And it has been at least since 2016 when I first discovered Tesla and bought my first Model S. Subsequently sold both my Porsche and Mercedes and will never go back to ICE.
A Friend of mine has a Model 3 and a Mach E, they love them both. But on their recent road trip (that that did multiple times with the model 3 without any issues) they took the Mach E and had a terrible charging experience, whether speed issues, app issues, availability or broken…
My parents leased a GM EV. They spent 3 hours trying to find a working charger for the first time. They went to a tesla charging station and were amazed they said you just pulled up back in, plugged in, and walked away in less than a min.
@elonmusk Absolutely agree, Gail! The Tesla Supercharger network is perfect ☄️ honestly, it’s what gave me the confidence to switch to an EV in the first place. I love how I can just use the Trip Planner, and it maps out all the stops for me, down to how long I need to charge.…
Thanks to Tesla Charging team rural areas are staying charged
Yea I agree. I’ve been a part of the Tesla owner community for about 4 years now and I’ve watched how dense many locales within the US has become with Superchargers. On a recent road trip through the states there’s an abundance of Superchargers, even throughout rural areas… I’m…
Supercharging so good, some owners don’t even think twice about it
It was a priority for me when I purchased my first Tesla 6 years ago, now it’s all about FSD since I realize charging locally and on trips is a non issue for Teslas
Kilowatt-hours (kWh) provide a consistent way to understand and compare energy usage across various devices and appliances, including your Tesla or other EV. Understanding kW/h helps you understand EV cost better, as it relates to all forms of charging.
A Universal Practice
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of electrical energy, measuring the amount of electricity consumed over one hour at a constant rate of one kilowatt (1 kW). This practice of measuring electricity in kilowatt-hours is widely accepted and used in many countries on Earth. Specific terms and pricing structures for electricity do vary, and the fundamental unit of measurement, the kilowatt-hour (kWh), remains a universal standard for understanding and managing electrical energy consumption.
Why Measured Per Hour?
KWh is measured per hour to quantify the total energy used over that time frame, similar to how you measure how quickly water flows from a faucet or how fast your car consumes gasoline. This standardized approach ensures consistency and uniformity in assessing electricity usage.
Comparison to Water
To help myself understand it better, I compared it to my water bill. My water meter measures how many gallons of water I use, and I pay based on the volume I consume. Kilowatt-hours (kWh) are similar but for electricity. They measure how much electrical “energy” is used, and my bill is based on the amount of energy consumed. Just as you pay for the water that flows through your pipes, you pay for the electricity that flows through your wires. Whether it’s water or electricity, the more you use, the higher your bill. And, like water, the cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) can vary depending on where you live or where you charge your EV. Having solar and power walls to charge your EV is like having a natural spring nearby. Your water well, pump, and filters that you invest in save you money from having your water delivered by a water-tank truck.
My Thoughts
I pay attention to how electricity prices change, always looking for the best rates per kWh to charge my Tesla Model Y via the Tesla App. Understanding kilowatt-hours (kWh) allows me to plan my charging more efficiently. During road trips, I also consider the cost per kWh at each Tesla Supercharger I encounter because these prices can vary due to multiple factors. On my recent road trip to San Antonio, where I visited Six Flags, I managed entire drive without needing to charge while on the road. The night before the journey, I charged my vehicle to 100%, providing a range of over 300 miles, which was more than enough for a round trip from near Leander to Six Flags Fiesta. To conserve energy, I disabled both Sentry Mode and Cabin Overheat Protection. When I returned home, I still had 20% of the battery charged. It’s all about making informed energy choices and optimizing efficiency.
Image Courtesy Zach on X @blkmdl3
Informative article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Have a wonderful day and may you take many happy road trips in your Tesla.
Tesla is doing a lot of good in this world, much of which was shared in the Tesla Q2 2023 Update on July 19, 2023. I hope you enjoy this article, and that it leaves you with optimism & hope for the future!
(Austin, Texas) On Investor Day 2023, Elon Musk and the Tesla team explained how a global sustainable economy is within reach through these six actions:
1. Repower the Existing Grid with Renewables
2. Switch to Electric Vehicles
3. Switch to Heat Pumps in Residential, Business & Industry
4. Electrify High Temperature Heat Delivery and Hydrogen Production
5. Sustainably Fuel Planes & Boats
6. Manufacture the Sustainable Energy Economy
I’m confident that many companies around the world are making progress towards these actions and I believe Tesla is showing and leading the way!
REPOWER THE EXISTING GRID WITH RENEWABLES
Success is imminent in this arena. Thus far, ½ million Tesla Powerwalls have been installed on homes by customers. I personally installed 3 Powerwalls recently and am excited to be a part of what will make Texas become a strong force in the energy economy. I believe that being solid in energy, or defying the odds in these times of climate extremes, means Texas can lead. Last year, I spoke to the ERCOT board of directors in Texas, urging the leadership to do everything they can to promote Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) in Texas. I watched the Tesla Energy team spend years getting to the point where they are now in Texas. Tesla Electric started in Texas and will one day reach to all states.
