Honest road trip review in my Tesla

[@ellieinspace]

If you want to order a TESCAMP mattress, click here to save! tescamp.shop/?ref=ellieinspace

[@BlazerRox]

When/If phantom braking occurs, just tap the accelerator and it will stop slowing down. I've heard of people that literally sit there "helpless" and let it literally come to a complete stop on the freeway - no reason to do that, just override with your foot :)

[@jrockerstein]

😂

[@ioresult]

I think that's why people think phantom braking is goign away. They just develop that automatic-foot-to-the-accelerator-pedal-override reflex. That's what I noticed recently. My foot automatically goes to the accelerator pedal whenever my car phantom breaks. I barely notice it anymore.

[@mikematt7350]

Phantom braking can be very dangerous regardless if you press the acceleration! Luckily I have not had severe phantom braking for quite sometime ! Sounds like it is still a big problem though ..

[@EddieGriffith2802]

There's definitely a right way and a wrong way when it comes to road tripping an EV! The way I learned was from watching lots of KZbin videos. One channel in particular which is very good is "Out of Spec Motoring". There's lots of Model 3 road trips on there (amongst other EVs) where the host, Kyle Connor, shows how he optimizes the charging stops. Kyle is a real EV expert and enthusiast who's also great at presenting. (Maybe somebody who would be interesting to interview at some point!)

[@johnross6314]

Kyle is a biased influencer. The more he says he is not, and gets all the behind the doors deals with the makers, the more disingenuous he becomes. His Dad channel is driven (at this point) more by straight up curiosity.. Dave has the money and another career at this time…. do not see Dave going for the “dark side” being influenced by those in the business… who would offer him the cash. Kyle, gets the perks in many ways. YT and related door opening IS his career. He is always on a mission with his high voice bearded smile to push people they way he is paid. Which is promoting “European” brands and fake “quality” message. At times he does admit his roots of euro bias he has had all his life. He also has personal issues dealing with what Elon Musk says outside of his businesses. That too has spilled over, if listening carefully, to Kyle’s content. Beware, to those who listen that Kyle is the model of EV influencing. You are being fooled. He is what he is. Nothing more, nothing less. A cleverly biased source of some information and entertainment.

[@EddieGriffith2802]

@@johnross6314 Sure. From what I understand being a KZbinr is a tough business to be in. Unless you're getting millions of views on your videos then the revenue generated is not really enough to cover production costs and earn a decent living. So it's no wonder that KZbinrs do deals with manufacturers and take on sponsorship opportunities to supplement their income. I guess you can't really knock any "influencer" for doing that. That's the name of the game. Kyle's technique for road tripping a Model 3 on Out of Spec Motoring is how I learned to do it though. His other channels are more orientated towards EV reviews which I don't really watch because I have no interest in selling my Model 3 or gravitating towards a different vehicle. Certainly not for the foreseeable future anyway. However, he is undoubtedly very knowledgeable about the technicalities of EVs and the charging infrastructure. Good content for those who enjoy the nerd level stuff!

[@JamieReneeVonTeez]

Your integrity is THE most important. If your not honest about your reviews, nothing can be fixed or improved. That said, we are in the VERY early days of this new industry. Every year, month & even days every thing will get more & more dialed in because I believe Tesla ultimately does care. Plus technology on everything doubles about 18 months and will address so much that currently inconveniences us. Think about how AMAZING everyone thought the first ICE cars were when they first came out since have evolved far beyond anyone’s dreams of those early times! Great episode girl!

[@cwpaul11]

Thanks for your honest review, Ellie! I appreciate that you are bringing light to the phantom braking problem. My mom, who loves Tesla too, has had similar problems on her Model S, to the point she doesn't use her FSD. Not my solution, (which would be to use it and report the heck out each incident.) but I fully understand her concern. Hope some Tesla folks see this and prioritize solving the phantom braking issue.

[@zdme4864]

maybe the route in texas meant slower charges? but every 2 hours - 30 to 45 minute break is fine for and older set of “kidneys”

[@mwolrich]

Ellie, as I’ve said before, I drove my ancient 2012 Model S, 7,000 miles on an around the country 3 week roadtrip, SuperCharging mostly, though an occasional hotel had destination charging, for overnight. I found, no matter what speed I drove, I could only average 40-50MPH when stopping for charging was factored in.. drive faster, you will end up stopping more and longer to charge. fact. I am old, as you know (63), my night vision isn’t great, so I had to limit myself to only driving during daylight hours, especially when driving on unknown highways at night, its very tough.. I managed to go between 400-500 miles per day, driving 10-12 hours per day.. and, this is pretty much what you can do in an EV, unless you have a 2nd driver, who can relieve you, and just keep going 24H/day, its not possible with a single driver, and falling asleep isn’t good 😳 my routine was to leave in the morning from the hotel, and go until lunch, which was usually at a supercharger location, let it charge while eating, don’t burn up daylight.. keep going until 6-7PM, find the next supercharger hopefully with a restaurant near it, charge up and it, then use hotels.com to book a nearby hotel after the car is charged up, so were ready to go in the AM. 21 days of this.. yep.

[@farmerpete6274]

63 is not old.

[@ryan6391]

You drove 40 to 50mph when the speed limit was 65 to 75mph, so at points you were driving 25mph under the speed limit? That is dangerous.

