Top 5 Mistakes When Traveling in a Tesla!

Traveling in a Tesla: Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid!

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0:00 Traveling in a Tesla
0:27 Mistake #1
2:10 Mistake #2
3:18 Sponsor
4:25 Mistake #3
6:36 Mistake #4
7:44 Mistake #5

Traveling in a Tesla has become much easier over the last few years as a result of Tesla installing thousands of new Superchargers, but there are still some things you need to know before taking a long trip. Before a trip I make sure I charge my Tesla to 100% the night before. I just change it from the app because it’s usually set to 80% charging limit for daily driving. On our most recent trip to Holland Michigan, the last Supercharger stop was 50+ miles away. Driving too fast is one of the worst things you can do for your efficiency, and it’s something that I struggle with especially on long trips because I’m on the interstate and I usually go 5-10 miles an hour over the speed limit. The mobile charger is handy, not when charging in route but when I actually arrive at my destination. Another adapter that I recently got was this 30 amp adapter for RV outlets which I haven’t had the need for yet, but a fellow Tesla owner said it’s the most used adapter in his car when he travels to national parks and places where there are RV hookups. The CCS charging standard is what most non-Tesla EVs use so the Tesla CCS adapter was something I thought would be handy because CCS chargers are only going to grow in the future, and with all the new Teslas hitting the road this adapter essentially provides 3 main benefits: you can charge at a CCS station if a Supercharger is full, you can possibly charge faster at a CCS station compared to a shared stall at a V2 Supercharger and you can possibly charge at a cheaper rate on a CCS if the Supercharger is more expensive. Leaving some key Tesla settings enabled will drain your battery much more quickly especially if you’re away from a charger for a few days. If I hadn’t turned off Sentry Mode during our 4 days in Holland I wouldn’t have had enough battery to make it back to the Supercharger and I would have had to travel an hour out of my way to charge in Grand Rapids so definitely be mindful of those settings when you need to optimize your range and conserve as much battery as possible. If you have one of the newer standard range Model 3’s then it has an LFP battery which you can charge to 100% for your daily driving. To avoid these fees I usually set my charge limit to 100% whenever I get that message about high usage in order to buy myself some time because there have been times where I’m eating food at a nearby restaurant and my car is about to reach 80% and although I don’t technically need the last 20% to continue on my trip I’ll set my charge limit to 100% on my Tesla app so that it buys me some extra time to finish eating and return to my car without being charged idle fees. I see so many Teslas charging in these spots that are not towing anything, and it may not seem like a big deal but if someone is towing a trailer and pulls up to charge and their spot is taken then they will have to go through the hassle of unhitching their trailer and re-hitching it so just be courteous and don’t charge in these spots unless it’s the only stall open and you’re able to sit in the car in case you need to move out of it quickly.

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[paulmarcel]

If it is wintertime and you get to your motel with a charge needed, but you are tired, and want to hit the bed and charge in the morning, don’t do it. The battery will be cold, and not accept full supercharger rate and you’ll get a message that says supercharger will take 2 or more hours. So charge the night before, and you’re ready to hit the highway.

[mpeg]

Thanks, Andy! I did not know about the end chargers.

Tip 1. When the day's motel stop doesn't have a charger, use ABRP to plan it as a waypoint to the next Supercharger so you'll have enough charge to get to that Supercharger the next day.
Tip 2. ABRP lets you adjust for shorter trip legs (more stops) or longer legs (fewer stops). (Personally, I prefer to take more breaks, walk around, and get coffee or food.) It's a very handy app although its UI needs work.
Tip 3. Reserve capacity on each leg of the trip in case there's a detour, storm, or other unexpected change.
Tip 4. Bring window cleaner, towels, a tire pressure gauge, and a tire pump.

[marcelsilveira]

Just came back from a 900+ mile road trip to the Carolinas from Florida fleeing the hurricane in my Model Y and can say all these tips are spot on. Great video!

[MrSpecify]

Great tips Andy! Here are some of my own:
1. Stopping is unavoidable, so make them count.
- If getting food, pickup food before charging and eat while you charge (I don't recommend the other way around or eating while driving to avoid the need for a bathroom on the road)
- Go to the bathroom a few minutes before leaving the charger
2. Adding to Andy's "route planning" it helps to know what kind of charger you are going to.
- 150kWh chargers share power with the stall next to them (with the same number) park separate in these kinds of chargers whenever possible. Also be a good neighbor and invite people to charge next to you if you know you are almost done.
- 250kWh chargers DO NOT share power and you can go anywhere without worry.
3. If you're car has autopilot (early models did not include this feature) do not use in heavy urban highways.
- Quick reactions are required in heavy traffic.
Edit: Tip 4. Don't be afraid to charge a bit longer than normal. Your car routes you to the next charger typically with 15-20% charge at arrival but this can be inaccurate. Charging a bit longer gives you a better chance of arriving at a safe state of charge.

*Not tested when traveling with young children.

[SpottedSharks]

All excellent tips. I only have two adds. 1 - Maintain correct tire pressure, 2 - Aim to reach the next supercharger in a state of charge between 1-10% to take advantage of the supercharger's maxium output. This reduces the time spent charging.

[wardsworldwelcometoit]

700 miles 🤦🏻‍♂️😁 Just got back from our latest trip in our MY, 13 states, 6600 miles, with a stay in HOLLAND, Michigan 😃👍🏼 We stayed at the state park, camped in the Tesla and plugged in on site! It was awesome! … great content, keep it coming! 🇺🇸

Ps. Spent $440 in charging, crazy cheap!

