Last week I drove from Germany to Arctic Circle in my 2021 Model 3 Performance. I used only Supercharger and drove 5216 km in 7 days! Absolutely easy and not really a challenge anymore! :-)
That's quite the distance! How comfortable was this in the Model 3 Performance? I'm going back and forth between the Long Range and the Performance, but the wheels of the Long Range have bigger sidewalls. Especially further up north, did you ever had times you were worried about e.g. potholes?
@@trashmail8 Yes I was worried about the performance wheels and bad dirt roads but everything was fine, but if the road was very bad I drove only 30 kph.
Quentin Wilson - what a legend. Doesn't lament the passing of the internal combustion engine like other motoring journalists, but highlights the benefits and opportunities of what the future holds. Just brilliant.
Yes we wax lyrically but forget those who don't have parking on their property and have to park on the street. By now we should be seeing massive investments in charging infrastructure but we are not, but of course don't want to talk about those minor details.
@@pokie6087 I do agree to an extent, but there are lots of options to address that issue such as pavement bollards, streetlight charging, neighbourhood schemes to fill up on your neighbour's drive, supermarket carpark charging, not to mention the ever increasing network of rapid chargers. In theory there can be a charger where ever there is electrical infrastructure, which is pretty much everywhere. I predict that EVs will be conveniently accessible to all within but a few short years. Or you could move?
@@JJ-zg1hh I hear this a lot but what are we actually seeing by way of infrastructure. I recently drove down the M4 and stopped at a large services. There were in total three charging points. Everything you mention comes at a massive cost and so far we see very little. Oh and I don't have to move. I have a large garage with a power supply but I'm not going to adopt the "I'm alright jack" attitude of the motoring press. We are decades off having an efficient charging infrastructure and I fear personal mobility will eventually go back to what it started as. For the wealthy only. The rest of the peasants will have to catch the bus or walk.
@@pokie6087 good points but I'm not sure that the issue you raise is the key one. For me, EVs should be adopted by those that can, such as public services (police etc), commercial sectors, and yes, those better off members of the public that want to make the moral choice as a nod to climate change. I still firmly believe that you've got to let the single mum with 3 kids buy and run a 3 grand second hand Astra for the next 10 years or so. She's got more on her plate than to worry about than switching to an electric vehicle. My point is to let the government, businesses, and wealthy early adopters pay for this stuff so that the single mum can benefit from it a few years later at a much more palletable price.
I really loved your video. It took a while before I decided to buy an electric vehicle because I feared it wouldn’t be fit for holiday trips. In January I made my decision and bought a Model Y which was delivered to me only two weeks later. And like you say, the experience driving it has been amazing. I’m 51 years old but haven’t had so much fun driving a car since my twenties. Instead of fearing the long trips I’m really looking forward to our holiday in France.
What I like about Tesla is really the charging map integration navigation! No need to use 3rd party charging map, navigation map, and finding faulty chargers at times!
Recharging was a bit more expensive than I thought it would be - friend of mine keeps saying it's only pennies to recharge! I drove down in my diesel car summer before last - did almost the exact same mileage you did: from Cherbourg to the Dordogne, and then onwards to Bilbao - stopping for the first time to fill up in San Sebastian - after about 770 miles (wasn't completely empty either). Cost me £73 to refill to the brim: which is only £5 more than the electric. Thought it would be a bigger difference to be honest.
Electric cars are pennies to charge if you charge at home so for most people that would be 99% of the time ..... What make and model of car do you own .... Personally I would need to stop for the toilet a few times along the way And a spot of lunch and stretch my legs my plan is a cheaper electric car and a diesel for the longest journeys
@@raptorpome2577 Little difficult to recharge at home whilst abroad though! Mine is a Skoda Superb. And of course I stopped on the way down from Cherbourg: at Caen, Tours and then overnight in a tiny village in the Dordogne valley. Would have been feasible in an EV - except obviously no EV chargers in the tiny village - so probably would have had to slot in another charge or two on the Autoroute before I got there perhaps - or used the slow charger a few miles from the village. The following day, I visited a couple of attractions in the local area before heading off to San Sebastian and Bilbao.
@@RichardB1983 unfortunately I have not retired or won the lottery...... So 90% of the time I am at work / home ...... I guess 2 to 5 % of that time I may go on holiday and have to pay more for the rapid chargers And I would be cheeky and take my extension reel so I could plugin when stopped at the b&b. Richard may I suggest you download ABRP for your phone select the free version then have a play with it selecting different electric vehicles and different routes It tells you how long you have to stop at the rapid chargers and sometimes how much they cost ABRP a better route planner is quite interesting obviously I have worked out travelling from home to work the most important one for me but I have also put in places around Spain France Holland etc
I just got back from my road trip around Italy in my model 3. Did over 3000 miles without any issues. Drove from Puliga to london back in 2 days and was absolutely without issue. Range anxiety is a load of BS now but I understand that non EV owners (like my parents) don’t get it but when you have it you’ll be fine.
Brilliant video sir 👏 I would like to show you around Orkney where since 2013 , over 100% of our electricity is made from renewables, and where we have around 350 plus evs !
This past week in the UK, with sub freezing temperatures, rail strikes , queues for stalls of all brands, countless broken stalls, ~20% reduced range because of the weather, cameras obstructed by freezing fog, or winter road dirt ..The EV dream hasn’t been so exciting. :-/
I've been driving around in a Model Y in temperatures of minus eight still getting 300 miles to one charge and enjoying the instant heater and heated steering wheel. My EV dream has been fine.
Can confirm it's all true. I have a Model 3 in Australia and one in France. Both are 'road trip' vehicles that we use to explore Europe and the nether regions of Australia. Have never had a range anxiety issue and am happy to stop for a pee and cuppa while topping up the battery. Love these cars to bits.
I had my first Tesla experience yesterday with a SR+ Model 3: Drove from London up to Nottingham then out to the Peak District for a hike, then do the journey back. It was 331 miles had to stop twice for a ~20 min charge. Zero range anxiety even as a first timer in an EV. Can’t wait for the Berlin made Model Y!
How dare you. Petrol is the future. I just love the rumbling of an engine. Makes me shiver down my neck because it reminds me of my dildo waiting for me at home.
@@BoeingPrototype yeah but how will you escape from the hunter killer drone when they can just switch your electric car off. you muskrats are so short sighted.
In the fall of 2019 I drove my Tesla Model 3 Performance 2100 km from Stockholm to Annecy in 27 hours straight with a few short naps included. Roadtrips with Teslas are pretty much like with any car minus the emissions.
We just done home to London just over a hundred miles, charged up the night before cost us £3, the hotel we stayed at in London for the night had free electric charging and then came home, no up required, all in our Renault Zoe 68 plate, with kids. No problems
The times that I've driven to Spain and just keep pushing on, not taking proper breaks just piling on the miles. Probably much more stressful than Quentin's journey and not really much quicker.
I did a road trip from the UK around France, Belgium and the Netherlands in November 2019 in my Kona EV - 1900 miles total in a week, and that's without the ease of Tesla's charging network to help. Anything can be done with the right planning
From Top Gear and fossil cars, to RUclips and electric. You’ve still got it. We’ll be driving to the south of France in our SR+ later this year hopefully. By the looks of it, we can look forward to some posh charging. The last trip was in our old Laguna…great tourer, but won’t miss the gazole.
