A Little Drive Over to Reno.

roblab · Sep 21, 2012

Hi, folks.

We picked up our brown Sig Model S last Friday. Already have given at least two dozen test drives, participated in an Auto Show, and went over to Nevada to see my Mom and brother.

We live in Napa Valley, and I have concerns about driving over Donner Pass on the way to Reno. We go from about 600' elevation in Sacramento area, up to 7200' elevation at the pass, then back down to Reno at 4400' elevation in about 120 miles.

Then I drove 165 miles out to Fallon, visited, and came back to Reno. The Grand Sierra Resort has an RV park and charged me $10 to charge each night. By the way, they were hosting a Harley get together of at least 500 Harleys, bikers everywhere, RVers with trailers and bikers cruising everywhere, leather, tatoos, biker "broads" (whatever that is), dogs, etc. They were also hosting the Pacific States Oil Companies (yeah, like Chevron, Valero, Tesoro, etc.) I feared for my car.

Not to go into too much detail, we had a wonderful trip. Lots of oldies on the flash drive, beautiful California weather up to the Nevada state line (the trees stop growing at the border, I kid you not). Set the car at 60 mph cruise, and had the Climate Control on all the time. Driving barefoot, I could not get it near as smooth as cruise does, with LOW regen. As long as the car will slow to cruise setting downhill, you're not getting anything by having standard cruise, and standard is much more abrupt. When I drove without cruise, my wife said the energy meter looked like the TSLA stock, peaks and valleys. Ha!

Going up the hill (CA term for mountain) from Rocklin (Stafford Ranch 70 amp HPC) to Donner Pass, the car used 200 miles of projected range, or 2/3 of the pack. But it gained back 1/3, or 100 miles coming down the 40 miles into Reno. After my visiting, leaving Reno, I could have driven all the way home (225 miles) on one charge, including the drive over the pass.

Bottom line: 600 mile trip, 575 miles rated range, or less than two full charges. We topped off several times, mainly because we could, partly for new car range anxiety (it's gone now), took it easy, and had a great time.

Exceeded Expectations! What a great car!

bonnie · Sep 21, 2012

roblab said:
Hi, folks.

We picked up our brown Sig Model S last Friday. Already have given at least two dozen test drives, participated in an Auto Show, and went over to Nevada to see my Mom and brother.

We live in Napa Valley, and I have concerns about driving over Donner Pass on the way to Reno. We go from about 600' elevation in Sacramento area, up to 7200' elevation at the pass, then back down to Reno at 4400' elevation in about 120 miles.

Then I drove 165 miles out to Fallon, visited, and came back to Reno. The Grand Sierra Resort has an RV park and charged me $10 to charge each night. By the way, they were hosting a Harley get together of at least 500 Harleys, bikers everywhere, RVers with trailers and bikers cruising everywhere, leather, tatoos, biker "broads" (whatever that is), dogs, etc. They were also hosting the Pacific States Oil Companies (yeah, like Chevron, Valero, Tesoro, etc.) I feared for my car.

Not to go into too much detail, we had a wonderful trip. Lots of oldies on the flash drive, beautiful California weather up to the Nevada state line (the trees stop growing at the border, I kid you not). Set the car at 60 mph cruise, and had the Climate Control on all the time. Driving barefoot, I could not get it near as smooth as cruise does, with LOW regen. As long as the car will slow to cruise setting downhill, you're not getting anything by having standard cruise, and standard is much more abrupt. When I drove without cruise, my wife said the energy meter looked like the TSLA stock, peaks and valleys. Ha!

Going up the hill (CA term for mountain) from Rocklin (Stafford Ranch 70 amp HPC) to Donner Pass, the car used 200 miles of projected range, or 2/3 of the pack. But it gained back 1/3, or 100 miles coming down the 40 miles into Reno. After my visiting, leaving Reno, I could have driven all the way home (225 miles) on one charge, including the drive over the pass.

Bottom line: 600 mile trip, 575 miles rated range, or less than two full charges. We topped off several times, mainly because we could, partly for new car range anxiety (it's gone now), took it easy, and had a great time.

Exceeded Expectations! What a great car!

I've used the Grand Sierra chargers in the past, but Jack Bowers has now put in charging stations (thanks, Jack!!) for both the Roadster and the Model S at his office:

one 70A 208V J1772 unit for Roadsters and one 80A 208V J1772 unit for the Model S.
9855 Double R Blvd, Reno, NV 89521 on the South side of the building.
Very close to the South Meadows exit off 395.

kevincwelch · Sep 21, 2012

May I recommend "All the Way to Reno" by R.E.M. the next time you make the trip?