VPP regulatory challenges are hard, as mentioned during the Tesla Q2 2023 Update, and that cannot and does not stop Tesla Energy from meeting the challenges. The best case for VPPs is they are much cheaper and much faster to respond to grid weakness than traditional fossil fuel peakers.
ENERGY AND SERVICES & OTHER BUSINESSES
Tesla has deployed 3653 MWh of energy storage Megapacks. This is an incredible 222% increase over last year, where 113 MWh were deployed. This is a testament to the incredible work of the Megapack manufacturing plant in Lathrop, California.
The current Tesla Electric pilot program for charging for Model 3 owners will expand to all Tesla owners in Texas later this year.
SWITCH TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Image Model Y credit Tesla, Inc.
When looking at the current business, Tesla’s number one priority is investment, and that includes investment AI and capacity expansion. The second top priority is to maximize volume in a way that can support expansion.
Has volume been expanding? Yes, Elon Musk thanked Tesla owners for making the Model Y become a best-seller over cars like the Toyota Corolla. This is important, given Tesla is just getting started with production at scale because Tesla will maximize volume in a way that can support even more expansion. Tesla had the best-ever vehicle production and deliveries in a single quarter, with a total of 466,140 deliveries, and they are just getting started!
— Remember, in Q2-2022 (just 12 months ago), there were a total of 254,695 vehicle deliveries.
To accelerate the switch to EVs, Tesla makes Full-Self driving (FSD) software and hardware available to other OEMs. It is now known that Tesla is in serious talks with another OEM to license their FSD software and hardware. This is exciting news as it means it will make that other carmaker an alluring competitor to other traditional gasoline cars.
SUPERCHARGING AND THE NACS
As you may know, Supercharging in the Tesla Network is a seamless experience. The Tesla Charging standard – or the “NACS” is part of Tesla’s way to help accelerate the EV revolution. Many other automakers have already announced they will adopt the NACS so that their EVs can supercharge in the Tesla Network. This includes Ford, Mercedes, Rivian, Volva, Polestar, and Nissan! You’ll see a level playing field, meaning all EVs will be welcomed.
Q3 is an important time for doing some critical upgrades to all of Tesla’s gigafactories. These upgrades will mean that production rates will improve dramatically.
Elon explained the real-time pulse updates he gets. He said there are challenges in increasing interest rates, making it important to therefore decrease the price of the car to make up for increased interest rates.
ROBOTAXI
Elon Musk carefully explained that “Every car may be worth 5X as much as today due to autonomy.” He compared Robotaxi to Airbnb and discussed a step-change in history.
Elon Musk on vehicle order intake: “Demand has roughly tracked production, which is what we aim for; we have real-time demand and real-time production data.”
Lars Moravy of Vehicle Engineering said there’s a misconception about giga castings, which are in Model 3 and Y. Giga casting is 3X faster and much cheaper. Collision repair is in a closed (in-house) loop so when collisions occur, inserts can be replaced in the castings and this is done often and easily.
Elon commented that the referral program is and will continue to be effective. He also said that many people (potential customers) are not breaking even every month, and macroeconomic conditions are impossible to control. He’s correct, I have spoken to many people who struggle every day to meet bills. Elon is well aware of this and thankfully is engineering solutions for people.
Giga Texas 4680 battery cell production increased by 80% in Q2 over Q1. The Giga Texas team produced over 10M cells, there was a beautiful image shared of the team by the Tesla X account.
Tesla is creating a unique Cybercell to bring energy density and cost improvements. Drew Baglino, SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering at Tesla, said Tesla is scaling their Cybercell 4680 battery for use in Cybertruck.
Elon Musk has been key to Cybertruck’s engineering and development, walking the production line and driving it around Austin, Texas. He said Cybertruck is the first truck that we’re aware of that will have four doors, over a 6-foot bed, and will fit into a 20-foot garage. So, it’s sort of biggest on the outside, but it’s even bigger on the inside.”
In more good news, Tesla has seen a reduction in pricing, across the across-the-board for all commodities, such as nickel, cobalt and graphite. This is good not only for Tesla but also for many other companies involved in the transition to a sustainable energy economy.
CONCLUSION
Finding ways to power our world with sustainable energy is necessary for maximum happiness for humanity.
While short-term stock fluctuations are fun to play with, that’s like candy in a candy shop. The serious meat is accelerating the transition to a world economy that is powered by sustainable energy. That’s why this article is about what progress is being made towards Master Plan 3, as communicated by Elon Musk and Tesla leadership at the Q2, 2023 Update.
I am rooting for a continued switch to heat pumps in residential, business & industry, the electrification of high-temperature heat delivery and hydrogen production, and sustainably fueled planes & boats.
Giga Texas Cybertruck Production Line, Image Credit Tesla, Inc.
Elon Musk recommends people follow @fintwit_news on X and look at the analysis by ARK Invest. Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly.
Over the 4th of July holiday I took a road trip in my Model Y. This is one of many road trips I have enjoyed and yet it stands out as unique due to some wonderful people I met who love Tesla. Word of mouth travels fast, and this is how many people are aware of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS). People like the idea that other EVs will charge at Tesla Superchargers.
