A team of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S drivers is crossing snow-covered mountains in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record for the least amount of charge time on an electric vehicle during a trip across the U.S. Yes, there’s a world record for that, apparently. But anyway, a Model S would certainly be the car to break it in.
Tesla drivers battle snow
According to PC Magazine, the Model S drivers are crossing Colorado to make it to Cheyenne, Wyo. The driving team said all the snow is making the drive difficult. They set off from Los Angeles at midnight Pacific time on Thursday with the goal to get to New York within three days. They’re only using Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s Supercharger stations as they make their way across the U.S.
Their first stop was in Kingman, Ariz., where they charged before moving on to Flagstaff. Then they started hearing reports of snowy weather in Colorado with 15 inches of snow and dangerous driving conditions. Electric vehicles do not typically perform very well in extremely cold weather, but as of their last report, they were still driving.
Tesla drivers conserve energy
They wrote a blog post explaining how they were trying to conserve energy as much as possible in their Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model S. That means they’re driving without music or anything else they could possibly spare which uses energy from the car’s battery—unless, of course, they’re approaching a Supercharger station and they’ve got plenty of energy to spare.
The team members are taking turns driving, stopping every so often to switch drivers and allow sleepy team members to sleep in one of the support vehicles which is accompanying them on their journey.
Tesla touts Supercharger network
This road trip / PR stunt is certainly an interesting way for Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) to deal with range anxiety by setting up its Supercharger stations along major interstate arteries. The automaker has been working rapidly to set up new stations with the goal of enabling drivers to cross the U.S. in a Model S as soon as possible. The Supercharger stations are a key part of Tesla’s strategy because they provide the Model S with a full charge in a small fraction of the time it would take a standard charging station to charge a vehicle. In just 20 minutes, the Supercharger gives a Model S half of a battery.
