R1S trip to Lake Tahoe

[jkahlon]

Just came back from a trip to Lake Tahoe/Reno from CA bay area. Started with fully charged to 100% made two stops on the way.

1. Second image at RAN Sacramento, CA - Charged at ~ 200+ KW/h, there is a Costco right across to the right, family spent 20 min or so there and we were ready to go again.
2. First image at RAN Truckee, CA - Same as before got 200+ KW/h, there is a coffee shop close by with freshly baked goodies to munch on. Again 20-25 min stop and then on to Reno from there Lake Tahoe.

The two RAN locations are well maintained and appear to be well used by Rivian owners, slots are always open however.

On the way back Truckee had a traffic jam so did a Electrify America charge enough to reach RAN Sacramento. Driving was a great experience, R1S can really move when you need the acceleration (knew that just get surprised every time )

Used Rivian 's internal GPS for the entire trip, the range estimates were fairly accurate, on the downhill was able to generate more range than the estimate, this is more subjective and dependent on individual driving styles. Used the physical brake just three times during the entire trip which says a lot for R1S re-gen capability.

No complaints at all the ride for the family was very comfortable even though some of the roads were not perfect, AC worked perfectly to manage the temperature, music system is great.

A shout out to Rivian for keeping RAN free of cost for Rivian owners so far.

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[SACDFJC]

I do this drive on a fairly regular basis. I leave the East Bay and drive in Conserve mode at about 75mph and make it to the Truckee RAN with plenty of juice left. I charge up to 80% in Truckee which is enough to get around while we are at the lake. I can make it from Tahoe City back to the East Bay on 75% SOC. Although, I usually stop at the RAN in Manteca to charge up on the way back. It will be nice during winter to stop in Sac at the RAN, so we can drive over the hill in Snow mode if needed.

 

[jkahlon]

I drove in All purpose mode for the entire trip, have heard of tire wearing more with the front wheels requiring frequent tire rotations with Conserve mode, not sure if it is a strong enough factor to consider avoiding for long trips. For now use it only in a pinch to extend range.

 

[Mtbaddict]

I drove in All purpose mode for the entire trip, have heard of tire wearing more with the front wheels requiring frequent tire rotations with Conserve mode, not sure if it is a strong enough factor to consider avoiding for long trips. For now use it only in a pinch to extend range.

The tire wear in conserve mode happens primarily when you’re doing city driving with a lot of starting/stopping/acceleration. Once you’re up to speed on the freeway, conserve mode seems to be fine with very minimal or no noticeable wear difference. I switch to conserve once I’m cruising at speed on the freeway and my tread life looks great 15k miles in.

 

[jkahlon]

@Mtbaddict good to know, will start doing the same.

 

[djsider2]

With the new battery options, it'd be helpful to know what battery and ending SOC for each section of the I-80. I'm really hoping a Large Pack R1S can get to Truckee without stopping in Sac. However, cold weather + roof box + the ascent might make that tricky...

 

[Kieran]

With the new battery options, it'd be helpful to know what battery and ending SOC for each section of the I-80. I'm really hoping a Large Pack R1S can get to Truckee without stopping in Sac. However, cold weather + roof box + the ascent might make that tricky...

Which model will you be driving, dual or quad? Dual gets about 30mi more range nominally. Not sure how much this will translate to extreme conditions like snow & hills.

I bought my Tesla S75 new in late 2017. I thought the 75 battery would be plenty for me. After a few years of owning it, I swore my next EV I would just spring for the biggest battery possible, as I hate the time charging adds to road trips. Now here I am considering when to place my R1S order, and thinking "damn that max pack battery is EXPENSIVE" maybe the large will be good enough... exactly what I thought with the 75 vs 100 battery on my Model S.

If you can afford it, go for the max pack. It's a lot, but if road trips and range are important to you, you'll at least have no regrets.

 

[Cycliste]

You may discover a change in attitude about stopping to charge on road trips. My truck is such a pleasure to drive, I want to take it slower.

 

[djsider2]

Which model will you be driving, dual or quad? Dual gets about 30mi more range nominally. Not sure how much this will translate to extreme conditions like snow & hills.

