Electric vehicles have been gaining popularity for several years. People want more sustainable solutions and are weary of paying high, changing gas costs. While electric vehicles have been around for a while, it's no secret that Tesla revolutionized the electric vehicle business.
If you've succumbed to the appeal of a car that can help rescue the world, looks like a spacecraft, and can drive itself, you're probably already a Tesla owner. Still, road trippers may be skeptical of this future supercar because America's infrastructure was not designed with electric vehicles in mind.
It may be intimidating to go on a long road trip in your brand new Tesla, but Teslas offer numerous features that may actually make a long journey easier and more pleasurable — plus there are services around the country that help guarantee you stay safe (and charged!) for the duration of your trip.
You've come to the correct spot if you're ready to embark on an exciting, long cross-country road trip with your Tesla Model S, 3, X, or Y! We're here to provide you with Tesla-specific advice on how to explore the nation in luxury with the aid of a Tesla trip planner app.
How do I plan a trip with my Tesla?
The first step in planning a road trip is deciding where you're going (and how you're going to get there). There are several sightseeing choices between any two sites in this lovely nation, so you must choose wisely. You'll also need to determine where you'll spend the night, whether it's a posh hotel or a rustic camping site.
If you're having trouble organizing your stops from A to B (while also leaving opportunities for unplanned adventures), we're here to assist! You would also need a good Tesla route planner.
Tesla Supercharger trip planner
The Tesla Supercharger map is one resource you should use regularly while planning your road trip. As the name suggests, this map will show you where you can charge your Tesla, whether at a Supercharger or a Tesla-branded destination charger. If you wish to add non-Tesla chargers as possibilities on your journey, you may download a third-party ev route planner software like Plugshare.
The amount of charge your battery has varies depending on the type of your automobile, but it normally ranges between 250 and 300 miles. To be safe, you should expect to meet a Supercharger every 100 to 200 miles. Make sure to account for EV charging time in your total travel length. Any good Tesla road trip planner can help you with this.
While you're browsing for your different accommodations, you might want to check out the Supercharger map and general charging network to see where you can charge up while you relax by the pool. Many hotels feature EV chargers and even supercharger stations for visitors to use during a long-distance road trip.
Plan to stay at hotels and locations that have destination charging
Another reason it's a good idea to either stay at or near superchargers (or destination chargers) is that it's always preferable to start your day with a fully charged battery. Unlike certain electrical gadgets that need a battery to be completely exhausted before recharging (hello, iPhones), Tesla batteries do not have a charging memory.
You may charge your battery as frequently as you want without causing damage to your vehicle. In fact, it is advised that you begin charging your Tesla battery anywhere between 20% and 80% full because reaching a full charge might take some time. That's why staying somewhere you can charge overnight is such a valuable road trip trick - furthermore, charging your car battery slowly (like overnight) at a Level 2 destination charger is better for it.
Starting the day with a full battery also reduces the chance of you becoming stranded on the road if you become lost or need to make an unplanned diversion. When it comes to charging your Tesla or any electric vehicle, it's always better to be safe than sorry because Range Anxiety is a real thing.
Plan your route in advance
As a Tesla driver, there are several options for planning an EV road trip. To begin, enter your chosen location into the touchscreen of your car's navigation system, and it will show you the quickest way to get there. However, Elon Musk has yet to provide an upgrade that allows for spontaneity and exploration. A feature that can take your Tesla trip planning to the next level would be amazing.
The best and simplest approach to plan your trip before stepping in your supercar is to utilize a service that many of us are familiar with: Google Maps. If you provide your starting and ending points, Google will estimate how long your journey will take. This might assist you in determining how many times you'll need to stop for a charge and you can plan on making the best out of your stops at nearby attractions. In the absence of an official Tesla route planner, this should suffice.
After you have your planned route
Once you've decided on your diversions and stops, calculate how long they'll take, and add them to your route so that you can accurately account for the extra time it will take to complete your trip. Once you've combined the times for all of your diversions, multiply the total time by 25%. This allows you to take into consideration traffic, breaks, and unforeseen circumstances.
Also, book your hotels, motels, Airbnbs, and campsites near your selected charging locations. You can attempt to fit two to three things into a day, but make sure you always have somewhere to stay at the end of the day after you're finished exploring.
Benefits of taking a Tesla road trip
There are several advantages to taking a Tesla on a road trip that conventional vehicles just cannot provide. Although mastering all of the distinctive features of a Tesla may take some time to get used to, we've compiled a list of our favorite aspects of Tesla vehicles that will make your road trips more enjoyable.
Safety
On a lengthy road journey, you're certain to come across several situations that make driving tough. Of course, we don't encourage going off-road in your Tesla – there are better vehicles for such an experience. When driving a Tesla on the freeway or down country roads, you won't have to worry about your safety. Every Tesla vehicle is rated five stars in every safety area.
