the restroom in exactly 2 minutes because I’m leaving as soon as the tank is full.

Don’t know why she can’t just piss in a bottle like me and the dogs. Gotta get there 20 seconds faster than last Christmas, this is a matter of life and death. My standing as an alpha male is at stake! Record time or I better not even show my face at the dinner table.

 

[Mandretti]

So you're writing a post in mid-december about the situation before March 1, which was... 9 and a half months ago????

(they open Tesla to us on Feb 29).

Color us all confused.

Out of curiosity, why did you choose to post about it now? Did your partner put her foot down about a winter roadtrip just now?

I admit I did all my road-trips solo until I had the adapter in hand and tested. Pre-supercharger was .... unpleasant.... and I didn't want to create a bad impression.

Sorry you are so confused. Must be unpleasant.
We don’t do long road trips very often, and we do have a 500 miler in a few weeks, which initiated the discussion. My wife is hell no after a number of bad experiences, I’m more like I could do it, but my wife also loves our Subaru with snow tires for winter driving over mountain passes.

But I could vs I want to are different. I am kinda tired of gritting my teeth for 10 hours on a 500 mile trip? . Like I said I’ll try another trip with the adapter after I receive it and see how that goes. It’s been helpful to get the feedback about how that can be a game changer.

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