Jordan Hart and Bradly D’Souza took it upon themselves to set a benchmark that’s substantial for an electrified future. Without any manufacturer sponsorship or vehicle modification, they were able to drive a Tesla Model S from Redondo Beach, CA to New York City in under 52 hours. This feat set a record for electric car travel from one coast to another, and by arriving in The Big Apple on July 5, they beat the previous best-time achieved by three drivers, including The Drive’s own eclectic editor-at-large Alex Roy, in 2016.
https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fXfjRrew8XfQoMzgU1A7yx7a2pc=/0x0:480×270/1820×1213/filters:focal(202×97:278×173):gifv():no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/55624463/tesla_cannonball_run.0.gifIn order to break this record, the team had to plan every step of the drive. Once they were on the road, the two budgeted their time as tightly as possible in order to cut down on unneeded stops. Additionally, a strict rotation was enforced to help the two beat the previously held record by more than three hours.
“We were VERY focused on our run and only stopped to eat once,” Hart said in an email with The Verge. “Even then we told the staff what we were doing and were in and out of the restaurant in about 15 minutes. The rest of the time was healthy low glycemic snacking and a strict nap schedule for whoever wasn’t driving.”
They took advantage of Tesla’s growing Supercharger network whenever possible to speed up the charging process.
Throughout their route, they faced changing climates that threw quite the monkey wrench into their plan. Using the car’s air conditioner significantly depleted the car’s battery life, and when they drove through areas that reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit, it was especially tough.
This couldn’t have happened without a bit of luck, something that Hart said they had plenty of. “We hit essentially zero traffic jams, only [four] minutes of inclement weather, and arrived in NYC on a holiday to find the streets almost empty/devoid of traffic.”
In addition to Hart and D’Souza’s record, this event was also used as a philanthropy effort for human trafficking. The two sported Freedom 5000 stickers and were able to raise a few thousand dollars for the cause, making it all the more impressive.