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Renting a Tesla Model Y for Upcoming Roadtrip

918 Views 39 Replies 18 Participants Last post by gsbaker, 2 d ago

BadgerGreg

Discussion Starter · 8 d ago

Next weekend, I'm taking my kids on a road trip from SE Michigan to the northern tip of Wisconsin to see family. It's nearly 700 miles in each direction, and generally easier and prettier if I drive through the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. Although I did this in my i4 last summer, I had a terrible time, as the lone DCFC option I had (in Escanaba) is wholly unreliable and didn't work. Even if I can get to northern Wisconsin, the single DCFC option (upper left in the Plugshare figure below) is, you guessed it, non-functional. I'd be limping between Level 2 options, which are also pretty scattered in this part of the country.

As you can see in the Plugshare figure, virtually all of the DCFC options in the UP show up as either non-functional or 'coming soon'. Sadly, the 'coming soon' locations have had that status for nearly a year and a half.

So, I'm using this as an opportunity to rent a Tesla Model Y from Hertz. Tesla has multiple Supercharger locations in the UP and northern Wisconsin, and I'll be able to travel without any worry of being stranded. Besides, for the cost of the rental (only about $350 for the week), I'm getting a very inexpensive trip AND I get to put over 1,000 miles on a Tesla and report back on my impressions as a BMW owner.

I'm actually looking forward to having a reliable charging network for this trip. Here's hoping that Tesla continues to expand their Magic Dock installations, because this part of the country desperately needs more charging infrastructure, and in the two years I've owned an EV, the CCS network has made absolutely zero progress.

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MaskedRacerX

· #21 · 6 d ago

BadgerGreg said:
I'm really disappointed Tesla hasn't rolled out the conversion faster. Most of the Tesla SC stations in the upper Midwest are typically empty. Telsa is giving up a huge amount of potential revenue as those stations sit unutilized.

I wouldn't say that us buying an i4 is contingent on Tesla rolling out Magic Dock chargers nationwide, but it couldn't hurt

(We also have a Rivian R1S on reservation - again, it would be nice)

The current chit-chat is the limited deployment in CA and NY is for testing (112 stalls at 11 stations), you know, app, durability, general ease-of-use, but that the bulk of the deployment when (if ...) they go into full production on this plan, will be done with the new V4 SuCs that have longer cables (and I'd hope, accommodate charging port locations better via more "split" type parking).

The plan / promise is supposed to be 3500 stalls by the end of 2024. I'm certainly in wait-and-see-and-won't-be-surprised-by-anything-Musk-does mode

I planned on my first post being more of an intro type thing, hahaha, I'll still do that, short version: currently own a '21 M3P and a '21 Wrangler 4xe, love the convenience and cost of home charging, long time car enthusiast, owned Vettes, 3 BMWs, all sorts of tuned vehicles, convertibles, you name it. When the lease ends on the Tesla mid-2024, if we decide on another sedan, it will definitely be an i4 (unless we go dual SUVs, also an option, but most definitely 2 of BEV/PHEV in some mix).

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BadgerGreg

Discussion Starter · #22 · 6 d ago

gsbaker said:
And what about longer cables or wider parking stalls to admit right-side charger ports?

I'm fairly confident the newer (V4) Superchargers will address some of that, including (hopefully) some pull through stalls to avoid the left/right charge port issue. That's what they're doing in Europe and I hope for the same deployment in the U.S.

galore2112

· #23 · 6 d ago

After 10 years driving EVs, including 4 years in a Tesla Model 3, I use my ICE SUV for road trips.

I tried using the Model 3 on the Dallas-San Antonio route multiple times but even with Tesla’s SC network, it’s a sub-par experience vs. ICE. One still has to pre-plan and there isn’t a guarantee that a SC stall is available nor that it delivers acceptable power (yes, even Tesla SCs aren’t perfect and I was stuck with <50kW and glitchy SCs several time).

I got rid of my Tesla and bought an iX because I use my car almost exclusively for commuting and shopping within a metro area where it’s infinitely better than an ICE.