TESLA’S SUPERCHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IS SOLID
Before I go into my experiences with Supercharging and my conversations with EV owners, I want to bring you back to Tesla Investor Day on March 1, 2023, which showcased how strong the Tesla Supercharging Network is. This Network is well prepared to provide charging to other electric vehicles.
Tesla’s leaders gathered at Gigafactory Texas to present this important showcase. Rebecca Tinucci of Tesla’s Charging Infrastructure team explained,
“We think a lot about what it means to charge at home, even if that home is an apartment or condo, and we spend a lot of time thinking about what it means to charge away from home, including if that’s for daily commuting or if you’re going on a road trip.”
Tinucci explained that in 2022 Tesla provided 9 Terawatt hours of charging across various charging methods and over 50% of that was supplied by convenient AC home charging.
Tesla owners have always been able to access over 80,000 charging points and that includes 40,000 of Tesla’s Superchargers. Now this flourishing charging network will be open to other EVs who adopt the NACS.
Tesla Model Y Charging at Home. Image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
HOW DID TESLA GET SO GOOD AT SUPERCHARGING?
Only Tesla has dedicated countless hours and engineering talent to make electric vehicle charging an experience so delightful, that people love to talk about how good it is. Tinucci explains “Getting here has meant that we spent 10 years building charging infrastructure when basically no one else in the industry would do it, those 10 years have afforded us the opportunity to get pretty good at charging.”
For this reason, Tesla can depend on word-of-mouth advertising for its Supercharger Network. There are signs that other electric vehicle manufacturers may spend advertising dollars making their customers aware that their vehicles can access the Tesla Network however Tesla won’t have to spend a penny on advertising this. Instead, Tesla will invest every dollar into improving the Network.
LOWER COST PASSED TO THE CUSTOMER
Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy, so naturally costs to power your EV will cost less than filling up a gas tank. Tesla uses less expensive renewable energy to power Superchargers. These cost savings also come from Tesla’s approach to finding the most efficient ways to deploy Superchargers and vertically integrate the supply chain.
Tinucci explained, “First, we have the industry’s lowest deployment cost, our costs are often 20% if not 70% lower than alternatives, and that goes for both our supercharging hardware and deployments and our AC charging product lines.”
Tesla achieves this lower cost through being vertically integrated with manufacturing, and through engineering all of their own charging equipment. Tesla shares components across their different product lines and installs and operates all of its own charging sites. In Tanucci’s words, this has led Tesla to be “obsessed with finding ways to innovate around installation.”
TESLA INNOVATES THE WAY SUPERCHARGERS ARE INSTALLED
Tesla applies manufacturing expertise to how they deploy Supercharger sites.
One example is that Tesla is pre-builds “Four post Supercharger units” at Gigafactory New York. Tinucci explained that Tesla ships these pre-built superchargers to the site and then uses a crane to put them into position, which saves 15% on deployment costs. A site can be installed in a matter of days, and once it’s operating, Tesla continues to manage it efficiently.
HOW DOES TESLA MANAGE SUPERCHARGER SITE UTILIZATION?
Tinucci explains how Tesla’s Trip Planner Software maximizes Supercharger site efficiency to lower cost,
“Over the last few years, we’ve been able to cut our per kilowatt hour cost by 40%, there are a lot of reasons for this but one of the top of the list is we focused on increasing our site utilization. Site utilization is just how many sessions or kilowatt hours can we push through a site or a post and basically doing that allows us to spread our cost over more sessions, thus, lower cost for kilowatt hour. But of course that’s easier said than done because when we push efficiency, of course, the risk is that we have a poor customer experience when we have a wait time at our sites.”
Tesla seeks the best customer experience possible and developed a solution for this with Trip Planner software.
Tinucci continued,
“This is where Trip Planner comes in. Trip Planner is our in-vehicle routing or navigation system. Other electric vehicle manufacturers, or some of them, have vehicle data. Other infrastructure providers have site data, but at Tesla we have both and what that allows us to do is to use Trip Planner to route vehicles towards available sites and away from congested sites so we can balance our utilization without risking wait time.”
Tinucci explained how the results of Tesla’s Trip Planner software speak for themselves since over the last few years Tesla has been able to drive up site utilization by 30% and that means lower per kilowatt hour cost while also cutting wait time in half.
Tinucci revealed that Tesla plans even more advancements with Trip Planner. Trip Planner will be moving to projecting site occupancy based on the understanding of what vehicles are currently routing to those sites. She explains that “Ultimately, the vision for Trip Planner is that it’s the air traffic controller for electric vehicle charging across all infrastructure on a global basis.” This will become more important in 2024 when other EVs start Supercharging in the Tesla Network.
QUICKER CHARGE TIMES
When I last Supercharged at Buc-ee’s in Waller, Texas, the 20 minutes went by so fast I did not have enough time to linger in the shops. It was enough to use the ladies’ room and buy lunch to avoid a $1/minute idle fee. I had to rush back to remove my Tesla from the post.
Tesla aims for even quicker charge times than this! Tunicci said, “We have shaved off 30% of our average supercharger sites time, or visit time, over the last few years. This is taking improvements on the hardware side with our software on our vehicles and on our infrastructure and we’re really excited to continue pushing this trend down.”