[tommy--k]

With our Model Y, my wife and I drove from LA California to Omaha Nebraska (1600 miles one way), and back without issue. We used the Tesla navigation system, and supercharger network. It worked flawlessly. If you go the speed limit, your good to go. We used autopilot which made the trip a breeze.

[gregpoy]

I think the number #1 tip should be your #3 tip and that is to get Tesla adapters. On a road trip I find that either the super chargers are not convenient to my road trip and are often much more expensive to fill up. Having an adapter so you are not limited to Tesla stations you can find so many more charging stations with many of those stations free or just more convenient.

[markroath]

I just completed a trip from Yukon, OK to Shelby, Montana and back or 3, 300 miles in four days. One additional tip I would offer is that when planning your charging stations make sure you take into consideration the time that you will arrive, i.e. arriving at midnight or beyond at some charging stations is somewhat unnerving--that is, because some charging stations are not in the most idea locations and safety is of concern.

[Fulblade]

1. I never charge to 100%, even on trips. Charging to 90% is fine and I’ve discovered that’s not needed. Route planning & supercharge availability means you never have to charge to 100%. 2. I generally don’t charge to above 80% during long trips. I generally stick to the recommendations by Tesla or ABRP. Charging to 80% or more on every stop adds more time than needed to your trips. I road tip between GA, VA & FL. Roughly 4 times a year. No issues ever. 3 year old model 3 Tesla, in the top 93% of battery life/health compared to other Teslas in my class.

[YingJwo]

One more tip. As mentioned in other videos, if there are plenty of empty supercharger stalls then don’t park next to an occupied stall. Sometimes the power going to 2 stalls is shared and will slow down the charge rate for both you and the stall next to you. You can usually determine if the power is shared with a designated letter (ie. 1A and 1B vs 2A and 2B).

[SpottedSharks]

Another tip: At the end of a day's driving, if you are staying near a supercharger then juice up BEFORE you retire for the night. The battery will be warm and ready to accept faster charging speeds. If you wait until morning to recharge, especially if it's going to be cold overnight, then the car will charge much more slowly.

[tomsullivan]

Thanks Andy, for nice tips, appreciate that unlike some of the YouTubers you talk in a nice clear voice and don't repeat and waste time.

[Paul-GrnHil]

I recently completed a 350+ mile trip with my M-Y towing a 21ft boat. I often found theses pull-in spots at the entrance to the chargers such that if I pulled in front first, my trailer was blocking the roadway; a good idea, poorly executed. Luckily I traveled at a time when the charges were not busy and I could block a few to get a charge without unhitching. Also, it sure would help to have an extra 2 ft of cable on the chargers.

[ezpoppy]

A great video and some terrific tips, Andy.

On my summer trip from Sacramento to Louisville (and back 😅), I made sure to follow that first tip: plan ahead. For me, this meant simply using the car’s Navigation and inputting my day’s destination where I’d spend the night. Navigation did all the heavy lifting, even when I edited the route to do some off route sightseeing. (I was driving my 2021 Model 3 SR+.)

I started off using A Better Route Planner, but after a few days of travel, I found I could simply rely on Navigation, making my planning much simpler. Plus Navigation accurately determined in real time how many stalls were available at a particular Supercharger.

The hotel in St Louis had a destination charger, but none of the other places I stayed had one. I’ve used those on other trips and they’re very handy!

I do plan on getting that CCS adaptor and the RV plug. We used RV stations with my wife’s VW ID.4 PRO on our trip to Zion NP and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, though we used a Level 2 14-50 outlet (check ahead!).

The main thing to keep in mind is that road trips are definitely doable with an EV and getting easier all the time. But a bit of planning ahead is a good idea.

Hit the road, have fun, and see the USA!

[NYnative]

We just returned from a 1 month long 6000 mile road trip, round trip from southern AZ to NY with a week long stop in Kansas City on the way. We were in our 1 month old Model Y long range. Not one issue ever. Loved plugging into my moms outdoor garage outlet while we slept for convenient charging. The only thing we would do different in the future is carry less weight, as previously stated. We always pack too much stuff, Lol!

[delaware]

In August I drove my M-3 from Chicago to Jackson, Wy and back again (2, 800 mi round trip). Never had a problem. Drove 800 miles a day comfortably. If your route is mainly on the Interstate Highways it's a piece of cake. You don't need to start with a full battery, worry about your speed, ect. The car will get you there.

[stevedowler]

Some very good tips, thanks Andy. On the pull-in stalls, often they are located along narrow sides of a parking lot and if a car with a trailer were to pull in there, the trailer would stick out blocking the lane from other cars trying to get to a stall. Sometimes a car with a trailer can pull alongside the stall and the cable will reach but you will then be blocking the next stall to you so that's not so good either. The best trailer management layout is the pull-through stall located at the end of a line of stalls where the car and trailer can be pulled up to charge and not block any other stalls. Anyway thanks and drive safely.

[kimbrady]

On long road trips where there are plenty of superchargers (like I-5 West coast) I find keeping on the charge curve where recharging is faster saves time. If I'm at 240 range in my Y I usually take off. Then I try to recharge when the range estimate is < 50. Another tip might be to purchase the Tesla NEMA Adapter Bundle and have the ability to connect to any outlet type -at least in North America.

[dakabero]

Regarding the last tip, the pull-in spots. In addition to trailers, if one has a hitch-attached bike rack or the example you showed with skis on rear, the extra load in the rear may make reserving into the spot difficult or impossible within the Supercharger cable limit. Thanks for such a down-to-earth and insightful podcast