Road tripping with EVs is in my opinion annoying (Tesla SC) or outright frustrating (CCS) and after 10 years with EVs, the novelty wore off so the psychological desire to try road tripping in an EV is in the category “been there, done that”, ICE is simply better for road tripping.

I’d rent an ICEV. It’s just less hassle.

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LyriCeZ

· #24 · 6 d ago

galore2112 said:
After 10 years driving EVs, including 4 years in a Tesla Model 3, I use my ICE SUV for road trips.

I tried using the Model 3 on the Dallas-San Antonio route multiple times but even with Tesla’s SC network, it’s a sub-par experience vs. ICE. One still has to pre-plan and there isn’t a guarantee that a SC stall is available nor that it delivers acceptable power (yes, even Tesla SCs aren’t perfect and I was stuck with <50kW and glitchy SCs several time).

I got rid of my Tesla and bought an iX because I use my car almost exclusively for commuting and shopping within a metro area where it’s infinitely better than an ICE.

Road tripping with EVs is in my opinion annoying (Tesla SC) or outright frustrating (CCS) and after 10 years with EVs, the novelty wore off so the psychological desire to try road tripping in an EV is in the category “been there, done that”, ICE is simply better for road tripping.

I’d rent an ICEV. It’s just less hassle.

When was the last time you've done this route in an EV?

I get that it's less convenient, more stops for longer. However, there shouldn't have been any pre-planning, especially when using SCs over that route. I've traveled between Dallas and San Antonio many times over the last 2 years with zero issues. No broken SCs or waiting for a SC over that period. I'm not saying you never experienced that, but there are so many SCs available over that route I'd expect that to be rare.

The EV experience will never beat being able to do that route in a straight shot via an ICE car, but it's 2-3 10–30-minute stops depending on SoC/speed of travel at most (Possibly 1 or less in the eDrive40 if you were being extraordinarily efficient).

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BlueHoosier

· #25 · 6 d ago

Tangentially I am planning on renting a Polestar when I fly out for a trip in July. I will be on the Olympic peninsula so I don't imagine any problem with charging. I had the option for a Tesla, but I wanted to try a Polestar for some time.

Going with a buddy who is test driving a Ionic 5 next week.

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darylp310

· #26 · 6 d ago

BadgerGreg said:
I hope you're wrong. I'll reserve my judgment for when Tesla starts installing their Version 4 units. If those go in without the Magic Dock CCS connectors, I'll want Tesla to give the taxpayers' money back.

In their defense, Tesla has until the end of 2024 to roll out their CCS chargers and collect the extra tax money. I’m impatient too, but I’d prefer that they do it the right way and ensure cables are long enough to reach cars with charging ports on the right rear side.

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Magicrat

· #27 · 6 d ago

darylp310 said:
In their defense, Tesla has until the end of 2024 to roll out their CCS chargers and collect the extra tax money. I’m impatient too, but I’d prefer that they do it the right way and ensure cables are long enough to reach cars with charging ports on the right rear side.

There is no defense for Tesla

And another 18 months to complete the roll out?

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galore2112

· #28 · 6 d ago

LyriCeZ said:
When was the last time you've done this route in an EV?

I get that it's less convenient, more stops for longer. However, there shouldn't have been any pre-planning, especially when using SCs over that route. I've traveled between Dallas and San Antonio many times over the last 2 years with zero issues. No broken SCs or waiting for a SC over that period. I'm not saying you never experienced that, but there are so many SCs available over that route I'd expect that to be rare.

The EV experience will never beat being able to do that route in a straight shot via an ICE car, but it's 2-3 10–30-minute stops depending on SoC/speed of travel at most (Possibly 1 or less in the eDrive40 if you were being extraordinarily efficient).

Last time was summer 2022. Then I switched to my ICE for that trip because I got tired of having to stop in San Marcos and Waco. Yes, it’s possible to do this with a Tesla and I may be lazy or unreasonable but I do enjoy not having to worry about charging on a long trip.