WHAT IT TAKES TO CHARGE A FULLY ELECTRIFIED FLEET
Do you know how much a Petawatt is? Petawatts is a unit of power equal to one quadrillion watts, and it’s used to estimate the immense amount of energy required in the future to charge all cars if they were electric.
Tesla aspires to a fully electrified, global fleet and that will take an enormous amount of energy. Nine Petawatt hours of charging will be needed on an annual basis. Tesla is preparing to meet that challenge by growing and maintaining a stellar charging experience.
Tinucci explains it this way, “While Tesla Charging certainly doesn’t have to supply all of that [9 Petawatts], it does require that for our part, we have a few new focuses in order to scale. First, if you want a fully electrified, global fleet, all of those vehicles have to have a great and reliable charging experience.”
In 2022, Tesla opened up its supercharging network on a global basis and now over 50% of Tesla’s superchargers in Europe are currently open to other electric vehicles. In 2024, get ready to see other EVs charging at Tesla Superchargers in the USA. Ford, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, Rivian, and Volvo will build EVs with Tesla’s easy-to-use and ergonomic North American Charging Standard (NACS). Expect to see most EVs built in 2025 to have the NACS. Until then, other EVs can access all Tesla Superchargers in the USA using an adapter.
TESLA CHARGING: RENEWABLE SOURCES & DAYTIME CHARGING
The second thing Tesla is doing is to ensure when they build out charging infrastructure, that it’s powered by renewable sources. Tanucci said,
“Over the last two years, we’ve procured enough renewable energy to offset the amount of charging we’ve provided to customers. As we look forward and we talk about this fully electrified fleet on a global basis, we want to make sure the demand for charging more closely follows when renewable sources are available.”
Tanucci continued, “We think the best way to go towards daytime charging is to install AC charging that is convenient and low-cost everywhere vehicles are typically parked throughout the day.” It comes as no surprise when Tanucci stated that Tesla Charging teams “are currently scaling to install AC charging everywhere vehicles charge during the day so we can power them from the new renewable sources.”
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES
I’d like to leave you with my experiences with Supercharging and my conversations with EV owners on my recent 4th of July trip to Galveston Island, Texas.
“I would love to charge my EQS in the Tesla Network! I hope it happens as soon as possible!”
My friend Chris, from Louisiana, drove a Mercedes-Benz EQS to Galveston Island for the 4th and is very excited to access Tesla Superchargers.
“I had no problems at all with staying charged on my drive moving to Houston from New Jersey. Gas stations are smelly and I don’t miss them!”
Another friend, a Model Y owner, shared his enthusiasm for how easy it was to travel and stay charged. I share his sentiments, and one of the reasons I bought a Tesla was to avoid the gas pump. Gas pumps bugged me for being clunky and often leaky. I remember raising the nozzle in the air so gas would not fall on my shoes. Yes, flammable, toxic gasoline would often be left on my car, hands, and feet. Thankfully, the future is electric!
Tesla Supercharging is one part of Elon Musk’s Master Plan Part 3. There is a long road ahead and we can help by using renewable energy and speaking up to policymakers to promote policy that will help, not hinder, Tesla and the amazing work their teams are doing.
Don’t Mess With Tesla Belt Buckle.
Notes: See Official Tesla Youtube LIVE “2023 Investor Day.”
Thanks to the entire Tesla team and especially to Elon Musk for his engineering and leadership.
An article by Gail Alfar For What’s Up Tesla & Twitter Publishing from July 8, 2023.
(Austin, Texas) In a significant move towards accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles and supporting sustainable transportation, Tesla and Ford have announced a strategic partnership.
Elon Musk shared his vision for the Tesla Supercharger Network on a live Twitter Space.
Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) has been described as an easily adoptable interface, positioning it as a potential public standard. This article looks at the details of this collaboration, highlighting Elon Musk’s statements and Tesla’s perspective on the NACS.
TESLA’S COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATION AND EQUAL FOOTING AT SUPERCHARGERS
Jim Farley announced that,
“In early 2024 all Ford EV existing and future customers will have access to 12,000 Tesla high speed Superchargers across the USA.”
Farley also said one year later, Ford EVs will have the North American Charging Standard (NACS) interface.
Ford has been working with the Tesla team and Farley thanked Elon for that.
EARLY NEXT YEAR YOU’LL SEE FORD’S EVS CHARGING ALONGSIDE TESLA VEHICLES
During the discussion with Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, on the Twitter Space, Elon spoke regarding the Tesla Supercharger Network. Elon emphasized,
“We don’t want the Tesla Supercharger Network to be like a walled garden, we want it to be something that is supportive of electrification and sustainable transport in general.”
Elon expressed appreciation for Ford’s interest in partnering with Tesla on this front and affirmed the Tesla team’s intention to provide full support to Ford, ensuring that they are on equal footing at Tesla Superchargers.
I can personally attest that in Texas there is plenty of room for more vehicles to charge at Buc-ee’s locations!
