Performance Tesla Model 3 sets new AWD EV Cannonball record across the US

The current record for an electric vehicle (EV) Cannonball run across the US is held by Matthew Davis and Kyle Conner of Out of Spec Motoring.

In 2019, they crossed the country from New York to Los Angeles in a Long Range RWD Model 3 in a record time of 45 hours 16 minutes.

Now there’s a new EV Cannonball record for a Performance AWD Model 3, set this week by Ryan Levenson and Ryan Kalb of The Kilowatts.

The pair set off from the Portofino Inn in Redondo Beach in the early morning hours of July 1, 2020, and arrived in New York City at the famed Red Ball Garage on July 3, 46 hours and 33 minutes later.

Their record run was set in a 2018 Performance Model 3 modified only with an Unplugged Performance Front Lip and Performance Rear Spoiler.

Their Model 3 was also outfitted with some prototype aero wheels with the tires inflated all the way up to 52psi.

In an interview, Levenson tells Drive Tesla the trip saw them stop at 28 Tesla Superchargers along the way while recording an average efficiency of 318wh/mi (197wh/km). An impressive number when you consider their average speed over the course of the nearly 2 days was 77.27mph (124.35 km/h).

As you can see by the photo, the front end could use a good wash after their high-speed cross country journey.

Now that the pair has some Cannonball experience under their belts, they tell Drive Tesla they’re going to try and break the record on their return trip home. Be sure to check out their Twitter account to follow along with their record attempt.

The current overall record for the Cannonball run in a gas car belongs to Fred Ashmore, who completed the trip in 25 hours 55 minutes.

Earlier this year two intrepid Canadians, Trev Page and Ian Pavelko, embarked on a similar journey across Canada in an effort to show that an EV could drive across Canada in the middle of winter. Their journey from Vancouver, BC to Halifax, Nova Scotia clocked in at 73 hours 27 minutes.

Check out the full time lapse video of The Kilowatts’ epic cross-country trip below. Here is a list of the Superchargers visited along their journey.