We’ve done major road trips across Australia, not exactly EV Walhalla. The longest was last year from Brisbane to Tasmania and back. Never had we range anxiety. There is no better road companion than a Tesla. Ours is an older Model S, but driving it is a treat each time.
Did you get one with free supercharging? Was looking at an older Model S but a bit worried about the cost of drive train replacement if out of warranty.
I'm interested in how you went with distance between charges and the actual charge times on that trip? I'm in Australia as well and am intrigued about the practicality of an EV on our continent and the distances involved. Around the city (which is most of our driving) and living in a house I can't see any real down sides (other than purchase price), but country driving might be an issue?
@@adam872 hi Adam, our Tesla Model S does around 430 real kilometres on a full charge. You are right, for urban use there is no better alternative, even if you own a Leaf, MG or Ionic that only does 250kms. On longer trips a longer range is handy and on a full charge only three charges are needed to reach Sydney. However, as a young family with two young kids the trip becomes more about us, rather than the car. We generally stop every two and half hours and drive 5 to 7 hours on a travelling day, which happens to be where the Tesla superchargers are or our destination is. The beauty of this is that you usually charge for about 30 minutes and benefits from the higher 125kw speeds at lower battery charge levels. Newer cars can do 250kw. We also stay at placed that have access to at least a PowerPoint. An overnight slow charge usually suffices. Inland travel further than Bathurst or Toowoomba are more challenging, but there are Superchargers in the last major inland town and you can cut across the from Sydney to Adelaide via the Southern route via Bendigo and Horsham. If you do choose another brand, the non-Tesla fast chargers are a bit more challenging. Even though they can be found in more regional areas, they are usually found in pairs only, sometimes even as a single station and can be fault prone and tricky to use. They are not plug and play, like the Tesla Superchargers. To answer your question, road trips in an EV can be done, but still heavily rely on which brand you choose. It is where Tesla still rules. However, the Kona Electric and Kia eNiro have excellent ranges already and can do a road trip with a bit more planning.
@@AKA001 great info, thanks very much. Being in WA makes travel outside of the big centres without a long range battery challenging. My wife drives a hybrid Camry (800km oer tank) and I have a TDI Passat (1100km per tank) so we're used to being able to travel long distances without refuelling. Going all electric at this point in time (outside of the City) would require some changes to how we drive, but like we've both said - around urban areas I don't think it would be an issue at all.
Keep your battery cars Landfill will be full of toxic waste from their power cells in a few years. Not environmentally friendly at all in the long run. I have a diesel seat leon estate that will do that milage on a tank and a quarter. No messing around stopping for a 45 minute charge every few hours.
No better car for the job. I did 4,500 miles in 2019 in a Model 3 SR+ - all the way through France and Italy to Malta and back via Prague and Berlin. No range anxiety - the car has that for me!
Great report, honest, it shows Ev's have a long way to go before becoming usable for anything else then a second car. You say you have no Range anxiety, yet every chance you get you charge. I understand, no problem. Well, get back to me when the batteries can charge twice as much in half the time and I'll consider it. Oh and most importantly, get back to me when all chargers are superchargers at 800 volts and they are all over the place like gas-stations and of course standardized. So in 50 years time or so?
So good to watch such a calm, pleasant, relaxed and accurate video of a Tesla trip through France. Thank you Quentin. I'm trying to convince my wife to do a road trip to Cadiz rather than fly from the UK. This should allay many of her current reservations. I currently have a Nissan Leaf but I think I'll wait until we get a Model 3 though. I'd love to see a similar trip through Spain if you are looking for video ideas. Nice tip about the toll gates too 👍,
I drove from Scotland as far as Murcia in a Model 3 pre-pandemic. Easy. You should note that Murcia supercharger was not available on Sundays (it is in a shopping mall and Spain recently forced shopping malls to close on Sundays). Don't know if the issue is resolved yet.
Great video! I currently sit in Tuscany, Italy, having driven from Denmark, through Germany and Switzerland down here. Not a single minute down here with range anxiety! My biggest advice down here, would be to ensure you can plug in where you stay. A slow 220 volt outlet is fine for topping up, but it’s needed as the Italian network of chargers around town etc. is pretty bad
Same here just did a 1500 km each way trip (Toronto Ontario to Fredericton New Brunswick, Canada) in our Model 3 LR with 4 adults and a boot full of luggage. Model 3 was superb and had zero range anxiety or issues. A couple of supercharger faults where one was not working to full speed and the other had a couple of bad stalls. Did not really impact us as those stops were meal stops so we made good use of the extra time needed. I too would do it again and am planning my next road trip in 2022 to Austin Texas, from Toronto Canada. Good video and i’ll be posting a similar but condensed review of my trip soon, focusing on the efficiency and costs.
Hello Quentin, I remember watching you as a child on tv, you were the first person I watched reviewing cars on tv. I’m now 37 and drive a Model Y! Great to see you making content. I hope you are well!
Done this numerous times across France to the Alps from Hampshire in our Model 3. Door to door time no different to when we used to do same journey in a diesel Audi A6. Bladders and stomachs determine when to stop, just need to plug into a supercharger when the human needs are being taken car of. Absolutely simple and stress free. Would I do the same in a non-Tesla? No chance, that would be stressful!!
Absolutely love this! Just ordered my Model 3 & am busy cramming hours of RUclips content down my throat! This was a very reassuring video from one of the best! Thanks so much 👍
Happy to see you again, Quentin! I can agree, long journeys like this in a Tesla Model 3 are totally fussless. The Supercharging network is an huge plus. I can't say the same thing for other brands out there (Ionity charging network is not as much developed as Tesla). Greetings from France
In the UK the non-TESLA charging is getting a major upgrade. By the end of the year it will be easy in the UK. But you are correct. Across Europe it is very uneven. The only constant system is TESLA.
I'm so very glad to have discovered your RUclips channel Mr Willson! It's refreshing to see a familiar face from my youth, whose motoring opinions I already appreciate and trust. Your era of Top Gear was the last one I could watch with my father without him getting frustrated at the... immaturity of the other presenters - before the switch from journalism to entertainment. I just wanted to leave you a comment to help with the RUclips algorithm. All the best to you.
My 2013 Mercedes C220 manual has a range of 700 miles. I would have only needed one 5 minute fuel stop and would have cost about £80.00 in diesel. I would of course stopped more often, but not because i was constantly keeping an eye on the fuel state.
Two totally different cars though. One has 170hp 0-62 in 8 seconds and a top speed of 140. The other has 500hp 0 to 62 in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph. To still be cheaper on fuel is impressive. I wonder what a petrol car with these performances figures would have cost in fuel and cost to purchase the car with these sort of figures?
Simply amazing video! EXCELLENT! The best, most straightforward video for all the petrol heads I've seen in the last couple of months, honestly... Greetings from Hungary - from your new subscriber.
Thanks. The closest I can get to France is Quebec or the southern parishes of Louisiana, but this took care of my _"rangiety"_ - as I'm on the verge of pulling the trigger on a Model 3 myself.
