A new world record was established by a man from South Carolina who flew the Model H 3,500 miles on just one charge. The Model H is essentially a super-efficient helicopter that garners its power from a large 3000 lb on-board battery. It is also covered in efficient solar panels which help to boost range. While this wasn’t true in the ‘teens, as solar panel prices have been coming down, it now makes sense to “put them on the vehicles” according to Tesla CEO, Elon Musk. One benefit of the Model H with regard to solar panels is that it can fly above the clouds to gather maximum sunlight.
Alvin Samsonite, the Tesla enthusiast, flew a painfully slow 34 miles per hour in order to achieve this record distance. It took just over 4.3 days to complete the journey. The man brought enough food and water, and had access to a portable toilet for the duration of the journey. The Model H has autopilot software that flies itself, so Samsonite just let the cruise control whisk him away.