This weekend, I traveled from Greensboro to Asheville, NC in our S70. While the EPA range for the car is 230 miles at 100% charge, Asheville is 180 miles away, and there is a 1,400 climb going to Asheville. The trip is all interstate, primarily through rural areas, and the speed limit is about evenly split between 65 and 70 MPH. Because of the climb, the fact that I drive 9 miles over the speed limit (the unwritten overage allowed by the NCSHP, except in work zones), and use air conditioning, I was a bit apprehensive about the trip up to Asheville.
It looked doable according to EV Trip Planner, and there was a bailout spot at about the half way point if necessary, so I gave it a try. The power usage was almost exactly as predicted by EV Trip Planner both ways, and I had no problem. Well done EV Trip Planner.
The other thing I noticed was that the AP worked flawlessly both ways, but that the "hands on the wheel nag" was popping up literally about every two minutes. It seems that the reminder nag has been stepped up.
Upon returning to Greensboro Saturday morning, I took my ICE car to Chapel Hill (65 miles) to the football game (another Carolina Tar Heel victory). I noticed that the fuel was low and made a mental note to stop on the way back for gas. After the game, I stopped for gas and found that there was none to be had, anywhere. Unbeknownst to me, the Colonial Pipeline in Alabama had rupture, cutting off the supply of gasoline to central NC (and points north and east). I had 45 miles of range, and I was 45 miles from home. My ICE car, a MB E55 AMG, is not exactly easy on gas. I limped home showing a zero range when I pulled onto my street. On the way in I noticed all of the stations I saw were out of gas. The next morning, I happened to have 3 gallons of gas for my riding lawn more, which I put into the car (which provided a 60 mile range), so I could at get to work. There is still no gas available in Greensboro, and the situation is not supposed to improve until Wednesday or Thursday.
I had started out the weekend with range anxiety for the Tesla, which turned out to be baseless, and ended the weekend with justifiable range anxiety for my ICE vehicle. It also brought home just how vulnerable the fuel supply to the East Coast really is from accidents, not to mention possible terrorist activity.
It looked doable according to EV Trip Planner, and there was a bailout spot at about the half way point if necessary, so I gave it a try. The power usage was almost exactly as predicted by EV Trip Planner both ways, and I had no problem. Well done EV Trip Planner.
The other thing I noticed was that the AP worked flawlessly both ways, but that the "hands on the wheel nag" was popping up literally about every two minutes. It seems that the reminder nag has been stepped up.
Upon returning to Greensboro Saturday morning, I took my ICE car to Chapel Hill (65 miles) to the football game (another Carolina Tar Heel victory). I noticed that the fuel was low and made a mental note to stop on the way back for gas. After the game, I stopped for gas and found that there was none to be had, anywhere. Unbeknownst to me, the Colonial Pipeline in Alabama had rupture, cutting off the supply of gasoline to central NC (and points north and east). I had 45 miles of range, and I was 45 miles from home. My ICE car, a MB E55 AMG, is not exactly easy on gas. I limped home showing a zero range when I pulled onto my street. On the way in I noticed all of the stations I saw were out of gas. The next morning, I happened to have 3 gallons of gas for my riding lawn more, which I put into the car (which provided a 60 mile range), so I could at get to work. There is still no gas available in Greensboro, and the situation is not supposed to improve until Wednesday or Thursday.
I had started out the weekend with range anxiety for the Tesla, which turned out to be baseless, and ended the weekend with justifiable range anxiety for my ICE vehicle. It also brought home just how vulnerable the fuel supply to the East Coast really is from accidents, not to mention possible terrorist activity.
