Braking Bad...
...driving a Tesla in New Mexico and beyond
What's it like to drive a Tesla?
Exhilarating. Comfortable. Cool. Amazing. Eye-opening. And sometimes terrifying.
We drove a Tesla Y from Fort Myers, Florida, leaving February 22, heading for the Grand Canyon, a Bucket List trip for me. Given climate change is real, we had decided last summer that our next vehicle would be electric, and at this point, the Tesla Y had the best track record and range. We made a deposit in August. For a variety of reasons, we didn’t take delivery until February 19.
Tesla could do a better job onboarding new clients. When we picked up the car, a young woman paired our Tesla apps on our iPhones and turned to leave.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, we said. How do you charge it? She was nice but didn’t have a lot of interest in teaching us how to operate it. We were SUPPOSED to watch the video instruction before we picked up the car.
Sigh.
It’s a gas…
A neighbor helped show us how to operate the car, including a function not touted in reviews I’ve read, that if you turn on the ‘emissions’ feature in what they call the Toy Box, the car will make a variety of fart sounds when the turn signal is used.
One parent we know has told his daughter that if she has a bad attitude when he's dropping her off at school, he will have the car fart (you can broadcast the noise to the outside world) as she disembarks. The threat had the desired outcome.
Friends were in some disbelief that we’d plunge on into a new driving experience on a three-week trek, then again, not surprised. That’s how we roll.
The most frequently asked question about long-distance driving in a Tesla is ‘is it hard to keep it charged?’
Not at all. The navigation system plots the trip according to where the Tesla SuperChargers are located and it worked seamlessly. There are a variety of apps that show where other non-Tesla charging stations are located, so we were never far from one when needed. We found ‘destination chargers’ at hotels, where the charge isn’t ‘super’ but an overnight plug-in tops off the battery.
At a Super Charging spot along the highway, there can be anywhere from 1-4 Teslas charging simultaneously, Or, as Richard describes it, we are all like hummingbirds flocking to a feeder.
We discovered a quaint, mid-century motel on St. George’s Island, Florida because they had a charger, and another in the funky town of Comfort, Texas. Both delightful stops we would not have discovered were it not for them offering EV charging.
Just sayin’, if you run a retail operation and want to boost traffic, consider installing an EV charging option. Every EV owner I know will never go back to a gas-powered vehicle.
The electric car is here to stay. You know it has become mainstream when six different auto manufacturers advertised new models during the Super Bowl, including the all-electric Chevy Silverado truck.
How much does it cost to operate?
And the third FAQ is the cost of operation.
Folks ask about fuel savings. Richard says we spent $426 at the electric charging stations in the 4,626 miles driven since we took delivery. That works out to 9.2 cents a mile energy cost. In this new reality of $5 per gallon gas, that same trip would have been about 20 cents a mile (assume 25 mpg for a mid-size SUV requiring premium gas.) or around $925.
Braking Bad. Ugh.
The bottom line is, the car is 90% fantastic, but there is one HUGE exception.
Tesla MUST fix a known issue called 'phantom braking,' where the brakes are applied for no apparent reason.
Or, as one friend described his experience with the new Model S, the car tries to kill him a couple of times a day.
If and when it is fixed, my experience is the Tesla Y is the best car I've driven to date.
When the technology is working, the car will detect a potential collision and apply the brakes. But way too often, the vehicle misreads the situation and brakes for no valid reason.
The first and worst incident happened on a two-lane highway in Florida. The Tesla thought trucks in the other lane would hit us head-on, so it braked and swerved onto the shoulder. Had there been a driver following too closely behind us, there could have been a rear-end collision.
Were it not for the phantom braking issue, however, I’d say it’s the most fun, comfortable car I’ve ever driven.
The good stuff is really good
The interior isn't plush or fancy, but I've driven plush and fancy cars and end up stiff and sore after 100 miles. Not so, the Tesla Y. The seats are shockingly comfortable for long-distance driving.
It’s so comfortable, we watched Netflik’s ‘Reinventing Anna’ episodes in a motel parking lot, after driving all day.
The technology is superb. If it’s cold outside, before heading out the door, open the Tesla app and turn the car on, rev up the heated seats and steering wheel, and it will be warm and ready for you.
The Iowa legislature doesn’t want us
State law in Iowa does not allow for consumers to test drive a Tesla. You’ll have to go to a surrounding state. A woman I know who lives in Iowa City has to pick up her new Tesla in Bloomington, Illinois.
The Tesla is so much fun
The super fast acceleration of a Tesla, even one not considered 'high performing' or 'ludicrous', is head-snappingly fast. And, it does come in handy when passing a slow-moving vehicle on the highway. Zip, zip, you're ahead of that lumbering truck in no time.
This column is already too long, but there is so much more to tell. If you have a question, put it in the comment section below and I’ll answer based on our experience.
There is no dashboard. Everything from temperature gauge, cabin temperature to music is controlled from the computer screen. If you haven't figured out how to order groceries from your phone, the Tesla is not for you. Not yet.
Bucket List Trip, done!
Questions? Let me know in the comment section below:
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I enjoyed the article and beautiful pictures. Safe travels!
Last summer Josh and I rented a Tesla Y performance on our 1st pandemic trip, “Proof of Life Tour,” after being fully vaccinated (thank you science). We rented through Turo and it was a fantastic experience (both Turo and the Tesla). Neither of us were overly excited about the Tesla, our original rental was a Hyundai Tucson. A week prior to departure, we were notified that the Hyundai would not be available as it was part of the trade in for a new car. Gone was our $50/day rental. He offered us his new car, Tesla Y, instead at the same rate….how could we say no. We had the same concern about long distance travel in an EV as far as charging was concerned. Not to worry, Tesla guided us to where we needed to be. We made great memories on that road trip through IL, WI, and MN. Enjoyed watching Netflix while charging. Our thoughts after a week, we LOVED it. One of the most fun vehicles we’ve driven. My 87 year old father-in-law who is a professor of astronomy said “it’s the closest that I’ll ever get to riding in a space ship.” A Tesla will be the next car for us.