My friend Megan and I left Sacramento at 7:13 pm on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, in her 2023 Tesla Model Y, headed for the USA SUP National Championships in Gig Harbor, Washington. We reached our hotel in Tacoma at 9:21 the next morning, about 740 miles later, and FSD (Supervised) had done the driving through the night.
Across the whole trip, roughly 1,630 miles counting the week around Tacoma and the drive home, we took over for about five miles. Nearly all of those were in parking lots, several of them around the Gig Harbor waterfront. We traded turns in the driver’s seat, and the software ran on Tesla’s $99 monthly subscription.
Key Takeaways
- Roughly five manual miles in about 1,630: FSD (Supervised) handled I-5 in both directions and the daily run across the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. The manual miles were parking lots.
- Northbound took 14 hours and 8 minutes overnight, 7:13 pm to 9:21 am, with 11 hours and 2 minutes moving and eight Supercharger stops between Oroville and Centralia.
- Southbound needed four charging stops: Wilsonville, Myrtle Creek, Yreka and Red Bluff, totaling 1 hour and 56 minutes, arriving in Sacramento at 12:50 am.
- The car: a 2023 Model Y Dual Motor AWD whose settings list the AI computer as Full Self-Driving Computer 4, running FSD (Supervised) v14.3, the build Tesla shipped to Hardware 4 cars on September 8, 2026.
- Cost: $99 for a month of FSD, the only way to get it new since February 14, 2026. Supercharging was free through a promotion Tesla ran when Megan bought the car.
- A 651.4-mile streak: at 9:12 am near Tacoma, the car’s Self-Driving streak counter showed 651.4 miles of FSD driving since a driver last took over from it.
- Supercharging at normal rates would have cost $200 to $299: the Tesla app logged 499 kWh over 15 sessions, priced here at $0.40 to $0.60 per kWh. Regular gas at AAA’s September 28, 2026 state averages would have run $297 in a 2026 Honda CR-V AWD, $329 in a Kia Sorento AWD, $400 in a Toyota Tacoma 4WD and $418 in a Ford Bronco 4WD.
- Weak spots: FSD circled or stalled in a few parking lots, and on the interstate it kept ducking into the right lane only to pull back out to pass.
- Overnight was the strongest case for it. The night stretches were far easier than the long drives I have done without it.
The Car, the Software and What It Cost
Megan’s car is a 2023 Model Y Dual Motor AWD built in Fremont, California. Its Software screen lists the AI computer as Full Self-Driving Computer 4, Tesla’s Hardware 4, so it runs the full FSD release. Teslas built with Hardware 3, roughly through early 2023, get a separate reduced branch, labeled v14.2 Lite in September 2026. The Model Y generation this car belongs to has its own page in TWD’s reliability database.
Tesla pushed FSD (Supervised) v14.3.9 to Hardware 4 cars on September 8, 2026, eight days before we left, according to the 2026.27.6 release notes. The next build, v14.3.10, began reaching a small share of the fleet on September 19, while we were in Washington.
The subscription is $99 a month in the US. Since February 14, 2026, it is the only way a new buyer can get FSD, because Tesla ended the one-time sale that had run $8,000.
We paid for the month.
Supercharging cost nothing, because Megan’s car came with free Supercharging from a promotion Tesla ran when she bought it.
Northbound Overnight: Sacramento to Tacoma
The first charge came at the Maverik in Oroville, 90 minutes out. From there we ran up to I-5 and the Cottonwood Supercharger, crossed the Siskiyou Pass after midnight, and stayed on the interstate into Washington.
| Stop | Arrived | Parked |
|---|---|---|
| Oroville, CA (Maverik) | 8:44 pm | 11 min |
| Cottonwood, CA (Holiday) | 10:09 pm | 26 min |
| Weed, CA | 11:48 pm | 30 min |
| Riddle, OR (Freeway Chevron) | 2:32 am | 34 min |
| Harrisburg, OR | 4:43 am | 13 min |
| Halsey, OR | 5:06 am | 12 min |
| Ridgefield, WA | 6:53 am | 33 min |
| Centralia, WA (Centralia Outlets) | 8:24 am | 10 min |
| Tacoma, WA (hotel) | 9:21 am | Done |
The Weed to Riddle leg ran 2 hours and 14 minutes in the dark, the longest of the night. Harrisburg and Halsey sit ten minutes apart on I-5, and we stopped at both, quick breaks between 4:43 and 5:18 in the morning.