I guess I’m a 100% EV fan for the vast majority of my driving needs but I learned that even Teslas aren’t great for road tripping. That’s not opinion without experience but opinion with 10 year EV experience, 4 years with a Tesla until spring 2023.

So what the OP wants to do, rent a Tesla for a CCS deserted route, is something I would only do if I was curious about Teslas. If my goal was to get from A to B long distance, I’d just rent an ICE because I already know the Tesla drivestyle and it’s still inferior long distance to ICEVs in my experience and opinion.

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LyriCeZ

· #29 · 6 d ago

galore2112 said:
Last time was summer 2022. Then I switched to my ICE for that trip because I got tired of having to stop in San Marcos and Waco. Yes, it’s possible to do this with a Tesla and I may be lazy or unreasonable but I do enjoy not having to worry about charging on a long trip.

I guess I’m a 100% EV fan for the vast majority of my driving needs but I learned that even Teslas aren’t great for road tripping. That’s not opinion without experience but opinion with 10 year EV experience, 4 years with a Tesla until spring 2023.

So what the OP wants to do, rent a Tesla for a CCS deserted route, is something I would only do if I was curious about Teslas. If my goal was to get from A to B long distance, I’d just rent an ICE because I already know the Tesla drivestyle and it’s still inferior long distance to ICEVs in my experience and opinion.

I get it. That's not being lazy or unreasonable. You like to road trip in the way that works best for you. I was just curious as to how long ago you took that route specifically.

A good friend of mine likes EVs but refuses to get one until they can do 400 miles at a minimum and there's better charging infrastructure here in Texas.

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BadgerGreg

Discussion Starter · #30 · 6 d ago

galore2112 said:
Road tripping with EVs is in my opinion annoying (Tesla SC) or outright frustrating (CCS) and after 10 years with EVs, the novelty wore off so the psychological desire to try road tripping in an EV is in the category “been there, done that”, ICE is simply better for road tripping.

I’d rent an ICEV. It’s just less hassle.

I considered driving my wife's car (Ford Explorer), which honestly would be a bit easier, although I wanted to experience the Tesla Superchargers, autopilot, and software on a road trip (just once).

Hopefully the EV novelty won't wear off before the DCFC infrastructure is in better shape

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MaskedRacerX

· #31 · 6 d ago (Edited)

BadgerGreg said:
I considered driving my wife's car (Ford Explorer), which honestly would be a bit easier, although I wanted to experience the Tesla Superchargers, autopilot, and software on a road trip (just once).

Hopefully the EV novelty won't wear off before the DCFC infrastructure is in better shape

I guess you may have seen - and if not, it's a shocker - that Ford has partnered with Tesla and will be using a CCS NACS adapter for current cars (allowing the use of Tesla superchargers) and then in 2025+, actually changing to a Tesla specific NACS plug!

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2023/05/25/ford-ev-customers-to-gain-access-to-12-000-tesla-superchargers--.html

Note that this is NOT the current Magic Dock, that's for non-NACS compliant CCS, this is plug-and-play, completely seamless billing, using the native Ford apps.

[edit]

I see there's a dedicated thread and you're replied, so I guess you did see it

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Variable430

· #32 · 6 d ago

BadgerGreg said:
Next weekend, I'm taking my kids on a road trip from SE Michigan to the northern tip of Wisconsin to see family. It's nearly 700 miles in each direction, and generally easier and prettier if I drive through the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. Although I did this in my i4 last summer, I had a terrible time, as the lone DCFC option I had (in Escanaba) is wholly unreliable and didn't work. Even if I can get to northern Wisconsin, the single DCFC option (upper left in the Plugshare figure below) is, you guessed it, non-functional. I'd be limping between Level 2 options, which are also pretty scattered in this part of the country.

As you can see in the Plugshare figure, virtually all of the DCFC options in the UP show up as either non-functional or 'coming soon'. Sadly, the 'coming soon' locations have had that status for nearly a year and a half.

