More About The Car

It is ironic that Tesla has done more than any other electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer to increase range and reduce range anxiety – and yet range anxiety is the hallmark of my trip so far. I know, I know – the extra weight and the bikes on the back are not figured into the projections of how much power it will take to get to the next supercharger.

Abbey and I were talking on the phone about that today. Why don’t the power use predictions use the previous few days usage as a guide, instead of a one-size fits all? We agreed that the Tesla – and EVs in general – were aimed at a more urban and suburban market, commuters and residents of more densely-populated areas where car trips are much shorter. An EV won’t really be practical for a cross-country trip until the range is increased a little more, and so that kind of software upgrade will probably wait until then.

When charging, the display shows how many miles you can go on the charge that is currently in the battery. That number increases during the charging. As the battery gets full, it becomes harder to charge – each “mile” takes longer – until you’re waiting nearly a minute for each mile to be added. Apparently, most normal users set the charging system for 80%, which is usually enough. I usually take the time to get it to 90%.

I’ve discovered a faint, fine horizontal line on the “dashboard” display, between the speedometer and the number that indicates what your cruise control is set at. A little experimentation suggests that it tells me, in a general sense, how much power I’m using. A bold enhancement to the line extends to the right of center while driving; the further right, the more power is being used. The line can also extend to the left of center, but then it’s green – it tells me that, due to the driving conditions (using the brakes or the regenetive braking, for instance, or going down a hill), I’m adding power to the battery.

This, I think, was part of the problem last night, in the Mojave Desert, before I figured out the line – I mentioned the last twenty miles were downhill, but the previous sixty or seventy, it seemed, were uphill.

Some superchargers are hard to find, but all are exactly where the Tesla map says they are – except for one today which was on the other side of the road. After panicking a lot, I happened to glimpse the very distinctive charging stations across six lanes of traffic, behind a Burger King. The problem with finding them is that they are often in shopping centers, and the map can end before the end and you have to look around for a while.