Thinking of driving my Model S 60 from Atlanta GA to Rosemary Beach (in the Florida panhandle). I would charge up at the Macon GA, and Tifton GA superchargers (waiting for a full charge in Tifton). From Tifton to Rosemary Beach is 209 miles, mostly on 2 and 4 lane country roads, with some period of time on Interstate 10. I was thinking that if I drive 50-55 mph and don't blast the A/C, I should be able to make the last leg of the trip without charging. (Doing some testing at 50-55 mph around Atlanta, I seem to average about 250 watts/mile.) The terrain from Tifton to the panhandle is flat, and on my travel day the weather is predicted to be clear with temps in the mid 80s. If energy range does not look good along the first portion of the trip from Tifton to Rosemary, there are a few Nissan dealerships along the way where I could plug in for an extra 15-20 miles range. Thanks in advance for your thoughts or advice.
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Have a backup plan and a place to stop and charge, even if for only 30 minutes (sounds like you've researched that already). If you unexpectedly hit headwinds on the trip, even keeping your speeds down on flat terrain may not be enough.
ChriZ
Member
I don't think you'll make it. Id say plan your trip for 180miles max on a range charge for a 60. This is going slow too which is under 300wi/mi
Your last leg of say 35 or 40 miles is rural.
I would plan on a Nissan stop maybe in Marianna.
Should be a great adventure. Have fun!
I would plan on a Nissan stop maybe in Marianna.
Should be a great adventure. Have fun!
cgiGuy
Active Member
I'd stop in Tallahassee. Plugshare shows a Whole Foods. Good lunch stop, if there's charger free.
What is the rated range of your car after a 100% charge? I find that with dedication and even bad conditions (not all conditions) rated range can be met by slowing down.
I was able to go Atlanta to Charlotte without issue staying under rated range, and running the AC the whole time. Southern GA and FL should be even easier than hilly GA/SC/NC. I would have a charging backup plan in place (ideally 2 locations) in case you have serious headwinds, or terrible rain.
Depending on your route a little bit of non-interstate highway might shorten your mileage and lower your speed a bit both of which will help you get there.
Going back to Tifton might be a bit harder, as you will have to contend with a little elevation gain. Again a couple of backup charge points is a good idea.
I was able to go Atlanta to Charlotte without issue staying under rated range, and running the AC the whole time. Southern GA and FL should be even easier than hilly GA/SC/NC. I would have a charging backup plan in place (ideally 2 locations) in case you have serious headwinds, or terrible rain.
Depending on your route a little bit of non-interstate highway might shorten your mileage and lower your speed a bit both of which will help you get there.
Going back to Tifton might be a bit harder, as you will have to contend with a little elevation gain. Again a couple of backup charge points is a good idea.
DFibRL8R
Active Member
The trip is do-able. Have a plan B in case of (getting lost, crazy weather etc) but I have done similar distances in my 60 especially if a portion of the driving is on country roads (it's the 75mph highway sprints that really kill range). Having had many road trips in 35k miles of ownership, I would rather take a little more time and enjoy driving the Tesla than take the ICE.
ZBB
Emperor
Play around with EV trip Planner... It shows using 195RM on the last stretch when driving the limit. EV Trip Planner
Not much leeway -- agree with the others that a short stop on the way would be good. the whole foods suggestion is a good one.
as for time, EV trip planner shows 6.5 hours drive time. The Macon SC is likely a 45 min stop and Tifton about 75 minutes (I also have a 60 and arriving at a Supercharger with ~40 RM takes just about 75 minutes to get to 100% charge (the last 10RM takes about 20 min)...
Not much leeway -- agree with the others that a short stop on the way would be good. the whole foods suggestion is a good one.
as for time, EV trip planner shows 6.5 hours drive time. The Macon SC is likely a 45 min stop and Tifton about 75 minutes (I also have a 60 and arriving at a Supercharger with ~40 RM takes just about 75 minutes to get to 100% charge (the last 10RM takes about 20 min)...
Chas F
Model S 60kWh #P6396
I did a similar trip in my 60 in June from near Charlotte NC to the Santee SC supercharger. My normal route would have taken me through the Lumberton NC Supercharger (146mi) before heading to Santee with the first leg of my trip being mostly 2 lane rural roads with speed limits averaging 45-5O mph. While the terrain was hilly, the was a small net elevation drop between the origin and Santee. After an hour or so of averaging 240 wh/m, I decided to recalculate my distances with remaining RR. I found that I could skip Lumberton and take a more direct route to Santee, saving myself about 70 miles and another 45 min stop. Total miles along this route is 203 miles - 113 rural, 90 interstate. I arrived at I95 with enough range to do 75mph the rest of the way to Santee, arriving with -2 miles RR! ( display only shows 0, but I hit that with 2 miles to go). I could have slowed down and made it with room to spare but decided to push it and keep a close eye on the range calculator. I found you can be very precise by adjusting speed to dial in the range.
Bottom line, I think 209 miles would be really pushing it unless you do 50 mph the whole distance with the AC on range mode.
Bottom line, I think 209 miles would be really pushing it unless you do 50 mph the whole distance with the AC on range mode.
Last edited:
Well, I made the trip, with 6 miles rated range to spare!!
