Tesla Van Life Day 62: French Charging Costs & Mattress Setup
Summary of the video “🚗 Living in My Tesla in Europe | Day 62 | 🇫🇷 Scenic French Drive & Peaceful Vibes” by Captain Eli.
Captain Eli documents day 62 of living in a Tesla across Europe, showcasing his Sunday routine in France, demonstrating how to convert the vehicle's back seats for family visits using an inflatable mattress system, and sharing his weekly driving and charging statistics.
Daily Routine & Location
Sunday in France with Everything Closed
On day 62, Captain Eli wakes up early on a Sunday morning in France intending to buy fresh groceries and fruits, but discovers all shops are closed. He decides to stay at the Wave Shopping Center location because he enjoys it, completing a 4-hour work session and gym time before exploring food options.
Social Media Growth on X (formerly Twitter)
Captain Eli has built a following of 27,000 people on X, starting from casual engagement with the Tesla and Elon Musk communities. He credits this organic growth to gradually becoming more active in the community, eventually being followed by Elon Musk himself, making X his primary social platform despite YouTube being newer.
Inspiration from Nomadic Lifestyle Creators
Before purchasing his Tesla, Captain Eli researched the nomadic car-living lifestyle and was inspired by content creator Nico, who demonstrated exactly the lifestyle Captain Eli wanted to pursue when he bought the vehicle.
Mattress System & Vehicle Configuration
Dream Case Air Mattress Setup Process
Captain Eli demonstrates his inflatable mattress system (Dream Case Air) which comes with a carrying case, pump, cord, blankets, and straps. The mattress normally serves as his bed but must be deflated and stored when family visits require use of the back row seats, a process he documents in detail to show the real time and effort involved.
Mattress Base Leveling Technique
The Tesla's back row seats are not perfectly flat, so Captain Eli uses the mattress carrying case as a base layer and strategically places blankets to offset the uneven surface, ensuring a level sleeping platform. This workaround prevents sleeping on a slope and is part of his practical van-life optimization.
Family Visit Preparation
Captain Eli mentions his family will arrive in France within a few days, requiring him to convert his sleeping setup to restore the back row seats. He demonstrates the flexibility of his mattress system to quickly transition from personal sleeping quarters to a vehicle that can accommodate passengers.
Weekly Driving & Charging Economics
Cumulative Distance Since Pickup
By day 62, Captain Eli has driven a total of 9,499 kilometers (5,911 miles) since picking up his Tesla, demonstrating the extensive travel he has undertaken across Europe in his vehicle.
Weekly Driving Distance
During week 9 (day 62), Captain Eli drove 815 kilometers, which converts to 506 miles, showing his consistent travel pace across Europe.
Weekly Charging Costs
Captain Eli spent 244 euros (approximately 278 USD) on charging during the week, paying an average of 5.82 cents per kilowatt (or 6.64 USD cents), which he considers very low and is satisfied with.
Daily Average Charging Cost
Captain Eli calculates his average daily charging expense at approximately 6 USD per day, which he considers minimal and essentially his only ongoing payment for the van-life lifestyle, making it extremely cost-effective.
Per-Kilowatt Charging Rate
The average rate Captain Eli paid for electricity was 5.82 cents per kilowatt in euros or 6.64 cents in USD, demonstrating the efficiency of his charging strategy across European locations.
Tesla Competition Ineligibility
Captain Eli notes that his Tesla is registered in Italy, which is exempt from a Tesla competition, preventing him from participating despite his extensive travel and usage.
Notable quotes
X started as just something that was goofing around. I never was on social media before. — Captain Eli
I'm happy with the charging numbers. That's very low. I have no issue with everything else. — Captain Eli
Every day on average I spend six bucks. That's my rent. It's basically the only ongoing payment that I have. — Captain Eli