On the road in a Tesla

Planning an electric-car road trip in California is not nearly as complex as first assumed: There are charging stations aplenty, though some charge far faster than others. As the hours spent waiting for more battery life pile up, the day can slip away.

The Maricopa Highway, out of Ojai, Calif., runs straight into the middle of nowhere -- a dicey spot for an all-electric. We turned back.

A single-car charging station in Summerland was the only spot that cost money (75¢ an hour). The whole trip added up to just $1.50 for nearly 700 miles -- not bad for a bit of inconvenience.

Coming in off Highway 1 over to Paso Robles, we hit 90 mph in a blink while passing a truck, moving uphill. The only sound seemed to be the air rushing past.

Tesla's Supercharge station in Gilroy delivers a massive amount of electricity extremely quickly. We were full up after an hour, during which time we walked to an In-N-Out and had a burger.