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Mark N
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Tesla Model 3 standard range
Introduction
Trip for work from just outside Aberystwyth, Wales to Galway, Ireland using the Stena Line ferry from Holyhead. Drove there one day leaving Aberystwyth at 04:30 (yuck) up to the ferry then across to Galway that afternoon arriving around 17:00. Then stayed there two nights and back home via the same route on day 3 catching the ferry at about 15:00.
Planning & preparation
I mainly used Zap-Map to find chargers and did a bit of homework on chargers between Dublin and Galway. I also contacted a friend of a friend to get advice on chargers in Ireland, but no great surprises. Lack of Tesla Superchargers on the direct route was a disappointment! Signed up to ESB’s ecar connect app (very reliable) and EasyGo (which I didn’t use) in advance to make life easier when we got there.
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Charging
Left home full, didn’t get to Holyhead in time to use the rapid at the port which I failed to locate anyway! After getting off the ferry every rapid we visited in East of Dublin was busy with EV taxis (great to see but a bit annoying!). We used an 11kW charger at a supermarket up near the airport in the end to get us enough to make it out to a rapid on the motorway to Galway. Used an ESB rapid (50kW) and arrived in Galway with 9% because I was too impatient!
Then found another ESB rapid (50kW) in the city centre and charged pretty much fully. Then on return trip stopped at an ESB (50kW) on the motorway just before Dublin and again at a Circle K (ESB again!) in the port area. Got on the ferry at 100% and arrived home with about 30% left. Apart from charger congestion in Dublin all pretty uneventful.
The EV itself
Model 3 is great for trips like this. Plenty of range and a bit more relaxing on the motorway with the autopilot steering.
Road trip conclusion
Definitely successful, Ireland was easier than I expected and ESB chargers and app were much more reliable than lots of the Welsh/UK options. Irish Ferries apparently have on board 7kW chargers but Stena Line don’t, so I’ll be using Irish Ferries next time 🙂
See other road trip reports here
