Now Available: BRP Tesla Drive Info Document for Self Exploration

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2022 BRP Tesla Drive

2018 had 60 cars, 2019 had 120 cars, 2020 had COVID, 2021 we tried to come back but so did COVID, so April 23, 2022 we're REALLY back! Welcome back to the annual(ish) Blue Ridge Parkway Tesla Drive! You will see some significant changes from 2019 in the info below. Before we get into that, two important things:

Don't do anything stupid. Yes, this is obvious. Things like obey posted speed limits on the parkway and don't park on the grass. Be safe on the road as well as at the event. 

Follow local COVID Guidance. We require that you follow any local COVID guidance if there is any at the time of the event.

Saturday - The Gathering

Participants will gather in the large parking lot at Asheville Outlets beginning in the morning and check-in to pick up their badges. This year we're renting a very large tent to be setup in the parking lot and will focus all activates at that location throughout the event. Optional lunch will be pizzas/drinks brought in to be served under the large tent but various other food options are available within walking distance as well if you prefer something else or have special dietary needs. 

Fill the Frunk Food Drive for Loving Food Resources
As we did in 2019, we again are having a food drive for Loving Food Resources. While they are happy to receive any non-perishable products, they provided the list below of the items they are in most need of now. Items will be collected throughout the day at the event. If you wish to make a monetary donation, please visit their website: www.lovingfood.org 

Saturday - The Drive

The drive will be the same parkway segment as 2019 but we'll be doing it a little different this year. Based on lots of feedback, we'll be going in a number of small groups instead of one large continuous line of cars. Small groups will allow the drive departures to take place at different times to accommodate later arrivals as well as allow flexibility to stop at overlooks, which was not possible in 2019. 

We will depart in groups from the event and travel southwest down the Blue Ridge Parkway through hairpin curves, steep grades, and many tunnels, climbing to an altitude above 6000 feet at one point. The route will have suggested turn around points to travel the parkway back to the event in Asheville. The graphic below shows some suggested points with round trip mileage and times for those points. We will get feedback on what you want to do and set the groups appropriately. Of course, if you have friends already, you can certainly stick together and groups can be shuffled around on the day of the drive. Groups my decide their own route, we will just try to get groupings based on desired length of drive on the parkway and activity. You may also break away from the group and turn around early if you wish of course.  

Example Drives and Activities (click the graphic to get a larger image)

In addition to the main drive, there is an early morning sunrise option for early birds. A group will be meeting at 6:30AM Saturday at The Cradle of Forestry Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway to watch the sunrise. That location is about a 30 minute drive from where the event is being held.  

Saturday Evening 

Saturday evening we will be bringing dinner into the event location to be served under the big tent beginning at 7. Food will be served buffet style with vegetarian, chicken, and beef entree options.

Tentative Schedule

Friday April 22nd
5 PM	Early check-in and small gathering at the event location - 800 Brevard Rd, Asheville, NC
Saturday April 23rd
7 AM	Optional Sunrise meetup at 6:45am at The Cradle of Forestry Overlook Sunrise at 6:45am (recommended arrive by 6:30)
9 AM	Check-in opens at the event location
12 PM	Optional pizza lunch under the big tent
1 PM	Begin small group departures for the parkway
7 PM	Optional dinner served under the big tent

Schedule to be adjusted as necessary

Charging

There are now three supercharger locations in Asheville, a 12 stall (4 of which are new 250kW units) in the parking lot of the event at Asheville Outlets, a new 8 stall 250kW on the east side of Asheville at Tunnel Road, and a new 12 stall 250kW 6.5 miles south of the event at Biltmore Park. In addition to those, a new 12 stall 250kW supercharger is now in Old Fort on I-40 44 miles before getting to the event if coming from the east.  

General rule is to charge up as soon as you get to Asheville to allow space for those arriving after you. For those coming in Friday, be sure to charge up to 90% Friday night. After the drive, we will suggest that anyone staying in Asheville Saturday night delay charging if there is a line to give priority to those traveling home Saturday. You will make your own decisions when it comes to use of the superchargers as we can only make suggestions. 

For those travelling in the morning of the event
We suggest the following to take some load off the event supercharger if you are travelling in on Saturday morning. 

• If coming from east of the event on I-40 we suggest routing to the Old Fort or Tunnel Road supercharger and charging to 90%
• If coming from Charlotte or south of the event we suggest routing to the Biltmore Park supercharger and charging to 90%

All of those chargers are new 250 kW locations which should provide the fastest and most convenient option for charging coming in. The Tunnel Road supercharger is significantly closer to the event, but is not directly on the route which would add about 10 minutes to your trip if coming from the east.

You can of course charge or top up your battery at the event, but most of the stalls of the event supercharger are older and slower than the options coming in. The slower stalls are great for topping your battery up from 70% to 90% charge and don't charge any slower than the newest chargers when doing this. Below 70% however, they will be MUCH slower than the new 250kW chargers. 

Hotels

We were not able to secure discounted hotel rooms for this event but below is a list of hotels in proximity to the event location as well as a second set in proximity to the two new superchargers in Asheville. Please make your arrangements soon if you wish to book as many hotels will book up before the event. 

Immediate Vicinity of Asheville Outlets Supercharger and Event:

Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville Biltmore
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/avlbahx-hampton-suites-asheville-biltmore-area

Hilton Garden Inn Asheville South
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/avlgigi-hilton-garden-inn-asheville-south

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Asheville SW
https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/asheville/avlbm/hoteldetail

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/avlbs-fairfield-inn-and-suites-asheville-outlets

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson
https://www.radissonhotelsamericas.com/en-us/hotels/country-inn-asheville-outlet-mall-nc

Comfort Suites Outlet Center
https://www.choicehotels.com/north-carolina/asheville/comfort-suites-hotels/nc139

Immediate Vicinity of Biltmore Park Supercharger in Asheville:

Hilton Asheville Biltmore Park
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/avlbphf-hilton-asheville-biltmore-park/

Immediate Vicinity of Tunnel Road Supercharger in Asheville:

Hampton Inn Asheville-Tunnel Rd.
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/avltuhx-hampton-asheville-tunnel-rd

Courtyard by Marriott Asheville
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/avlcy-courtyard-asheville

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Asheville
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/avlsh-springhill-suites-asheville

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Asheville Tunnel Road
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/avlfa-fairfield-inn-and-suites-asheville-tunnel-road

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Asheville Downtown Tunnel Road, NC
https://www.radissonhotelsamericas.com/en-us/hotels/country-inn-asheville-downtown-nc

North Carolina Tesla Drives Notification List

When you sign up for the notification mailer below you will not see any verification screen but should recieve an email verification within about 10 minutes.