[@mwolrich]

@@ryan6391 no, read it again, genius. I drove between 65-80MPH, I AVERAGED 50MPH overall when factoring in charging. Very different.

[@ifeanyiibeanu7765]

Honesty in the vehicle review journalism sect is getting more and more rare. Thank you for all that you do.

[@ellieinspace]

Im glad you appreciate it! I don’t like to sugar coat!

[@johnross6314]

@@ellieinspacewell, IMO, too many generalities related to your frustrations. I wrote a post here on your comments that should be worth your time to read.

[@srikanna4597]

That mattress sounds like a good option. A few tips for the Tesla road trip. 1. You don't have to exactly follow Tesla's planning. The trick is to synchronize your stops for rest room, coffee, food, etc with charging. Say if you want to take a break in another 3 hours try to find a supercharger matching that in the map and see if you can arrive with at least 10-15% of charge there. The Tesla navigation does a very good job of giving the estimated charge when you arrive. 2. If feasible, try to select a 250kw charger rather than 150kw. 3. If using 150kw charger try to avoid sharing a spot with the same number. For example if you see spots 4A and 4B and someone is charging at 4B, try to get another spot without sharing that number. Hopefully your experience will be better next time.

[@bimmergeezer]

Thanks Ellie for a great review!

[@ellieinspace]

You are so welcome!🎉

[@kdh5781]

It really sucks to have phantom braking on the freeway. I have had some versions that was really bad before - and it makes you not want to even use it. Luckily for me it's been much better for quite a while - I didn't have any phantom braking in my drive from Seattle to San Louis Obispo this week. Hopefully your next update will resolve this. I'm not sure which 3 you have but if it's the long range then what you experienced doesn't sound typical. As mentioned by someone else, to get the fastest charging you want to arrive with less than 10% state of charge. However Tesla's planner is more conservative and if you stop at all the chargers it suggests, you will usually arrive with around 20%. How I do it is I look at the charger it tells me, and then I click on the supercharger icon on map (tap the map once if you don't see it on the right hand side). That will show all of the chargers. Then you can click ones on your route but after the charger it has for you. I have a lot of experience so I can quickly estimate if I can make it or how much charge I need to make it. Sometimes Tesla wont route you to that charger without a charger stop before it. If that's the case I just cancel the trip, and the new super charger (my next stop) as the destination. When it adds in another charger (the one I want to skip) just click on remove all charging stops. Then you will get a prediction of battery charge % when you arrive. If it's above 5% I will usually take it. Since this is likely 3+ hours away anyway, as you get closer you can see what the estimated arrival % is. If it's dropped down too much (2% for example) just stop at another charger on the way. It does have a bit of a learning curve. Lastly if you are getting a much slower charge than expected, you can move to another stall and see if it's faster. Sometimes a stall is limited due to heating or something but another stall could be faster.

[@czamman]

I think your first road trip was typical. I remember my first Phantom braking. I think I might have.... anyway, you learn to work with it. As soon as you feel it just mash the accelerator and take over for a minute, Reset and go. Advantages to the tesla road trip is you go places you never would know existed. Stop in mom and pops restaurants. Yes it is slower but it becomes the old family road trips. I drove 4k miles added a couple of hours. But stopping for a charge made the trip. You don't want to push the hours sitting staring at the road. Stop, stretch and pee. Easy peezy... I even took my big German shepherd. Update your review after you become familiar. Also remember the battery will drain faster at highway speeds. Add the heat factor (running ac) and it's not as the optimistic mileage on screen. Better using it in percentage mode. Good luck, nice work 😊

[@zapfanzapfan]

I hope the cat got to play with the box afterwards 🐱

[@ellieinspace]

They both played the “if it fits, I sits” game ❤

[@zapfanzapfan]

@@ellieinspace 📦 🐈

[@brandonf1482]

Ok, Redban…

[@acutaboveww]

Thank you Ellie for your refreshingly honest opinions on your road trip experience. Please never stop being your true self ❤

[@ellieinspace]

Thank you so much!

[@RonLWilson]

I am very impressed with you candor! Thanks for not sugar coating your review!

[@DavidSpector]

Teslas are amazing for road trips. I’ve driven up and down the east coast twice. My longest stop was 25 minutes as at was a 150Kw station. You can skip chargers and just arrive with a low state or charge.

[@jon-slem]

This was a great video. Just because you’re into Tesla doesn’t mean you need to be afraid of telling it like it is. I like driving my Tesla on road trips and it works for me because I’m ready to stop after 2 1/2 hours of driving. I like to chill for a bit and stretch, so I have no issues stopping. To me, the driving is part of the trip, not just the destination. It looks like you just wanted to get to your destination period. I was like that when I tripped with a gas car, but once I started driving my Tesla, I changed, little by little and learned to enjoy the actual trip itself. Having said that, slow chargers sucks, but that will take care of itself of course

[@trex2092]

I hear ya, when people drive fast in a ICE car on a road trip they just stop and complain with the high cost of fuel and never think for a second the idiot with the heavy Right Foot has a roll in the matter. When driving FAST in an EV you are disciplined quickly when you have to stop more frequently. Quick Correction comes to those willing to learn.

