Tesla for long journeys

[RayDonovan]

Hi all,

Does anyone here use a Tesla (or other EV) for long and regular journeys? I'm close to taking an opt out from work which will enable me to buy a 2021/22 Model 3 LR (or potentially Model Y LR)

I'll be able to charge at home ok but I have a monthly M1 drive that is 215 miles each way (overnight in-between).
Fingers crossed we have a charging solution in the office, but if that fails, how reasonable would it be to assume that one leg of the journey would be fine just using the Tesla charging network.

Cost of the supercharger will be more than covered by my mileage rate, but I'm more concerned about speed and efficiency to charge as opposed to cost at this stage.

Would you / are you currently confident enough to do this on a fairly regular basis?

Thanks!

[Whistle]

I did Glasgow and back in a day a few weeks ago 420 miles no issues at all.

Go all the way there and did a short stop at Abington for some charge then topped it up to 80% in 20 mins at Tebay

Abington was quite a slow charger but Tebay is very quick.

Also been to London and back many time in a day, just over 400 miles.

In summer I get over 300 miles a charge easy M3 long range.

[RayDonovan]

Perfect, thanks.

Like I've said, hopefully the office is sorting the charging out but good to know the Tesla network is reliable.

I guess when people are charging at the Tesla Superchargers, they only 'use' what they need as it's expensive compared to a home tariff.

[PSRG]

Not quite 215 miles, but I do a 160/170 mile each way journey almost every week in a BMW i5, and many weeks twice. In the last 7 days I’ve actually done it 3 times. I have a place in each location, and can can charge overnight so there’s no issue normally. One of the trips in the last week was a drive there, 3 hours in the office nearby and then straight back home. No charger worth using at work (only a flakey 7kWh one which is usually occupied anyway). I got there, and just over half the way back before stopping at a Shell station just off the A34 for a 11 minute top-up (150kWh charger) to get me home…though I did get there with under 40 miles range left and the car had bonged to let me know that!

I’ve done the trip a few times that way in the last few months and never had an issue finding an available charger. Though, the first time the car took me to a charger that took the BmW charge card and it turned out it was at a Premier Inn just off the A417/9. Haven’t used that one again…it’s why I aimed for the A34 last time!

So I don’t think you ll have any problems. The Tesla probably goes further than the BMW, and I have no idea where the supercharger stations are on my route, which is mainly motorway / dual carriageway, but almost every service station has chargers now, and BL / Shell are generally > 100kWh ones IME. A 10/15 minute stop will get around 33% to 50% more charge easily enough, which gets me home, and there’s chargers every 20 to 30 miles or so if needed according to the car.

[Fastlane]

I wouldn't hesitate even if it was 500 miles each way. The supercharger network is superb and much cheaper than the other networks (c.35p-50p.)

Speaking as someone who has covered 50k miles in 2 Model 3s, over 4 years including several 1k mile round trips...

[RayDonovan]

The network is decent and will only get better. Some of the newer venues have 16 chargers available

[PSRG]

Fastlane said:

I wouldn't hesitate even if it was 500 miles each way. The supercharger network is superb and much cheaper than the other networks (c.35p-50p.)

Speaking as someone who has covered 50k miles in 2 Model 3s, over 4 years including several 1k mile round trips...

The supercharger network is much cheaper than the others on a ‘drive up’ basis, but the BMW charge card, and I assume others, give preferential pricing. From memory BP is 55p for up to 150kWh chargers and 65p above that (which I think is the same as if you have a BP ‘Pulse’ account. Not as cheap as Tesla, but also not the eye watering 79/89p drive up rates!!

[Michael_B]

Since Nov 2020 a Tesla (initially a Model 3 now a Y, both LR versions) has been my only 4-wheeled vehicle. I do 30k km a year, mostly commuting (30km daily into Geneva), plus a weekend 300km round trip to our place in Burgundy.
We’ve also been to Tuscany twice (1500km return), and last Xmas we drove to Cambridge/Oxford/London and back (2200km total).
Now well over 100k km in an EV, it’s never been a problem to charge (I have a 11kW point in Switzerland and a 3kW granny charger in France), and the Supercharger network takes care of longer journeys in France, Italy and the UK.
But I still love my motorbikes

[Puzzles]

There’s a fair number of superchargers on the M1, I can’t see it being an issue. You should only need the smallest of top ups, I know I say this a lot but a pee and a coffee should see you good to go.

[JustGetATesla]

I do plenty of long trips on my YouTube channel. Top end of Scotland down to Kent with 2 stops. No problem. And you'd do a couple of stops on a trip that length with any fuel type.

[dtaylo2]

First EV, 6 months and 16,000 miles. Tesla makes it simple.. get in and drive. Don’t overthink it.

Your use case will be easy.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

A slightly OT question, if I buy a second hand Model S, and it advertises Supercharger network, does that mean I have free access?

As in, wasn't it offered that free Supercharging for life of something? Surely that doesn't pass with change of ownership?

[James6112]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

A slightly OT question, if I buy a second hand Model S, and it advertises Supercharger network, does that mean I have free access?

As in, wasn't it offered that free Supercharging for life of something? Surely that doesn't pass with change of ownership?

Google gives the answer

[PushedDover]

OP, not a problem.

As others attest, it just works

509 mile round trip last Thursday. Did fine
The relative key is to ensure the end of day has a decent charge location to brim

[Jordie Barretts sock]

James6112 said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

A slightly OT question, if I buy a second hand Model S, and it advertises Supercharger network, does that mean I have free access?

As in, wasn't it offered that free Supercharging for life of something? Surely that doesn't pass with change of ownership?

Google gives the answer

Well, not simply it doesn't.

[RobbyJ]

The Model S in question needs to have the elusive SC01 code from Tesla. Mine does, and it's transferable unless the car goes through the Tesla dealer network and they will strip it. Google SC01, so many many pages of threads on the subject.

Back to the OP, I did 400 miles last weekend, 170 miles today, 530 miles next weekend. I don't even think about it, just crack on.

[Jordie Barretts sock]

Thanks Robby.

[RayDonovan]

Thanks all, feels like I have nothing to worry about.
Should save me around £400/month compared to having my current company car..

[andy43]

Jordie Barretts sock said:

James6112 said:

Jordie Barretts sock said:

A slightly OT question, if I buy a second hand Model S, and it advertises Supercharger network, does that mean I have free access?

As in, wasn't it offered that free Supercharging for life of something? Surely that doesn't pass with change of ownership?

Google gives the answer

Well, not simply it doesn't.

It’s ultimately down to the cars history but this explains it
https://tesla-info.com/blog/tesla-supercharging.ph...

[RayDonovan]

JustGetATesla said:

I do plenty of long trips on my YouTube channel. Top end of Scotland down to Kent with 2 stops. No problem. And you'd do a couple of stops on a trip that length with any fuel type.

Watched a couple of your videos today. Perfect in answering my question really. On my usual 215 trip I'll stop twice, so plugging in once or twice isn't a bother.