David Bridges
A gaggle of buddies in two completely different Cybertrucks are at present driving the electrical autos by way of the Arctic Circle. The plan is for the vehicles to mild out from Dawson Metropolis, Yukon by way of the Northwest Territories to see the Arctic Ocean and again once more. What’s wilder is that the group began the journey in Florida and has pushed the Cybertrucks throughout each the U.S. and Canada.
The group has, after all, been posting the entire expertise throughout a number of social media platforms and sharing updates because the EV chargers dwindle and the climate will get colder.
For these asking, right here’s the scenario…Level A is the beginning of the Trek pic.twitter.com/vdCwUBtkhr
— Bearded Tesla (@BeardedTesla) August 26, 2024
The group arrange a web site chronicling the journey, dubbed the Arctic CyberTrek and is promoting T-shirts and stickers to commemorate and fund the journey. Their movies are an interesting journey by way of North America’s fledgling EV charging infrastructure. Additionally they seem to be a nightmare.
The staff consists of Justin Demaree, referred to as the Bearded Tesla Man, Tesla influencer couple Rafael Santoni and his accomplice Nancy, and Tesla investor Gary Mark. “I’ve been planning this for 2 years. What we’re about to do goes to make some historical past. We’re going to assist battle the [Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt] and we’re going to point out what electrical autos can do at the moment,” Demaree mentioned in a put up on X in the beginning of the journey.
Demaree’s video output is especially attention-grabbing as a result of he tends to movie a video each time he stops at a charger. His particular chronicle is one which, to me, makes it obvious how a lot of a ache within the ass it’s to traverse lengthy distances in an electrical automobile. He’s stopping roughly each two to a few hours to seize a cost and the charging occasions and processes range extensively from cease to cease.
Tesla’s proprietary superchargers are the perfect option to cost up for this journey, however they aren’t at all times out there. And past a sure level within the north, they’re gone solely.
Final Tesla Supercharger of the journey! It’s all roulette from right here! pic.twitter.com/UGmhV8w1Tq
— Bearded Tesla (@BeardedTesla) August 27, 2024
“Welcome to Prince George, the final Tesla supercharger on this journey. All the pieces from right here is public chargers just like the FLO Community so, fingers crossed, every little thing goes properly after this,” Demaree mentioned in an August 27 video.
It didn’t go properly.
The “no Tesla Superchargers” saga continues right here within the Arctic north 🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/J7aAPNI0w3
— Bearded Tesla (@BeardedTesla) August 29, 2024
“I’m on the solely charger inside 150 miles,” he mentioned in a video the following day after he’d reached the Yukon. “And um, up right here, they’ve one stall. Only one. And that one stall is getting used and I’ve 3%. So. I simply gotta sit right here and wait and hope that he finishes quickly. I don’t even know the place the man is at.”
Nancy and Rafael aren’t faring a lot better. In an August 27 video from British Columbia, he walked viewers by way of the nightmare of charging the Cybertruck at a non-Tesla station. He shivered, complained concerning the chilly, and had hassle getting the truck to even settle for a cost.
“It’s lastly charging after…5 tries in three completely different stalls,” he mentioned on the finish of the video. “Oof, it’s chilly.”
Third cease in BC. The chargers with CCS are a deterrent in direction of the transition to electrical autos.
They’re cumbersome, heavy and half of the occasions fail. Not an ideal expertise even when it really works the primary time.
Come be part of me for a brief snort. pic.twitter.com/6KwxufD3aB
— TesLatino (@TesLatino) August 27, 2024
Regardless of the issues, the teams seem pleased of their movies. They’re on an journey with buddies. Rafael’s most up-to-date video put up is a 9-hour livestream of the group cruising down the Alaska Freeway.
They cease roughly each two hours to cost up once more. An hour and half-hour into the Alaska Freeway video the group pulled off to cost each vehicles. There was just one plug so that they determined to daisy chain the vehicles collectively and see if they may cost each on the similar time.
It labored.
“What we’re doing proper now could be we’re charging my truck from the CCS charger right here…and my truck’s 14-50 plug is getting used to cost Justin’s truck. We’re principally daisy chaining fees,” Rafael mentioned.
“You’ll be executed in an hour and a half, I’ll be executed in 14 hours,” Demaree mentioned. He and Rafael laughed and Rafael promised to let Demaree plug his Cybertruck in first on the subsequent cease.
Brandon Fletcher