[@charleshayden1400]

Agree 100%. Learned to take it easy on motorcycle trips. . .always the Journey. 👍🏿

[@Streeknine]

Thanks for your video on the road trip. I just got my 2021 LR Model 3 in May and took a road trip from SC to VA. I took one stop for 5 minutes and missed an exit and had to charge another 6 minutes, but made it to my destination 288 miles just about as fast as I always have. On the way back I wanted to see if I could make it without a charge, so I only went 5 miles over the speed limit.. and maybe a little slower in some places, but I made it without a charge and 7% charge left. I think after driving the car enough, you can guestimate your range.

[@darkenergy5686]

You are clearly correct that if time is of the essence, driving an electric car is going to hold you back. At our age, the wife and I appreciate the 30 minute bathroom breaks every 2 - 3 hours. And as you are probably more aware, if you increase your speed significantly, you will lose efficiency which will decrease your range. You will have to charge longer and spend more money to make up for the loss of efficiency. Think of it as somewhat similar to the story of the tortoise and the hare.

[@jamesavakian4977]

No. You are lying. Its never hot and always perfect in California. The government says so

[@jrockerstein]

I drove from Michigan to Boca Chica to see Starship with my 13 and 15 Year old children and my wife. I loved it.

[@jeffrey5961]

interesting bed. Ellie review of bed and roadtrip were great. Cameraman did a great job filming too.

[@ellieinspace]

Glad you enjoyed it! I have a new assistant and he really knows how to use a camera phone!

[@gregorychaney7604]

I love that you're honest! It seems like there are better ways to charge, like over night at hotels but they should tell you all about it so you don’t have to figure it out for yourself. Cheers from Alaska

[@benediktfreude]

Tescamp is great! Could be a bit thicker, but that would eat up more space. My wife and I went on a 2-week road trip to Norway and camped in our Model Y with the Tescamp mattress. Recommend 👍 A small tip for packing the 3 mattresses: make sure that one of the three hard pieces is on the bottom and on is all the way on top. This helps compressing everything and putting the straps on

[@dominicanoloko]

Thanks for the honest review. The constant stopping actually helps me out a lot in my Model Y. I have 2 kids and a dog so the stops are amazing for them.

[@Pete35vail]

You need to travel further on each charge not stop as often.

[@David-gr8rh]

I can not place, my finger on what it is, about Ellie but I know men and we love you Ellie. PS hope you're leg is doing well. X

[@RosebudNoni]

we travel up and down the entire east coast and never had the experience you had we can travel 4-5 hours at at a time without having to charge and thats with AC. we have a model 3 long range. bring your car in for service before posing

[@curiousnomadic1253]

I'm a big Elon supporter but I feel your video is extremely important. Very informative and cuts through the BS. Well done.

[@DrDefore]

Honesty definitely just one of your finer traits. Much appreciated. We own a BMW i3 not a road trip car, but love it.. great day trip car, 95% of our use. Keep up the great reviews and ignore the “ignorants”😢

[@IronmanV5]

If you want to try out that mattress, every state park in Texas with overnight camping has campsites available with 240v outlets. Pedernales Falls State Park is just west of Austin for example. As for the Big Bend area, I would recommend both Balmorhea State Park, west of Ft Stockton, which has a spring fed swimming pool that's 76° year round & Davis Mountains State Park south of BSP which has a hotel as well as campsites along with mountain top picnic tables and is very close to the McDonald Observatory.

[@trancendedmindpalace]

One of the things that slows charging is the order in which customers are in the stall (if there is more than one car charging). KZbinrs have done videos on this (charging etiquette), where they describe how the chargers share power and what number/letter stall to park in, in order to get the fastest charge. It something that owners use to share amongst each other in the early days. Hope this helps.

[@Jackofalladventures]

Phantom Breaking for me hasn't been the issue it use to be. Maybe I just take it in stride now, but it seems pretty rare. Also, You don't have to stop at the chargers it recommends. I have road tripped alot and honestly it doesn't do a good job at picking the most practical chargers. The bottom of the battery charges the fastest. If you are in a hurry, probably best to operate between 10 and 70% state of charge. Disappointing how expensive it was. Luckily I have unlimited supercharging, but my range is probably less and it charges even slower.

[@wthharrison7233]

While driving on the hi-ways, I take it off BETA FSD and just use the non-Beta FSD. this way has less phantom braking and less unnecessary lane changing . In city driving I use the BETA- FSD.

[@MsAjax409]

You can configure FSD Beta to not make a lot of lane changes.

[@williamconrad1087]

I really liked your tescamp review. Based on your presentation I would definitely not hesitate to purchase one. Thanks Ellie

[@ellieinspace]

Glad it was helpful! I seriously was so surprised how comfortable it is

[@azmrwright]

Love the honesty and not just fan girling

[@drblast]

always upbeat and happy videos, doing the world good! cute dresses as always.

[@the_Texas_Bandit]

You were tailgating the big rolly thing ahead of you, the smart car is keeping you from getting to close. Temperance for the 400 lb right foot.

[@BrandonDoyleMN]

Agreed the phantom braking is a huge concern. I don’t mind the charging stops, it’s kind of nice to have forced breaks but your point regarding cost and time is very valid

[@francislee4543]

The model y works a lot better for road tripping 😊 and camping too.

