r/EVCamping

Just returned from a three-day camping trip to Silverwood Lake in Southern California, and I continue to be impressed by the efficiency of my 2026 Model Y AWD Premium.
We packed the Y with everything needed for two nights of camping: tents, sleeping bags, pillows, cooking equipment, food, supplies, and plenty of other gear. The cargo area was packed to the brim. Add two adults and our 25-pound dog, and the Model Y was carrying quite a load!

Despite all that additional weight, here are the numbers from TeslaFi for the entire trip:

Total distance: 218.71 miles
Energy consumed: 42.45 kWh
Average efficiency: 194 Wh/mi
Rated efficiency: 114.23%
Average temperature: 75°F
Total driving time: 6 hours, 5 minutes
Number of drives: 9

The trip included freeway driving, surface streets, and significant elevation changes associated with driving into the San Bernardino Mountains to reach Silverwood Lake.
A few things about my driving style:
I drove at the posted speed limit on the freeway rather than speeding, which certainly helped with efficiency. I also made extensive use of my Enhance S3XY Commander and Buttons, which allow me to adjust regenerative braking in increments of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.

I used these adjustments to maximize regenerative braking whenever possible, particularly on downhill stretches. Rather than wasting energy through friction braking, I tried to recover as much of it as possible and put it back into the battery.

Of course, regenerative braking cannot recover all the energy expended climbing hills, but being able to adjust its strength gives me more control over how the vehicle decelerates and recaptures energy.
What makes the results impressive?
Tesla uses approximately 236.7 Wh/mi as the rated consumption constant for my Model Y. My actual consumption of 194 Wh/mi was approximately 18% lower than that figure, despite carrying two adults, a dog, and a cargo area filled with camping equipment.

That translates to an impressive 5.15 miles per kWh for an AWD SUV loaded for a camping trip!
And this wasn’t a trip spent crawling along the freeway at artificially low speeds. I drove at the speed limit, anticipated traffic conditions, and made intelligent use of regenerative braking.

The Model Y continues to impress me with its combination of practicality, cargo capacity, comfort, and remarkable energy efficiency.
An AWD electric SUV averaging 194 Wh/mi over nearly 219 miles, including mountain driving, with two adults, a dog, and a full load of camping equipment? That’s remarkable efficiency in my book.