Driving my Tesla Model 3 from Denmark to Coral Bay WA

Guest Post by long time MEC friend Angela Tillier

When our flights to Cairns were cancelled with 2 days’ notice we decided to take the Tesla for a holiday in WA.  I bought the Tesla Model 3 SR+ in June 2021 so this would be a real get to know the car and charging options in August/September 2021.

The first thing I did was to look at the Plug Share app to see where we could charge and calculate distances.  My priorities were to see wildflowers, the best season for years, and visit some favourite coastal towns in search of sunshine and warmth.

The trip required some careful planning as some areas we went to have no chargers.

First stop Kojonup where we had lunch at The Black Cockatoo for 1.5hrs while the car charged.  When we arrived, there was a Tesla already there but luckily, he was gone in 15 minutes, and we were able to charge.

Now there are three Superchargers at Williams Woolshed, opened mid-September, so only a 35-minute stop is necessary.

We did a short detour from the highway to borrow a 3-phase charging cable from the Tesla Owners Club.  A $20 p.a. membership fee allows you to get lots of advice and borrow some handy extras.  Unfortunately, the spare tyre was already on loan, so we took the risk and travelled with a can of tyre foam just in case.

In Perth there are now 6 Superchargers at Karrinyup Shopping Centre and lots of other charging points so no problem.

Our next stop was Jurien Bay where there is a fast charger run on used cooking oil.

From here we headed inland to the wildflowers and topped up the battery at Three Springs on a 3-phase power outlet while we had coffee and home-made vanilla slices at the local café.

This top up allowed us to go touring around the wildflower areas of Coalseam National Park, Pindar and Canna and part charge overnight on a normal power point.

We then spent 2 nights in Geraldton at a Motel with two Tesla destination chargers so touring around was no problem.  There is a fast charger in Geraldton and three other charging options, so an overnight stop isn’t necessary.

Next stop was Kalbarri, so we had a quick stop at Northampton to check out the location of the Tesla destination charger and have a coffee.

Kalbarri has a destination charger, but we didn’t need to use it as we plugged into a normal power outlet in the carport of our holiday rental and toured around from there for a few days.

From Kalbarri to Monkey Mia we had to stop at the Billabong Roadhouse for one and half hours at the Tesla destination charger they provide.  This will be upgraded to a fast charger when the new government electric highway is finished.

Charging on the new electric highway from Esperance to Kununurra will be much faster with chargers available every approx. 160km.

At Monkey Mia Resort there is a 3-phase power outlet for guests, and we saw another blue Tesla there.

Our only hiccup on the whole trip was the next section where we had planned to charge at Wooramel on the way to Carnarvon.  One of the two generators had broken down so they would not let us use the destination charger.  We ended up driving to Carnarvon at 70kmph so we could make it without running out of battery.  The car’s navigation screen advises what speed to travel at to reach your destination and gives updates and warnings.

The Carnarvon Motel has two Tesla destination chargers which charge the battery to full in around 7 hours.

Next stop was Coral Bay which we made with no problems and charged over the next couple of days on a 10amp power outlet.

The return trip was easier going straight to Carnarvon, overnight and then stop at Billabong for a charge before arriving in Northampton.  We used the destination charger there while we had dinner at the hotel and then plugged into the accommodation 10amp power outlet.

We left Northampton fully charged but topped up in Geraldton as we were overnighting in Dongara where again we topped up on a 10amp outlet.

The next night was Mingenew Motel again on a 10amp and then to Dalwallinu where they had a 3-phase outlet. 

We toured around some wildflower areas near Dalwallinu so topped up at New Norcia garage before heading to Perth.

Overall, the trip in the Tesla was a joy. When you arrive at your destination you don’t feel as tired as an ICE (internal combustion engine) car.  The seats are very comfortable and because it is so quiet it is a pleasure to drive.  The sound system is excellent, so we enjoyed some great music.  Also stopping more frequently and for longer to charge makes the trip much more relaxing and enjoyable.

We took the car onto gravel roads in a few places with no problems though we are very aware that the ground clearance of the Model 3 is only 140mm.

I was inspired to write this article because many people are worried about range in an electric car.  Range is very dependent on speed as we learned. Basically, travelling at 110 kmph uses more battery so the range in the SR+ reduces to around 330km on the highway.  Travelling at 90 kmph the range is more like 400 km.

On the trip we travelled just under 5000km and the cost to re-charge was $22.  This was because mainly the chargers are being provided free of charge.  This may change at some stage though I think most accommodation will continue to provide charging for free.

At home, I drive about 50km in a day and the car uses around 16% battery.  I plug in to re-charge either when we are producing excess solar power at home or overnight on off peak electricity between 11pm and 4am so it only costs around 20c kwh.

Synergy has a new EV Plan for electric car owners and 30% discount is applied to all off peak power consumption as well as giving a few other incentives.

So, the initial up-front cost of buying an electric car is offset over five years because of the much lower running and maintenance costs. 

A recent study comparing the purchase of a Tesla Model 3 with the Camry Hybrid estimated that after five years the Tesla costs around $4,000 less. https://thedriven.io/2021/07/12/tesla-model-3-now-costs-less-to-own-than-toyota-camry-hybrid/

The price in WA for the Tesla SR+ is currently around $66,400 driveaway.

Angela Tillier