Roadtripping across the United States in an electric vehicle proved to be fine - even though as a couple in our mid-sixties we had some trepidation before we began. We are new to the EV world - having received our Foundation series Tesla Cybertruck the day before Father’s Day - so getting behind the wheel and heading out from Tucson across the country two weeks later seemed like an adventure! In hindsight, we just needed patience - not skepticism.
For the first portion of the trip from Tucson to Chicago, we had to add an additional three to four hours to what gas pumping and bathroom stops would normally be. Using the Tesla app made the trip easy - it plotted out each stop in advance which meant snack time and bathroom breaks could be planned as well.
While in Chicago, the options to charge were numerous as would be expected in a large metro area. As we began the trip to West Virginia, the tollway service centers across Indiana and Ohio were great! We could charge, go to the food court and the restrooms.
In West Virginia, the charging options were not as prevalent. My parents live in a rural county, so we had to travel about 20 miles to a nearby county to Supercharge every few days. We were able to maintain a charge by plugging in to my parents’ home at night and turning off the Sentry system.
Traveling to the DC area and Williamsburg offered quite a few options. Although it did not affect us, as we were looking for Superchargers we did see a few charging locations that said there was a wait. We also found a great location in Williamsburg that we used a few times before and after a day of visiting family or historic activities.
The drive to Florida went smoothly - for the most part. The only location with concerns during our entire summer-long trip occurred in Daytona Beach. The Supercharger connections were not working for almost all of the Tesla owners attempting to charge. We backed into three different spots and none would maintain a charging connection. Thankfully, two long-time Tesla owners told us that they had had trouble at this location previously. They shared that there was another Supercharger very close. We thanked them, found it on the app and went there - the two gentlemen and a few others were also there when we arrived!
While in Vero Beach, Florida for five days, we did have to use a Tesla Supercharger near I-95 which was not the most convenient in relationship to the beach. We charged twice during our stay and then again the morning we left. We were in an Airbnb so plugging in to that house did not seem appropriate.
This next adventure caused us both a bit of stress. We traveled to Orlando where we did a “park and stay” at a hotel. We were traveling to Cancun for eight days - leaving our new Cybertruck in a parking lot at a Marriot. We charged to 93% but after we drove to the hotel and left it, the truck was at 91%. My husband covered it with a Cybertruck cover purchased from Amazon. It had security straps which he used. Our concern with leaving the truck for eight days was that the battery would drain while we were gone. We turned off Sentry mode but left on the interior overheat protection. We turned off the Tesla apps on our phones. My husband checked the truck periodically for its location, the cameras (which showed the cover still on) and the interior temperature. On the last night of our trip, he turned on Sentry mode to see how that would affect the battery. It went from 90% to 83%. Upon our return, the truck was fine and was still at 83%. What a relief!
We then started our journey home from Florida to Tucson. That trip went smoothly as well! We stopped at a few Superchargers at Buc-ees in Texas - which is an experience in itself! We ended our national travels by charging at the same two chargers we had used at the beginning of our trip when we began six weeks before. The wide open spaces of southern Arizona and New Mexico have limited locations that you must use or there would not be enough charge to make it to the next stop.
Overall, most of the Superchargers we encountered were at hotels, malls, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and toll service centers. Tesla seems to have done a good job of creating an infrastructure that supports traveling cross country.
On a more personal note: our favorite stops were the ones that caused us to reminisce a bit - a Route 66 diner and one of the few Stuckey’s that seems to be left in the South!
Now that we have returned home from our journey, we are more comfortable with the EV world and our Cybertruck! Driving around town (especially with the new self-driving options) and enjoying off-road excursions have surely added to our overall positive Tesla experience.
