Westward Ho! First Trip Cross Country with Our New 2026 Tesla Model Y & Full Self Driving V14

We were headed west again for the 6 th time, driving the ~1500 miles from our lake house in Northern Wisconsin to our winter home near the grandchildren in Northern Utah. We had totaled our 2019 Tesla Model 3 in an accident in May; therefore, this was our first road trip in our new 2026 Model Y running Full Self Driving V14. As usual, we were carrying two big ebikes on the back. We plan to pause in Utah at our home for a few days and then on to Portland, Oregon, and the Pacific Ocean.

📌 The Core Development

The experience was quite different this time because of the new car and the significant upgrade to Tesla’s driving automation: Full Self Driving Supervised V14.3.12.

As we approached our first Supercharger in Wausau, Wisconsin, it looked like the navigation was taking us the wrong way. However, once we got to our normal exit, it was closed. We had to drive a few miles beyond it, do a U-turn, and come back. It cost us roughly an extra 5 miles. I’m going to have to learn to trust the navigation. The Nav knows about road closures like this and even traffic jams . Unfortunately, it doesn’t explain ahead of time why it is suggesting an alternate route.

🔍 Background & Sector Context

Our first stop was at the Wausau, Wisconsin Supercharger next to the Hilton Gardens Inn on highway NN. In 7 years, we’ve never seen more than a few cars charging there. For the first time, the charging station was full (see photo below). It was Sunday after a big fall-colors week in Northern Wisconsin and many tourists were headed home. On our screen, it gave a charger wait time of five minutes. As we drove the last 100 miles to Wausau, our computer screen alternated between showing an unspecified wait time and as many as two stalls open.

When we arrived, it listed two stalls as open, but, in fact, for nearly the first time across the last seven years that we’ve been Supercharging, all eight stalls were full. However, here’s the good part: within less than five minutes, one of the cars pulled out and we were able to back into the empty stall . Then, the bad part: it was the slowest charge we’ve ever experienced. It was an older V2 hardware Supercharger where you need to share charging with the adjacent car. That meant that we were charging at only a 50-kilowatt speed for the whole charge. The total charge took about 40 minutes. However, after the bathroom break and walking our small rescue dog, Zuni, we only needed to kill about 15 minutes before setting off again.

📊 Industry & Real-World Impact

The next stop was Menomonee, Wisconsin, halfway to Minneapolis and the charger was showing three empty stalls. Since, as I mentioned, we were traveling on a Sunday, a beautiful day, with full fall colors in the Northwoods, we found another Supercharger that appeared to be full (see below), but there was one stall empty and we pulled in. When we came east in mid-May, there were seldom more than one or two cars in any of the 12 Superchargers en route.

🔮 Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead

The Menomonee Supercharger has a newer Hardware 4 charger, so we were charging faster, at almost 100 kW during our whole charge. As we pulled out, there were about three cars waiting, but the line moved quickly. No one had to wait more than a few minutes. Then we were on our way to Minneapolis.

About 20 miles east of Minneapolis, crossing the Saint Croix River on the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota, half the lanes of the bridge were shut down. The navigation took us on a town of Henderson detour going on highways U and UU, then back onto the I-90 route across the bridge. It probably saved time avoiding the worst of the traffic backup because of the closure on the bridge. Then we were on an east–west route right through the center of Saint Paul–Minneapolis. Full Self Driving V14 with Tesla navigation found its way through the big city freeways perfectly.