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This episode is dedicated to DaErik - The Original Gangster. This series is inspired by our friend Reddit: RuggedlySexyBeardedGuy. YouTube-DaErik & Tesla Inventory
Let us know what you would like us to test on Will it Drive? in the comments.
Disclaimer: Tesla "Auto-Pilot" is currently a "Driver Assist" feature. It is not autonomous and at no point should a Tesla driver take their attention off the road. This video is not an endorsement of inattentive or unsafe driving. No unicorns were harmed in the marking of this video.
In 2014 I did a road trip across Canada, to be able to do a similar trip with a fully electrical vehicle a few puts in perspective of how fast the electrical transition is coming our way. The idea of driving across north America to a final stop in Whistler, BC for the winter grew and became a full adventure trying to ski different mountains and areas along the way. Our main destinations included Detroit, Grand Rapids, Colorado and Utah. We used the supercharger map to plan our route between these destinations. Tesla made a really good job of covering those main roads.
It’s amazing to see the ever changing landscape and weather while driving from one coast to the other. Whether it’s mountains, lakes, never ending farmland, this road trip always has something to offer. My favorite part was on the route 84 between Colorado and Utah through the canyons. We drove as the sun was setting and reflecting on the rock walls that surrounded us.
Last time we checked in we were driving east to west through the states skiing different places along the way. We have now made it to our first stop on the Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The Vancouver Island has incredible forests and vegetation. We headed to a small surf town called Tofino where we surfed for a few days, the surf town has hotels with chargers and there is a supercharger right when you arrive on the island.
After a great time on the Island it was time for us to head out to Whistler, our final destination where we would spend the winter. Whistler is amazing for all types of riding. Whether you like nice groomers, powder or park. If you are not much of a skier or snowboarder you can still enjoy a nice sight-seeing by taking the peak to peak across the two mountains, a must do on a sunny day.
The next episode will be about street skiing, freestyle skiing using the cities as our playground.
The pair of prototype Tesla Semi's stopped charge midway between the Giga Factory in Sparks, NV and the Tesla Factory in Fremont, CA. The drivers confirmed they were driving the 300 mile range prototypes making the Rocklin Tesla store the ideal mid way point charging location. They also confirmed that they were carrying batteries although they were not allowed to confirm the exact weight being towed. The drivers were very gracious and talked to store visitors and were kind enough to let us take photos with their trucks.
It was amazing to be standing 10 feet away from the Semi and having it roll by with barely a round.
We were interested to see how the Tesla Semi's would perform with freeway acceleration and if they would be utilizing caravan mode. Although they did not engage in caravan mode for the duration of our follow we did witness the on-ramp acceleration and it was ludicrous. We had to punch it in our Model S to catch up.
Do you enjoy the track? Have you ever wanted to find out how fast your Tesla is in the quarter mile? Do you want to meet fellow Tesla Owners? Join us and fellow Tesla Owners at the Sacramento Raceway Dragstrip for an afternoon of fun. All Tesla Models are welcome and will be in attendance including both performance and non-performance varients of the Model 3, Model X, Model S, and possibly a Roadster.
Event Date: Saturday, April 28th, 2018.
Event Time: 12pm - 4pm
Location: Sacramento Raceway Park
Dragway Fees: $10 to spectate | $40 for car & driver
Helmets are Required in all vehicles 13.99 seconds and quicker. Most Tesla's will surpass a 13.99 1/4 mile with the exception of the Model X 75. Helmets must meet NHRA approved SNELL rating and must have required label on the inside of the helmet. SNELL 2010 good until 1-1-2022. SNELL 2015 good until 2027.
We recommend the Conquer Snell SA2015 Approved Full Face Auto Racing Helmet which sells on amazon.com for $169.95 with 2 day prime shipping. It comes in white and black with sizes ranging from small to extra large. If you want to attend but are unsure about making the investment in a helmet, contact us at admin@myteslaadventure.com and we can see if a My Tesla Adventure team member has a helmet to loan or share.
Protective clothing. The minimum requirements are as follows: full-length pants; short- or long-sleeved shirt; closed shoes; and socks. No shorts. No bare legs. No bare torsos. No tank tops. No open-toe or open-heel shoes or sandals. Synthetic clothing not recommended.
Fire Jacket is a track requirement for any vehicle running the 1/4th mile in less than 11.50 seconds. This will apply for all "P" performance model Teslas. Although a fire jacket is not required for slower vehicles we recommend picking one up for added safety. A qualified fire jacket runs as little as $50 and they look pretty dam cool.
