Linda Rohrs has circumnavigated Australia solo in an EV on an 80-day challenge.
The Gold Coast resident drove her Tesla Model S100D with 450km range about 17,640km, using only mains electricity, setting herself the 80-day target.
She went anti-clockwise, told that would save her about 300km, and finished on July 19.
Rohrs bought a BMW i3 in “a bid to be more environmentally friendly”, then put a deposit on a Tesla Model 3. But after a test drive she settled on the Model S.
After driving it from the Gold Coast to Sydney, then Melbourne to Bendigo for an unsuccessful world record crochet attempt, Rohrs opted to test the electric highway around Australia in 80 days.
Linda Rohrs
Leaving on April 30, she did it – her final charging stop at The Macadamia Castle between Byron Bay and Ballina on July 19 organised by the Tesla Owners and Fans Brisbane Community Group for a talk about the trip.
A band member, Rohrs took several instruments such as a trombone and bassoon with her, contacting as many bands around Australia as possible for support.
She also stayed at roadhouses and was able to use destination chargers as well as superchargers, other EV charger and even trickle charging.
The trip was completed with only a few anxious moments, Rohrs nursing her Tesla on occasion to make the distance to the next charger.
Rohrs reckons she used about 2988kWh for the entire trip, costing about $597.72 at 25 cent per kW.
Her journey, similar to that recently completed by global EV traveller Wiebe Wakker, shows that more EV chargers are needed in some places.