That’s the best advert I’ve seen for one. If only I could afford 40k+ for a basic one. If only there were more chargers around Northern Ireland. If only my local power station didn’t burn oil. If only there was room in one for my family, dog and camping gear. Still too expensive for what they are and I still can’t see the justification for getting rid of the Merc I get 70+ mpg out of that cost me just over half the price. Not hating on the Tesla, it’s just not there yet.
Couldn't agree with You more. I'm Polish, living in a willage 25 KM from a major city, my neighbour bought model 3, installed a PV on the roof and was so sure that he will get rid of his A6 Avant. Two years later, he still owns an A6 for longer distances and uses Tesla as a city trip daily driver.
I’ve driven from Los Angeles to Seattle in my M3P. That’s about 1100 miles (two days) and it was exactly as easy as this video shows. Plus Auto Pilot takes a lot of the work load off as well which makes it even easier. Fast charging is available in most places now so travel is very easy in EVs… at half the price of petrol.
Enjoyed that. About the same time, we drove the the Alps in a standard range MG ZS, it was fine too, a bit more planning but it was fine. Just purchased a model Y, really looking forward to not planning our next trip to the Alps and just hitting the navigate to button.
Great to see you making content, Quentin! You've come a long way since doing the Triumph Stag buying guide on Top Gear all those years ago (still a gorgeous car, I'm sure you'll agree). I would've thought you'd be the last of the Top Gear lot to embrace EVs with your love and knowledge of classic/older cars but embrace it you have, and my hat is firmly off to you.
It's good to find you on RUclips again Quentin. I remember that advice you gave on Top Gear 20 years ago about buying a new S-Class Merc W220. I bought a 200,000 mile W140 and it ran perfectly for years.
Really great summary and enjoyed the whole video. I did Oxford - Madrid in a Model X back in 2017, was mega easy back then and loved it more than when I've done it in an ICE
I know! I’ve just done 6 hours in a Range Rover Velar and it felt, heavy, noisy and dated. It’s hard to describe the different sensory experience of a Tesla but it’s definitely really different.
I am about to head out to France and drive with Tesla.. I was quite worried about lack of super chargers and get stuck somewhere but so relieved to have seen your video. Thank you so much!
A pleasure! You will have a great drive. Often the charge is complete before you have finished your lunch/ sandwich/KFC! I’m in Florida as I write this reply driving a Hertz Model 3 rental and it’s so easy here too. Have a wonderful trip in your Tesla! P.S I’ve bought a Model Y now too.
This actually plays like a promo for a car show, no a holiday show (where was Ms Chalmers??) - 7 mins (an enternity on RUclips) before we get any useful information, incomplete but useful. So what extra info do I mean? How long did each charge take, how much range did each give - maybe the numbers which flashed were supposed to cover this...but nope. There are many considering EV which you know and the prospect of these trips are putting them off. That aside it was enjoyable, as I always enjoy Quentin - been watching him since the beginning, well since the 1980s...Anyone notice how Mr Clarkson talks just like him...no coincidence. This is all constructive as I'm sure Mr Wilson will agree.
@@oldbloke135 he stopped twice. I know he had (food, loo, etc) but would still have been useful to know the details - what range had he left, how long to charge, etc. This is still important for the 95% who still have combustion...don't you think? Otherwise it's just another 'roadtrip with Quentin'....great if your from the 1980s (which I am) and a fanboy (which I'm not....well not really) 😉
Driving in Europe shouldn’t present any issues for Teslas. But while it’s great that you’ve had no quality issues, that doesn’t make it an urban myth; it means simply that you’ve had no problems. Others have.
5 years ago I saw a GB reg Tesla in Tallinn. That's enough of a demo to dispel any battery range anxiety myths. The true 'range anxiety' is the lack of choice of affordable EVs.
Wow thank you very much, my France trip is from Portsmouth to Caen, then drive 754 miles to Barcelona for my next ferry to the Balearics, it has worried me how I could do it in an electric car, I have 14 hours between ferries, and easily do it in my diesel car, you have given me confidence to go electric in 18 months time when my current lease is up, I just hope model Y is available by then, need a hatchback
Very enjoyable video...but what long term damage does all these top up charges do to the battery's...does driving and topping up in this way shorten the life of the batteries....is hybrid still a better option??
The reason why France has nicer roads than the UK is because France is 5 times the size of the UK but has the same population. Therefore, roads are less busy and less damage/maintenance. But I agree, driving on French roads is like driving on clouds
Good to see Quentin in our part of the world, not far from Niort. Now 2 and half years into EV ownership with the Kia e-Niro, have had trips to Switzerland, the UK and all over France. Had the occasional worry with public chargers but never gone below 11% or had any real panics. Had to use a 7.2 Kw charger when a 50 kW DC was out of service once...so forced to sample the pastries at a nearby cafe for 40 minutes to finish our journey...damn!
Great information. I recently took a trip with my family in a Model 3 to visit my brother in the Bay Area in the US. Started in Atlanta and the 3 of us took 5 days of sightseeing and driving out and after a few days of visiting we took 5 days back. We stopped at quite a few remote places with no issues being able to use Superchargers for 100% of our travel. The total was around 5,000 miles where we averaged around 500 miles a day. That gave us around 8 hours of driving/charging and the rest for sightseeing at our stops. We stopped at dozens of places but hit a number of the more popular tourist spots like the Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley and Yosemite. Plenty of Superchargers with many in the actual parking lots of the hotels we used so we would be charged full for the beginning of each day. The only minor close call we had was on the trip back after stopping at Calico Ghost Town we pulled in to Needles, California to charge with an outside temperature of 121 F / 50 C. After charging for about 5 minutes the charger stopped working. It was an older V2 Supercharger without the liquid cooled cables so it was overheating. I switched to another charger and the same thing after 30 seconds. I charged and waited and charged and waited a few rounds and finally drove on to the next charger since we still had enough to make it to the next stop. It was hot at the next stop but about 10 degrees F cooler so didn't have a problem there. After the trip was over we reflected on how smoothly the trip went and realized that if we had been in an ICE the trip would have been pretty much the same. Every day we stopped around 2 to 3 times for 20 minutes each stop to charge and use the bathroom, etc. In an ICE we would have stopped at least twice anyway for bathroom breaks and occasionally to fill up with gas with maybe 10-15 minutes per stop. Not much different.
I drive a 1 year old diesel Golf and it’s great on fuel…it will average 70mpg on a motorway run with ease. It’s a company car and when it’s replaced in a few years time I would really love to go EV. The problem is my boss ,as good as he is, I don’t think would splash out on 2 Teslas for me and my colleague. Would that same trip have been as enjoyable and stress free in an MG5 ? I’m not so sure but this video was great to watch and very informative…thanks Quentin…top top review 👍🇬🇧👏
Lived in France for many years, the motorways and mainly 2 lanes (outside cities) , never seem to be traffic jams (except for Paris) no one ever hogs the outside lane. Just set the cruise control and relax.
Brilliant! That makes my up and coming jaunt to lemans in my M3P less worrying. I’m thinking it will get from dieppe to lemans on one charge anyway. Then supercharge there.