We recommend a NHRA approved jacket meeting SFI Spec 3.2/1. Jackets that meet the spec include the 3.2/1, 3.2/5, 3.2/15, 3.2/20, 3.2/30. We have had great success buying jackets from Summit Racing where you will find options in all colors and sizes. If you have an issue finding a jacket in your size or any other concerns when ordering your jacket contact us at admin@myteslaadventure.com
Remove unnecessary loose objects. The drag-strip has a safety requirement of no "Loose ballast"
Loose ballast is not permitted on the racetrack, so be prepared to empty trunks and interiors of all loose items. Spare tires, jacks, etc. must be securely mounted or must be removed. Tools, jack stands, coolers, loose speakers, wheel covers, etc. are considered loose ballast and are not permitted on the track. If you don't need it, or don't want to leave it unattended, leave it at home.
Any loose odds and ends that you bring with you if you have a bag for them other Tesla owners can hold on to them for you while you race. We typically bring a backpack for those odds and ends, water bottles, purses, etc.
After the drag-strip for explaining, excusing, elaborating, and if necessary, lying as to why we didn't go faster, excuses, join us for food and drinks at Roma II Pizzeria just down the road from the raceway.
Roma II Pizzeria, 8491 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95826
Palladio at Broadstone
10 superchargers, available 24/7, up to 120kW
220 Palladio Parkway, Folsom, CA 95630
This is a good location to charge located in the Palladio outdoor shopping mall with a variety of dining options nearby. This location is 18.5 miles from the Raceway and if you drive on the slowly you will reach the track with a solid charge. We will be charging at this location around 9am-10am to reach full charge before driving to the track.
Ironpoint Road - Folsom Premium Outlets
4 Superchargers, available 24/7, up to 120kW
220 Iron Point Rd, Folsom, CA 95630
This location is 13.6 miles from the Raceway, 5 miles closer than Palladio, but only has 4 Superchargers so check your map before stopping here to charge to make sure spaces are available.
Sacramento Raceway Park
5305 Excelsior Rd, Sacramento, CA 95827
Be sure to enter the raceway via Farm Road. Your GPS system will likely navigate you to another entrance that will be closed.
We discovered that a Model S 75D "Uncorked" had not been recorded on a drag strip so we set out to change that. To make it more fun we got togehter with IG @Teslazilla and had the first ever race between the Uncorked Model S 75D and the Model S P100DL+.
It was jaw dropping to see the side by side difference in speed between the Uncorked 75D and P100DL. Off the line the P100D was car lengths ahead within a second. Final elapsed time for the P100DL came in at 10.745 with the 75D finishing at a 13.013 seconds 1/4th mile. Performance of both cars was lower than anticipated due to a high head wind (20-30 mph). The tracks ultimately was decreased to 1/8th mile later in the day out of concerns for driver safety.
Unsatisfied with the initial result of a 13 second quarter mile, we went back to the track to claim a better time. Without the head wind and a slightly higher battery charge, we hit a 12.798 on our second run of the day. Our guess is that the first run heated up the battery giving us more power output on the second run. With out the ludicrous + mode that allows for manual battery heating it is a balance between maintaining maximum battery power and a "warmed up" battery.
In a fun surprise for owners, Tesla embedded a "Santa Mode" in the latest firmware update.
With the voice command "Ho Ho Ho" The dash screen transforms the cat into Santa's Sleigh, Snow flakes fall, the road turns to a snow path, and other cars become reindeer - all to the tune of Chuck Berry's Run Rudolph Run.
Elon hinted that there was a secret Easter egg inside the Easter egg that is "not funny"
Funny enough, the hidden egg is activated with the voice command
Ho Ho Ho, Not Funny
We put together this awesome story "A Bed for Elon" in partnership with DreamCase to bring the Tesla and Elon Musk fan community together to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As a plus there is a car bed - the Model S DreamCase that was donated by DreamCase that will be given to Elon
On a recent trip up Highway 1 in Northern California we decided to test the limits of adaptive cruise and auto-pilot. Autopilot V2.1 performed as advertised and as we expected. It worked well on areas of the road with well defined lines, but struggled on line-less or eroded areas of the two lane highway.
What surprised us was the versatility of the adaptive cruise control. Anyone with a Tesla or other newer gen car is familiar with adaptive cruise control – the vehicle will adjust it’s speed to keep a safe distance to the vehicle in front of it, even coming to a stop if necessary. What we found with Tesla is adaptive cruise goes one step further.
We entered a turn rated at 25 MPH with adaptive cruse set at 45. As we proceeded deep into the turn the adaptive cruise responded to the conditions and lowered our speed to 25 MPH. We tested this out on several more turns rated at 35MPH and 25MPH respectively and without out fail the adaptive cruise responded with a reduction in speed as we reached the depth of the curve.
The dotted yellow line in the above image reflects the portion of the curve where adaptive cruise decreased speed in response to the curve.