By Mary Bell and Joe Deden
On March 31, 2016, my husband and I stood in freezing weather at the Tesla Minnesota service center to put our order in for a Model 3. We were 30th in line and we received the first long-range, dual motor, enhanced autopilot, Model 3 delivered in Minnesota, on August 10, 2018.
A Tesla is an American made, all electric vehicle manufactured in Fremont, Calif. It is not a hybrid with a combined gas engine; Teslas are powered solely by electricity. The Tesla model 3 has a rated range of 310 miles, and 90% of charging for most vehicles is done at home, at night, using off-peak rates. Enhanced autopilot is a game changer and makes the car fun to drive. The continual over-the-air free updates keep the car operating on the cutting edge. Batteries are stored in the floor, making it one of the safest cars on the road.
The most common question we receive is about the car’s range and how we handle range anxiety due to cold weather.
Every February we take a month long road trip. This year we ventured out with our Model 3 Tesla. We drove 4,600 miles; from Minnesota to Texas, west into New Mexico, then back home on Interstate 70 and then I35 home. It was four degrees Fahrenheit when we left and zero degrees Fahrenheit when we returned. Our “rated” miles was 6,360 with our average efficiency at 72.3%, and over the whole trip the average energy usage was 310 wh/mi. During our trip our highest energy usage was 416 wh/mi, where we fought strong headwinds and the temperature was six degrees Fahrenheit. Most miles were driven on enhanced auto pilot, except for 40 miles of snow and ice on local roads.
We used “A Better Route Planner” and loaded it into the car’s computer to display on the screen. We personalized the planning data based upon our current situation (average wh/mi, temperature, wind, road conditions). We set our lower battery arrival level at 20% to cover for unknown elevation changes and weather conditions (temperature, precipitation and wind). Using their recommendations, we selected Tesla Superchargers or destination chargers from the Tesla listings.
We found that Superchargers are often near a truck stop, eating establishments or lodging facilities. Plugshare shows more destination chargers than the internal Tesla listings. We never paid an extra charge for the destination chargers and left our car plugged in all night! We left our phone number at the front desk in case some other Tesla vehicle needed space to charge. In Las Cruces, N. Mex., at their community center there was a free level 2 Tesla wall charger.
Our average trip segment was between 100 and 150 miles (two-three hours) that enabled us to keep charging in the sweet spot between 20-80%. We took bathroom breaks, got coffee and did a little walking, had a meal and sometimes played cribbage. Tesla automatically notified us when our battery reached 80%.
Over the course of our 28-day, 4,600 mile trip we supercharged 38 times. Our average supercharging time was 31 minutes. We recharged the battery at the end of each day when the battery was still warm verses charging in the morning when a cold battery would take longer to charge. When possible, we plugged our car into a 110 outlet to keep the battery warm and pick up a couple extra miles.
We did not witness internal combustion engine vehicles intentionally blocking Tesla superchargers. Some superchargers were located close to the main entrance and others were at the furthest end of the parking lots. In Rockport, Tex., the LaQuinta Inn put orange cones to save the charging spot for Tesla vehicles.
One of our most memorable experiences was while we were Supercharging at the Flying J Truck Stop in Texas. A father came up with his 12-year old son and asked if we were the owners of the Model 3. It was the first they’d seen. The son knew everything about the specs of the Model 3. They both smiled as we showed them our car. His son’s knowledge, excitement and pure joy in witnessing an all-electric vehicle gave us hope for the future.
All in all, I found that charging more often while driving long distances was less stressful on my body as I wasn’t confined to a car for long periods of time, and the charging stop enabled us more opportunities to limber up!
We absolutely love our Model 3. It is the best purchase we have ever made and we wouldn’t purchase any other car! Currently, 7,000 Tesla Model 3S are made each week. This number is expected to grow to 10,000 vehicles per week by the end of the year!
Tony Estereicher says
Sounds almost dangerous to drive in winter!!