I have driven overnight stretches like this without FSD, and this one was a lot easier.
At 9:12 am on I-5 in Lakewood, seven miles from the hotel, the screen showed a Self-Driving streak of 651.4 miles. Tesla added that counter in FSD v14.3.3, and it counts the miles FSD has driven since a driver last took over from it.
Four Days on the Narrows Bridge
We stayed at the Extended Stay America Tacoma South, about 12 miles from Skansie Brothers Park on the Gig Harbor waterfront. Every trip crossed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge on State Route 16, 15 to 19 minutes each way on FSD.
The bridge tolls only eastbound, toward Tacoma. For a two-axle car, WSDOT charges $4.50 with a Good To Go pass and $6.50 by mail.
The only charge that week was 14 minutes at the Tacoma Mall Supercharger on Friday morning.
Friday evening we went to K1 Speed, the indoor go-kart track in Tukwila, where I ran two races and paid to steer something myself after two days of letting the car do it.
Where FSD Came Up Short
In a few parking lots the car drove in circles or lost track of where it was going, and we took over. Tesla’s v14.3.9 notes list “Improved parking location pin prediction,” which covers where the car aims to park on arrival.
On the interstate, FSD kept moving into the right-hand lane, then back out a few moments later to pass the next slower vehicle. To the traffic around us it looked like a car that could not decide on a lane, hopping over far more often than a person at the wheel would. We switched between the Standard and Hurry profiles depending on where we were.
Southbound: Gig Harbor to Sacramento
We left Gig Harbor a little before noon on Sunday.
| Stop | Arrived | Parked |
|---|---|---|
| Wilsonville, OR (Costco) | 2:16 pm | 43 min |
| Myrtle Creek, OR (Grocery Outlet) | 5:29 pm | 22 min |
| Yreka, CA (Yreka Junction) | 7:46 pm | 29 min |
| Red Bluff, CA (Belle Mill Landing) | 10:01 pm | 22 min |
| Sacramento, CA (home) | 12:50 am | Done |
Four stops came to 1 hour and 56 minutes parked, against eight stops and 2 hours and 49 minutes at Superchargers northbound. Wilsonville to Myrtle Creek, about 180 miles in 2 hours and 30 minutes, was the longest run between stops on the whole trip.
Every charge got us out of the car to stretch our legs and walk around, which kept the drive from getting boring. The trip went faster for me that way than pushing through a full tank of gas, or driving more than a couple hundred miles at a time.
What the Supercharging Would Have Cost
Tesla’s app logged 15 Supercharger sessions at 11 Superchargers for the trip, adding 499 kWh. It files another 31 kWh under Work and 2 kWh under Home, for 532 kWh in all, and lists $2 spent across everything.
Tesla prices each Supercharger by site and time of day and shows the rate in the car and the app. At $0.40, $0.50 and $0.60 per kWh, the 499 kWh would have cost $200, $250 and $299.
A 2026 Subaru Solterra AWD has a NACS port for Superchargers and an EPA highway rating of 109 MPGe, against 117 for the Model Y. Scaling our 499 kWh by those ratings gives about 536 kWh, or $214 to $321 at the same rates.
| Scenario | Rate or EPA highway rating | Trip cost |
|---|---|---|
| What we paid to Supercharge | Free Supercharging promotion | $0 |
| Supercharger, 499 kWh | $0.40 per kWh | $200 |
| Supercharger, 499 kWh | $0.50 per kWh | $250 |
| Supercharger, 499 kWh | $0.60 per kWh | $299 |
| 2026 Subaru Solterra AWD, about 536 kWh | $0.40 to $0.60 per kWh | $214 to $321 |
| 2026 Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD, regular 87 | 34 mpg | $271 |
| 2026 Honda CR-V AWD, regular 87 | 31 mpg | $297 |
| 2026 Kia Sorento AWD 2.5L, regular 87 | 28 mpg | $329 |
| 2026 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4WD, regular 87 | 23 mpg | $400 |
| 2026 Ford Bronco 4WD 2.3L, regular 87 | 22 mpg | $418 |
The gas rows use AAA’s regular averages on September 28, 2026: $6.365 a gallon in California, $5.072 in Oregon and $5.531 in Washington, weighted by the miles we covered in each state, about 571, 635 and 425. Fuel economy is the EPA highway rating from fueleconomy.gov for each vehicle. At $0.50 per kWh, Supercharging comes in $21 under the hybrid CR-V’s gas, $79 under a Sorento’s, $150 under a Tacoma’s and $168 under a Bronco’s. At $0.50 per kWh a Solterra would have cost $268, $18 more than the Model Y. The Tesla app, on its own assumptions, puts the gas equivalent at $271 and the savings at $269.