Excellent video. Very informative. And not too long at 9 minutes. I would have liked to have seen the times on the stops flashed on screen and a closer look at that Ferrari in front of you on the train, but that is just nitpicking. You have a new subscriber.
Still a faff. Range is still a restriction on your freedom to deviate too far away from a charging location. Try doing a b-road tour through France next time Mr. Wilson!
If someone can do it in a 24kw Nissan van am sure you can manage in a Tesla, Quentin luv x Massive EDIT: I posted this before watching & apologise for jumping to the conclusion that you may be of similar opinions to your ex TG colleague. Have now just watched a video of you speaking at Cardiff Uni about EVs. I did not know you were such an advocate esp. back at the dawn so to speak.
I've been driving EVs since 2009 - much to Clarkson's disapproval - and in just 11 years look how far the electric car has come. It took the combustion engine 100 years to get to the refinement levels it has today. within 3 to 5 years we'll have solid-state batteries with triple the current ranges.
@@quentinwillson8918 We own a 24kw Leaf and find a lot of the kickback in the press pretty hilarious. It affects people though. I was asked only a few days ago about its range....about 80 miles with some spare...to be met by the usual laughs despite telling them it's been our only car for the last 4 years, it does a 34 mile round commute and by the way we are driving (from Hyde) to Bangor next Tuesday...along with pointing out that every EV since has exponentially better battery & charging...and they still say "Mmm ... I may consider a Hybrid..." 🤦🏻♀️ With solid state batteries there won't be many excuses left I guess.
@@quentinwillson8918 I'm a great supporter of EVs and I also have a Model 3 ... but if we have solid state batteries (or any other format) with "triple the current ranges" in 3 to 5 years I will most certainly eat my hat!
Great video Quentin. You put the case very persuasively and eloquently. I’m anxiously awaiting delivery of my own Model 3 LR and looking forward to taking some long trips. The Tesla certainly makes that something to look forward to, rather than it being a chore to be endured.
Thanks Arvin. My advice is just to go and take a test drive. Tesla are really good at making test drives available and it's the only way to see for yourself how revolutionary, game-changing these cars are. Do it for your own education. Promise you'll be impressed!
In September 2018, we went to France to put one of those ceramic poppies on the grave of a great uncle. Even with a 40kWh Nissan Leaf there was no problem. That said, the charger at the Arras Auchan is on the top deck of the car park. Had to ask a store worker where it was...
Fully agree. Had the same experience in my model 3, from Holland to Italy in winter times. My friend however went with his BMW I3 to France but he wasnt all that happy. A lot of charging stations in France where out of order making his journey rather stressfull. Ofcourse with the Tesla network you do not have that problem.
I did 680 miles from Berkshire to Orkney in a M3LR the other week. Agree with everything you said, M3LR is an absolute mile muncher, very comfortable and autopilot does the heavy work on the motorway and dual carriageway. We had 3 stops to charge, eat, drink, pee and swap drivers. On all 3 stops the car was ready to go before we were. It’s not about massive range, what you really need is good range and fast charging, with fast charging being the most important. Great video by the way, tells it exactly as it is. Depending where you live, and what part of France you’re going to, the overnight ferry from Portsmouth is our preferred choice as it saves a lot of driving in France (and for us, the U.K. as well).
Tesla Model 3 - Last year London to Vera - Spain, Then Malaga , Gibraltar then Home after 7 weeks. This year London to Vera 1591 Miles in two days - No Problems charging. Last year Spain had awful charging infrastructure. This year Iberdrola have installed lots of 50 kw chargers - usually two at each location. Wil be making trip to Monaco Boat show and back to Vera in a couple of weeks. Last year only Dutch and English model 3 at French Superchargers. this year nearly always full and with French Model 3s. French Motorways good but all seem to be Tolled and expensive.
I've seen people do 3000 mile trips on the model 3. I don't know why people still fear range anxiety. 5 years ago yes made sense but now it's pointless if you drive a Tesla.
Good video, thanks Quentin. Worth noting that charging to 100% is usually unnecessary due to the frequency of Tesla superchargers enroute, and if you charge to 80/90% you’ll be in the sweet spot of charging speed. The drop-off in charging speed between 80-100% is dramatic and adds a LOT of time to your road trip.
First of all: Sorry for my english. Nice video! It was the first video I saw of you. You got a like and a subscription straight away. I love England, have been there every year since 2003 with my Chrysler PT Cruiser, unfortunately I have been for 2 years not there because of the "C". :-( Now I also have a Model3 ..., it's great! I would be happy to see more videos from you. I have now also looked at the ones that are online. Wish you all the best. Greetings from switzerland
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Last week I drove from Germany to Arctic Circle in my 2021 Model 3 Performance. I used only Supercharger and drove 5216 km in 7 days! Absolutely easy and not really a challenge anymore! :-)
Yikes! That a big distance. Congratulations and my respect. Well done!
Fantastic, well done!
That's quite the distance! How comfortable was this in the Model 3 Performance? I'm going back and forth between the Long Range and the Performance, but the wheels of the Long Range have bigger sidewalls. Especially further up north, did you ever had times you were worried about e.g. potholes?
Holy smokes. That's insane! And impressive!!!!
@@trashmail8 Yes I was worried about the performance wheels and bad dirt roads but everything was fine, but if the road was very bad I drove only 30 kph.
Quentin Wilson - what a legend. Doesn't lament the passing of the internal combustion engine like other motoring journalists, but highlights the benefits and opportunities of what the future holds. Just brilliant.
I always did like his presenting style. He sees things as they are, not how he'd like them to be.....
Yes we wax lyrically but forget those who don't have parking on their property and have to park on the street. By now we should be seeing massive investments in charging infrastructure but we are not, but of course don't want to talk about those minor details.
@@pokie6087 I do agree to an extent, but there are lots of options to address that issue such as pavement bollards, streetlight charging, neighbourhood schemes to fill up on your neighbour's drive, supermarket carpark charging, not to mention the ever increasing network of rapid chargers. In theory there can be a charger where ever there is electrical infrastructure, which is pretty much everywhere. I predict that EVs will be conveniently accessible to all within but a few short years. Or you could move?
@@JJ-zg1hh
I hear this a lot but what are we actually seeing by way of infrastructure. I recently drove down the M4 and stopped at a large services. There were in total three charging points. Everything you mention comes at a massive cost and so far we see very little. Oh and I don't have to move. I have a large garage with a power supply but I'm not going to adopt the "I'm alright jack" attitude of the motoring press. We are decades off having an efficient charging infrastructure and I fear personal mobility will eventually go back to what it started as. For the wealthy only. The rest of the peasants will have to catch the bus or walk.
@@pokie6087 good points but I'm not sure that the issue you raise is the key one. For me, EVs should be adopted by those that can, such as public services (police etc), commercial sectors, and yes, those better off members of the public that want to make the moral choice as a nod to climate change. I still firmly believe that you've got to let the single mum with 3 kids buy and run a 3 grand second hand Astra for the next 10 years or so. She's got more on her plate than to worry about than switching to an electric vehicle. My point is to let the government, businesses, and wealthy early adopters pay for this stuff so that the single mum can benefit from it a few years later at a much more palletable price.
A top quality and rather enjoyable reportage. This quality of production and content deserves many more subscribers and views.