[@MsAjax409]

Ellie, you are a novice Tesla owner, and, as such, you have much to learn about road tripping in a Tesla. In time, you will find that driving long distances in your Tesla is a great way to travel, especially with FSD.

[@johnjudge3255]

This a correct assessment. Ellie, you need to learn how to road trip! Research and planning are super important. Plus....ya gotta know A and B charger lines and how they work!

[@MrEd2291]

I love Tesla and what it is doing, but it should not be this difficult or dangerous. Phantom braking is dangerous. I do not expect it to be as easy as a gas car, appreciate a 30 minute break in a long trip, and do not mind complex instructions. Still, it should be better than this for a novice.

[@MsAjax409]

@@MrEd2291 And it will be. Don't forget that FSD is still under development and is designated "Beta" for a reason. If someone is not willing or able to work through the process of understanding and adapting to the rough edges of this system, I suggest that they postpone using it for the time being. Phantom braking is rare. Ellie said it happened approximately ten times in 2800 miles, or once every 280 miles on average. That's about what I experience as well. Her problem is not understanding that when a random braking event occurs, you should tap the accelerator to quickly abort it. The loss of speed is minimal.

[@wellspj2002]

Excellent Report - Hopefully you will contact Tesla or Tesla will contact you shortly and resolve your issues. Please let us all know.

[@Robt329]

We just took out first road trip in out RWD M3. Never waited for more than 25min, usually under 20 to charge up to 90%. A few tips...Only stop at 250gw chargers if possible. and forget charging past 90% if possible, it takes a lot to get that last 10%. If your not charging at least 500mph -700mph you're probably doing something wrong. You can limit the superchargers available in navigation to only show superchargers (3 lightning bolts) We had to change stalls once and our speed went way up. Overall I like the pace... drive 2.5 hours 20min break. I enjoy your videos, thx.

[@btk1243]

TIP: Turn off 'Automatic Emergency Braking' (you will have to do this every time that you get in the car) . . . A video titled "Tesla Phantom Braking" by the KZbin Channel "Imagine Autos" talks about what he did to address phantom breaking (Just a Tip: as always, do your own research)

[@petecunningham47]

Yes there is a learning curve for a new technique of traveling. I have almost 103K miles on my 2018 M3LR. I have traveled to all corners of the country and seldom felt that I was waiting for a charge to finish by doing 3 things. 1) make sure you get your battery down to about 20% before you stop for the 1st charge. 2) YOU select the next charger about 2 hours away along your route. From a health perspective 2 hr is the max. you should be sitting without getting up & moving around. Use the restroom, get a snack, straighten up the front seed. walk around the site. 3) Watch the estimated charge level @ your next selected charger. When it reaches between 20-30% (more or less depending on driving style/conditions) unplug & be on your way. Most of the time that means only charging up to about 60-70%. By the time I have done the things mentioned in step 2, I usually have sufficient charge to continue my trip. There is no question that even with the current SC system, it takes longer to get from one part of the country to another, but with a good procedure, the extra time is minimal. The important factor is to let the battery go down to a low SOC (where it charges much faster) & don't charge it up past what is necessary to get to the next charger. Batteries charge MUCH more slowly the closer they get to full. I wouldn't take anything but my Tesla on a long trip! BTW - yes the phantom braking is extremely annoying, but I'm confident it will be fixed very soon, 😊

[@toddgabler2880]

I remember my first road trip in the Model 3. That was 2019. My driving habits and lodging selection have changed quite a bit since then. I now drive the 2023 Model Y DM LR. Understanding the direct connection of speed with charging frequency/time is the most fundamental change in my driving habits. Also, weather and battery temperature have become important considerations. I typically make a 700 mile road trip twice a month. There is a learning curve on long distance driving. Other habits have changed too. I stay at hotels that offer free charging, and I charge anywhere that offers free charging even for short stops. I am not surprised by your impressions of your first road trip. Perhaps you should consider doing a comparative review after 10k miles of road trips, and share your learned perspective.

[@davidbeppler3032]

You had a bad road trip. It could have been much better. Step one, leave at 100% charge. Step two, drive slower, I know it is counter intuitive but driving no more than 5 over the limit will speed up the trip a lot. Step three, use a better route planner to hit 250kW Tesla superchargers if at all possible. Step four, arrive at Tesla superchargers with as little juice left in the vehicle as you can, do not trust other superchargers. Under 10% is the goal. Step five, only charge to 80% unless you have to charge more to get to the next charger. As for phantom braking, did they put the wrap on wrong? Is it covering a camera or sensor it should not? I have had my 2022 TM3LR since last October and have more than 6k miles on it, I have experienced phantom braking only 3-4 times. Normally when going under bridges at around noon when the bright to dark to bright seems to confuse the system. This should save you a bit of money, and a lot of frustration. Ps. Love the channel!

[@M_Lopez_3D_Artist]

best explanation right there! I agree i think your right its her first novice trip on this and if you go in it without not much preparing things will happen so i can't wait for the next trip and hope that her experience is so much better@!!

[@Ugottahaveit]

Ellie, my longest road trip was when I picked up my new S in Chicago and drove it home to California. My wife and I found that two hours was perfect as we switched drivers at the two hour mark. We took the old route 66 and saw parts of the country we had never seen. We drove from California to Chicago in an ICE car and when we stopped for gas, my card was hacked at the gas pump and I was hit up for spare change. None of that happened on the way back with the Tesla. It does take some getting used to but I found the charging expierence to be a relaxing change from the gas pump stops. It does take some getting used to. We own two model S and will never drive anything else. Thank you for the great reporting and topics.

