On occasions you’ll plug into a destination charger that
doesn’t appear to work, a small number of these public chargers are becoming
unreliable mostly due to the cable getting mistreated, to add some confusion
the same charger will not work for one car and then work first time for the
following car on the same day, the Williams Woolshed destination charger is a
great example.
To make the Tesla experience a bit easier here are the steps to work through that will hopefully get a Tesla destination unit to charge:
If there’s no Green or Red light strip light on the front
check that power is switched on at the meter box, some premises keep it
switched off for various reason, this will be often noted on the Plugshare app.
If you’ve established that the unit is powered up but a Red
light is showing check that the cable is not twisted or stretched in any form,
also check the cable is not pulled out from the bottom of the charging unit,
that is you can see each individual colored cable rather than the black insulation.
Once the above steps are done locate the Red reset button on the side of the unit, using your thumb press it in and hold until all lights go off and wait until the Red/Orange light on the front turns Green, this will take between 5 and 30 seconds, if all goes to plan the Green light will start moving and the car will charge. If it doesn’t work the first time give it another go, also try unplugging and plugging back in before attempting a third reset, once again make sure the cable is not unduly stressed. If the charging doesn’t start after 4 resets the chances of it working at all on your car are very low.
If you do get charging started don’t rush off, hang around for a minute until the cars charging at full amps, if the unit has a fault it is likely to trip off within the first minute, if it does trip off it’s best to no longer attempt charging and report the issue. If you have no other choice and desperately need to charge try dropping the amps down via the cars touchscreen, keep in mind this is an absolute last resort. As an extra precaution if you walk away from the car to visit the shops or cafe check the phone app after 15 minutes, it’s very likely charging is still okay but there’s no harm making sure.
Now that the Lake Grace DC charger is installed and operational the Perth to Esperance drive has become so much easier. I’ve completed the 700km trip in a Model S three times since early 2017 using the slow but reliable 3 phase AC charging. Update July 2024: Please note that with the installation of the WA EV Network there are now alternate DC charging options via Jerramungup and Kojonup.
To make the journey as trouble free and relaxing as possible
read on:
Perth to Esperance is 700kms via Williams and Ravensthorpe, the Perth to Lake Grace leg is 326kms, Lake Grace to Esperance 374kms.
On average you will lose 20 minutes of daylight driving East towards Esperance but gain an average 20 minutes on the return journey West, driving at dusk between Ravensthorpe and Esperance is not recommended so please take the above into consideration.
The Albany highway section of 168kms between Perth and Williams can get fairly busy, driving below 100kmh is not recommended or you’ll be very unpopular with the business people who use this road on a daily basis.
The Williams to Lake Grace section is flat and fairly good for range, take note if you’re driving into an easterly and factor that into the remaining range.
The 186km section between Lake Grace and Ravensthorpe is generally a low traffic road that can be driven a bit slower if needed but is not necessary. Be warned that at certain times of the year grain trucks are using this road, give them every opportunity to do their job as quickly and safely as possible.
The 188km section between Ravensthorpe and Esperance is not too busy but the traffic moves fast, it’s also a deceptive road, long sections of very good surface with random spots in need of repair from water damage, take note of the shire warning signs, it could very save you from tyre and rim damage.
Don’ be rigid in your trip plan, allow extra time for unexpected delays.
Spare tyre and jack, CARRY THESE ITEMS, although you are very unlikely to get a flat tyre, not having a spare when you need one will make it a very expensive and time consuming trip, not the type of memories you want while on holiday. Roadside repair kits are a plan C and are no substitute for a spare tyre in regional WA. Contact the TOCWA secretary regarding a loan spare and advice (free to TOWCA members).
When leaving from Perth I highly recommend you depart as
early as possible; firstly there’s less traffic to deal with on the outskirts
of town; secondly you have time up your sleeve to stop and take some photos; thirdly
and most importantly it’s nice to arrive at your final destination, get the car
on charge and relax with a drink before sunset.
How early? That’s up to you but sunrise is a great time to be on the road. If you don’t mind getting some driving done before breakfast the Williams Woolshed is a great first stop for a quick coffee or breakfast, just be aware the charging is extremely fast using the Tesla Supercharger, so get your order in quickly.
Lake Grace is an important charging stop and it’s likely that will take 40 to 50 minutes, if you’re a first time visitor it’s easy to use up that time going for a short walk and having some lunch. The DC charger is currently set to stop charging at 95%, this isn’t really an issue as by that stage the charge rate has likely dropped to a level where the Lake Grace DC charger has no advantage over the slower DC charging in Ravensthorpe.
Pro tips
Do not bypass working chargers on this route, even if you think you can get to the next one easily. It will not save you time and could very well delay you for a lot longer than you think.
There’s a good chance the moment you arrive a local will walk over and start asking about the car, make sure you plug in and confirm your car is charging before having a long conversation. Once again “Always be charging”.
Another tip is to carry the Chargefox RFID card as internet connection is often an issue when using the app.
Ravensthorpe is a small but lovely town that is well worth the stop even if you don’t need to charge, there’s an IGA supermarket on the hillside with a Cafe that provides a nice view. The 150 kW WA EV Network DC charger in Ravensthorpe is now online. Unfortunately the caravan park is no longer available for charging due to the entitlement of some EV drivers. They also have some reasonable priced chalets if driving Perth to Esperance in one day is hard yakka. Charge far more than needed at Ravensthorpe so when you get to Esperance you don’t arrive low on charge and then have to worry about plugging in straight away.
Ravensthorpe IGA is a great spot to grab a coffee and check out the view.
Edit: There are now WA EV Network 150 kW fast DC chargers in Esperance.
Esperance is a great place to relax for a few days, there are two locations with Tesla destination chargers (Smith Street Holiday House and Comfort Inn Bay of Isles) plus the horizon power type 2 and RAC Esperance Holiday Park via the Chargefox app (BYO cable). If you are staying for two or more nights, a 10 amp trickle charge is all you need. There’s plenty to do within walking distance including the local museum which has much more to see than just the Skylab wreckage. If you have time to spare a 90km drive east to the Duke of Orleans Bay is worth the effort, as well as the beautiful white sand beaches there’s a gem of a pub in the village of Condingup that back in 2017 served a tasty lunch.
Duke of Orleans Bay.
For the return to Perth, if you want to be a bit more adventurous there are two options, via Jerramungup (Tesla HPWC) & Albany or North via Kalgoorlie. If you want alternate recommendations let me know.
