Announcing my 80 day challenge, a 16,000 km drive around Australia, in my Tesla S100D. Here is my schedule. If you’re around in the same place at the same time, love to catch up for a chat about Tesla’s, EVs, brass band music and/or knitting and crochet, even this great country we are lucky enough to live in.

30-Apr-19 Childers
01-May-19 Rockhampton
02-May-19 MacKay
04-May-19 Townsville
05-May-19 Cairns
08-May-19 Townsville
12-May-19 Hughenden
13-May-19 Cloncurry
14-May-19 Mount Isa
16-May-19 Camooweal
17-May-19 Tablelands
18-May-19 Devils Marbles
20-May-19 Renner Springs
21-May-19 Mataranka
23-May-19 Darwin
25-May-19 Katherine
27-May-19 Timber Creek
28-May-19 Kununurra
30-May-19 Bungle Bungle
31-May-19 Fitzroy Crossing
02-Jun-19 Broome
05-Jun-19 Eighty Mile Beach
06-Jun-19 Port Hedland
07-Jun-19 Karratha
09-Jun-19 Nanaturra
10-Jun-19 Canarvon
12-Jun-19 Billabong Roadhouse
14-Jun-19 Leeman
15-Jun-19 Perth
18-Jun-19 Hyden
19-Jun-19 Albany
21-Jun-19 Ravensthorpe
23-Jun-19 Norseman
25-Jun-19 Caiguna
26-Jun-19 Border Village
28-Jun-19 Penong
29-Jun-19 Ceduna
01-Jul-19 Kimba
02-Jul-19 Adelaide
03-Jul-19 Maldon.Bendigo
05-Jul-19 Melbourne
06-Jul-19 Spirit of Tasmania
07-Jul-19 Hobart
09-Jul-19 Spirit of Tasmania
10-Jul-19 Melbourne
13-Jul-19 Millawa
14-Jul-19 Sydney
18-Jul-19 Gold Coast

It has taken me around 2 months to work out if my circumnavigation of Australia on only electric power is possible.

To be a proper circumnavigation, CN (Carpe Noctem, my trusty black steed) and I must visit Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Broome, Darwin and Townsville/Cairns. There have been others that have made the trip in an electric vehicle, but have used a portable generator. I have decided to make this journey purely on mains electric charge, without a generator.

Some limitations

• kms per charge is about 450
• faster driving, use of air-con and less aerodynamical (roof/windows open) means less mileage
• time to charge at a Tesla supercharger from empty to full is about 2 hours
• time to charge at a Tesla destination charger (shopping centres, hotels, etc) 8 to 10 hours
• time to charge at a wall point from empty to full is round 17-20 hours

 

 

My initial check for Tesla power was less than hopeful. There are 20 or so Tesla superchargers in Australia all but one (near Perth) are between Brisbane and Adelaide.

Even using Tesla destination chargers does not look terribly good. There are three major gaps, across the Nullabour, Broome to Darwin and Darwin to the east coast.

To give some perspective of CN’s 450 km range

• 907 km from the Gold Coast to Sydney, at least 2 full charges
• 982 km from Sydney to Melbourne
• 745 km from Melbourne to Adelaide
• Adelaide to Perth is a whopping 2,694 km
• 2,229 km Perth to Broome
• 1,868 m Broome to Darwin
• 2,763 km Darwin to Cairns, even more than across the Nullabour!
• 1,838 km Cairns to the Gold Coast

 

This all means we (CN and I) will have to rely on accommodation for me and CN to recharge. With 20+ hours of charge required, we will have to stay in some remote spots for at least 2 nights.

Another decision is clockwise or anti-clockwise. Anti-clockwise means it is likely there will be more left turns than right. Also, someone told me it could mean as much as 300km less distance. Anti-clockwise it is then.

After hours of research I have a very preliminary plan.

date	km	overnight stop
01-Mar-18	488	Bundaberg *
02-Mar-18	625	Airlie Beach *
04-Mar-19	393	Townsville
05-Mar-19	347	Cairns
07-Mar-19	347	Townsville
09-Mar-19	383	Hughendon
10-Mar-19	165	Maxwelton
11-Mar-19	358	Mt Isa
13-Mar-19	450	Tablelands
14-Mar-19	264	Tennant Creek
15-Mar-19	465	Mataranka
17-Mar-19	422	Darwin
20-Mar-19	317	Katherine
22-Mar-19	515	Kununurra
24-Mar-19	359	Halls Creek
25-Mar-19	290	Fitzroy Crossing
27-Mar-19	461	Broome
29-Mar-19	360	Pardoo
31-Mar-19	386	Karratha
02-Apr-19	272	Nanaturra
03-Apr-19	354	Coral Bay
05-Apr-19	476	Meadow
07-Apr-19	231	Geraldton
09-Apr-19	427	Perth
15-Apr-19	361	Jeramungup
17-Apr-19	303	Bay of Isles
19-Apr-19	594	Caiguna
21-Apr-19	469	Nullabour Roadhouse
23-Apr-19	296	Ceduna
24-Apr-19	465	Port Agusta
26-Apr-19	306	Adelaide
29-Apr-19	426	Horsham
02-May-18	153	Melbourne
10-May-19	882	Sydney *
16-May-19	530	Coffs Harbour *
19-May-19	315	Gold Coast
total	14,255

  * using supercharger

There are four days which may not be possible

Tennant Creek to Mataranka           465 km

Katherine to Kununurra                    515 km

Fitzroy Crossing to Broome             461km

Ceduna to Port Augusta                   465 km

 

Gee, I’m forced do some driving to check possible mileage. Oh well, someone has to have all the fun!

 

In the beginning
In a bid to be more environmentally friendly I purchased an electric car, a BMW i3. It was so good, I bought a new one and gave Dad my old one. This one was not so good, with a number of issues that the local dealership thought were trivial. I didn’t.
In steps Elon Musk with a superb full electric luxury, fun car, the Tesla. I put a deposit on the upcoming Model 3. Tesla marketing gave me the opportunity to test drive a Tesla 100. I was hooked. I bought a Tesla 100D, metallic black exterior, white interior. I’m in love.

Every Tesla has a name. Mine is called Carpe Noctem. He is black!
So what do you do with a brand new super car? Drive it! I drove to Sydney, from my home on the Gold Coast, Australia. Wow!!!!!!
At first I had some range anxiety and charged at every Tesla supercharger on the way. On my way home, a week later, I relaxed and charged at Coffs Harbour.
A month later, I drove to Melbourne and Bendigo, for a world record crochet attempt. The record attempt was not reached, but my driving experience exceeded expectation. A journey of almost 4,000 km in 7 days was a sheer driving pleasure.
A few months later, I have decided to test the electric highway around Australia. My challenge is to drive around Australia in 80 days, using only electric charge. No generator, just Superchargers, EV chargers and wall sockets. Follow my journey. Admire Carpe Noctem. Cheer us on. Give me advice. Give him some energy. Give me succour.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton