Photo: Silke and Rolf's Facebook page
If there was ever a definition of the modern hippy, then this must be it: a husband, his wife, and their dog driving across a great country for no particular reason in an electric car towing a trailer with solar panels on top. It doesn't get any more hip than this.
And still, wouldn't you just love if you could drop everything you were doing right now and swap places with them? Going on a 6,000+ miles (10,000 km) road trip with no time pressure is probably the best way to get to know a country.
After all, some people even wrote books about it after similar experiences - see Ilf and Petrov's "Little Golden America." And while they don't plan to launch themselves into a career in literature, these two will also document their journey on a blog and social media.
Like all big ideas, it all started differently. Silke Sommerfeld and Rolf Oetter have been planning a trip across Canada for over ten years, but never found the time to do it. Initially, they were supposed to do it in a motor home, but after acquiring their Model X, leaving a trail of pollution behind just didn't seem right to them anymore.
So Rolf, a German engineer, set to modify the trailer for the long trip. Since camping spots only come with one plug, and they would need it for the car, the trailer had to be energy self-sufficient. By installing 800 watts of solar panels and a little over five-kilowatt hours worth of lithium ion batteries, he not only achieved that, but also turned the trailer into an external power source for the car, capable of delivering between 30 to 40 kilometers of extra range.
The couple estimate their journey will take them about three months, but that's only because they plan to make the most of it and not rush it in any way. Tesla is in no way involved in their endeavor, and they make it very clear that they want to promote electric cars in general, not one brand in particular.
"This trip is our idea," says Silke, talking to Vancouver Island News. "All we want is to raise awareness and bring electric cars closer to as many people as possible." You can follow Silke and Rolf's progress on their Facebook page where they are also more than happy to answer any questions.
After all, some people even wrote books about it after similar experiences - see Ilf and Petrov's "Little Golden America." And while they don't plan to launch themselves into a career in literature, these two will also document their journey on a blog and social media.
Like all big ideas, it all started differently. Silke Sommerfeld and Rolf Oetter have been planning a trip across Canada for over ten years, but never found the time to do it. Initially, they were supposed to do it in a motor home, but after acquiring their Model X, leaving a trail of pollution behind just didn't seem right to them anymore.
So Rolf, a German engineer, set to modify the trailer for the long trip. Since camping spots only come with one plug, and they would need it for the car, the trailer had to be energy self-sufficient. By installing 800 watts of solar panels and a little over five-kilowatt hours worth of lithium ion batteries, he not only achieved that, but also turned the trailer into an external power source for the car, capable of delivering between 30 to 40 kilometers of extra range.
The couple estimate their journey will take them about three months, but that's only because they plan to make the most of it and not rush it in any way. Tesla is in no way involved in their endeavor, and they make it very clear that they want to promote electric cars in general, not one brand in particular.
"This trip is our idea," says Silke, talking to Vancouver Island News. "All we want is to raise awareness and bring electric cars closer to as many people as possible." You can follow Silke and Rolf's progress on their Facebook page where they are also more than happy to answer any questions.
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