[@samueldelaespriella6335]

How to avoid the two hour charging intervals would be helpful. Thanks for your review.

[@manicdee983]

When I'm doing road trips I'll usually have the car full of stuff (clothes and computers typically) so a mattress is not going to be useful for me. What I have done is sleep in the front seats with the back tilted way back (I can move stuff around in the back to let the chair recline, I can't store stuff outside my car to let me sleep in it). The important bits for me are a silk sleeping bag liner, comfy PJs, and eye mask. That's much less wasted space than a mattress and privacy screens (but then I don't have boobs so I don't have problems with people creeping on me while I sleep). My other half can't feel comfortable without a proper bed, so we nixed the boot mattress thing before I got much further than a couple of other videos by people like Now You Know and Tesla Joy. In the meantime if that mattress is yours to keep, I'd be keeping those privacy screens in the car so you have the option of just pulling over and taking a nap when you need to, without being disturbed by sunlight or spectators (it's a beautiful car, you're going to get spectators). For our road trips (Model 3 SR+, 300km range) from Canberra to Port Douglas (2500km) and Adelaide (1200km) we've stuck to 2 hours driving, 20 minute stop, 8 hours maximum from start to finish, and planned our trip using A Better Route Planner -- this is similar to how we've done the same trips in my old ICE, we just aren't the type of people who can sit in a car for four hours in one go. We also try to book accommodation at motels or hotels that have destination chargers. To me the idea of "time crunch" is antithetical to doing a road trip. Either you can do the drive safely or you can't. If you can't do it safely get someone else to drive: catch a coach or plane (or leave earlier and remove the "crunch" factor). I also question whether it's safe to drive while emotionally aroused, so combining "time crunch" with "there's something important happening at the other end" means to me that you're going to be incredibly unsafe on that drive. Sure you'll make it 9 times out of 10, it's just that other 1 that is the real downer. On our road trip to Port Douglas we had one slow charger experience where the ChargeFox charger started at 70kW then dropped rapidly to 6kW but only behaves like this for Model 3! We ended up charging on 11kW Type 2 charger for that leg, being the longest time we spent charging on the road ever in this car. I'm in the same boat as you regarding road trips sounding like fun up front but then six hours of driving a day gets a bit too much of the same thing. In the meantime more footage of that beautiful wrap please. It's just so pretty!

[@BTSflyer]

Really need a hatchback for sleeping in the car like the Model Y. After hearing about phantom breaking even in cruise control in the Model 3, I am so glad I got my Bolt. So your beginning to see that Teslas are somewhat over hyped but still good cars.

[@paulspiers5466]

Hi Ellie, I drove from Toronto, Canada to Las Vegas in about 4 days and then onto Los Angeles in one more day. With more experience you will find that you can go between 3 to 3.5 hours between charging on the highway. However, you must plan your own stops and not rely on the Tesla navigation, other than to determine the distance you can go on a charge. One method of road tripping is to start with your battery charged to 100% and then drive it down to 10%, then recharge while you are stopped for lunch or dinner and recharge to 90% or even to 100% and repeat this process. However, depending on the battery composition, it isn’t good for the battery, unless it is the LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) version as opposed to the the Lithium Ion. The second option is the same on the first leg of your trip but, instead recharging to 90 to 100%, only recharge to 60-70%, this results in more frequent charging stops, however, the time spent at each charger is significantly shorter. You can also do a combination of these two methods. Start with shorter road trips to experiment and without a deadline. Either way you will gain experience and knowledge on the best way(s) to road trip in your Model 3.

[@jamesavakian4977]

Yes. It does take a bit of math . Driving down to 12% and charging to 70% is a good idea I try to limit my drives to under 400 miles in my 8 cylinder and stop 15 to 30 minutes every 2 hours., so i dont think the model 3 would add much time in my case.

[@MsAjax409]

I also have to be honest, Ellie. I was disappointed in this video. This review was almost completely about the mattress and very little about the road trip. It leaves a very negative impression about Tesla road tripping, in my opinion, and I don't think it's a fair portrayal. I've taken many long road trips in my Tesla and find it a great way to travel, much less stressful and fatiguing than in a traditional ICEV. I wish you had provided some context and more details. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't catch what Model 3 you have. What is your Tesla's EPA range? How many charging stops did you make? What was the battery SOC at each charging stop? What SOC did you charge to? How fast did you drive? What was the outside air temperature and at what temperature did you set your A/C? How long did it take to drive from Austin to LA? You are fortunate to have FSD Beta, but you won't get the maximum benefit from using it until you gain some experience using it. When a phantom braking occurs, just tap the accelerator to cancel it. It's not a big deal once you get used to it. You will find that driving with FSD Beta engaged is so stress-free that combined with regular charging stops you will be able to drive 800 to 1000 miles a day with amazingly little fatigue, shortening the overall time of your trip. Please don't give up on road trips with your Tesla. It's not like traveling in a gas burning car, and if you try to make it so, it will naturally be disappointing. Cheers!

[@trex2092]

Exactly.