NigelM · Sep 21, 2012

Photos please. :smile:

AnOutsider · Sep 21, 2012

NigelM said:
Photos please. :smile:

This. A brown sig?!? Jelly.

gg_got_a_tesla · Sep 21, 2012

I tried to meet up with Rob after he picked up his candy car from the factory but, I just couldn't make the schedule work last Friday.

While we await Rob's pics, here's one that he kindly shared with me (the car was still going through final prep at that time):

Schlermie · Sep 21, 2012

Is that a custom brown or the standard Sycamore Brown?

Kipernicus · Sep 21, 2012

Congrats Rob, and thank you for posting this

I plan to go to Incline Village in Feb, and want to make sure that I can do it even with the 60kWh pack.

When you used the 70A charger in Rocklin was it an old Roadster connector, or has it been converted to J1772?
If it was the old Roadster connector, did your Model S come with an adapter, or was it an extra purchase?

Perhaps I should charge up at Clipper Creek in Auburn instead of Rocklin? (looks like they have an 80A J1772)
Thanks

bonnie · Sep 21, 2012

Kipernicus said:
Congrats Rob, and thank you for posting this

I plan to go to Incline Village in Feb, and want to make sure that I can do it even with the 60kWh pack.

When you used the 70A charger in Rocklin was it an old Roadster connector, or has it been converted to J1772?
If it was the old Roadster connector, did your Model S come with an adapter, or was it an extra purchase?

Perhaps I should charge up at Clipper Creek in Auburn instead of Rocklin? (looks like they have an 80A J1772)
Thanks

From an email last month that I received from Jack Bowers (responsible for the Rocklin charger and also the Reno ones I listed):

Our new Reno office chargers are finally up and running - one 70A 208V J1772 unit for Roadsters and one 80A 208V J1772 unit for the Model S. Both are located at 9855 Double R Blvd, Reno, NV 89521 on the South side of the building. Very close to the South Meadows exit off 395. Can you add them toteslachargermaps.com when you have a chance? Also, our 70A Rocklin Tesla charger is now a net metering site if you want to note that as well.

The Clipper Creek charging station in Auburn has a switch on it, so you can choose either a Roadster connection or a J1772. If it is in use, it's likely one of the Clipper Creek crew. Good guys there, just ask and they'll free it up for you.

Grendal · Sep 21, 2012

Schlermie said:
Is that a custom brown or the standard Sycamore Brown?

I think that is chocolatey goodness right there. :wink:

shokunin · Sep 21, 2012

gg_wants_a_tesla said:
I tried to meet up with Rob after he picked up his candy car from the factory but, I just couldn't make the schedule work last Friday.

While we await Rob's pics, here's one that he kindly shared with me (the car was still going through final prep at that time):

View attachment 9969

Do they prep all cars like that, by hand with a rotary buffer? Purple bottle on the folding chair looks like 3M Perfect It Machine Polish and the two tan bottles on the shelf look like Meguiars, maybe M105 compound and M205 polish. That's a nice detail to get done before delivery.

kevincwelch · Sep 22, 2012

Grendal said:
I think that is chocolatey goodness right there. :wink:

My comment in another thread was rather tongue-in-cheek when it comes to switching colors, but I really think all the colors were carefully selected and all of them look great on the Model S. Personally, the only color that requires a little "character" is the sunset red.

DrDave · Sep 22, 2012

Schlermie said:
Is that a custom brown or the standard Sycamore Brown?

It is a custom color.

Cottonwood · Sep 22, 2012

roblab said:
We live in Napa Valley, and I have concerns about driving over Donner Pass on the way to Reno. We go from about 600' elevation in Sacramento area, up to 7200' elevation at the pass, then back down to Reno at 4400' elevation in about 120 miles.

...

Going up the hill (CA term for mountain) from Rocklin (Stafford Ranch 70 amp HPC) to Donner Pass, the car used 200 miles of projected range, or 2/3 of the pack. But it gained back 1/3, or 100 miles coming down the 40 miles into Reno. After my visiting, leaving Reno, I could have driven all the way home (225 miles) on one charge, including the drive over the pass.

Projected Range can be very deceiving in the mountains. It is based on the average energy use per mile of the last 30 miles of driving. When my average was just above zero on a mountain descent, I saw over 22,000 miles as the projected range. If I could do a descending orbit from space, I could go around the world on one charge. :biggrin:

I can go on and on about this, but here is a few factoids to remember, at the 280 W-hr/mi used for the 300 rated miles in an 85 kW-hr Model S, each 1,000 feet vertical is the same as 6.7 rated miles. If you go up 1,000 feet it costs an additional 6.7 rated miles of battery energy. If you go down 1,000 feet, you get back those 6.7 rated miles. If you drive the magical 50 mph for rated miles, and go down a 2.8% grade (1,000'/6.7mi), you use no battery power; it all comes from potential energy going down hill. If you drive faster, then you need a steeper grade to be net zero on the battery.