NACS: A STRAIGHTFORWARD AND POTENTIALLY PUBLIC STANDARD
Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) has gained attention for its flexibility and compatibility. Described as a purely electrical and mechanical interface, NACS remains agnostic to use case and communication protocol.
This versatility makes it straightforward to adopt across different EV models. Notably, Tesla has made the design and specification files of the NACS available for download, actively engaging with relevant standards bodies to establish its charging connector as a potential public standard.
This move reflects Tesla’s outstanding commitment to promoting interoperability and widespread adoption of charging infrastructure.
Is the Tesla-Ford Partnership Revolutionizing EV Adoption and Sustainable Transport?
Yes! The partnership between Tesla and Ford signifies a huge stride towards accelerating EV adoption and promoting sustainable transport.
Living in Texas, where pick-up trucks dominate the roads, I have firsthand experience that highlights the pressing need to accelerate the adoption of EVs. I drive across Austin daily, and am surrounded by combustion engine cars and pick-up trucks. Texas is known as Truck Country by some.
I can’t help but reflect on the tremendous work required to transition to a more sustainable transportation system. In light of this, the announcement of the partnership between Tesla and Ford struck me as a brilliant move.
From my perspective, Tesla, with its exceptional engineering talent, is demonstrating philanthropy by sharing its expertise to support Ford and advance the cause of electrification.
Tesla’s NACS offers a straightforward and potentially public standard that fosters compatibility and interoperability among different charging connectors. As these initiatives unfold, the future of electric mobility becomes increasingly promising, with shared efforts aimed at building a beautiful, greener and more sustainable economy.
───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────
Article by Gail Alfar, please credit accordingly. Images Courtesy Tesla, Inc. and Ford, Inc.
Road Trip to a California Beach. Image Courtesy @BLKMDL3 on Twitter
Welcome back to my blog, I can’t believe I’m going on 15 months of the pleasure of writing this blog for you. It’s springtime and it’s a great time to plan a road trip, long or short. When you have a Tesla, you likely hear people respond a bit surprised when you talk about road-tripping in your beautiful car. There’s never a reason to stress when traveling in your Tesla on long journeys, Tesla makes it easy. Tesla recently tweeted, “You decide where you want to go — your Tesla will automatically include charging stops along the way.”
I’m going to share some inspiration and highlights of the beauty of Tesla road trips, and encourage you to take a road trip this Spring!
You decide where you want to go—your Tesla will automatically include charging stops along the way https://t.co/01nnva59c1
Whether you travel with your family, a friend or alone, finding a good playlist is pretty easy in your Tesla. The difficulty is getting everybody to agree on what they want to listen to. I found a way to make peace with my teen by agreeing to certain times we can both play music, and at other times we would just keep the music off.
My favorite compromise is when my teenager is happy in the back area of the car and I’m in the front with my favorite music playing just on the front speakers for enough for me to hear. I can usually convince my teenager to put some kind of headphones on so he doesn’t have to listen to my music and get a headache.
A Tesla owner takes a road trip to a castle image courtesy @memesofmars on Twitter
Eating & Charging
These are the two most important parts of a road trip because it is your opportunity to refuel yourself and your family and charge up your Tesla.
For this, my favorite hack is to stop at Buc-ee’s for the supercharging, food and great bathrooms. Buc-ee’s is not always an option so here are some other suggestions:
tap the “ I’m Hungry “ button on Tesla maps
grocery stores like H-E-B in Texas have great Takeaway meals like salads, sushi and all kinds of sandwiches
your time with your kid/teenager is precious and rare, sometimes it’s nice to spoil them and let them be in full control of the cuisine
What sites to see? Where should we sleep?
Often you have a reason for traveling like heading down to South Texas to see the first Starship launch. You know exactly what you’re doing. But there’s also a beauty in aimlessly traveling, and wanting to hit the road, like Bob Dylan sang, “On the road again, just can’t wait to get back on the road again. Goin’ places that I’ve never been.”
David Searing took his Tesla to Starbase, Texas to see the Starships. Image courtesy @dsearing on Twitter Bob Walker likes to travel with his dog in his Tesla. Image Courtesy @rwalker1072 on Twitter
I encourage you to get off the beaten path and try visiting some small towns and places you may not have planned to see. Or try the opposite action theory. I figure out what I don’t want to do and then I do the opposite and then I’m always happy that I did it. In my years as a Certified Psych Nurse I learned this is good for all people and my patients.
(Opposite action is a dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) skill that involves choosing to do exactly the opposite of what your emotions tell you to do)
Inspiration
This may sound counterintuitive because if you are like me, you like to plan out every detail of your trip. I encourage you not to plan every single day. Instead, “nonplan” a trip. Try watching a few movies and reading some books before you go for inspiration. Here’s a list,
Read “On the Road” by Kerouac
Read “The Wangs vs. the World” by Jade Chang
Watch “National Lampoons Vacation” 1983
Watch “Nomadland” 2020
Watch “Green Book” 2018
Diary of a Wimpy kid: The Long Haul, 2017
Set your gorgeous Tesla on autopilot and kick back and enjoy the road!
