I find it interesting that as much as many people (here and elsewhere) like to hate on Tesla for product issues, timelines, etc., I never hear any complaints about their Supercharger network. Meanwhile, it seems EVERYONE complains about basically every other charging network, be it in the US or elsewhere.
I've experienced precisely none of them, so this is just an observation from the sidelines...
Cuchon Butcher shop is my NO favorite.
NorseDave said:I find it interesting that as much as many people (here and elsewhere) like to hate on Tesla for product issues, timelines, etc., I never hear any complaints about their Supercharger network. Meanwhile, it seems EVERYONE complains about basically every other charging network, be it in the US or elsewhere.
I've experienced precisely none of them, so this is just an observation from the sidelines...
From what I understand the supercharger reliability is due to it defaulting to active. All other chargers do the opposite, it will be interesting to see with tesla opening the superchargers to other manufacturers if that will still be the case.
Here we go: Last day of driving (as long as nothing catastrophic happens)!
I should be in for a much easier day than Tom, since this part of the country doesn't have awesome charging infrastructure, but it sure does have gasoline.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
So i take it that you are pretty happy with YOUR new Porsche?
Tom Suddard said:A friend appears!!
Those are both great colors!
I would imagine that charging stations are where you will meet most of these new friends.
Its tempting to hang out on I-10 overpasses and wave as you scoot across North Florida. Yet, somehow 105 heat indexes seem to discourage the effort. Safe travels!
Just stopped at my second charger of the day in Mobile, AL and I'm 2/2 on 350kw Electrify America stations putting out 30kw. I gave up at the first one and kept moving, but the Tesla parked next to me says he's getting decent speeds and will be back on the road in ten minutes, so I'll just wait it out. Of course, the other stalls here are broken.
This will be a long stop--I'm headed into a no-man's-land of broken chargers and will need all the range I can get.
In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Actually, I'm a lot less attached to it than I expected to be. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice little car. It's just not a life-changing driving experience.
And success! I'm charging at 131kw. Not ideal, but plenty to keep moving.
BREAKING NEWS: Florida Woman Returns to Home State
I decided I'd celebrate my final state border crossing of the trip with a stop at the welcome center to stretch my legs and plan my upcoming gas/lunch stop.
Figured this charging stop was a decent lunch opportunity. Whataburger review: Meh.
Truck is full, so it's time to hit the road. Next stop? Tallahassee!
Nicole Suddard said:In reply to TJL (Forum Supporter) :
Actually, I'm a lot less attached to it than I expected to be. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice little car. It's just not a life-changing driving experience.
It's oddly impressive that its a pretty capable car that is significantly broken and whats noticeable when taking a massive road trip is it is kind of boring. That says something about how little you have to sacrifice to drive a cool car these days.
That's a great point.
Tom, does the Lightning have battery preconditioning? The battery has to be the right temp to charge quickly, so the truck should be able to manage that if it knows the charging stop is coming. Otherwise you spend the first little while at the charger waiting for the battery to heat.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Whatadisappointment
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Yes, it fires up the battery heater when it's arriving at the charger (maybe 20 miles out if I'm remembering correctly). With 100 degree ambient temps and every charger running far under its rated output, though, I haven't bothered to turn preconditioning on. I'll attempt it for the next charger--supposedly it's working as intended and should have plenty of power.
Time for a coffee stop! 84 miles from the next charger in Tallahassee with 89 miles of range.
In reply to Nicole Suddard :
This is my worry with a Cayman; I've driven numerous Caymans on track but always worry I won't be as enamored with it as a road car.
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Living in the Mojave Desert with things veeeeeeery far, apart your experiences only reinforce my reluctamce to ever own one of these.
Tom1200 said:In reply to Nicole Suddard :
This is my worry with a Cayman; I've driven numerous Caymans on track but always worry I won't be as enamored with it as a road car.
I mean can you really fall in love with any car based on highway cruising alone?
It's also worth mentioning that this car in particular seems to have pretty much zero options which makes it pretty bare bones, not even the dual zone climate control. Not exactly the best for making a good first impression on a long drive.
In reply to dps214 :
Yes, my Volvo 142E. I flew to Reno from Vegas to pick it up.
Within 15 miles of highway driving I feel in love with it. That great panoramic view out the front window and the way it rolled down the highway was like no other car of that vintage I'd driven.
It's 6 1/2 drive and it felt like 4 in that car.
Final charge of the trip is underway! This stop had (drumroll please...) half of its chargers broken. I had to wait a few minutes for somebody else to finish up before I got a spot. At least it's a fast charger--I'm filling up at 165kw.
I rolled into this station with 7 miles of range left, so either I did the math perfectly charging to 90% at my morning stop, or I got lucky. Draw your own conclusions:
I'm glad you made it. I always hate cutting it to single digit margins because the charge HAS TO work.
In reply to ShawneeCreek :
Yeah, the choice was cut it close to a charger with good reviews, or attempt a few shorter stops at chargers with bad reviews. I decided to roll the dice.
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