I 100% agree
Totally agree! This is worthy of a professional yet entertaining documentary made by passionate people. Great job 👏🏽 👍🏽
What he said
@@BaumannAxel Quentin Willson is a professional. He used to host BBC Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson.
I really loved your video. It took a while before I decided to buy an electric vehicle because I feared it wouldn’t be fit for holiday trips. In January I made my decision and bought a Model Y which was delivered to me only two weeks later. And like you say, the experience driving it has been amazing. I’m 51 years old but haven’t had so much fun driving a car since my twenties. Instead of fearing the long trips I’m really looking forward to our holiday in France.
Great to see Quentin , brings back memories of proper car review programs
The David Attenbourgh of car journalism
Sophisticated delivery and quality content as forever has been with Quentin
What I like about Tesla is really the charging map integration navigation! No need to use 3rd party charging map, navigation map, and finding faulty chargers at times!
Recharging was a bit more expensive than I thought it would be - friend of mine keeps saying it's only pennies to recharge! I drove down in my diesel car summer before last - did almost the exact same mileage you did: from Cherbourg to the Dordogne, and then onwards to Bilbao - stopping for the first time to fill up in San Sebastian - after about 770 miles (wasn't completely empty either). Cost me £73 to refill to the brim: which is only £5 more than the electric. Thought it would be a bigger difference to be honest.
Electric cars are pennies to charge if you charge at home so for most people that would be 99% of the time ..... What make and model of car do you own .... Personally I would need to stop for the toilet a few times along the way And a spot of lunch and stretch my legs my plan is a cheaper electric car and a diesel for the longest journeys
The extra expensive is the cost of convenient rapid charging. Using a cheap tariff at home that same mileage would cost about £10.
@@raptorpome2577 Little difficult to recharge at home whilst abroad though!
Mine is a Skoda Superb. And of course I stopped on the way down from Cherbourg: at Caen, Tours and then overnight in a tiny village in the Dordogne valley. Would have been feasible in an EV - except obviously no EV chargers in the tiny village - so probably would have had to slot in another charge or two on the Autoroute before I got there perhaps - or used the slow charger a few miles from the village. The following day, I visited a couple of attractions in the local area before heading off to San Sebastian and Bilbao.
@@unenthusiast I wonder as chargers get more common that perhaps competition might bring the prices of non-home recharging down perhpas?
@@RichardB1983 unfortunately I have not retired or won the lottery...... So 90% of the time I am at work / home ...... I guess 2 to 5 % of that time I may go on holiday and have to pay more for the rapid chargers And I would be cheeky and take my extension reel so I could plugin when stopped at the b&b. Richard may I suggest you download ABRP for your phone select the free version then have a play with it selecting different electric vehicles and different routes It tells you how long you have to stop at the rapid chargers and sometimes how much they cost ABRP a better route planner is quite interesting obviously I have worked out travelling from home to work the most important one for me but I have also put in places around Spain France Holland etc
I just got back from my road trip around Italy in my model 3. Did over 3000 miles without any issues. Drove from Puliga to london back in 2 days and was absolutely without issue. Range anxiety is a load of BS now but I understand that non EV owners (like my parents) don’t get it but when you have it you’ll be fine.
I did south coast UK to Zadar Croatia in 21 hours….Long Range Model 3 with 8 stops and covered 1242 miles….Can’t wait to do it again.
Brilliant video sir 👏
I would like to show you around Orkney where since 2013 , over 100% of our electricity is made from renewables, and where we have around 350 plus evs !
Mr Quentin Wilson we need to see more, of you!!!!!!!!
This past week in the UK, with sub freezing temperatures, rail strikes , queues for stalls of all brands, countless broken stalls, ~20% reduced range because of the weather, cameras obstructed by freezing fog, or winter road dirt ..The EV dream hasn’t been so exciting. :-/
I've been driving around in a Model Y in temperatures of minus eight still getting 300 miles to one charge and enjoying the instant heater and heated steering wheel. My EV dream has been fine.
Can confirm it's all true. I have a Model 3 in Australia and one in France. Both are 'road trip' vehicles that we use to explore Europe and the nether regions of Australia. Have never had a range anxiety issue and am happy to stop for a pee and cuppa while topping up the battery. Love these cars to bits.
I had my first Tesla experience yesterday with a SR+ Model 3:
Drove from London up to Nottingham then out to the Peak District for a hike, then do the journey back. It was 331 miles had to stop twice for a ~20 min charge. Zero range anxiety even as a first timer in an EV. Can’t wait for the Berlin made Model Y!
How dare you. Petrol is the future. I just love the rumbling of an engine. Makes me shiver down my neck because it reminds me of my dildo waiting for me at home.
@@BoeingPrototype yeah but how will you escape from the hunter killer drone when they can just switch your electric car off. you muskrats are so short sighted.
Abd now do the same with the family and all the vacationpacking in the car.
My diesel does that on one tank with family and full vacation packing.
The difference is not much except that you went a 1200kms without blasting fumes into people's faces.
In the fall of 2019 I drove my Tesla Model 3 Performance 2100 km from Stockholm to Annecy in 27 hours straight with a few short naps included. Roadtrips with Teslas are pretty much like with any car minus the emissions.
We just done home to London just over a hundred miles, charged up the night before cost us £3, the hotel we stayed at in London for the night had free electric charging and then came home, no up required, all in our Renault Zoe 68 plate, with kids. No problems
Great car , but look how much you have to pay for one, any savings on fuel are thrown out the window, by comparison of an equivalent ICE.
Though they're not cheap you'll find a BMW with similar performance and gadgetry will cost you at least as much.
@@MrAdopado
Let me rephrase that to equivalent size and not performance 👍
@@siddyskip The model 3 is a competitor to the BMW 3 series. So it is price comparable with the competition.
Sure
The times that I've driven to Spain and just keep pushing on, not taking proper breaks just piling on the miles. Probably much more stressful than Quentin's journey and not really much quicker.
Great channel to stumble across. The legend that is Quentin Wilson. As engaging and professional as ever.
I did a road trip from the UK around France, Belgium and the Netherlands in November 2019 in my Kona EV - 1900 miles total in a week, and that's without the ease of Tesla's charging network to help. Anything can be done with the right planning
That’s exactly what I find EV driving - relaxing.
Stops are actually stops and the car is so quiet throughout.
Nice
Awww Mr Wilson, a voice from my childhood.
Just discovered the channel this evening, no hesitation in hitting subscribe.
From Top Gear and fossil cars, to RUclips and electric. You’ve still got it. We’ll be driving to the south of France in our SR+ later this year hopefully. By the looks of it, we can look forward to some posh charging. The last trip was in our old Laguna…great tourer, but won’t miss the gazole.
Great production values Quentin, keep
producing great content.
We’ve done major road trips across Australia, not exactly EV Walhalla. The longest was last year from Brisbane to Tasmania and back. Never had we range anxiety. There is no better road companion than a Tesla. Ours is an older Model S, but driving it is a treat each time.
Did you get one with free supercharging? Was looking at an older Model S but a bit worried about the cost of drive train replacement if out of warranty.
@@computerbob06 yes. Try to get an older one from Tesla direct and purchase with extra warranty. You won't regret it.
