Electrek.co
by Michelle Lewis
We got our Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive, estimated range of 267 miles, in June 2021. Last autumn, we took it on its first long voyage – 10 hours round trip to Florida.
It did great, so when it came time to head cross country with our two cats from Florida to New Hampshire over three days, we decided to give it a go. Here’s how it went!
Driving with two cats was initially a bit of a quandary, as the Model 3’s backseat isn’t big enough for larger animal carriers, and cats can’t sit in small enclosed carriers for three days.
To our relief, our cat-transport strategy worked great. We have white seats in our Model 3.
Seth Weintraub, Electrek‘s publisher, told me when I was about to order our Model 3 that white Tesla seats wipe clean like a charm. He knows because he’s got kids and a big dog and cats as well. So we chose white, and he was right.
Just to make sure, we put wipe-clean mats on the seats, and they came out unscathed. We also have rubber floor mats, which were handy for when the cats needed to use the litter box (when they gotta go, they gotta go).
What I learned: The Tesla Model 3 is a bit tight space-wise for a big road trip like this, but it’s doable. The seats are comfortable, and it’s animal-transport friendly. A big win. You don’t need an SUV to do this big East Coast drive comfortably.