If you think having to take a 30 minute break after 2 hours of driving ISN'T a big deal then you are way out of touch.
But, then again, gas stations aren't exactly where I want to stop for 30 minutes every two hours. My 30 minute stops are rest areas, local or state parks, interesting restaurants, lakes, monuments, etc. It's rare that I want to spend 30 minutes at a gas station.
So, while I think stopping for 30 minutes every 2 hours isn't a big deal, and I don't think I'm way out of touch. But, since I wouldn't get to determine where I stop for 30 minutes ever 2 hours in the current Tesla scenario, it is a big deal. Presumably, and allegedly, this 30 minute problem will soon fade. I'm impressed that a cross-country trip will be possible this year. That's amazing progress; I'm blown away by Musk's vision and ability to deliver it.
Unless you are into amphetamines or falling asleep at the wheel, it is the only way to do it for any extended amount of time.
This is simply not a true statement.
It may be your personal preference, but it is not at all universal.
SF to Seattle is the really hard one. SF to Portland is something I can do (without starting absurdly early, or maybe even after a full day of doing other stuff), but going all the way to Seattle is hard, and stopping in Portland seems silly (since it's only 3h more to Seattle). Unfortunately, everything between Redding/Weed and Portland seems to be Methland.
http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/
Please adjust your driving behavior.
San Jose to Vegas is 523 miles, and doing that in 6-7 hours is quite feasible (although it's entirely possible for it to take 12-14 hours with traffic on I-5 and I-15 if things go wrong)
The trip back is usually done in one day, ~10am to ~midnight. This usually includes 2-3 stops for gas and food. I wouldn't mind these stops being half an hour instead of their usual ~15 minutes, but it would mean that I would have to leave an hour earlier, or get home an hour later. since I'd have 50-100 miles less range per "fill-up" with the top-of-the-line Model S, I'd probably have to make an extra stop as well.
Ultimately, I look forward to none of this discussion mattering in 10 years, at which time I fully expect 400+ mile range in self-driving EV cars that charge in 10 minutes.
***fingers-crossed***"The 12th round-Australia motoring event run since the first (1953) Redex, the [largely off-road 18,000km, 14 day] 1979 Repco is now acknowledged as the toughest long-distance rally since the continent-to-continent epics of the first decade of the 20th century. Like earlier round-Australia trials and the London-to-Sydney epics of 1968 and 1977, crews were expected to drive virtually non stop for days at a time with limited rest breaks. Nowadays this would be considered irresponsibly dangerous."
If that is the case, I am here to tell you that driving from Seattle to San Francisco in a single run is neither impossible nor even particularly remarkable. I make this trip two or three times a year, visiting my California-based family. I-5 is a smooth, easy, comfortable road, well engineered and well maintained. The challenge is not fatigue but boredom, especially through the long, straight sections in the wide-open countryside of Nothern California, where average traffic speed approaches 80 mph. Bring an interesting companion or some good energetic music and you're set.
A VW Jetta can get 45mpg if you're really lucky, with a 14.5gal tank, so about 650.
ML350 is about 700 miles, and the old TDI VW Passats were about a 20 gallon tank and good for about 1000 miles stock.