Another SF Bay Area (Menlo Park) to LA (Monterey Park) trip report

[vaelin]

2020 Taycan Turbo S (so all the fun standard stuff like big battery and 21" mission E wheels)

- Full SOC upon departure from Bay area, Range mode with max set to 90mph (by setting Nav destination)
- Stopped at Harris Ranch for lunch at EA chargers, so got back to 100% SOC. Had about 50mi left upon arrival. EA 350 ran at full speed and I had to move the car shortly after due to being full before the food even arrived.
- At that point I believed we totally could've made it to LA Burbank EA chargers on a normal day, but it was super cold, and Highway Patrol signs indicated Grapevine had snow and CHP escort. I decided to top off a bit at Bakersfield EA. Nice and quick back to 90% SOC.
- Arrived at hotel in Monterey Park, conveniently across the street from another EA charger, but didn't really need it until the next day.
- Return trip, forgot to top off, so went to Burbank EA to get to 90% SOC.
- Decided that Range mode wasn't really needed given our experience coming down, so I switch to full fat Sport Plus just to test things out.
- On the return trip, stuck with the flow of 5 traffic so indicated average speed was 78. Plenty of time spent at 85-90.
- Had I started the return trip at 100% SOC, I would've made it to Harris Ranch EA chargers. I had to stop by Lost Hills though, which was very disappointing and possibly the worse EA experience I've had thus far. 2 of the stalls weren't working, and the third one was charging at no more than 46kw. I basically only stuck around there long enough to make it to Harris Ranch with a small buffer.
- Had dinner at Harris Ranch, 100% SOC. Made it all the way home with 16% SOC, in Sport+

I'm pretty sure if I drove remotely conservatively and started at 100% SOC, I could make it down to LA (and return) with only one stop at Harris Ranch. But I had whole family with me with gear and kids that need to pee.

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[Torv]

I’ve done the Marin to Beverly Hills drive now 4 times with my first stop always at Harris Ranch with 70 miles range when I arrive.

Like you, I plug and lunch there, then I hit the road with the cruise control set at 83MPH. I always make it to BH with approximately 65 miles range left and always stay at a hotel with chargers. The only chink in that armor is that sometimes the valets at the hotel forget to charge me up when I check out (despite my hefty tip) and I have to top off, usually at the glacially slow EA chargers at the Westfield Mall in Century City.

On the return I can make it to Harris Ranch, but my available range once I arrive drops to about 25 miles, so I’m cutting it close if for some reason the EA chargers don’t work there.

I then cruise home and arrive back in Marin with 40-50 miles range to my trusty Telsa charger in my garage.

So far, knock on wood, the Bay Area to LA and back has been a piece of cake!

 

[Marcad80]

2020 Taycan Turbo S (so all the fun standard stuff like big battery and 21" mission E wheels)

- Full SOC upon departure from Bay area, Range mode with max set to 90mph (by setting Nav destination)
- Stopped at Harris Ranch for lunch at EA chargers, so got back to 100% SOC. Had about 50mi left upon arrival. EA 350 ran at full speed and I had to move the car shortly after due to being full before the food even arrived.
- At that point I believed we totally could've made it to LA Burbank EA chargers on a normal day, but it was super cold, and Highway Patrol signs indicated Grapevine had snow and CHP escort. I decided to top off a bit at Bakersfield EA. Nice and quick back to 90% SOC.
- Arrived at hotel in Monterey Park, conveniently across the street from another EA charger, but didn't really need it until the next day.
- Return trip, forgot to top off, so went to Burbank EA to get to 90% SOC.
- Decided that Range mode wasn't really needed given our experience coming down, so I switch to full fat Sport Plus just to test things out.
- On the return trip, stuck with the flow of 5 traffic so indicated average speed was 78. Plenty of time spent at 85-90.
- Had I started the return trip at 100% SOC, I would've made it to Harris Ranch EA chargers. I had to stop by Lost Hills though, which was very disappointing and possibly the worse EA experience I've had thus far. 2 of the stalls weren't working, and the third one was charging at no more than 46kw. I basically only stuck around there long enough to make it to Harris Ranch with a small buffer.
- Had dinner at Harris Ranch, 100% SOC. Made it all the way home with 16% SOC, in Sport+

I'm pretty sure if I drove remotely conservatively and started at 100% SOC, I could make it down to LA (and return) with only one stop at Harris Ranch. But I had whole family with me with gear and kids that need to pee.

so how does all this translate into range or efficiency numbers?

 

[vaelin]

so how does all this translate into range or efficiency numbers?

Comes out to around 230-235 miles with Range mode and driving 80+ while fully laden.
Around 210 with Sport+ and driving 80-85 with 90s at times.

 

[ithinkmac]

Good to know. Going to try my 1st SoCal trip at the end of March. Glad to hear I can reach Harris from Bay Area, I was thinking I have to stop @ Firebaugh 1st.

-ThinkMac-

 

[AddAlfa]

I’ve done the Marin to Beverly Hills drive now 4 times with my first stop always at Harris Ranch with 70 miles range when I arrive.

