Today, we’re heading south of the border for a massive group trip to Mexico. We’ve got a crew of 15 to 18 people today. We have the Model X Plaid with us for the first leg. We’re actually leaving the EVs in San Diego. We are renting a van to cross the border together.
Tesla Service Frustrations: A Cautionary Tale
Before we hit the road, I caught up with Doc Allan. He was supposed to be showing off his new Quicksilver Model 3 Highland. Instead, he showed up in a Model 3 loaner because his Model Y is stuck in service.
He shared a frustrating technical story regarding a creaking noise in his front suspension. The car is under warranty, being only 2 years old, with 22k miles. Tesla service in Upland claimed the issue was “too tight torque” on the suspension. They labeled it wear and tear and hit him with a $325 estimate. It’s a reminder that even with “low maintenance” EVs, service center experiences can still be a hurdle.
Leg 1: The Model X to San Diego
We started the trip with 78% state of charge in the Model X Plaid. San Diego is about 120 miles away, so 78% was plenty to get us to our parking spot.
We parked at WallyPark in San Diego. One thing I noticed is they have a great setup for EV travelers. It includes reserved spots and several JuiceBox charging stations. We arrived at the lot with 35% state of charge. We didn’t opt for the charger because we were only staying for about 12 hours.
Leg 2: The “Van Studio” into Mexico
From San Diego, we hopped into a 15-seater Ford XLT van. I’ve got to say, I love my EVs. However, for a group of 18, we really need an electric version of these large passenger vans!
We crossed into Tijuana and made our way south through Rosarito and Ensenada:
- Puerto Nuevo: Famous for seafood! We stopped here for lunch. Technical note: Parking was 100 pesos, which usually works out better if you pay in local currency rather than dollars.
- Ensenada: We checked out the cruise ship ports and grabbed some local coffee.
- Rosarito (Encanto): We had dinner at a place called Encanto, which had a wild, Disney-esque vibe.
The Long Road Home: Efficiency & Charging
Crossing back into the US took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. We returned the van and picked up the Model X. We were sitting at 29% state of charge because some vampire drain occurred while parked in the fog.
I stopped at the Escondido Supercharger to top off for the final leg.
- Charging Speed: Even at 10% SoC, we hit a peak of 255 kW on the V3 station. This performance is exactly what the Plaid should achieve at low state of charge.
- Total Trip Stats: We covered 250 miles total.
- Energy Used: 91 kWh with an average efficiency of 365 Wh/mile.
Final Thoughts
Mexico was a blast. We chose the gas van for group logistics. The EV infrastructure in San Diego made the “base camp” part of the trip seamless. It was a long day—getting home at 3:15 AM—but worth it for the food and the crew.
Watch the full Mexico trip highlights here