David loves to take his Tesla to the Mountains. Image courtesy @dsdavies1 on Twitter
Hacks
Here are some of my unorthodox hacks. These hacks and others make me want to be the designated driver in the Tesla,
Stretching out your feet because you don’t really need to be using the Accelerator or Brake pedal when you’re on autopilot
Stretching exercises – being weird is ok
Kicking back in a seat position that is super comfortable… sans shoes!
Just making up my mind to not use my phone at all. I tap into the myriad of thoughts I may not have thought of if I could use my phone. It’s interesting and valuable thinking time, and it’s necessary in a Tesla for this time in history because right now if we don’t look at the road at all times we will get … a dreaded Strike!
Tesla’s Official Website Has Important Summer Driving Tips
Climate Control Features, Accessories, and Tires are all critical factors when traveling in your Tesla in hot weather. Be sure to check out Tesla’s Support page titled “Summer Driving Tips.“
Want more travel information and tips from previous articles?
Tesla Summer Travel Trip Relax, imagine where you might drive to, grab an ice-cold Southern Sweet Tea, and enjoy these tips.
Model Y: Two Big Road Trip Advantages Tesla owner and founder of Scentwedge Arash Malek returned from a road trip in a Model Y. He and his family toured some remote areas in Iceland and here is our conversation.
Image Austin Frost Bank building at Sunset, March 2023 courtesy Aerial Austin Drone Photographers
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – March 25, 2023. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support Tesla and Elon Musk in both making life better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization. Header image Courtesy Tesla, Inc.
Electric vehicles need to stay charged, and Tesla is making sure they do! Tesla is working to ensure that cars, the Semi, future Cybertrucks, and even non-Teslas stay charged. This article celebrates the progress Tesla is making and also looks ahead to where Tesla Supercharging is headed.
INCREDIBLE PROGRESS IN CALIFORNIA, TEXAS AND WORLDWIDE
In California in 2022 an astonishing 49 Superchargers were built from January to December. This amounts to an incredible 639 new supercharger stalls! (see Tesla Charging) Most recently another Supercharger station went live on December 8 in Visalia.
In Texas, 23 new Supercharger stations were added in less than 6 months from June to Dec 8, 2022, adding 284 more V3 Supercharger stalls!
Dallas-Fort Worth and metro areas are offering more options for charging than ever before. New Supercharging stalls have been added in McKinney, Allen, Addison, Ennis, Plano and in Dallas to already existing Superchargers for a total of 14 around the area! But the real surprise is how many more are slated to open in the Dallas-Fort Worth area! 11 more supercharging stations, reaching from Arlington to Plano to Frisco and Denton will be opening in 2023.
Dallas-Fort Worth and the metropolitan area have the largest population (second to Houston) in the state of Texas.
Newly opened Superchargers in Allen, Texas. Photo Courtesy Vi Gold.
My hometown of Austin and its surrounding metropolitan areas all the way from near San Antonio up to Waco have seen tremendous Supercharger growth. If you travel between San Antonio and Georgetown, Texas, there are 17 supercharger stations available with an 18th planned to open in Q2 2023 in Georgetown.
Tesla is adding Superchargers all across the USA. California may welcome one of the largest Supercharger stations ever in Coalinga with 164 stalls, according to Tesla filings cited by Drive Tesla Canada.
This map by Tesla gets updated every day and gives you an idea of the many V3 and V2 fast charging stations in the USA. For the latest locations, see Tesla | Charging.
MAKING SUPERCHARGING A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE
Occasionally, Tesla mobile tire service visits superchargers to offer free air/tire checks. Zach from Twitter encountered this recently. “Super nice technicians going around asking people if they want their tires filled while they charge.”
Tesla Mobile Tire Service at Rancho Cucamonga, California Superchargers filling up customers’ tires with air. Photo Courtesy Zach BLKMDL3.
Some Superchargers like Kettleman City, California, serve beverages, provide restrooms and even offer limited merch for sale. My take is that as people need to Supercharge more, Tesla may offer conveniences like this in other locations.
FUTURE GROWTH: CHARGING SEMI, CYBERTRUCK, AND NON-TESLAS
Dan Priestley, Sr. manager of Semi truck engineering, spoke at the Tesla Semi delivery event, saying that in 2023 chargers that will support both the Semi and the Cybertruck will be coming to already existing superchargers. Tesla has built Superchargers at Buc-ee’s in over 26 stores in 7 states and can be expected to expand rapidly. These and more may become places where you’ll see Cybertrucks charging. If you plan to buy a Cybertruck, this is welcome news!
Tesla plans to grow Superchargers to allow non-Teslas room to charge. Don’t be surprised if you supercharge alongside a Rivian or a Ford Lightening pickup truck next year!
From California to Maine and all around the world, there are more Superchargers being installed every day. You can make requests for your area directly to Tesla. Tesla says, “Vote on Tesla’s next Supercharger site. Every 3-month voting cycle, you can cast multiple votes to help us decide on new Supercharger locations. Cast a total of 5 votes (1 per location) for proposed Supercharger sites.”
My take is that it’s so much easier to build Tesla supercharger stations than any other type of charging infrastructure. And much much easier than building petroleum stations!
Incredible progress and expansion of superchargers is taking place worldwide, I gave specific examples of this happening in Texas and California.