[@Radium3D]

What model 3 do you have? long range? I'm curious if you were driving until < 10% battery remaining before charging like you should? The car charges much faster if you keep it below 10% before you start charging. Follow the navigation always for the optimal charging recommendations, also set it to V3+ only for charging preferences. V2 chargers are slower.

[@ioresult]

Do more road trips and experiment with the charge level when you get at a station. The automatic navigator is very generous. I often just select the next supercharger and adjust my speed to get there with about 5% battery. And I don't charge for more than 15-20 minutes or up do about 60% charge. Charging at such low battery level is very quick. That makes a little 15 minutes driving pause every 2 hours or so. Very convenient. Lets you do some exercice to untangle these leg muscles, get another coffee and a bathroom break. I also found that I'm more comfortable sleeping with my head in the trunk. I like small confined spaces, so I feel very good and sleep like a baby. I did a 8200km, 8 days road trip from Montréal to Starbase Tx and back last summer. Loved it. But after driving so much, I agree I needed a break! This summer, I rented a Tesla at CDG airport near Paris and did a 4200km road trip across France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy. Loved it. Road tripping in a Tesla is on another level altogether.

[@masonsaunders]

No you're correct it's different road-tripping in you have to plan for it differently and have different expectations it can be really awesome though. There's a little bit of a learning curve and a style the way you do it's definitely a different style of traveling road trippin. Honestly when you're more confident with Lenny run your battery lower you can kind of gamify it like it's kind of a game how low you can get your battery before you get that charge how close you want to push to the edge LOL😅😂

[@lenpalmeri6228]

Thanks for your road trip review. I also experienced phantom braking in my 2021 Model Y on AP (non-FSD). Tesla must fix!

[@jaredj631]

I love my model 3 for road trips with the kids but I take an ice car if I’m by myself.

[@finishstrongcycling2355]

I just came back from an 1800 mile road trip through Europe and I think the Tesla was a great choice. We were visiting a lot of different locations in just 10 days and couldn't have done it as easily by train or air, which would have been a logistical challenge. In a strange land, having the supercharging planned for us by the navigation system made the trip so much less stressful. It was a great first European road trip experience for us. Road trips are really meant for experiencing the journey along the way, not simply as a cost-saving alternative to air, with some exceptions, of course.

[@ecostud]

Bummer about the phantom braking. On our June trip from IL to CT, google says 15 hours and a better route planner says 17:40. We did it in 18 and only had one phantom break. The best we did in our normal car was 17:30. I loved using the auto steer almost the entire way and getting out every 2-3 hours for a 20-30 minute walk allowed me to feel so much more refreshed. That being said, just today there was a lot of heat mirage on my 30 minute drive and phantom slowing kicked in, heavily at one point. Not a big issue, but my wife doesn’t like it as a sleeping passenger.

[@stephenbrader5785]

Love ur videos I drive from Pa. To Phoenix never have issues with charging I charge to 90% in the morning or overnight drive then stop for lunch charge to 90% while eating car finishes before us the charge when we stop for dinner to 90 % then find a hotel we drove 600 to 700 miles each day I have a ode LR LR 2021

[@evbrisbane]

Never had one incident of phantom breaking since I changed my settings, road trips do take longer though...no getting around it, I've learnt to make it an experience and look forward to them now, but it's not for everyone 😊

[@babyUFO.]

Woot, I wish we could convoy a cross country road trip with our 3's!

[@bd9382]

How did Tesla range estimate compare with actual? My 2022 M3LR is wildly optimistic. It also phantom brakes in CC with no other car in sight.

[@PEAT49US]

Ellie I’m updating to help your experience with road tripping. 1. Don’t charge all the way up at each stop, just enough to get to the next stop plus 5%. 2. The car will only precondition if you have the next charger stop put into your map destination. 3. Use the stop for break, walking, restrooms and such. By the time you finish this the car will be ready. 4. Charger pricing is based on location as the southwest is the most expensive due to usage and cost of living. You’ll save more in Midwest for example. I know this isn’t much but this will get you started going the right direction with having a better experience. You’ll learn more are you grow into your Tesla and gear you experiences to your specific needs. Enjoy!

[@ellieinspace]

Surprisingly I had all the charge stops mapped but some of them the car failed to precondition for, I’m not sure why

[@sailingonasummerbreeze7892]

Thank you for the very honest and helpful review. I am considering a Tesla. I do maybe 2 road trips a year - max duration 8 -9 hours one way (with typical rest stops, gas, and a lunch or dinner). This helps with my decision.

[@ellieinspace]

Glad it was helpful! Still love my car, but not stoked to take it on a road trip in july

[@stephencampbell9095]

I would hope you seek out more sources than just Ellie. What you describe would likely take about the same amount of time as driving an ICE vehicle. Ellie is well meaning but uninformed on how to road trip in her Tesla. She will learn.

[@sailingonasummerbreeze7892]

@@stephencampbell9095 Yea - I was also thinking - she could have driven her car 3 or 4 hours - and planned her trip better to hit select charging stations - probably did not need to charge so frequently. But - with a new car, I can understand why she would be conservative...it all takes a little getting used to. Either way, her experience was good food for thought.

[@efanchien]

I have a 2021 M3 LR with FSD so it's on a different software version vs non-FSD car and in the 24k miles I have driven so far with road trips from NY to FL/TX/CO, I rarely experience phantom braking.

