Denver to Santa Fe in a Tesla

I had a chance to drive my brother’s Tesla Model S P85 from Denver to Santa Fe Monday, and, I have to say, hats off to Tesla for:

a) creating an electric car for long-distance driving;

b) for establishing a long-distance charging network that ensures an electric car can do what a gas car does, meaning make the traditional American road trip.

Thanks to Tesla and its Supercharger Network — why does NO other EV charging company understand that EV drivers don’t want/don’t need charging stations at their local Walgreens, they want them in places that EXTEND the capability of their EV! — I easily made this 404 mile trip in eight hours. This includes a 75 minute Supercharging session in Trinidad, Colo. [Trinidad is right on the border with New Mexico.]

I drove between 65 and 75 m.p.h.  the whole way, and ended up in Santa Fe with 20 miles to spare.

Overall, a smooth, enjoyable long-distance road trip — including about 100 miles of driving across one of the loneliest stretches of Interstate highway in America, from Raton to Las Vegas, New Mexico, where gas stations are just as difficult to find as EV charging stations — all with just one charging session.

Just goes to prove EVs can do the job for long-distance driving, as long as the charging infrastructure is in place, and, in the case of the Tesla Supercharger network, it is, in fact, in place.

Now, if only some other car makers and charging station companies such as Charge Point, etc. would follow Tesla’s lead and create long-distance charging networks for the rest of us.