We will take delivery of a new 85D later this month (waiting is the worst part). Once or twice a year we make the trek into CA along Highway 97. Despite the best efforts of our sales consultant in Portland as new owners I guess we are suffering from range anxiety. Having learned so much reading these forums it's time to turn to the experts for advice:
It's 236 miles with a 259 ft elevation gain from our home to the Mt Shasta Supercharger. The EV Planner says we are good, even with a full load and weather in the 20's. Any real world experience?
The official Tesla Supercharger site seems to indicate a "coming soon" site along Hwy 97. It's very hard to tell if this will be in Bend, LaPine, or ? Any insight?
THANKS.....counting the days!!!
I live in Napa Valley and drive up to Ontario, Oregon, and beyond every now and then. We just came back from a run on Thursday, so this is recent, at least.
We did this run in our early Signature, 71,000 miles, about 10% battery degradation. We start out from Shasta and head for Bend, where we stay at Riverhouse, which has HPWC chargers. You can pay $8 and top up while you eat, or whatever, and the run between Shasta SC and Riverhouse is 220 miles.
As Oregon's speed limit is a nominal 55 mph, everyone goes 60 or less. On our way north, we made the run doing 65 in CA, and 60 in Oregon, and gained 20 miles of rated range buffer (left at 250 miles range for a 220 mile trip, arrived with 50 miles range). On the return trip it was high head winds and cold, some rain. Traffic was moving a little slower. We left Riverhouse with 240 miles rated range, and arrived at Shasta with 40 miles buffer, a gain of 20 miles again.
The elevation from Shasta rises a few thousand feet through mountains up to Klamath , then levels off for a hundred miles across the plateau to La Pine area, then goes through more hills and down to Bend, so though the buffer looks bad on the plateau, the last leg of the trip coming down gives more buffer. Our center console trip advisor was telling us we had to slow down or find a charger, which we ignored carefully.
The key is to put the car in cruise and keep your feet off the pedal. The second key is to refrain from using heat. A blanket or extra clothes, and driving gloves, preclude freezing to death, but heat sucks power tremendously, and unless you KNOW you've got extra, be careful. Sunshine warms the car nicely. It was 37 outside for many miles, but comfortable when the sun was out.
Also, I had the address and phone numbers of RV parks in Klamath (Oregon 8 RV) and La Pine/Crescent (Big Pine RV) where people have charged before. There is also a Tesla HPWC south of Bend at Sunriver Lodge, out of the way some, and they charge you.
I find it easier and quicker to cruise along relaxed and not need to spend my time waiting at a charger. We had a great trip. No reason why you can't make it. Before you start, see how much extra charge you have (Need 240, have 260, 20 miles of buffer) and try to keep it from going down too far. You will lose buffer going up out of Bend, but should pick up buffer going across the plateau, and pick up more headed down from Klamath to Shasta. If you keep losing buffer, you have to slow down, or call ahead for an hour charge at one of the RV parks (waste of time?)
Start out max range. After you make this run a few times, you get the hang of it. Good Luck!!
