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I'm a huge Tesla fan but I have to admit that the Tesla doesn't seem great for such a road trip. 15 hours instead of 9 is a big deal. Of course most Tesla owner

I'm a huge Tesla fan but I have to admit that the Tesla doesn't seem great for such a road trip. 15 hours instead of 9 is a big deal. Of course most Tesla owners keep a gasoline car too. So everyone already knew that.

dokument 11y ago
I'm a huge kayak fan but I have to admit that they don't seem great for transatlantic voyages. What the article talks about is 100% expected due to the target market of the Tesla and the current state (still building infrastructure) of the charging stations.
- mikeash 11y ago
  Actually it's not expected, as evidenced by the fact that kayak^WTesla owners routinely take transatlantic^Wcross country voyages right now with no fuss and a great deal of enjoyment. There are some destinations which are inconvenient right now, but most road trips can be done easily. Much of the trouble the author had was avoidable with a bit more forethought.
mikeash 11y ago
The trip planning feature sucks as currently implemented. It is just plain stupid. It will keep you from running out of charge if you obey it, but it may give you terrible routing within that constraint. I saw a photo the other day from somebody who was driving ~150 miles in Alabama, well within range of a single charge, and the trip planner gave him an epic 4,000 journey across the US connecting the supercharger dots to get from A to B. However, if you're wiling to do a bit of your own thinking and the supercharger network accommodates your trip well (which it mostly will at this point, there are some holes but most people won't have trouble), the Tesla is a fantastic road trip vehicle. It's quiet, smooth, and comfortable, which means you won't be as fatigued. Superchargers are located at convenient locations so you can get a snack or a meal while you charge. My experience so far is limited, but range anxiety for me has been less, not more, because I know in advance exactly where I'm going to stop, rather than trying to search for a gas station in just the right spot, trying to find a cheaper price, etc. And of course paying $0 and not being bombarded with carcinogens is a big bonus. I don't know if most Tesla owners keep a gas car. I didn't, and not keeping one seems pretty common. Unless you plan to take trips into the relatively few supercharging deserts, you really don't need it.
calinet6 11y ago
When/if superchargers are as common as gas stations (which, to be fair, is a completely realistic expectation for a point where electric cars are common) this will be a non-issue. Early adopters have early adopter difficulties. This article is a no-op.

dokument 11y ago

I'm a huge kayak fan but I have to admit that they don't seem great for transatlantic voyages. What the article talks about is 100% expected due to the target market of the Tesla and the current state (still building infrastructure) of the charging stations.

mikeash 11y ago
Actually it's not expected, as evidenced by the fact that kayak^WTesla owners routinely take transatlantic^Wcross country voyages right now with no fuss and a great deal of enjoyment. There are some destinations which are inconvenient right now, but most road trips can be done easily. Much of the trouble the author had was avoidable with a bit more forethought.

mikeash 11y ago

The trip planning feature sucks as currently implemented. It is just plain stupid. It will keep you from running out of charge if you obey it, but it may give you terrible routing within that constraint. I saw a photo the other day from somebody who was driving ~150 miles in Alabama, well within range of a single charge, and the trip planner gave him an epic 4,000 journey across the US connecting the supercharger dots to get from A to B. However, if you're wiling to do a bit of your own thinking and the supercharger network accommodates your trip well (which it mostly will at this point, there are some holes but most people won't have trouble), the Tesla is a fantastic road trip vehicle. It's quiet, smooth, and comfortable, which means you won't be as fatigued. Superchargers are located at convenient locations so you can get a snack or a meal while you charge. My experience so far is limited, but range anxiety for me has been less, not more, because I know in advance exactly where I'm going to stop, rather than trying to search for a gas station in just the right spot, trying to find a cheaper price, etc. And of course paying $0 and not being bombarded with carcinogens is a big bonus. I don't know if most Tesla owners keep a gas car. I didn't, and not keeping one seems pretty common. Unless you plan to take trips into the relatively few supercharging deserts, you really don't need it.

calinet6 11y ago

When/if superchargers are as common as gas stations (which, to be fair, is a completely realistic expectation for a point where electric cars are common) this will be a non-issue. Early adopters have early adopter difficulties. This article is a no-op.