For the science types, here are the calculations:

roblab · Sep 22, 2012

To answer several questions: This is a special color ONLY because there were no choices for Sigs, and it may still be a while before browns, blues, etc. will be available. Custom color was the ONLY way to get a brown Signature. I like the Sycamore. I like Hershey bar even better.

Pictures. Hmm. I have had so much irritation trying to send pictures, I think I will email them to GG to post.

My only concern with the projected range is that it looks like it was a good indicator of what I was doing with my charge. If the mountain had been 50% longer / higher, projected range would have been zero. I had charged to 275 rated range, which calculates to a percentage of battery charge. At the top of the hill, I had 75 miles rated range, which calculates to a lower battery charge percentage. Projected said I had used 200 miles of range. Rated also said I had used 200 miles range. I had driven 75 miles. I am simply using projected because I think it was a good way to see that "IF you continue to drive this way, you have 1/3 of your charge left". Projected is just an indicator, but a usable indicator. And there is a fallacy about getting your range back coming back down the hill. There are heat losses, other physical losses that you just don't get to reclaim. I think the Tesla is better than my RAV4EV, but you don't get it all back. At least don't plan on it until you prove it. I haven't proved it to my satisfaction yet.

If I had a 60 kWh battery, I think I would have charged it full, and maybe stopped at Colfax besides. It takes about 60 kWh to make it to the pass. Once there, as the saying goes, "It's all downhill from there".

Bonnie, please tell Jack, again, that he is one of my new heroes. The staff made as if we were visiting royalty. His Rocklin office requires a Model S to HPC adapter, a $650 option, without which there are places one cannot charge this fast. When I am not going on vacation, I may rent mine out! The J1772 adapter is included.

Rob

- - - Updated - - -

I drove 60 mph on cruise with low regen whenever I could use cruise. I got the magical 300 miles per charge.

westerndh · Sep 22, 2012

So if I am understanding the last 2 posts, to maximize range with Cruise Control in use, on mountain roads, you'd select mild regen, but then change to strong regen when coasting downhill?

vfx · Sep 22, 2012

roblab said:
...Rocklin office requires a Model S to HPC adapter, a $650 option, without which there are places one cannot charge this fast. ....

Wait. This exists?

ChadS · Sep 22, 2012

Tesla let me put the $650 Model S to HPC adapter on my order; it is supposed to come with my car. Which was supposed to come today, but now is scheduled for...some other day, unknown to any but the transport company.

bonnie · Sep 22, 2012

ChadS said:
Tesla let me put the $650 Model S to HPC adapter on my order; it is supposed to come with my car. Which was supposed to come today, but now is scheduled for...some other day, unknown to any but the transport company.

Since my car comes back on Tuesday, it's possible it is the same truck - which could mean Monday for you. Or tomorrow.

Disappointing, knew you wanted it for tomorrow.

rms · May 6, 2013

roblab said:
Going up the hill (CA term for mountain) from Rocklin (Stafford Ranch 70 amp HPC) to Donner Pass, the car used 200 miles of projected range, or 2/3 of the pack. But it gained back 1/3, or 100 miles coming down the 40 miles into Reno. After my visiting, leaving Reno, I could have driven all the way home (225 miles) on one charge, including the drive over the pass.

I don't think these numbers are correct. There is absolutely no way that you gained 100 miles of range by going downhill 40 miles into Reno.

I am the owner of Tesla Roadster #315, and I live up by Lake Tahoe, 1000' above the lake. I have put in plenty of miles of hill driving with my Tesla!

There is a steep mountain road, Kingsbury Grade, right near me. The bottom of Kingsbury Grade on the Carson Valley side is at about 4,800' elevation, and the peak is at about 7,350' elevation. Between the top and the bottom is 8 miles of road.

Driving my Roadster up that 8-mile, 2,550' climb uses 25 miles of my car's range. So I calculate that each time the car climbs 1,000', about 7 miles of the car's ideal range get used up.

In contrast, when I drive down that 8-mile, 2,550' descent, I reach the bottom with 2-3 miles more ideal range than I had at the top. So I figure that descending 1,000' gives me about 4 miles extra range.

So with my car, if I wanted to drive downhill to pick up 100 more miles of range, I would have to descend 25,000', plus enough further descent to make up for the energy used up in actually covering the downhill distance! Admittedly, my car is a Roadster, not a Model S. But still, there is no way that you drove your Model S downhill anywhere on this planet and picked up 100 miles of extra range by doing so.

A Little Drive Over to Reno.

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