So, I'm using this as an opportunity to rent a Tesla Model Y from Hertz. Tesla has multiple Supercharger locations in the UP and northern Wisconsin, and I'll be able to travel without any worry of being stranded. Besides, for the cost of the rental (only about $350 for the week), I'm getting a very inexpensive trip AND I get to put over 1,000 miles on a Tesla and report back on my impressions as a BMW owner.

I'm actually looking forward to having a reliable charging network for this trip. Here's hoping that Tesla continues to expand their Magic Dock installations, because this part of the country desperately needs more charging infrastructure, and in the two years I've owned an EV, the CCS network has made absolutely zero progress.

View attachment 28989

Hopefully you get to drop the garbage in the bin where it belongs on the return.

Reactions: 2

Variable430

· #33 · 6 d ago

m345 said:
Tesla is doing the sensible thing here. They owe nothing to other manufacturers. This is a huge competitive moat they have built. Of course they won't give it away.

Tesla is trying to cash in on federal funding. They don’t have a moat, if China and Vietnam can produce a “Tesla” equivalent EV, it speaks to the quality or lack thereof of the product.

Reactions: 1

Variable430

· #34 · 6 d ago

m345 said:
Tesla is doing the sensible thing here. They owe nothing to other manufacturers. This is a huge competitive moat they have built. Of course they won't give it away.

Some moat…

www.teslarati.com

Tesla crushed in Consumer Reports reliability rankings despite improvement

Consumer Reports released their annual reliability rankings, and Tesla fell to near the bottom of the list despite improving considerably.

www.teslarati.com

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Variable430

· #35 · 6 d ago

m345 said:
Tesla is doing the sensible thing here. They owe nothing to other manufacturers. This is a huge competitive moat they have built. Of course they won't give it away.

And this…

www.businessinsider.com

Tesla plummets 50 spots in a survey of the US's most reputable brands. It's now No. 62 — 30 places below Ford.

Tesla Motors scored higher in the trajectory and vision categories, but lower in character, trust, and citizenship on the 2023 Axios Harris Poll.

www.businessinsider.com

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Markus97229

· #36 · 6 d ago

If I see one more white Model Y I will (ironically) blow a gasket.

Reactions: 3

m345

· #37 · 5 d ago

Variable430 said:
Some moat…

I'm referring to the charging network, which is also why the OP is renting a Tesla.

MaskedRacerX

· #38 · 5 d ago

Markus97229 said:
If I see one more white Model Y I will (ironically) blow a gasket.

Yeah, the sales + limited options + free color(s) mean I see seas of white Ys, and only slightly fewer gray Ys / white/gray 3s. Even when we got our M3P just 2 years ago, it was a bit more of a rare sighting around here, ours is MSM (the darker gray color), which was a paid color, then was free for a time, so that increased its presence on the street.

For that reason - plus a few others I won't even get into but you know what I'm talking about - I can't wait to get rid our of ours next year.

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bmwfanboi

· #39 · 3 d ago

m345 said:
Tesla is doing the sensible thing here. They owe nothing to other manufacturers. This is a huge competitive moat they have built. Of course they won't give it away.

Tesla has opened their network in Norway for everyone and they are making tons of money, i see non-Tesla cars on Tesla chargers all the time and they are charging 10-20% more than for Tesla car owners.... so while i agree with that he does not owe anything to other manufacturers i dont think its about that. It is about profit...

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gsbaker

· #40 · 2 d ago

bmwfanboi said:
Tesla has opened their network in Norway for everyone and they are making tons of money, i see non-Tesla cars on Tesla chargers all the time and they are charging 10-20% more than for Tesla car owners.... so while i agree with that he does not owe anything to other manufacturers i dont think its about that. It is about profit...

And profit is the most dependable motive for action. As long as we share similar goals about promoting EVs, let Tesla make their profit.

On the flip side, EA's motive was punishment over dieselgate, and we see the inconsistent results.

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