Two intrepid Canadians are embarking on a 7,467km (4,645 mile) trip across the country in a Tesla Model 3. Jef Fisher and Cyril Wheeler have departed from Mile 0 in St. John’s, Newfoundland today and will drive the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway, with the goal of reaching Mile 0 in Victoria, British Columbia later this week.
The pair had originally planned to start their trip in January, but floods on both coasts resulting in prolonged road closures and COVID-19 restrictions across the country delayed their departure. After those delays, they are now starting their trip ahead of their revised schedule to take advantage of a good weather forecast in Newfoundland.
The drive, which is being sponsored by Drive Tesla Canada, was inspired by Trevor Page and Ian Pavelko’s 73 hour run from Vancouver to Halifax in February 2020, and Harvey Soicher and Kent Rathwell’s drive in an Audi e-tron in September 2021.
However, Fisher and Wheeler aren’t out to set a record for the fastest time. Instead, they are hoping to drive the main route of the Trans-Canada route in an EV during winter, something which has never been accomplished before.
“The purpose of this trip and the 2 trips before us was to dispel the myth that EVs aren’t practical in Canada for long distance driving. I’ve been driving EVs since 2014 and I’m still often told what EVs can’t do by people who do not drive them. Hopefully this adventure will bring more attention to the ease and efficiency of travelling long distances in an electric car and more people will start understanding all the benefits of electric mobility and stop using gas,” Fisher told Drive Tesla.
They will be at a disadvantage starting in Newfoundland, as the province has no Supercharger stations, so they will instead have to rely on third-party DC fast chargers to make it across the province.
With that, they are aiming to drive across the country in about 5 days (120 hours), or less if all goes well.
If they are able to successfully complete the drive, they will land themselves a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. The trip will be certified by Danny Halmo, president and founder of FEVER world record setting INC formula electric vehicle entertainment and racing association.
You can follow their journey on our website, where we will be hosting their live tracker, and posting updates from their drive on our Charge Across Canada page.
They hope to meet lots of Canadians along the way, so keep checking back to see when they will be arriving at a Supercharger station near you (they may even have some free swag to give away).
The trip is sponsored by:
- Drive Tesla Canada
- Fast Co – They have provided their super efficient EV-01 rims which will provide more efficiency over the stock Tesla rims. Fast Co also sponsored the first coast to coast trip in 2020 from Vancouver to Halifax.
- Shift Electric Vehicles in Oakville, Ontario – They sold Fisher the Model 3 Dual Motor quickly because the waiting time for a new Tesla can be as much as 1 year due to the huge demand. Call them if you want a Tesla now!
- EVInsulate – Fisher has insulated the car’s glass roof and the underside of the car where the battery is which will keep the cabin and battery warm and the heat pump working less which will add to their efficiency.
- Wheeler Automotive – Cyril’s independent Tesla service and magic shop!
- EVMarket.ca – The car is loaded with after market accessories to make a long drive easier and more comfortable.
- TeslaTalks – Our good friend Dax who will be putting video we send from the car together to help people track our progress.
- Tesla GTA Club – A great group of people who organize events including food drives and more.