[@CharlesVanNoland]

I'm definitely jelly of your wrap job. I've always wanted everything in life to be iridescent.

[@ellieinspace]

You should see how much RGB lighting I have

[@steve5nash]

Love the honesty. This the reality of road trip in a Tesla.

[@TheGOF]

I watched your live stream with Ryan where you learned that all of your road trip “problems” were self induced. You’re new to Tesla and simply need to learn that it’s not a gas car and that fine. I’m confused why, 3 days later, you post this and are still blaming the car? In the end, you had little knowledge or understanding of EV's, yet your Tesla got you there and back without any real issues. It’s really a testament to how good the Tesla planning and navigation software is. If you want to be completely passive about your planning, Tesla is by far the only EV for you. No other manufacturer comes close with trip planning. A deeper understanding will enhance your experience but that may not be how you roll. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, your blanket statement that Tesla is bad for road trips is patently false.

[@MrEd2291]

It is not Ellie's fault for the phantom braking, extra expense, or frequent charging. These issues should be fixed or honestly addressed by Tesla with clear instructions. These are not unreasonable wants for a car of that expense. Though competitive, it is not cheap. Tesla is the future and leads all competition, but we need to be honest to make the EV revolution happen.

[@TheGOF]

@@MrEd2291 Agree about phantom braking, though I've not experienced it in 8000 miles. There is no extra expense. It’s just the cost. To think it was going to be less expensive is simply not understanding how it works. A little pre purchase study would have made this obvious. Her complaint was long charging sessions, not frequent charging. She said she was arriving at high states of charge because of over charging at the the previous stop. Not the car's fault. A more thorough understanding of the car will mitigate much of this. All of this was discussed with Ryan (see her Live Feed) 3 days before this vid was published. Ultimately the “problems” described (except for braking) are due to a new EV driver who just needs to learn how to use an EV. To blame the car or Tesla is disingenuous.

[@nicholasgabriel4073]

I got my Tesla MYP in March 2023 (5 months ago). it seems that Phantom Breaking gets better over time. It happened many times on the way home from driving it home from Ohio to Michigan, when I picked it up new. Now it only happens maybe once a road trip. Maybe the computer has to learn everything when it's brand new? If you only drive between 80% and 20%, charges should only take about 20 min. That's not so bad. If you couldn't do that because of superchargers, they will build MANY more very shortly. But I only road-trip when I'm on vacation, so a few 20 minute stops just forces me to take time to smell the roses! :)

[@wmtrader]

The camera constantly moving around makes this video hard to watch.

[@scottbradley7591]

We've had 2 Teslas, a Model 3 Performance and our current Model Y Performance. I agree with everything you said, great town car, not so great to road trip. Neither of the them has gotten over 200 miles driving a highway speeds. We are getting ready to make a road trip to Maine from Virginia and I'm really on the fence about just renting a car or taking our diesel truck. Yes we own a diesel truck and a EV, each have there own need and use. So glad you are living your dreams with your move to Texas and enjoying your Model 3. Don't worry or stress that you did something wrong on your trip, it's the same as everyone else's trip, your just honest about it.

[@stcredzero]

2 hours, 18 minute break is how you’re supposed to do road trips in a Tesla. I find it works great in CA.

[@arnyswart]

Hi Ellie, wonderful video. I think you handled that well, but my wife would definitely not feel safe camping in a car, hence why we do hotels too. 1. Preconditioning warms the battery. As it was hot, sometimes the battery doesn’t need to be heated. 2. Phantom breaking for us, seems to occur at the same locations. You learn to tap the acceleration, but I hope that they fix this too. Keep making the videos. It is nice to have a female presence on KZbin. 😊

[@VitruvianMan18]

I don't think you were doing anything wrong, per se, just that you may have had the wrong expectations. After you've owned it for a while you'll get more used to the charge curves, safey buffer the trip computer builds in, etc and get a bit quicker on road trips.

[@robcarnaroli269]

I slept in my Model y for Ham Field day 2022 with just a comforter under me in the back and the ac on. Was comfortable all night and didn't use much battery in late June in VA. The back of the car was like sleeping on a concrete floor. I had no idea. This year I slept in the drivers seat while watching youtube at out Field Day. I had to set an alarm to run out and try to make a contact through the ISS at 3am. Still love being able to run ac without having to run an engine. We went from MD to ME about 10hrs with about 3 stops for charging. Cost around $200 round trip. A rental and fuel was going to be more like $800.

[@mrpaul5726]

If the drive had been at the more efficient speed then with less charging etc it probably wouldn't have taken much longer. Is the Phantom braking also more of a problem at higher speeds?

[@anthonyscott5134]

Hello Ellie, been a subscriber since I came across your Model 3 pickup video. On this video, when you’re unpacking the mattress, it looks like you live in either an apartment or condo, which prompted me to ask, do you have a home charger? If not, a video about being a Tesla owner without home charging would be great for those thinking about doing the same. Ok, I got to where you discussed about you living in an apartment and your charging issue. It still would be great for a follow up video about apartment living as a Tesla owner.

[@tweetybird7668]

wow, an honest review that is seldom heard from other Tesla homeboys. Thanks, we’ll wait before selling our Highlander Hybrid for an EV. Hybrids are still the way to go, especially the PHEVs which many legacy manufacturers have available now.

