I doubt anything in the story was fabricated - unlike say the Top Gear Tesla Roadster review. But I also don't doubt Tesla has their own side of the story.
So what went wrong?
1. Presumably, the driver did not charge overnight. Even a 1 kW 110V charge could have helped keep the batteries warm. Not charging at low SOC (33%) followed by a drop down to 10 degrees F resulted in a similar spook to my trip that prompted this thread.
2. The driver did not wait for a full charge at the Milford, CT charging station. His planned Stonington -> Groton -> Milford route is around 135 miles. With 185 miles indicated, I can see how he thought there was sufficient buffer. Nevertheless, if he knew ahead of time that he was not planning to charge overnight then an extra 15 minutes here could have saved him a ton of grief.
3. The Newark and Milford, CT Supercharger stations are a stretch for the 85 kWh Model S in cold weather. The 60 kWh Model S would have little chance of making the trip in the best of circumstances - I imagine Tesla eventually plans to build a midpoint station. Tesla's optimistic range indicators did it no favors here.
4. Either the driver was not adequately prepped for this trip with respect to points 1-3 or he neglected them. While the Supercharger is badass, a ~800 mile weekend trip in 10-30 degree weather is just four stops to charge is at the edge of the Model S's capabilities. Electing to not wait for a full charge and to not charge overnight is either operator neglect or education neglect. I guess we'll hear more about this soon.
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Google Maps approximation of his route. 100% guessing as to the delivery subdivision location, but figure it's about 100 miles from Newark. Letters correspond to the locations on the map.
A Maryland suburb, near Washington DC0 miles into trip. Car delivered with full charge. 30 degree temps, heat on, drove at "normal highway speeds" toward Supercharge station in Newark, DE.
B Newark, DE Supercharger station (~100 miles from suburb)~100 miles into trip, ~50% SOC.
Charge until full, 49 minutes. 242 miles range indicated.
C Levittown, NY (68 miles from Newark)168 miles into trip. 157 miles range indicated. Climate control turned to low, cruise control set to 54 mph.
D Manhattan, NY (~134 miles from Newark)234 miles. "After a short break". 79 miles range indicated. 73 miles to go to Milford, CT.
287 miles. < 10 miles range indicated. 20 miles to Milford, CT.
~300 miles. 0 miles range indicated. Car shuts off heater and informs user to "Recharge Now". Journalist presumably coasts on "fumes" into Milford, CT.
E Milford, CT Supercharger station (~210 miles from Newark)310 miles. 0 miles range indicated.
Charged for "nearly an hour". Car probably at 75% SOC.
310 miles. 185 miles range indicated. Car departs for Groton, CT driving "slowly". Stop at Stonington, CT for dinner.
G Groton, CT (46 miles from Milford, CT)389 miles, evening. 90 miles of range indicated. Overnight stay, no charging. Plan to return to Milford, CT in the morning.
389 miles, morning. 25 miles of range indicated. Temps now 10 degrees. After battery conditioning cycle, 19 miles range indicated.
H Norwich, CT (~11 miles from Groton)400 miles.
Charged at 6 kW J1772 station "for an hour". Drove towards Milford, CT Supercharger @ 45 mph.
447 miles. Ran out of charge near Branford, CT. Car shut down and coasts down an exit ramp. Tow truck dispatched. Tesla pulled onto flatbed (parking break would not release), towed to Milford, CT.
J Milford, CT Supercharger station (~71 miles from Manhattan)462 miles.
Charged for 80 minutes. 216 miles of range indicated. "Uneventful" trip back to Tesla dealer in Manhattan, NY.
K Manhattan, NY533 miles. 124 miles of range indicated. Presumably journalist rents a car (ha!) or more likely scores another press vehicle to return home.