This post could go in the thread about self driving cars or about EV road trips, but I’m going to put it here, as this is the currently active EV thread.
I just completed a road trip from Denver to Austin (via Amarillo) and back in my Tesla Model 3 dual motor, and I want to post a few of my impressions.
Autopilot was absolutely fantastic. It was nearly flawless the entire way. This was on interstates, divided highways, and back roads. I never want to do a road trip without it.
Charging was not a big deal either. The car just told us where to stop, and for how long. Because of the route, we had to stop at pretty much every charger along the way, but they were 2-3 hours apart, which is the bladder limit anyway.
I went 80 MPH (on roads posted at 75) most of the way, and didn’t worry about the loss of efficiency. Somebody else might have done calculations to see if driving slower, but charging less, was more time efficient. I preferred to minimize time in the car, as time out of the car petting dogs or running in circles doesn’t wear on the patience of an 8 year old like sitting in the car does. Also, superchargers invariably had other Teslas containing dogs that needed petting.
The numbers.
Total: 2160 miles, 607 kW/h used, 1 day 12 hours driving time, about $70, including re-charging after arriving home. (Not counting charging at the destination, which was free to me)
To: 944 miles, 14.5 hours driving, 2.5 hours charging, 193 kWh, $26.37
Return: 985 miles, 15.5 hours driving, 2.3 hours charging, 284 kWh, $39.70