I have had my Model Y since March, out first EV. Since then we have done around 5,000 miles charging only via home Wallbox. That included return one day trips from our home near Brentwood, Essex to Lowestoft and Winchester, when there was no need to recharge.
We have just come back from a week in South Devon, some 279 miles away via M4/M5 the preferred route. So for the first time that involved charging en route. As an avid reader of these pages, both before ordering, pre-delivery and since, we set out by setting our navigation destination as Cribbs Causeway. The battery preconditioning set in as expected and we had a very smooth charge of around 40 minutes whilst enjoying a coffee and sandwich in John Lewis. My wife was a little heartbroken to be leaving the shopping centre so soon but with around £31 spent we were back up to 90% for the onward journey.
We arrived in Salcombe at around 49%. We were about halfway between SC locations at Exeter and Redruth and so investigated the destination charging options as range reduced during the week. I saw the chargers at the Salcome Harbour hotel, one of which was occupied by an E Pace, the other blocked off by a parked car. On a coastal walk to South Sands I spoke to an employee of the new Harbour Beach hotel who said that the priority list for their charger was staff, then residents then anyone else. He was happy to say that we could charge for free if no one else using and just to speak to him or a colleague when arriving. He mentioned that they were installing 4 further chargers which would be available for a charge.
I then noted that the South Sands hotel was listed as having a 22kw charger. I called them and they were happy to let me charge there. On the penultimate day of our week's holiday I arrived around 11.30 and was let through the car park barrier. In fact there are two Tesla wall chargers on site and both were available. I plugged into one and we then went on a coastal walk for two hours before going into the restaurant for some lunch on our return. The charging was at 16 amps and we got to 90% ready for the trip home next day. See photo attached, the second charger is the other side of the third parked car, the one with only a small part of blue trim showing.
I was very pleased how the destination charging operated for us. OK it was October and out of season but the opportunity for a free top up without any hassle was well received. We had lunch there, which was very good but not cheap, but then we had to eat somewhere. I felt they would have been fine if we had just had a coffee and cake.
The charge got us back to Cribbs Causeway and a further £21 charge there saw us back to Essex.
All in all much simpler than I expected and much cheaper than if I had used an ICE car. Previous trips to Salcombe had involved setting off with a full tank and then having to refill from empty during the week, before the trip home.
I was tempted to go on to Membury on the way home but found Cribbs Causeway a very pleasant break, even with the mile or so to travel from the M5.
I hope this is of interest to some of you and thanks to those that have posted valuable information previously.
We have just come back from a week in South Devon, some 279 miles away via M4/M5 the preferred route. So for the first time that involved charging en route. As an avid reader of these pages, both before ordering, pre-delivery and since, we set out by setting our navigation destination as Cribbs Causeway. The battery preconditioning set in as expected and we had a very smooth charge of around 40 minutes whilst enjoying a coffee and sandwich in John Lewis. My wife was a little heartbroken to be leaving the shopping centre so soon but with around £31 spent we were back up to 90% for the onward journey.
We arrived in Salcombe at around 49%. We were about halfway between SC locations at Exeter and Redruth and so investigated the destination charging options as range reduced during the week. I saw the chargers at the Salcome Harbour hotel, one of which was occupied by an E Pace, the other blocked off by a parked car. On a coastal walk to South Sands I spoke to an employee of the new Harbour Beach hotel who said that the priority list for their charger was staff, then residents then anyone else. He was happy to say that we could charge for free if no one else using and just to speak to him or a colleague when arriving. He mentioned that they were installing 4 further chargers which would be available for a charge.
I then noted that the South Sands hotel was listed as having a 22kw charger. I called them and they were happy to let me charge there. On the penultimate day of our week's holiday I arrived around 11.30 and was let through the car park barrier. In fact there are two Tesla wall chargers on site and both were available. I plugged into one and we then went on a coastal walk for two hours before going into the restaurant for some lunch on our return. The charging was at 16 amps and we got to 90% ready for the trip home next day. See photo attached, the second charger is the other side of the third parked car, the one with only a small part of blue trim showing.
I was very pleased how the destination charging operated for us. OK it was October and out of season but the opportunity for a free top up without any hassle was well received. We had lunch there, which was very good but not cheap, but then we had to eat somewhere. I felt they would have been fine if we had just had a coffee and cake.
The charge got us back to Cribbs Causeway and a further £21 charge there saw us back to Essex.
All in all much simpler than I expected and much cheaper than if I had used an ICE car. Previous trips to Salcombe had involved setting off with a full tank and then having to refill from empty during the week, before the trip home.
I was tempted to go on to Membury on the way home but found Cribbs Causeway a very pleasant break, even with the mile or so to travel from the M5.
I hope this is of interest to some of you and thanks to those that have posted valuable information previously.