Tesla works to make supercharging a great experience. Tesla mobile tire service offered customers tire air checks at one Supercharging station, and KettlemanCity offers customers a lounge, restrooms, beverages, and even merch for sale!
Tesla plans to grow superchargers to allow non-Tesla’s room to charge as well. Don’t be surprised if you go to charge your Tesla next year and pull up next to a Ford Lightning or a Rivian pick up truck.
2023 will be an incredible year as megachargers will be built to support both the Semi and the Cybertruck.
Don’t worry if there’s not a Tesla Supercharger location right near you, just vote on it, at Tesla Supercharger Voting. You can vote for five locations!
Photo of downtown Austin by Spencer Davis on Unsplash
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – December 11, 2022. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support Tesla and Elon Musk in both making life better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization. Header image Courtesy Bennett on Twitter.
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I met up with Tesla owner and founder of Scentwedge Arash Malek who returned from a road trip in a Model Y. He and his family toured some remote areas in Iceland and he is sharing some awesome pictures with us! Our conversation includes,
Two big advantages of traveling in a Y
Charging on the road
Superchargers for other EVs
Reynivellir, Iceland, near glacier lagoon, credit Arash Malek
Two Big Advantages of Traveling in a Y: 12-Volt Ports and Larger Size
All Tesla vehicles are great for road trips and the Y stands out as the best!
If you must have access to a medical device like a sleep apnea machine, the Y can be a lifesaver! You can plug a converter into the 12-volt port and run your Resmed, Phillips Respironics, or any other sleep machine all night long. Arash had a load of camera gear that needed to stay powered up while on the road, “the fact that there is a 12-volt charger in the trunk was just so handy because I was running an inverter in the trunk charging up all my gear while we were driving and it was just amazing having that port there.” There are two 12-volt ports in the Model Y, one under the armrest, and one in the rear of the vehicle.
Gail: Thank you for sharing some of your beautiful Model Y road trip pictures in Iceland. What else besides the 12-volt ports did you and your family find useful about traveling in the Y?
Arash: The storage space was amazing! My parents took turns sitting in the front and the back seat, and I was the primary driver. My mom would note how much legroom she had in the back, how spacious it is and we all appreciated how high we were sitting.
Arash said the Y felt like being in a glass bubble, with a panoramic view of beautiful Iceland all around! “And then of course I appreciated the fact that I could use Autopilot and it just made admiring the views much safer and that much more comfortable because I could briefly take my eyes off the road and just experience the landscape, you know there’s barely any cars on the roads there, but they are narrow and windey so it was really nice.”
Charging on the road
G: I often hear this question: “Can you travel in your Tesla?” I think there is a misunderstood concept that combustion cars are better suited for road trips. I see there are 8 Superchargers in Iceland, 2 are “coming soon.” Were you able to travel where you wanted or were you restricted because of charging?
A: I was able to travel where I wanted to, I never experienced range anxiety, there are a ton of 3rd party charging stations in Iceland.
When Arash found it convenient to use a Tesla Supercharger en route to his destination, he would use one. In the planning phase, he booked hotels based on them offering destination charging. Some had Tesla destination chargers and some had 3rd party chargers nearby. Every night he would have the Model Y plugged in and then have it charged for the morning.
If you decide to car camp, the Y is designed to sleep two people in comfort. I wrote about Tesla car camping in my article, Tesla Summer Travel Trip.
Supercharging in Höfn í Hornafirði, Iceland credit Arash Malek
Superchargers for other EVs
Tesla has opened up supercharging to non-Tesla vehicles in Europe and now in Iceland. This pilot program is part of Tesla’s mission to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy and will move to the USA. I asked Arash if he had any experiences in Iceland with this new pilot. He explained, “I noticed that on the Tesla app when I was logging in, it asked if I was trying to log in for the supercharging network access in Iceland. It is interesting that Tesla would do that, there are not a lot of chargers out there but there’s a lot of Teslas there. There are also a lot of other electric cars and hybrids in Iceland. I guess it makes sense to open it to other people.”
G: Did you see any non-Teslas charging at Tesla Superchargers while you were there?
A: No, in fact every time I supercharged it was pretty much empty. I ran into one other Model Y at the Supercharging station while we were charging once.
G: I guess that’s very different from what you see in the Bay Area! Regarding Tesla opening Superchargers to non-Teslas, I’m curious how you feel about this, living in the Bay Area, where there are more people driving EVs?
A: I’m not too concerned about an overcrowdedness issue, I think Tesla is very data-driven and when they see that there’s a lot of congestion somewhere, a Supercharger pops up fast. I think the net positive is much greater because I think it does offer a slight marketing opportunity when non-Tesla EVs are charging next to Tesla EVs.
Arash explained that he thinks opening Superchargers for all EVs is a form of organic growth potential that can be huge for Tesla and its mission.
Moss Road on Lómagnúpur mountain, Iceland credit Arash Malek
If Arash could improve the Y, he would love to see Tesla create an electrochromatic window or something where you can change the tint dynamically on the windows of the Tesla. He was unable to capture some stunning shots of the aurora borealis through the glass roof of the Y due to the tinting. The tinted roof is amazing for maintaining temperature on a sunny day and it was “pretty much impossible to capture the aurora from the inside.”