I bought my Tesla S75 new in late 2017. I thought the 75 battery would be plenty for me. After a few years of owning it, I swore my next EV I would just spring for the biggest battery possible, as I hate the time charging adds to road trips. Now here I am considering when to place my R1S order, and thinking "damn that max pack battery is EXPENSIVE" maybe the large will be good enough... exactly what I thought with the 75 vs 100 battery on my Model S.

If you can afford it, go for the max pack. It's a lot, but if road trips and range are important to you, you'll at least have no regrets.

Yea, that extra 10k is not very enticing right now. I'm looking at DM Large on 21" just to see if I can get this 200 mile trip done on 1 go. I don't have concerns on the downhill trip, but the cold weather trip going up with gear on the roof is giving me pause. Stopping for 10 mins to boost the mileage wouldn't be too bad though... unless its raining... freezing...

I would get Max if it was only slightly more expensive relative to how the standard -> large was.

 

[Kieran]

Yea, that extra 10k is not very enticing right now. I'm looking at DM Large on 21" just to see if I can get this 200 mile trip done on 1 go. I don't have concerns on the downhill trip, but the cold weather trip going up with gear on the roof is giving me pause. Stopping for 10 mins to boost the mileage wouldn't be too bad though... unless its raining... freezing...

I would get Max if it was only slightly more expensive relative to how the standard -> large was.

Yeah, basically same mindset for me. I'm also looking at this car being our primary vehicle for ski trips during the winter, which as you indicated, includes the roof box on top, driving from San Jose.

Probably stopping in Sacramento for 10-15min will be in the cards on the way up, and on the way hom, no stops (required, there's always our optional Dos Coyotes stop on the way home in Davis).

It's rarely freezing cold in Sacramento. Raining, yes sometimes. Hardly ever freezing though. 15min at the Sac RAN would likely do the trick in the winter, and probably no stops required in summer.

EDIT: I forgot to mention the Tesla Supercharger in Placerville, which has the magic dock adapter already. If heading to South Lake Tahoe area, this is a great option. I can get there on one charge in my Tesla S75. It's about 185mi from my house.
Same for the Auburn Supercharger, but no magic dock there. But soon enough Rivian will be shipping the CCS-NACS adapter to owners and problem solved.

 

[djsider2]

Yeah, basically same mindset for me. I'm also looking at this car being our primary vehicle for ski trips during the winter, which as you indicated, includes the roof box on top, driving from San Jose.

Probably stopping in Sacramento for 10-15min will be in the cards on the way up, and on the way hom, no stops (required, there's always our optional Dos Coyotes stop on the way home in Davis).

It's rarely freezing cold in Sacramento. Raining, yes sometimes. Hardly ever freezing though. 15min at the Sac RAN would likely do the trick in the winter, and probably no stops required in summer.

Here's hoping that we're correct! Worse case, I need to incorporate the Costco trip with this stop.

 

[Kieran]

Here's hoping that we're correct! Worse case, I need to incorporate the Costco trip with this stop.

There's an REI there too... just sayin'.

 

[Tony R1S]

I may head to N. Tahoe next week from SJ. I plan to charge to 100% before I head out and will pass through Sac and Truckee RAN stops. Any recommendation of SOC level I charge up to at Sac (and drive mode)
Many thanks!

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

I may head to N. Tahoe next week from SJ. I plan to charge to 100% before I head out and will pass through Sac and Truckee RAN stops. Any recommendation of SOC level I charge up to at Sac (and drive mode)
Many thanks!

In the winter, my rule of thumb has always been to load up on as much range as possible before going over Donner Pass. You never know when you're going to get stuck for hours, or turned around. Have you made this trip in the winter before in a different vehicle?

 

[Tony R1S]

In the winter, my rule of thumb has always been to load up on as much range as possible before going over Donner Pass. You never know when you're going to get stuck for hours, or turned around. Have you made this trip in the winter before in a different vehicle?

Yeah that's what I'm wondering, whether to charge at the Sac RAN all the way to 100%, or is 85% good enough?

I have made the trip many times before in my ICE/PHEV cars (sometimes had to install chains), but have been fortunate that I haven't gotten stuck for hrs. I'm hoping I will just miss the next storm late Tues..

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