Hi everyone,
I've been reading posts here and on TeslaMotors.com for a few weeks now, had some questions that I couldn't answer via search, and thought I'd use the opportunity to introduce myself as well. I'm in Northern VA (Arlington/Falls Church area) and drive occasionally to Pittsburgh, specifically to Carnegie Mellon. I'm wondering about getting there or back without having to stop and charge for a couple hours along the way. Others have noted here and on Tesla's own forums that central and western PA don't have a ton of charging options yet. Here's what I know (please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this):
* The trip is ~250 miles each way, which is less than the rated range of the 85KWh battery, but I don't know to what extent the hills will affect the range.
* There's an "Electric Garage" near CMU's campus that offers free EV charging, so I'll probably be fine with recharging once I get there, even if I can't find any EV-friendly hotels nearby.
* The PA turnpike is starting to put chargers at rest stops, but no details yet on speed, price, or compatibility. The first batch is supposed to open by the end of the summer, but the only one along my route will be New Stanton, which at Mile 77 is most of the way to Pittsburgh. And that only helps going westbound.
* There's a Nissan dealer in Hagerstown MD. I haven't yet confirmed whether they'll let other EV owners charge there, but various other posts indicate that some dealers do and others don't.
* The Supercharger map on TeslaMotors.com is of course low-res, but it looks like there might be stations coming eventually to Breezewood PA and/or Hagerstown MD, eventually. (That would be awesome but wouldn't help for this fall.)
* I found one post about someone making the trip a few months ago in their S60 with a 2-hour stop (http://www.teslamotors.com/forum/forums/road-trip-nova-pittsburgh).
So, the questions:
* Has anyone made the trip with the S85/P85? If so, did you stop to charge, and do you know how much total energy you used? I'm looking for as many data points as possible. :smile:
* Does anyone have charging station recommendations along the route, beyond the campground mentioned in the post linked above?
* Does anyone have any other info (confirmed or rumored) about the possible superchargers in Breezewood and Hagerstown?
* Does anyone have any other info (confirmed or rumored) about the PA turnpike chargers?
I suppose these questions qualify as a mild form of range anxiety for one specific case. I'm hoping the supercharger network builds up as expected so the concern can be very short-lived. But to be clear, the answers to my DC-Pittsburgh questions will NOT affect my decision to buy a Model S, nor will it affect when I take delivery. At worst, it might cause me to use my wife's CR-V or rent a car for the new few trips.
And finally, the introduction:
Like many of you, I'm a software engineer. I work for a small analytical firm in Arlington VA, and unlike many DC-area engineers I don't do government work. I've been searching for a new car for several months and was all over the map, ranging from Kia Optima to Lexus IS. I wanted something fun to drive and fuel efficient but was having trouble finding both together. I had heard of the Model S and initially assumed I'd never get one, but I started reading more about it (and becoming more interested / intrigued) around the time the Consumer Reports score came out. On somewhat of a whim (I had never before considered any higher-end cars anywhere near the price range of the Model S) I test-drove the Model S in the DC store about 6-7 weeks ago and was absolutely floored. Suddenly, all other cars at any price were far less interesting to me. I test-drove it again about a week ago and was equally floored, so I put down a deposit on a P85 before I left the store. Current options include silver paint, grey interior, tech package, panoramic roof, and parcel shelf, and although I haven't changed anything from the original order yet, I'm waiting until next week to finalize it.
Thanks in advance!
--Paul
I've been reading posts here and on TeslaMotors.com for a few weeks now, had some questions that I couldn't answer via search, and thought I'd use the opportunity to introduce myself as well. I'm in Northern VA (Arlington/Falls Church area) and drive occasionally to Pittsburgh, specifically to Carnegie Mellon. I'm wondering about getting there or back without having to stop and charge for a couple hours along the way. Others have noted here and on Tesla's own forums that central and western PA don't have a ton of charging options yet. Here's what I know (please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this):
* The trip is ~250 miles each way, which is less than the rated range of the 85KWh battery, but I don't know to what extent the hills will affect the range.
* There's an "Electric Garage" near CMU's campus that offers free EV charging, so I'll probably be fine with recharging once I get there, even if I can't find any EV-friendly hotels nearby.
* The PA turnpike is starting to put chargers at rest stops, but no details yet on speed, price, or compatibility. The first batch is supposed to open by the end of the summer, but the only one along my route will be New Stanton, which at Mile 77 is most of the way to Pittsburgh. And that only helps going westbound.
* There's a Nissan dealer in Hagerstown MD. I haven't yet confirmed whether they'll let other EV owners charge there, but various other posts indicate that some dealers do and others don't.
* The Supercharger map on TeslaMotors.com is of course low-res, but it looks like there might be stations coming eventually to Breezewood PA and/or Hagerstown MD, eventually. (That would be awesome but wouldn't help for this fall.)
* I found one post about someone making the trip a few months ago in their S60 with a 2-hour stop (http://www.teslamotors.com/forum/forums/road-trip-nova-pittsburgh).
So, the questions:
* Has anyone made the trip with the S85/P85? If so, did you stop to charge, and do you know how much total energy you used? I'm looking for as many data points as possible. :smile:
* Does anyone have charging station recommendations along the route, beyond the campground mentioned in the post linked above?
* Does anyone have any other info (confirmed or rumored) about the possible superchargers in Breezewood and Hagerstown?
* Does anyone have any other info (confirmed or rumored) about the PA turnpike chargers?
I suppose these questions qualify as a mild form of range anxiety for one specific case. I'm hoping the supercharger network builds up as expected so the concern can be very short-lived. But to be clear, the answers to my DC-Pittsburgh questions will NOT affect my decision to buy a Model S, nor will it affect when I take delivery. At worst, it might cause me to use my wife's CR-V or rent a car for the new few trips.
And finally, the introduction:
Like many of you, I'm a software engineer. I work for a small analytical firm in Arlington VA, and unlike many DC-area engineers I don't do government work. I've been searching for a new car for several months and was all over the map, ranging from Kia Optima to Lexus IS. I wanted something fun to drive and fuel efficient but was having trouble finding both together. I had heard of the Model S and initially assumed I'd never get one, but I started reading more about it (and becoming more interested / intrigued) around the time the Consumer Reports score came out. On somewhat of a whim (I had never before considered any higher-end cars anywhere near the price range of the Model S) I test-drove the Model S in the DC store about 6-7 weeks ago and was absolutely floored. Suddenly, all other cars at any price were far less interesting to me. I test-drove it again about a week ago and was equally floored, so I put down a deposit on a P85 before I left the store. Current options include silver paint, grey interior, tech package, panoramic roof, and parcel shelf, and although I haven't changed anything from the original order yet, I'm waiting until next week to finalize it.
Thanks in advance!
--Paul