Teslas are built to keep the driver and any passengers safe in the event of a collision, but they are also built to avoid collisions. They will automatically stop if they identify a threat surrounding your car using a mix of well-placed cameras and blind-spot detection.
Tesla Autopilot
The long periods of driving on roads or interstates in between areas of interest are part of the appeal of road vacations.
Still, you'll want to be able to enjoy the scenic beauty of America's unspoiled rural roads while driving securely. After all, it's difficult to focus on the road and California's peculiar Joshua trees, let alone the splendor of cities like New York and San Francisco.
Fortunately, Teslas include an optional Autopilot technology that can drive for you without you having to touch the steering wheel or worry about exceeding the speed limit.
But Tesla Autopilot is just the beginning of Tesla's self-driving ambition. If you can afford Full Self Driving (FSD), that will take your driving or non-driving experience to a whole new level of autonomy and improve your Tesla road trip experience.
What does Tesla's Autopilot do?
I often get asked the question is Tesla Autopilot full self-driving? And are Tesla cars fully self-driving?
It is important to effectively differentiate Fill Self Driving (FSD) from Autopilot. Tesla's Autopilot technology is the umbrella that covers Tesla's suite of autonomous driving features. It has a number of cool features as follows:
Lane Keeping
Using a range of cameras, as well as proximity sensors, your automobile will be able to drive securely inside its lane.
Collision Avoidance
Tesla employs cameras and proximity sensors to generate a map of what is surrounding the car once again. If the car detects a collision (through the cameras and sensors), it will execute evasive movements or warn the driver that they are in danger. While cruise control is a popular feature in automobiles, Teslas have a near-perfect cruise control system. The automobile can account for vehicle spacing and keep you at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.
Auto Lane Changing
If your automobile detects another car in front of you that is traveling at a slower speed than you, it can detect clear space in the lines beside you and change lanes securely and automatically.
Auto Parking
Using cameras and sensory processors, Teslas can parallel park without the driver's assistance.
Navigate on Autopilot
This allows the automobile to make the required modifications to get to the destination as quickly as possible. If you enter a destination and travel on Autopilot, you will always arrive at your destination within the projected time. The automobile will accomplish this by changing lanes as needed and maintaining the predetermined speed.
Full Self Driving
This is Tesla's most sophisticated Autopilot software. Autopilot navigation, auto parking, and city street driving are all part of full self-driving. This is the entire self-driving automobile bundle.
Do all Teslas have Autopilot?
All Teslas made after 2016 are shipped with the hardware for Autopilot. This includes the cameras and radar system for autonomous driving. However, depending on when you purchased your Tesla, you would either have Autopilot as standard or as an add-on feature for a subscription or full purchase.
When you should not use Tesla Autopilot
Even if your Tesla can perform full self-driving, keep in mind that you are always accountable for your vehicle and the liability lies with you the driver. While Autopilot allows you to better appreciate the sights and sounds around you, do not take it as an excuse to take your eye off the road, snooze, do your makeup, scroll through TikTok or prepare food.
Part of this is because the car, luckily, will not allow you to entirely neglect road safety because it will begin beeping at you if your hands are off the wheel for more than a set period of time. If you insist on driving with your hands-free, your automobile will slow down until your hands are back where they belong, and then turn off Autopilot for the rest of your trip.
Autopilot can also shut down unexpectedly. This frequently occurs when it cannot identify lane lines, the camera is obstructed or when you apply too much force to your steering wheel. Most importantly, avoid using Autopilot on side streets or country roads where there is often a lack of clear road markings and visibility. While Tesla Autopilot is a fantastic function for reducing road stress and allowing you to appreciate the scenery around you, it is only intended for highway use.
Even on the highways, certain immobile automobiles or unexpected obstacles can be missed by Tesla's Autopilot — which is where having your hands firmly on the steering wheel is very important. This allows you to easily take over at a moment's notice. Always be prepared to act if a technological fault (such as drifting into oncoming traffic on a two-lane road) or human error occurs (like another car suddenly appearing or stopping).
Conclusion
Now that you've planned your Tesla road trip (and have some Tesla tricks under your sleeve), it's time to consider your luggage. Regardless of how many extra features your Tesla has, you will be spending a lot of time in the car throughout your long road trip and need to pack appropriately.
This is where Cyberbackpack comes in. Cyberbackpack is an expandable backpack that allows you to pack all your essentials for a road trip in a way that perfectly suits your Tesla life. Built by Tesla owners for Tesla Owners, Cyberbackpack's suite of products is perfect for Traveling with or without a Tesla.