I'm interested in how you went with distance between charges and the actual charge times on that trip? I'm in Australia as well and am intrigued about the practicality of an EV on our continent and the distances involved. Around the city (which is most of our driving) and living in a house I can't see any real down sides (other than purchase price), but country driving might be an issue?
@@adam872 hi Adam, our Tesla Model S does around 430 real kilometres on a full charge. You are right, for urban use there is no better alternative, even if you own a Leaf, MG or Ionic that only does 250kms. On longer trips a longer range is handy and on a full charge only three charges are needed to reach Sydney. However, as a young family with two young kids the trip becomes more about us, rather than the car. We generally stop every two and half hours and drive 5 to 7 hours on a travelling day, which happens to be where the Tesla superchargers are or our destination is. The beauty of this is that you usually charge for about 30 minutes and benefits from the higher 125kw speeds at lower battery charge levels. Newer cars can do 250kw. We also stay at placed that have access to at least a PowerPoint. An overnight slow charge usually suffices. Inland travel further than Bathurst or Toowoomba are more challenging, but there are Superchargers in the last major inland town and you can cut across the from Sydney to Adelaide via the Southern route via Bendigo and Horsham. If you do choose another brand, the non-Tesla fast chargers are a bit more challenging. Even though they can be found in more regional areas, they are usually found in pairs only, sometimes even as a single station and can be fault prone and tricky to use. They are not plug and play, like the Tesla Superchargers. To answer your question, road trips in an EV can be done, but still heavily rely on which brand you choose. It is where Tesla still rules. However, the Kona Electric and Kia eNiro have excellent ranges already and can do a road trip with a bit more planning.
@@AKA001 great info, thanks very much. Being in WA makes travel outside of the big centres without a long range battery challenging. My wife drives a hybrid Camry (800km oer tank) and I have a TDI Passat (1100km per tank) so we're used to being able to travel long distances without refuelling. Going all electric at this point in time (outside of the City) would require some changes to how we drive, but like we've both said - around urban areas I don't think it would be an issue at all.
Keep your battery cars Landfill will be full of toxic waste from their power cells in a few years. Not environmentally friendly at all in the long run. I have a diesel seat leon estate that will do that milage on a tank and a quarter. No messing around stopping for a 45 minute charge every few hours.
No better car for the job.
I did 4,500 miles in 2019 in a Model 3 SR+ - all the way through France and Italy to Malta and back via Prague and Berlin. No range anxiety - the car has that for me!
Tesla owners group UK did the trip to Nice 2018, and following year to Gibraltar, 20+ Tesla without a problem thanks to the Superchargers.
Great report, honest, it shows Ev's have a long way to go before becoming usable for anything else then a second car. You say you have no Range anxiety, yet every chance you get you charge. I understand, no problem. Well, get back to me when the batteries can charge twice as much in half the time and I'll consider it. Oh and most importantly, get back to me when all chargers are superchargers at 800 volts and they are all over the place like gas-stations and of course standardized. So in 50 years time or so?
So good to watch such a calm, pleasant, relaxed and accurate video of a Tesla trip through France. Thank you Quentin. I'm trying to convince my wife to do a road trip to Cadiz rather than fly from the UK. This should allay many of her current reservations. I currently have a Nissan Leaf but I think I'll wait until we get a Model 3 though. I'd love to see a similar trip through Spain if you are looking for video ideas. Nice tip about the toll gates too 👍,
A drive to Spain sounds a good idea. Not that I need any excuses to drive my Tesla! Thanks. 😎
I drove from Scotland as far as Murcia in a Model 3 pre-pandemic. Easy. You should note that Murcia supercharger was not available on Sundays (it is in a shopping mall and Spain recently forced shopping malls to close on Sundays). Don't know if the issue is resolved yet.
Great video! I currently sit in Tuscany, Italy, having driven from Denmark, through Germany and Switzerland down here. Not a single minute down here with range anxiety! My biggest advice down here, would be to ensure you can plug in where you stay. A slow 220 volt outlet is fine for topping up, but it’s needed as the Italian network of chargers around town etc. is pretty bad
Same here just did a 1500 km each way trip (Toronto Ontario to Fredericton New Brunswick, Canada) in our Model 3 LR with 4 adults and a boot full of luggage. Model 3 was superb and had zero range anxiety or issues. A couple of supercharger faults where one was not working to full speed and the other had a couple of bad stalls. Did not really impact us as those stops were meal stops so we made good use of the extra time needed. I too would do it again and am planning my next road trip in 2022 to Austin Texas, from Toronto Canada. Good video and i’ll be posting a similar but condensed review of my trip soon, focusing on the efficiency and costs.
Good to hear his dulcet tones again 😉 Good information 🤗
Hello Quentin, I remember watching you as a child on tv, you were the first person I watched reviewing cars on tv. I’m now 37 and drive a Model Y! Great to see you making content. I hope you are well!
Done this numerous times across France to the Alps from Hampshire in our Model 3. Door to door time no different to when we used to do same journey in a diesel Audi A6. Bladders and stomachs determine when to stop, just need to plug into a supercharger when the human needs are being taken car of. Absolutely simple and stress free. Would I do the same in a non-Tesla? No chance, that would be stressful!!
Wow! Good to see you again Quentin
Lovely to see you again Quentin. I love my model 3 so much i sold the SR+ and ordered the Long Range, every minute driving it is a treat
Absolutely love this! Just ordered my Model 3 & am busy cramming hours of RUclips content down my throat! This was a very reassuring video from one of the best! Thanks so much 👍
wow a rational and reasonable account of using an electric car to do the big journeys. The energy cost comparison was very interesting.
Happy to see you again, Quentin!
I can agree, long journeys like this in a Tesla Model 3 are totally fussless. The Supercharging network is an huge plus. I can't say the same thing for other brands out there (Ionity charging network is not as much developed as Tesla).
Greetings from France
In the UK the non-TESLA charging is getting a major upgrade. By the end of the year it will be easy in the UK. But you are correct. Across Europe it is very uneven. The only constant system is TESLA.
I'm so very glad to have discovered your RUclips channel Mr Willson! It's refreshing to see a familiar face from my youth, whose motoring opinions I already appreciate and trust. Your era of Top Gear was the last one I could watch with my father without him getting frustrated at the... immaturity of the other presenters - before the switch from journalism to entertainment.
I just wanted to leave you a comment to help with the RUclips algorithm. All the best to you.
Nice video. I live just north of Bordeaux and regularly drive to La Manga in Spain (700 miles) in my Model 3. No problemo.👍😊
My 2013 Mercedes C220 manual has a range of 700 miles. I would have only needed one 5 minute fuel stop and would have cost about £80.00 in diesel. I would of course stopped more often, but not because i was constantly keeping an eye on the fuel state.
Yip, I prefer my fossil fuelled car also.
Two totally different cars though. One has 170hp 0-62 in 8 seconds and a top speed of 140. The other has 500hp 0 to 62 in 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 165 mph. To still be cheaper on fuel is impressive. I wonder what a petrol car with these performances figures would have cost in fuel and cost to purchase the car with these sort of figures?
Simply amazing video!
EXCELLENT!
The best, most straightforward video for all the petrol heads I've seen in the last couple of months, honestly...
