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Two Cybertrucks Drove from Florida to the Arctic Circle—and Charging Looked Like a Nightmare

Two Cybertrucks reached Tuktoyaktuk from Florida and returned in 2024, but sparse northern charging, occupied stalls and local hookups made the trip a test of planning.
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Yes: two Tesla Cybertrucks made the drive from Florida to Tuktoyaktuk, Canada, and back in 2024. The trip was completed, but its remote northern stretch made charging the hard part: the team had to rely on public chargers outside Tesla’s network and local electrical hookups where fast charging was scarce. The “nightmare” label captures reported delays and uncertainty, not a breakdown or a controlled test of EV reliability.

Where the Cybertrucks went—and how far they drove

The expedition crossed the United States and Canada to Tuktoyaktuk, a community at the end of the Dempster Highway on the Arctic Ocean. Gizmodo reported on September 2, 2024, while the trip was still underway; InsideEVs reported on September 14 that the team had reached Tuktoyaktuk and completed the return journey.

InsideEVs put the total at about 11,000 miles round trip, or roughly 5,500 miles each way. That is the outlet’s reported trip distance, not an independently verified odometer reading. The same report describes the Dempster Highway as 460 miles of unpaved road leading to Tuktoyaktuk. InsideEVs’ trip retrospective provides the completion account and route details.

Why charging made the trip look difficult

Tesla Superchargers covered much of the long journey, but InsideEVs said there were no Superchargers in the Northwest Territories segment discussed in its report. Farther north, the team had to plan around third-party stations and businesses or facilities with usable electrical connections. The issue was not simply how far a truck could travel on a charge; it was whether a compatible charger would be available and working when the team arrived.

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Justin Demaree, known as The Bearded Tesla Guy, described the change in network in an August 27, 2024 video, as reported by Gizmodo: “Welcome to Prince George, the last Tesla supercharger on this trip. Everything from here is public chargers like the FLO Network so, fingers crossed, everything goes well after this.” His comment marked a transition to public charging, not the end of charging options altogether. Gizmodo’s contemporaneous coverage followed the trip as it was happening.

What went wrong at charging stops

A single occupied stall created a wait

Gizmodo relayed a team member’s account of reaching a charger described as the only one within 150 miles, only to find its single stall occupied while the Cybertruck was at 3%. This was one reported incident on this expedition, not evidence of a general public-charging failure rate.

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A charging attempt took several tries

The same coverage described a charging attempt in British Columbia that took five tries across three stalls. The account illustrates the uncertainty the team encountered, but it does not establish why each attempt failed or how frequently other drivers face the same problem.

The team improvised with two trucks

In one workaround reported by Gizmodo, the group used a CCS charger to charge one Cybertruck, then used that truck’s 14-50 outlet to charge the other. The participants joked that one truck would finish in about an hour and a half while the other could take 14 hours. This was a specific expedient described during the trip, not a recommended charging procedure or a verified time comparison for typical charging.

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How charging conditions changed along the route

Route condition What the reporting describes What it meant for the trip
Much of the U.S. and southern Canada route The team used Tesla Superchargers for much of the journey. Charging was more predictable while the route could use Tesla’s network.
Public charging beyond Prince George Demaree said the remaining route relied on public chargers, including the FLO Network; Gizmodo reported delays and repeated attempts at some stops. The team had to account for access and availability beyond Tesla’s own network.
Northwest Territories and the Dempster Highway InsideEVs said there were no Tesla Superchargers in the Northwest Territories section it discussed. The team planned around local businesses and facilities with usable power connections. Local hookups and advance planning mattered where conventional fast-charging coverage was sparse.

The reports do not give a complete, timestamped itinerary or a verified total for charging and waiting time. They support a comparison of charging conditions by route segment, but not a precise estimate of how many extra hours the charging difficulties added.

Did the Cybertrucks finish without mechanical problems?

According to the InsideEVs retrospective, the trucks had no vehicle issues during the trip, and the team did not use gasoline or diesel to recharge them. Those are claims reported by the outlet about the team’s journey, not findings from an independent mechanical inspection or an audited energy log. The charging difficulties described in contemporaneous coverage can therefore coexist with the successful completion reported later: the hard part was access to charging, not a reported truck breakdown.

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What the 2024 charger donations do—and do not—show

InsideEVs reported that six Tesla Level 2 wall chargers had been donated along the Dempster route, but that only one appeared operational on Tesla’s charging map when its article was written. Urander’s September 2024 coverage also described chargers being delivered along the route. These are historical details about the rollout and map status at that time, not a current count or confirmation that any particular charger is available now. Uranders’ September 2024 coverage describes the charger deliveries.

A Level 2 wall charger is not a portable substitute for a fast-charging network. Tesla’s owner manual explains charging connections and directs owners to charging locations and route planning; drivers should confirm charging has started and check current station access before relying on a stop. Tesla’s Cybertruck owner manual contains the manufacturer’s charging instructions.

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What this trip says about a remote EV road trip

The expedition shows that a long EV route can be completed even when it leaves a dense branded charging network, but the northern leg demanded flexibility the earlier miles did not. A useful plan for a similarly remote route needs to account for more than the next station on a map:

  • Check the current operating status, connector type, and access conditions for charging stops along the route.
  • Allow for the possibility that a station may be occupied or that an attempted session may not start immediately.
  • Confirm local charging arrangements in advance where public fast chargers are sparse, rather than assuming a business or facility will provide access.
  • Build time into the itinerary for charging and waiting. The available trip reports do not establish a universal charging-time penalty or a reliable total for this expedition.

The team’s vehicles were lightly modified, with upgrades from Unplugged Performance and a custom roof-rack setup, according to InsideEVs. The sources do not establish that the same specific rack product was installed on both trucks. A rack or other overlanding equipment may be relevant to cargo and vehicle setup, but it does not solve the central challenge documented here: dependable access to charging in remote areas.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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