I left Tifton, GA with 201 miles rated range (a few miles under my max capacity) for the 209 mile trip to Rosemary Beach. (I learned firsthand that reaching max charge at a supercharger is painfully slow.) I picked up an extra 4 miles at the Nissan dealership in Thomasville, GA while having an ice cream cone next door at McDonalds. I drove carefully with regard to acceleration and was especially mindful about regenerative breaking. I kept my speed mostly under 55 mph, except for a 25 mile stretch on I-10 where I did 65. As I got close to my destination, it became clear that I would have 2 or 3 kWh to spare, so I was a little less careful with my energy usage. Total trip time from Atlanta was about 9 hours, 20 minutes, about 125 minutes of which was charging. See photo below of my dash when I arrived. It was quite fun!!!
When we got to our house in Rosemary, I discovered that the people renting our property had just left, and the cleaning service were not due to come until the following day. I needed clean sheets and we had no laundry detergent. Seeing that it was quite late, I had to venture back out to the grocery store before being able to recharge. Here was is a screen shot of my rated range when I returned to the house:
Talk about cutting it close!!
As El Supreme pointed out, the return trip from Rosemary to Tifton might be a bit more difficult, as I will be gaining elevation. However, I will have a few extra miles at the start (being able to charge to max capacity), and I will probably keep my speed to 60 mph on I-10. It will also be cooler (leaving in the morning), so I can do without the A/C. I will plan a twenty minute stop at Whole Foods in Tallahassee or at the Nissan dealership in Thomasville.
Ah, having an 85 instead of a 60 would be nice!
I left Tifton, GA with 201 miles rated range (a few miles under my max capacity) for the 209 mile trip to Rosemary Beach. (I learned firsthand that reaching max charge at a supercharger is painfully slow.) I picked up an extra 4 miles at the Nissan dealership in Thomasville, GA while having an ice cream cone next door at McDonalds. I drove carefully with regard to acceleration and was especially mindful about regenerative breaking. I kept my speed mostly under 55 mph, except for a 25 mile stretch on I-10 where I did 65. As I got close to my destination, it became clear that I would have 2 or 3 kWh to spare, so I was a little less careful with my energy usage. Total trip time from Atlanta was about 9 hours, 20 minutes, about 125 minutes of which was charging. See photo below of my dash when I arrived. It was quite fun!!!
When we got to our house in Rosemary, I discovered that the people renting our property had just left, and the cleaning service were not due to come until the following day. I needed clean sheets and we had no laundry detergent. Seeing that it was quite late, I had to venture back out to the grocery store before being able to recharge. Here was is a screen shot of my rated range when I returned to the house:
Talk about cutting it close!!
As El Supreme pointed out, the return trip from Rosemary to Tifton might be a bit more difficult, as I will be gaining elevation. However, I will have a few extra miles at the start (being able to charge to max capacity), and I will probably keep my speed to 60 mph on I-10. It will also be cooler (leaving in the morning), so I can do without the A/C. I will plan a twenty minute stop at Whole Foods in Tallahassee or at the Nissan dealership in Thomasville.
Ah, having an 85 instead of a 60 would be nice!
Last edited:
Very nice. You might not have too much trouble going back. The wind conditions will probably be slightly more favorable. Probably enough to counteract the 500-600 feet of elevation you will need.
The extra 5 or so miles of charge should really help.
And I find it better to travel 65 behind trucks/SUVs than 60 with no one in front.
I made it back to Atlanta a few days ago without any problems. On I-10, I found a truck going 65 mph and followed it at a 2-3 sec distance. Pretty remarkable how much it improved efficiency--brought energy use down to about 270 watts/mile (thanks ElSupreme). Stopped at the Whole Foods in Tallahassee for a leisurely lunch (lingered for an hour), picking up an extra 17 miles range on their level 2 charger. I arrived in Tifton with a comfortable 19 miles rated range remaining. We had Starbucks in Tifton, and then were off to Macon where we had dinner at Lemongrass Thai. The return trip took about 10 hours (about 7 1/2 hours driving time).
Overall, it was really a fun trip. In the past when I have taken road trips, my approach always has been to get there as quickly as possible. Push the speed limit, minimize stops, use the restroom, grab some fast-food, get back on the road ASAP!! With this trip, though it took much longer than it would have in an ICE (due to both route change and charging time), in many respects it was much more relaxing. I had a much different mind set. I knew the trip was going to take longer, and decided that indeed there was no rush. As a result, I actually enjoyed the process of getting there. Driving was more enjoyable (of course), the coffee break was nice (took some time to talk with someone about the car), and dinner was better and more nutritious than it would have been at a fast food joint. I guess maybe that's how people used to travel -- more slowly, more relaxed. Driving somewhere was an event, not just a means to an end.
I'm definitely looking forward to my next road trip :smile:
Overall, it was really a fun trip. In the past when I have taken road trips, my approach always has been to get there as quickly as possible. Push the speed limit, minimize stops, use the restroom, grab some fast-food, get back on the road ASAP!! With this trip, though it took much longer than it would have in an ICE (due to both route change and charging time), in many respects it was much more relaxing. I had a much different mind set. I knew the trip was going to take longer, and decided that indeed there was no rush. As a result, I actually enjoyed the process of getting there. Driving was more enjoyable (of course), the coffee break was nice (took some time to talk with someone about the car), and dinner was better and more nutritious than it would have been at a fast food joint. I guess maybe that's how people used to travel -- more slowly, more relaxed. Driving somewhere was an event, not just a means to an end.
I'm definitely looking forward to my next road trip :smile:
Similar threads
