Returned home this afternoon after completing a round-trip to/from Colorado Springs; total of 2,348 miles in the Tesla Model 3. All charging on the route was at SuperChargers, shortest distance between charging was 88 miles, longest was 176 miles. No charging site was full, most Teslas at any site was 3 including us. Sites had 6-8 charging stations. Only one station was out of service.
There is an advantage to keeping charging episodes to about 150 miles. That advantage is faster charging at higher battery capacity. At high available capacity charge rates would be 100 to about 130 kW, slowing to about 30 kW as the battery moved to full charge. A charge stop often was no more than the time to stop, plug in, visit a restroom, maybe pickup a snack, stretch the legs, unplug and take off.
I would typically charge to stated range about 50% higher than actual distance to account for low temperatures, strong headwinds, need for cabin heat or air conditioning, and steady travel speeds up to 75 mph. So, if distance to the next charging station was 160 miles, I would charge to stated range of about 240 miles. This practice was dramatized on our travel to the second charge site on our trip, a distance of 149 miles. I charged to a range of 200 miles. Outside temperature was in the high 30's - low 40's, very strong headwinds, and heavy rain. And then an unexpected detour which required 14 miles of additional travel. Made it to the charge station with 18 miles of range left. Quickly learned that it is not wise to plan to tightly on charge capacity.
Tesla performance -- outstanding! Absolutely no issues of substance with the car at all. Navigation was right on, save for two charge stations that weren't quite where navigation stated. A quick re-navigate solved the problem. Visibility between the rear view mirror, side mirrors, and LED screen showing position of nearby vehicles was excellent. Freeway merges were a snap, due first to the excellent visibility and then also due to the powerful acceleration to merge into an open space. Passing other vehicles was just as easy for the same reasons. Cruise holds speed exactly, adaptive cruise maintained set distance to the car ahead and slowed or accelerated as needed without any intervention at all.
Enhanced AutoPilot made freeway travel, even travel on two lane roads, very relaxing. Set cruise speed, engage EAP, and the result is easy, non-tiring travel. Lane changes were right on. Most of our trip involved very strong cross and head winds, which sometimes buffeted semi-trucks half way into the adjacent lane. Without EAP, keeping the Tesla in the lane would have been a constant, fatiguing and sometimes anxious effort. EAP maintained the Tesla closer to the center of the lane than I could have done manually.
As best as I could tell, EAP disengages were the fault of heavy rain limiting visibility, or the absence of a clear lane marker or edge of pavement stripe, or error on my part in failing to keep my hands on the steering wheel, or me inadvertently taking control of the steering wheel when EAP was doing just fine. It took a few episodes of disengaging to get the knack of quickly taking over manual handling on disengagement. But never a safety issue, just a slight jerk or two in making the transition. And after a bit of experience, no more than a barely noticeable change in movement of the car.
Cabin comfort is excellent, the sound system is great, and the Tesla is quiet with very little wind noise. Ride is firm, good feel of the road through the suspension and steering wheel, superb handling, and all in all six very enjoyable days of travel, averaging just under 400 miles/day.
After this trip we now have over 4,000 miles on the Tesla in less than two months. Not 1 drop of gasoline, not one pound of CO2, and with the massive wind turbine farms in NW Iowa and central Colorado east of Denver/Colorado Springs, probably very little if any coal fired electricity.
