EV Road Trip

   For some time I have been looking for a good introduction to a discussion about the burgeoning EV market. It's place in modern society and its technological impact on the automotive world. I believe this excerpt from the introduction to the new Ferrari book Observations provides insight:
   "...We stand at a most interesting fulcrum of personal transportation. An age of profound transformation of the automobile, when engines have become Propulsion Units, incorporating a complex integration of power source collection and distribution. A transformation of the role of driver, and his relationship with the system called upon to transport him from point of origin to destination.…"

   I recently found out that a long standing and respected member of the high performance community bought a Tesla Y. Very soon after buying it he and his lovely wife Cheryl took a road trip to visit the grandkids. This was a high summer trip, across some challenging terrain and covering a good distance, during one of the hottest summers we've seen. Ranking this road trip with the long term field tests a manufacturer puts a new model through. I felt this would present the perfect perspective from which to take an in-depth look at EV function and Tesla in particular.

   First let's introduce the driver and writer.

   Michael Supancich is a retired eye surgeon who lives in Southern California. For many years Mike lived across the road from Laguna Seca. He was also a member of track management. As one would expect, over the years he has owned many interesting cars. Here we will spotlight but two.
The first is a 275 GTS Ferrari he saved by restoring it after one of those annoying Arizona monsoon flash floods. This is a quite rare six carburetor GTS. In the mid-2000s it was owned by Eric Clapton.  

The second shown here is his Porsche C4S which he sold after ordering the Tesla. In his article he humorously points out the sequence and timing of selling the Porsche and delivery of the Tesla.

   We ordered a Tesla Model Y long range for delivery in several months. I sold my Porsche in less than an hour after posting the first ad. I emailed my Tesla sales person and said if a Model Y long range becomes available early we are ready.

   A week later I received a call in the evening from Tesla. There was a car available for delivery the next day. So I provided the financial information and the car was delivered to our home.

   It took about a week to feel comfortable with the computer system. Like any operating system it requires usage to become familiar with the menu's system. Almost all vehicle operations are performed on the 15” touch screen. The steering wheel has a scroll wheel on either side. The left scroll wheel provides functions such as controlling volume on the sound system. The right scroll wheel controls verbal options. You can push the right scroll wheel and start the windshield wipers or control the cruise control.

  For several weeks we drove the car locally and charged it at home using a 240 volt plug we had installed. We maintain a vehicle charge between 30 and 80 percent for local driving as recommended by Tesla to preserve the battery. We charge at our lowest electric energy rate which is between midnight and 6 AM at an average charge rate of 32 miles per hour. The car is set to finish charging by 6 AM on the cars computer.

   We took our first trip from Carlsbad, CA to Salt Lake City, UT to visit family in early September 2021. This provided our first experience using Tesla Superchargers and also using the Tesla navigation system. The navigations system not only provides driving directions but also the location of Tesla Supercharging stations along the route.

   While it would be easy to travel 250 miles per charge we elected to stop every 150 miles. This provided a nice rest and a total charging time no longer than 30 minutes. Once a charging location was selected the navigation system provided the number of chargers available for usage at the time. It also listed restaurants within walking distance and restroom facilities.

   The outside temperature reached 116 degrees in several areas on the trip. The air conditioning system provided a comfortable interior temperature at all times and it would stay on while charging. Our first stop for the night was in Las Vegas, NV.

   We charged once on the trip and the following morning when leaving Las Vegas. The next 2 days were spent in Saint George, UT which is near Zion National Park. We visited the Zion area which despite outdoor temperature over 100 degrees provided amazing topography. Next we drove to Salt Lake City stopping twice on that longer travel day.

   Driving the car is almost effortless. The front seats in the Model Y are very comfortable even for a seven hour drive.

   After several days in the Salt Lake City area we returned home along the same route again not experiencing any issues. The cost of charging at a Tesla Supercharger currently is around $14.50 versus $30.00 for 91 octane gasoline per 150 miles driven.The Tesla charge is automatically charged to one’s credit card on file. So all you have to do is plug in and wait to finish the charge. Tesla does add additional cost if the car is left at the supercharger more than 5 minutes following completion of the charge. You do receive a warning on your cellphone about 5 minutes prior to the completion of the charging so it is easy to move the car should you be away from the vehicle.

 

  It bears mentioning how many items can be accessed through one’s smart phone. I can check the state of charge, pre-warm the interior and batteries if necessary for driving, check the location and it also functions as the key to enter or lock the car and to start it.
   You can use a card similar to a credit card to have the car recognize you, let you enter and start the car BUT the smart phone is much easier because the car recognizes the phone and you do not have to do anything.

In conclusion the Tesla Model Y is an excellent choice for a general usage vehicle. The storage space is almost equivalent to our previous BMW X5 since there is both a front storage compartment “the frunk” along with a large under floor storage area in the back.
   With the second row seats down the over all storage above the floor is 68 cu ft. which is very close to the BMW X5's 72 cu ft. The tail gate is full electric both for opening and closing and provides excellent access to the storage areas. The car does not have an air suspension option that is provided in both the Tesla Model S and X. Consequently some people complain about the firm ride. While firm it is no worse than our previous BMW X5 on which we also did not have air suspension. The Model Y ride is significantly more compliant than my Porsche which had PSAM. That is not surprising since the Tesla is not a sports car but rather a very nice touring vehicle.      

The Tesla having its battery pack low provides far better handling than the BMW X5 considering the vehicle weights are similar at close to 4500 lbs. Another comment frequently seen in reviews is the Tesla build quality. While the Tesla Y does not offer the full luxury and tight build tolerances of a Porsche our car is actually well put together and has required no adjustments. Our first “service” will be a tire rotation recommended at 6 K miles. I can add window washer fluid myself so other than tire service no other needs are expected for years to come.
   I doubt if I will ever own another car with an internal combustion engine. I do not dread the day when the only new cars available are full electric. But I do not want to see a day when a person is not allowed to own and drive an existing vintage vehicle with an internal combustion engine. There is nothing comparable to the sound of a Porsche or Ferrari at high RPM’s passing through the country side or being driven on a race track. But the much quieter Tesla interior is welcome on a trip.
   I anticipate that full electric vehicles from the various world manufactures will provide significant competition to Tesla as their electronics and support charging stations are further developed. Currently Tesla has a nice technology lead which will be challenging to overcome in the near future.