Greetings from Hungary - from your new subscriber.
Thanks. The closest I can get to France is Quebec or the southern parishes of Louisiana, but this took care of my _"rangiety"_ - as I'm on the verge of pulling the trigger on a Model 3 myself.
That’s the best advert I’ve seen for one. If only I could afford 40k+ for a basic one.
If only there were more chargers around Northern Ireland. If only my local power station didn’t burn oil. If only there was room in one for my family, dog and camping gear.
Still too expensive for what they are and I still can’t see the justification for getting rid of the Merc I get 70+ mpg out of that cost me just over half the price.
Not hating on the Tesla, it’s just not there yet.
Couldn't agree with You more. I'm Polish, living in a willage 25 KM from a major city, my neighbour bought model 3, installed a PV on the roof and was so sure that he will get rid of his A6 Avant. Two years later, he still owns an A6 for longer distances and uses Tesla as a city trip daily driver.
I’ve driven from Los Angeles to Seattle in my M3P. That’s about 1100 miles (two days) and it was exactly as easy as this video shows. Plus Auto Pilot takes a lot of the work load off as well which makes it even easier. Fast charging is available in most places now so travel is very easy in EVs… at half the price of petrol.
How much did the charging cost you in total?
@@erichaynes7502 Sorry, I didn't keep try. It's always much less than the gas/petrol equivalent... probably about half the cost.
I drove from Somerset to Poland in my Model 3 last summer, 4 supercharges along the way and no stress or issues.
Enjoyed that. About the same time, we drove the the Alps in a standard range MG ZS, it was fine too, a bit more planning but it was fine. Just purchased a model Y, really looking forward to not planning our next trip to the Alps and just hitting the navigate to button.
You'll have a great trip. Lots of chargers. No range anxiety. Good luck.
Great to see you making content, Quentin! You've come a long way since doing the Triumph Stag buying guide on Top Gear all those years ago (still a gorgeous car, I'm sure you'll agree). I would've thought you'd be the last of the Top Gear lot to embrace EVs with your love and knowledge of classic/older cars but embrace it you have, and my hat is firmly off to you.
Enjoyed the video from start to finish. Great to see you on RUclips Quentin.
Beautiful country side to drive through
Not if you choose to stay on expensive autoroutes where you see nothing interesting and have crappy service station food..
It's good to find you on RUclips again Quentin. I remember that advice you gave on Top Gear 20 years ago about buying a new S-Class Merc W220.
I bought a 200,000 mile W140 and it ran perfectly for years.
Really great summary and enjoyed the whole video.
I did Oxford - Madrid in a Model X back in 2017, was mega easy back then and loved it more than when I've done it in an ICE
I know! I’ve just done 6 hours in a Range Rover Velar and it felt, heavy, noisy and dated. It’s hard to describe the different sensory experience of a Tesla but it’s definitely really different.
I am about to head out to France and drive with Tesla.. I was quite worried about lack of super chargers and get stuck somewhere but so relieved to have seen your video. Thank you so much!
A pleasure! You will have a great drive. Often the charge is complete before you have finished your lunch/ sandwich/KFC! I’m in Florida as I write this reply driving a Hertz Model 3 rental and it’s so easy here too. Have a wonderful trip in your Tesla! P.S I’ve bought a Model Y now too.
This actually plays like a promo for a car show, no a holiday show (where was Ms Chalmers??) - 7 mins (an enternity on RUclips) before we get any useful information, incomplete but useful. So what extra info do I mean? How long did each charge take, how much range did each give - maybe the numbers which flashed were supposed to cover this...but nope. There are many considering EV which you know and the prospect of these trips are putting them off. That aside it was enjoyable, as I always enjoy Quentin - been watching him since the beginning, well since the 1980s...Anyone notice how Mr Clarkson talks just like him...no coincidence. This is all constructive as I'm sure Mr Wilson will agree.
I think that is the point. He was so far from discharged that he didn't to worry about it.
@@oldbloke135 he stopped twice. I know he had (food, loo, etc) but would still have been useful to know the details - what range had he left, how long to charge, etc. This is still important for the 95% who still have combustion...don't you think? Otherwise it's just another 'roadtrip with Quentin'....great if your from the 1980s (which I am) and a fanboy (which I'm not....well not really) 😉
Driving in Europe shouldn’t present any issues for Teslas. But while it’s great that you’ve had no quality issues, that doesn’t make it an urban myth; it means simply that you’ve had no problems. Others have.
"Quality issues"
5 years ago I saw a GB reg Tesla in Tallinn. That's enough of a demo to dispel any battery range anxiety myths.
The true 'range anxiety' is the lack of choice of affordable EVs.
Same, no issues with mine, looking forward to driving around Europe.
Wow thank you very much, my France trip is from Portsmouth to Caen, then drive 754 miles to Barcelona for my next ferry to the Balearics, it has worried me how I could do it in an electric car, I have 14 hours between ferries, and easily do it in my diesel car, you have given me confidence to go electric in 18 months time when my current lease is up, I just hope model Y is available by then, need a hatchback
Very enjoyable video...but what long term damage does all these top up charges do to the battery's...does driving and topping up in this way shorten the life of the batteries....is hybrid still a better option??
The reason why France has nicer roads than the UK is because France is 5 times the size of the UK but has the same population. Therefore, roads are less busy and less damage/maintenance. But I agree, driving on French roads is like driving on clouds
This is one of the the best Tesla video's. Great car ,effortless journey.
Great to see Quentin Wilson reviewing cars again on the big screen.
Good to see Quentin in our part of the world, not far from Niort. Now 2 and half years into EV ownership with the Kia e-Niro, have had trips to Switzerland, the UK and all over France. Had the occasional worry with public chargers but never gone below 11% or had any real panics. Had to use a 7.2 Kw charger when a 50 kW DC was out of service once...so forced to sample the pastries at a nearby cafe for 40 minutes to finish our journey...damn!
Two years ago my son drove his Tesla model s to Alvito portugal from Hinckley Leicestershire almost 1500 miles door to door .
Great information. I recently took a trip with my family in a Model 3 to visit my brother in the Bay Area in the US. Started in Atlanta and the 3 of us took 5 days of sightseeing and driving out and after a few days of visiting we took 5 days back. We stopped at quite a few remote places with no issues being able to use Superchargers for 100% of our travel. The total was around 5,000 miles where we averaged around 500 miles a day. That gave us around 8 hours of driving/charging and the rest for sightseeing at our stops.
We stopped at dozens of places but hit a number of the more popular tourist spots like the Meteor Crater, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, Death Valley and Yosemite. Plenty of Superchargers with many in the actual parking lots of the hotels we used so we would be charged full for the beginning of each day.
The only minor close call we had was on the trip back after stopping at Calico Ghost Town we pulled in to Needles, California to charge with an outside temperature of 121 F / 50 C. After charging for about 5 minutes the charger stopped working. It was an older V2 Supercharger without the liquid cooled cables so it was overheating. I switched to another charger and the same thing after 30 seconds. I charged and waited and charged and waited a few rounds and finally drove on to the next charger since we still had enough to make it to the next stop. It was hot at the next stop but about 10 degrees F cooler so didn't have a problem there.