What $99 of FSD Covered
For $99, FSD (Supervised) drove about 1,625 of our 1,630 miles, including both overnight stretches of I-5 and four days of commuting over the Narrows Bridge. The jobs it left to us were parking lots and a steady stream of lane changes we would not have made. It made me want FSD for every long road trip from here on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Tesla FSD drive from Sacramento to the Seattle area?
Yes. In September 2026, FSD (Supervised) drove a 2023 Model Y about 740 miles from Sacramento to Tacoma overnight and back, with roughly five miles of manual driving across the full 1,630-mile trip. The manual miles were parking lots. A driver has to supervise the whole time.
How much does Tesla FSD cost in 2026?
FSD (Supervised) costs $99 a month in the US. Since February 14, 2026, a subscription is the only way for a new buyer to get it; the $8,000 one-time sale ended.
Which FSD version was current in September 2026?
FSD (Supervised) v14.3.9 shipped to Hardware 4 cars on September 8, 2026, in software update 2026.27.6. Version 14.3.10 followed on September 19 in a limited rollout. Hardware 3 cars run a separate branch, v14.2 Lite.
How many Supercharger stops does Sacramento to Tacoma take?
We made eight northbound stops overnight and four southbound in a 2023 Model Y Dual Motor AWD. The southbound stops were Wilsonville and Myrtle Creek in Oregon, then Yreka and Red Bluff in California, and totaled 1 hour and 56 minutes parked.
How long does it take to drive from Sacramento to Gig Harbor in a Tesla?
Our northbound run took 14 hours and 8 minutes door to door, 11 hours and 2 minutes of it moving, for about 740 miles. Charging and breaks accounted for the rest.
How much does it cost to Supercharge a Model Y from Sacramento to Tacoma and back?
About $200 to $299 on our trip. Tesla’s app logged 499 kWh over 15 Supercharger sessions for 1,630 miles in a 2023 Model Y, priced here at $0.40 to $0.60 per kWh, since Tesla sets each station’s rate by site and time of day. At AAA’s September 28, 2026 regular averages, the same trip would have used $297 of gas in a 2026 Honda CR-V AWD and $400 in a 2026 Toyota Tacoma 4WD.
Does Tesla FSD handle parking lots?
Poorly, on our trip. In several lots FSD v14.3 drove in circles or lost its way, and those takeovers were nearly all of our five manual miles. Outside the lots, including I-5 and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, it did the driving.
Why does Tesla FSD change lanes so often on the highway?
On I-5, FSD kept returning to the right-hand lane and then pulling back out moments later to pass slower traffic. To other drivers it reads as a car that cannot settle on a lane.
Does a 2023 Model Y have Hardware 4?
Some do. Model Ys built roughly through early 2023 have Hardware 3, and later ones have Hardware 4. Check Controls, then Software, then Additional Vehicle Information: a Hardware 4 car lists the AI computer as Full Self-Driving Computer 4.
Is there a toll on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge?
Only eastbound, toward Tacoma, on State Route 16. For a two-axle car, WSDOT charges $4.50 with a Good To Go pass, $5.50 at the toll booth and $6.50 by mail.
Is Tesla FSD self-driving?
No. FSD (Supervised) requires an attentive driver ready to take over, and the car monitors the driver with a cabin camera. NHTSA has an open investigation into FSD’s behavior at red lights.
Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn is the writer, photographer, and publisher behind The Weekly Driver. He cares about how cars drive and what they're like to own. He covers automobile industry news, car shows and events, and new car reviews. The reviews come from behind the wheel: day trips that favor back routes, treating a good meal as half the reason to go. He directs and produces the visual media, matching each car to a setting and mood that fit it. When he's not reviewing new cars, Michael races paddleboards, camels, and ostriches, along with the occasional exotic car on the racetrack, and has driven in every state and country visited.
https://theweeklydriver.com