The Tesla Model 3 electric car recently went through a "cannonball run," which means driving coast to coast across the United States in an attempt to set a new record. The run was undertaken by Alex Roy and car owner Daniel Zorilla. And set a new record they did— beating previous records set by themselves and their peers.
The Tesla Model 3 car went through freezing temperatures when Roy and Zorilla drove from Redondo Beach, California to the Red Bell garage in New York city. They finished the drive at a record of 50 hours, 16 minutes, and 32 seconds. The total mileage was 2,860 miles. They spent a total of $100.95 charging the electric vehicle for the whole trip.
The record was shorter than Roy's previous cannonball run with a Model S and an Autopilot, which took approximately 55 hours. They also beat a record previously set by their peers Bradly D'Souza and Jordan Hart with a Model S 85D that took a little more than 51 hours.
It seems that the much greater concern about this recent cannonball run was not so much the speed, but more on the Tesla Model 3's performance in harsh weather. Roy was constantly tweeting throughout the trip, and one of the questions he asked was if the car would handle freezing temperatures alright.
Roy confirmed that the freezing weather negatively affects the Tesla Model 3.
There was also the question of how the early Tesla Model 3's production problems — like panel fit reliability, among other things —would hold up in long drives. Still, when they reached their destination, Roy noted that the Tesla Model 3 display is very well-attached.
The "cannonball run" was first started by Erwin "Cannonball" Baker. The pioneer lived from 1882 to 1960, and was famous for driving various car models coast to coast across the United States to test their reliability.