After the trip was over we reflected on how smoothly the trip went and realized that if we had been in an ICE the trip would have been pretty much the same. Every day we stopped around 2 to 3 times for 20 minutes each stop to charge and use the bathroom, etc. In an ICE we would have stopped at least twice anyway for bathroom breaks and occasionally to fill up with gas with maybe 10-15 minutes per stop. Not much different.
The Telepéage system is very good in France! In some parking garages you can pay your parking fees with it too!
I drive a 1 year old diesel Golf and it’s great on fuel…it will average 70mpg on a motorway run with ease. It’s a company car and when it’s replaced in a few years time I would really love to go EV. The problem is my boss ,as good as he is, I don’t think would splash out on 2 Teslas for me and my colleague. Would that same trip have been as enjoyable and stress free in an MG5 ? I’m not so sure but this video was great to watch and very informative…thanks Quentin…top top review 👍🇬🇧👏
Lived in France for many years, the motorways and mainly 2 lanes (outside cities) , never seem to be traffic jams (except for Paris) no one ever hogs the outside lane. Just set the cruise control and relax.
Brilliant! That makes my up and coming jaunt to lemans in my M3P less worrying. I’m thinking it will get from dieppe to lemans on one charge anyway. Then supercharge there.
Top report Quentin, I’m sold.
Excellent video. Very informative. And not too long at 9 minutes. I would have liked to have seen the times on the stops flashed on screen and a closer look at that Ferrari in front of you on the train, but that is just nitpicking. You have a new subscriber.
The old boy has still got it. Great presenting.
Still a faff. Range is still a restriction on your freedom to deviate too far away from a charging location. Try doing a b-road tour through France next time Mr. Wilson!
Brings back memories watching this. Used to love watching car shows in the 90s as a kid
Thanks that answered my concerns about distance driving in the Tesla 3
It's super-easy, even in the SR+ the superchargers are not so far apart.
If someone can do it in a 24kw Nissan van am sure you can manage in a Tesla, Quentin luv x
Massive EDIT: I posted this before watching & apologise for jumping to the conclusion that you may be of similar opinions to your ex TG colleague. Have now just watched a video of you speaking at Cardiff Uni about EVs. I did not know you were such an advocate esp. back at the dawn so to speak.
I've been driving EVs since 2009 - much to Clarkson's disapproval - and in just 11 years look how far the electric car has come. It took the combustion engine 100 years to get to the refinement levels it has today. within 3 to 5 years we'll have solid-state batteries with triple the current ranges.
@@quentinwillson8918 We own a 24kw Leaf and find a lot of the kickback in the press pretty hilarious. It affects people though. I was asked only a few days ago about its range....about 80 miles with some spare...to be met by the usual laughs despite telling them it's been our only car for the last 4 years, it does a 34 mile round commute and by the way we are driving (from Hyde) to Bangor next Tuesday...along with pointing out that every EV since has exponentially better battery & charging...and they still say "Mmm ... I may consider a Hybrid..." 🤦🏻♀️
With solid state batteries there won't be many excuses left I guess.
@@quentinwillson8918 I'm a great supporter of EVs and I also have a Model 3 ... but if we have solid state batteries (or any other format) with "triple the current ranges" in 3 to 5 years I will most certainly eat my hat!
Nice one. I’m all for a better future, although I still appreciate being able to put 700 km worth of fuel in 5 minutes. Good content, thank you.
Seeing the quality of this video, I assumed it was 4 million subscribers you got! I'm surprised it's 4k. You definitely deserve 4 million and more..
Great video Quentin. You put the case very persuasively and eloquently. I’m anxiously awaiting delivery of my own Model 3 LR and looking forward to taking some long trips. The Tesla certainly makes that something to look forward to, rather than it being a chore to be endured.
Informative and helpful. A useful video. Thank you.
Altough I don't like EVs at all, but the way this genteman describes everything maturely makes this review very interesting and attractive.
Thank you
Thanks Arvin. My advice is just to go and take a test drive. Tesla are really good at making test drives available and it's the only way to see for yourself how revolutionary, game-changing these cars are. Do it for your own education. Promise you'll be impressed!
Thanks! I appreciate this as I'm planning a similar trip myself. Keep up the good work!
In September 2018, we went to France to put one of those ceramic poppies on the grave of a great uncle. Even with a 40kWh Nissan Leaf there was no problem. That said, the charger at the Arras Auchan is on the top deck of the car park. Had to ask a store worker where it was...
I bought my model 3 long range to use as my "little town runabout"!!!
How much was the back hander they gave you?
Zero. Be very careful what you post in public. I have no association with Tesla. They won't be impressed by your serious allegation either.
Fully agree. Had the same experience in my model 3, from Holland to Italy in winter times.
My friend however went with his BMW I3 to France but he wasnt all that happy. A lot of charging stations in France where out of order making his journey rather stressfull.
Ofcourse with the Tesla network you do not have that problem.
Really enjoyed that, the car and just joining a road trip. Hope you will be making more videos on RUclips 🤞
I did 680 miles from Berkshire to Orkney in a M3LR the other week. Agree with everything you said, M3LR is an absolute mile muncher, very comfortable and autopilot does the heavy work on the motorway and dual carriageway. We had 3 stops to charge, eat, drink, pee and swap drivers. On all 3 stops the car was ready to go before we were.
It’s not about massive range, what you really need is good range and fast charging, with fast charging being the most important.
Great video by the way, tells it exactly as it is.
Depending where you live, and what part of France you’re going to, the overnight ferry from Portsmouth is our preferred choice as it saves a lot of driving in France (and for us, the U.K. as well).
Tesla Model 3 - Last year London to Vera - Spain, Then Malaga , Gibraltar then Home after 7 weeks. This year London to Vera 1591 Miles in two days - No Problems charging. Last year Spain had awful charging infrastructure. This year Iberdrola have installed lots of 50 kw chargers - usually two at each location. Wil be making trip to Monaco Boat show and back to Vera in a couple of weeks. Last year only Dutch and English model 3 at French Superchargers. this year nearly always full and with French Model 3s. French Motorways good but all seem to be Tolled and expensive.
I've seen people do 3000 mile trips on the model 3. I don't know why people still fear range anxiety. 5 years ago yes made sense but now it's pointless if you drive a Tesla.
What an excellent sensible evaluation of the trip, well done!
I did a tour of England did about 1500 miles , not any problems and the Tesla charging network is awesome
Good video, thanks Quentin. Worth noting that charging to 100% is usually unnecessary due to the frequency of Tesla superchargers enroute, and if you charge to 80/90% you’ll be in the sweet spot of charging speed. The drop-off in charging speed between 80-100% is dramatic and adds a LOT of time to your road trip.
First of all: Sorry for my english.
Nice video!
It was the first video I saw of you. You got a like and a subscription straight away.
I love England, have been there every year since 2003 with my Chrysler PT Cruiser, unfortunately I have been for 2 years not there because of the "C". :-(
Now I also have a Model3 ..., it's great!
I would be happy to see more videos from you. I have now also looked at the ones that are online.
Wish you all the best.
Greetings from switzerland
Another quality review from Quentin. Do more please !
Great to see how easy it is to travel long distances in a Tesla with their brilliant supercharger network.