CONCLUSION
Any Tesla is great to take on a road trip because Autopilot makes the journey much easier. The two big advantages to a road trip in the Y are,
Two 12-volt adapters. For people with a medical condition requiring a sleep apnea machine, for example, the Y can be a lifesaver!
The size! The big glass windows and higher ride allow for a great view of the scenery. The Y sleeps two people comfortably!
The tinted roof and windows in all Tesla vehicles may not allow for great night photography, but they will keep you comfortable as they block sun glare and heat.
Tesla has opened up Supercharging to non-Teslas in Iceland and most of Europe, and this pilot program will open in the USA, and Tesla is data-driven, so congestion will not be an issue.
Austin, Texas downtown and Boardwalk at Ladybird Lake credit Christopher Sherman
Gail Alfar, author. Exclusive to What’s Up Tesla – October 16, 2022. All Rights Reserved. My goal as an author is to support Tesla and Elon Musk in both making life better on earth for humans and becoming a space-fairing civilization. Thanks to Arash Malek for his valuable insight for this article, please check out his amazing all-natural scents exclusively for the 3 and Y.
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In this blog post, I share how Tesla Supercharging is changing your world for the better. In addition, I share my vision of the future that today’s children will live to experience. So grab a cup of coffee & enjoy this quick read!
On February 28, 2022, Tesla opened up free Supercharging in Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. Supercharging is available in areas affected by the recent situation in Ukraine for both Teslas, and non-Tesla vehicles.
Austin, Texas and the surrounding area has rapidly gone from having three Supercharger stations in 2020 to eleven in 2022. Moreover, Tesla plans to add eight more to that number this year!
Tesla consistently demonstrates that they are capable of building Superchargers at a very fast rate. Their Tesla Charging Twitter account is evidence that they are adding up to six or more per day. This matters because Tesla has plans to welcome other electric cars to use their Superchargers.
Tesla Supercharging is for non-Teslas too
In a move that may have surprised some, Elon Musk emphasized to Marques Brownlee (in a tweet right before Christmas 2020) that Tesla was making superchargers accessible to other electric cars.
They are, although it’s kind low-key. Tesla Superchargers are being made accessible to other electric cars.
In late 2021, Tesla opened ten Supercharger stations to non-Teslas in the Netherlands. This trial run or pilot program turned out to be a success. Soon after, on Valentine’s Day 2022 Tesla opened up ALL of its Superchargers in the Netherlands to non-Teslas! The Netherlands was a beautiful place to begin the pilot program that Elon Musk referred to back in December 2020.
Tesla’s website states other electric vehicles can supercharge in France, Norway, Germany, and Belgium.
Here, Tesla explains their ambition behind providing Supercharging for all:
Our ambition has always been to open the Supercharger network to Non-Tesla electric cars in order to encourage more drivers to make the switch to electric driving.
This fits in seamlessly with our mission to accelerate the global transition to sustainable energy.
The more customers use the Supercharger network, the faster we can expand the network.
Our goal is to quickly gain experience and make any necessary adjustments.
In addition, we will continue to rapidly expand our network so that hopefully we can welcome both Tesla owners and Non-Tesla drivers around the world to our Superchargers in the future.
An Act of Kindness and Generosity
Although I am a mom of five kids, it’s important for me to think about all kids. Along the same lines, Tesla cares about both Teslas and non-Teslas. I’d like to leave this world behind someday, with warm thoughts that the future will be positive for many people to come, not just my own kids.
Allow me to share the futuristic scenario I envision about our interesting time of transition:
A Human of the Future Looks Back at our Time of Transition
As it became cheaper to manufacture electric cars, factories assembling combustion cars slowly grinded to a halt. Accordingly, automakers sought valuable help from Tesla’s vehicle division. Tesla kindly assisted them in any way possible to build their own electric vehicles.
It was a rarity to see gas cars and gas stations had become supercharging centers, keeping just a few pumps open for an occasional combustion car. Naturally, it was mostly Teslas that were charging with a scattering of other makes that included Ford, Volkswagen and others.
Once in a while, there would come along somebody with a memory of the past, when most vehicles ran on gasoline, paid for in obsolete dollars. It wasn’t so much nostalgia that was interesting in these stories, but wondering, how challenging it must have been to buy things before Dogecoin. Why did vehicles with such complicated motors take on such a big role in the past?
China was respected for leading the way with two Tesla gigafactories.
Rather than thinking of it as just financial incentive driving business, people began to realize that driving electric vehicles and living in a situation with sustainable energy leads to greater overall happiness.
If happiness is the goal, people tend to want to enjoy the days, stretching them out to enjoy every ray of sun, every minute that they can. Things like the arts flourish, music, painting, dance and writing.
What a Beautiful Future We Have
You are here because you love what Tesla is doing. You may own a share of TSLA, know someone who works at Tesla, drive a Tesla, or know of a neighbor who has a Tesla Solar Roof, in any case, your life is likely somehow already connected with Tesla. Thanks for your support!
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