Like you, I plug and lunch there, then I’m hit the road with the cruise control set at 83MPH. I always make it to BH with approximately 65 miles range left and always stay at a hotel with chargers. The only chink in that armor is that sometimes the valets at the hotel forget to charge me up when I check out (despite my hefty tip) and I have to top off, usually at the glacially slow EA chargers at the Westfield Mall in Century City.

On the return I can make it to Harris Ranch, but my available range once I arrive drops to about 25 miles, so I’m cutting it close if for some reason the EA chargers don’t work there.

I then cruise home and arrive back in Marin with 40-50 miles range to my trusty Telsa charger in my garage.

So far, knock on wood, the Bay Area to LA and back has been a piece of cake!

Hi Torv,
I am also in Marin. Waiting on a GTS Sport Turismo scheduled on 5/6 at dealership.
Jim

 

[Chris8536]

I’ve done the Marin to Beverly Hills drive now 4 times with my first stop always at Harris Ranch with 70 miles range when I arrive.

Like you, I plug and lunch there, then I’m hit the road with the cruise control set at 83MPH. I always make it to BH with approximately 65 miles range left and always stay at a hotel with chargers. The only chink in that armor is that sometimes the valets at the hotel forget to charge me up when I check out (despite my hefty tip) and I have to top off, usually at the glacially slow EA chargers at the Westfield Mall in Century City.

On the return I can make it to Harris Ranch, but my available range once I arrive drops to about 25 miles, so I’m cutting it close if for some reason the EA chargers don’t work there.

I then cruise home and arrive back in Marin with 40-50 miles range to my trusty Telsa charger in my garage.

So far, knock on wood, the Bay Area to LA and back has been a piece of cake!

I cruise at 90 in my 4S and can do a single stop at Harris usually and arrive in the Hills with about 10%. By the way is Harris doing true 350 now?! It was doing 50 on 150s and 150 on 350s as of a few months ago.

Is the Turbo S that much more inefficient?

 

[Torv]

At Harris Ranch there are currently two 350kw charging kiosks with a total of 4 chargers. On my last trip, one of the kiosks was completely DOA and the other didn’t plug and charge or charge at all without intervention on the part of EA via the 800 number despite my 3 successful, hassle-free charging experiences on previous trips. The EA reps I spoke with were very helpful and they manually got me charging and promised to send a team to repair the dead kiosk.

By the way, there was another Taycan charging there on my return trip (What’s up, Rusty?) on the 150kw and he was charging just fine without any problems or calls to EA.

It was pretty cool in the Central Valley, about 40 degrees or so, as this was January and I did notice a fairly dramatic drop in range, which surprised me a bit. I imagine an even more dramatic range reduction for you East coast Taycans in the dead of winter when it drops to the 20s.

Now that it‘s warmed up here in California I am seeing a 25% increase in range over the cooler winter climes, so there is a definite sweet spot in terms of range and external ambient temperature.

 

[Torv]

Hi Torv,
I am also in Marin. Waiting on a GTS Sport Turismo scheduled on 5/6 at dealership.
Jim

Awesome! Let me know when you get it. I'd love to check it out. Hell, I even drive you there if you want!

 

[notsofast]

By the way is Harris doing true 350 now?!

FWIW, I got 250kW+ there just recently.

 

[ejcintr]

Good to know. Going to try my 1st SoCal trip at the end of March. Glad to hear I can reach Harris from Bay Area, I was thinking I have to stop @ Firebaugh 1st.

-ThinkMac-

Just did a trip - east bay to marina del rey... I did stop at firebaugh and right before grapevine (countryside shell) then straight on to marina del rey.... have pictures on plugshare.. both locations plug and play worked and charged quickly so those options work as well.. return trip back on 101..EA camarillo, paso robles and salinas- EA plug and play worked but not trouble free at camarillo and paso where the initial chargers did not work but luckily there were other chargers available that worked.

 

[AddAlfa]

Awesome! Let me know when you get it. I'd love to check it out. Hell, I even drive you there if you want!

I mat take you up on that! Made it on the Glovis Sigma. ETA at dealership on 4/22.

 

[John89]

Comes out to around 230-235 miles with Range mode and driving 80+ while fully laden.
Around 210 with Sport+ and driving 80-85 with 90s at times.

That is better than I can get. I'd say at 85-90 mph, in the summer, in Normal mode, I would see maybe 185-195 miles. On a good day. ( at 100% charge)

 

[vaelin]

I cruise at 90 in my 4S and can do a single stop at Harris usually and arrive in the Hills with about 10%. By the way is Harris doing true 350 now?! It was doing 50 on 150s and 150 on 350s as of a few months ago.

Is the Turbo S that much more inefficient?

I think I saw 190s from the EA 350 at Harris (just last week). Mind you I arrived with about 11% SOC.

 

[vaelin]

That is better than I can get. I'd say at 85-90 mph, in the summer, in Normal mode, I would see maybe 185-195 miles. On a good day. ( at 100% charge)

I can definitely get 190-200 in Sport+ at 80-85. Which is what I got on my return trip. Normal actually defaults to a higher suspension setting.. did you change yours to low? And if you're averaging 5-10mph high, that would make sense you'd drop by that much more than me.

If I stick to 75-80, I can definitely hit 230-240.

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