[@uweheine9079]

Tescamp looks like a good product. I use a foam mattress topper that I happened to have on hand that fits OK. I might upgrade to Tescamp if I camp more often. One thing people should realize is that supercharging is not that much cheaper than driving a very efficient gas car (still way better than an SUV though). Charging at home is where the big savings are, and/or using free destination chargers. I drive 230 miles to our cabin without stopping to charge and it costs about $5 here in North Carolina where electricity is about 11 cents/kWh. Of course gas and electric prices vary depending on where you are.

[@epcalderhead]

I remove the lower portion of the back seat and leave it at home if I think we might sleep in the car. You then lie flat with the back seat down and not on an angle.

[@ioresult]

About phantom breaking: I developped a surprising reflex while driving 30 thousand miles in Teslas over 2 years. As soon as the car starts slowing down for no reason, my foot automatically goes to the accelerator pedal and I barely slow down. I barely notice it anymore. I just notice it after the fact now and often several seconds after the incident itself. It's like reverse braking. If you see an unexpected obstacle on the road or someone slowing down too much, your foot goes to the brake pedal yes? Well mine goes to the accelerator pedal when the car slows down for no reason.

[@johnleeinslc]

When road tripping in our Subaru, 800 miles per day was about our limit for driving in a day. When road tripping in our LRAWD Model 3, we can drive about 800 miles per day. As superchargers keep filling in gaps, arriving at 10% or lower is getting easier and easier to do. About the phantom breaking. These were hot days, yes? We’re there water mirages on the pavement? I’ve been told that Tesla Vision freaks out when water mirages are too close.

[@slowercuber7767]

@0:25 omg, that wrap rocks in the sunlight!

[@ezapata3200]

Road trips I spent two years traveling the country in my SprinterVan, 4 cyl diesel getting 24 mpg NEVER going over 60mph. You discussed fast vs slow driving with Ryan). When my 4 dogs wanted to get out I would find a place to sleep and enjoy a movie on Netflix and go to sleep on my full size futon. My first stop was Brownsville back in 2021. I hope to have an EV in few years for local driving and road trips will be in SprinterVan, until then EBike for local missions. Love your videos, your such a babe. !!

[@dhansel4835]

We have quite a few Tesla's here in Houston. It's a great little rat-around car for the city. One day they will have a new battery technology and the range will probably double. Until then they are what they are.

[@sak1339]

I agree with your assessment that Model 3 is a great city car but on longer trips (Dallas to Austin or Houston) it really burns through charge. Going to Houston from Dallas with air conditioner on, at 80 mph, I had to recharge twice. I do not follow the trip computer because it tries to set up for you to charge to 50%, which is the fastest rate, and you spend a shorter time at the station. But it means frequent stops. I prefer to figure out where the Superchargers are, and take fewer stops by charging to 80% at these stops. Thanks very much for your candid review. I look forward to more vlogs from you.

[@danielruff4632]

Thanks for being honest with charging issues. You really should have camped with it and gave an honest opinion about the whole situation!

[@0x8badbeef]

Thanks for the warning you had to charge it every two hours. That is likely because you had the air conditioner on-full the whole time. I kind of expected that. But I didn't think it was going to be that bad. Maybe you should travel at night.

[@bbcooter388]

Since you were staying in Hotels anyway, you should have booked at hotels with destination chargers. That way, you could have started each day with a full charge and maybe eliminated at least one of your charging stops. Additionally, destination charging is usually complementary so you would have saved some money on your trip. PS: you need to get your referrals working so you can get Super Charging Credits :)

[@jimcallahan448]

Did you stay at hotels with destination (overnight) chargers?

[@caldodge]

My wife spent a week in Big Bend with her parents, at a rented house. She loved the experience.

[@arthurwagar88]

Thanks Ellie.

[@NorthernChev]

Try Enchanted Rock. Just call months ahead for reservations if you're camping. I usually make it a day trip from Austin, but either way it's enjoyable.

[@norfintorkjoe8925]

Smart move on Tescamp's part! 😉

[@zx1100a1]

Hi Ellie. The last folded mattress section going into the storage bag should have the ridged side facing up so that when strapped it will keep its shape better. 😁👍

[@thesimplegig]

Explain the decision for that wrap please? Why Grey ? Black pillar?

[@danielcarlson8386]

Preconditioning is essential also leaving the charger a little earlyer it's sumtimes better

[@bigwhiskey83]

That looks like it would work to sleep in!Cool!Well the charging will just have to learn on the curve or learning curve!I still like that wrapped blue car nice color!Its a great learning curve but learning it wIll make better in future!

[@yajairamarquetti9859]

Thank you so much for sharing. I have a Tesla model Y long range and from Miami to Tampa FL and have to stop and it’s just 280 miles So the range of 320 miles it’s not true.

[@michaelfink64]

Hi Ellie, sorry your road trip wasn't what you were hoping for. Appreciate your honesty. My wife and I did a road trip around South Australia last February in a Model 3 Performance and really enjoyed it. We planned the trip pretty carefully using A Better Route Planner and tried to stay in accommodation that had destination chargers (which were free). We aimed to not travel too far each day if we could help it. We drove 5,869 km (3,646 mi) and total charging costs were AUD167.70 (USD112.96).