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I-84 — Pacific NW to SLC

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Cottonwood

Roadster#433, Model S#S37
Feb 27, 2009
5,089
184
Colorado
This looks like it could be the next big route push for Superchargers. Take look at the Google Maps route that I overlaid with a screen capture of Tesla's 2015 map:

I-84-overlay.jpg


The route looks like:
  • The Dalles, OR - Open
  • Pendleton, OR
  • Baker City, OR
  • Boise, ID
  • Twin Falls, ID
  • Tremonton, UT
  • Salt Lake City, UT - Open

There are already strong rumors of Pendleton and Tremonton. That just leaves Baker City, Boise, and Twin Falls in between. Remember these locations could also be a nearby town.

This map also implies Richland, WA being added in 2015 to connect the Portland, OR area to the I-90 route, and a Supercharger in Bend, OR.
 
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This looks like it could be the next big route push for Superchargers. Take look at the Google Maps route that I overlaid with a screen capture of Tesla's 2015 map:

View attachment 75892

The route looks like:
  • The Dalles, OR - Open
  • Pendleton, OR
  • Baker City, OR
  • Boise, ID
  • Twin Falls, ID
  • Tremonton, UT
  • Salt Lake City, UT - Open

There are already strong rumors of Pendleton and Tremonton. That just leaves Baker City, Boise, and Twin Falls in between. Remember these locations could also be a nearby town.

This map also implies Richland, WA being added in 2015 to connect the Portland, OR area to the I-90 route, and a Supercharger in Bend, OR.
Twin Falls to Tremonton is going to be difficult in a 60 in less than ideal weather. I was figuring more like Burley/Heyburn. OTOH, Twin Falls to Boise is even harder.
 
Twin Falls to Tremonton is going to be difficult in a 60 in less than ideal weather. I was figuring more like Burley/Heyburn. OTOH, Twin Falls to Boise is even harder.
I've done this Boise to Twin Falls trip many times, even going 80-85mph a few times. Used about 160 Rated miles average. Very easy, even in a 60kwh car.
 
I've done this Boise to Twin Falls trip many times, even going 80-85mph a few times. Used about 160 Rated miles average. Very easy, even in a 60kwh car.
In winter? With an SC to 90%? with a load and a headwind? With degradation?

- - - Updated - - -

Boise to Twin Falls is the up hill direction, but it's only 128 miles. EV Trip Planner says 149 rated miles in a 60 in neutral conditions. Not too bad.
Uh huh, now drop the temp to 35 degrees, up the weight to 500 or 1,000 lbs, assume that you've just SC'd to 90% and your battery has 10% degradation, and up the speed multiplier to to 1.05 to represent something close to the 80 mph speed limit on I-84 (79 mph average). At 500 lbs and details as above except degradation, EVTripplanner shows 181 rated miles in zero wind, 205 rated miles in a 5 mph headwind. I don't know about you, but after I take account of all known factors, I'd want at least a 10% emergency range reserve, rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5 miles. Putting the SC in Burley adds about another 35 actual miles. Under the same conditions as above, Twin Falls to Tremonton uses 197 rated miles in zero wind, 188 if you drop the speed multiplier to 1.00. A 5 mph headwind ups the RM to 223/214 under those conditions. So, while it can be done when the weather is smiling, you'll have to make compromises when things get more inclement. At least, I would if I had an S60:biggrin: , cause I just won't cut it that close in winter.

Edit: From the Glenney's trip last year:

"Just when I thought driving conditions couldn't get worse.... Albert Lea to Worthington probably averaged 55 mph and I would have been going the same speed in an ice car. Wind picked up some and temp is dropping. Zero degrees in Worthington at 3pm and snow blowing like crazy. <snip> Left Albert Lea with 225 miles range, drove 116 miles and ended with 7 miles range, having used 532wh/mile! Listening to "the Grapes of Wrath" on audiobooks and I will take our road trip over theirs any time.
 
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In winter? With an SC to 90%? with a load and a headwind? With degradation?
I know this is not something you want to hear, but unless you cold soak the car(a lot of stops in very cold weather), the range doesn't change as drastically as you make it sound. Some of those trips were in the winter, and I don't freeze myself when I travel. Degradation isn't something Model S owners worry about; this isn't a leaf.
 
I know this is not something you want to hear, but unless you cold soak the car(a lot of stops in very cold weather), the range doesn't change as drastically as you make it sound. Some of those trips were in the winter, and I don't freeze myself when I travel. Degradation isn't something Model S owners worry about; this isn't a leaf.
What I want to hear doesn't enter into it, and the Glenneys would beg to differ:biggrin: Personally, I prefer to work up from a worst-case minimum when planning than down from a best-case maximum, as I'm often using a car in winter for ski trips - there's a lot fewer unpleasant surprises that way! Degradation hasn't been a significant issue so far, but then most Model S aren't very old yet. Once they've got a few years on them it will be a different matter. Granted, having a real liquid-cooled and heated TMS in a big battery which rarely needs to use a lot of its capacity makes a difference in the rate of degradation, but all batteries degrade with time and cycles, Tesla's chemistry more than many others, apparently just 400 full cycles (100% to 0%). Since most people don't use a battery like that they should last considerably longer.
 
Actually, you can't use the battery like that as the car doesn't let you.
Quite so, I was speaking more generally. In fact, all of the BEV companies, to a greater (GM) or lesser (Nissan?) extent restrict the usable capacity for that reason. And most, including Tesla, recommend that you don't routinely use all of what they give you, in Tesla's case on the high end. Personally, I want a minimum of 10% as an emergency reserve, and because I've spent so much time with deep-cycle lead-acids, prefer not to take a battery down below 80% DoD. Li-ion has somewhat different properties, so you want to stay in the middle of the voltage range for longest life.
 
OK, couple things. First, in case you hadn't seen this thread. Someone has really strong word that Wildhorse Casino in Pendleton Oregon will be hosting one.
Supercharger — Pendleton, OR

Second, for the Boise to Salt Lake City side, I just recently noticed something. I didn't think Boise was in direct range of any Superchargers, but it looks doable to get to Elko. I didn't realize it at first, because if you put it into Google Maps, it puts in a longer looping route that goes all the way East to Twin Falls and then down because it's going for faster drive time, I guess. But if you drag the route to where you get to Mountain Home, and then go straight South on highway 51 from there, it's a shorter distance and slower speed limits, so it looks like it actually works (on evtripplanner as well) to get to Elko in one charge.