Zathras are you there? Tesla curiosity….

[VaCollector]

DW (still w*orking) seems to be "jonesing" for a Tesla

Her current ride is an X5 so I really don't understand where her motivation is coming from as she has always preferred
comfort to conservation…although she does like to be stylish :cool smiley: ….but price alone would keep me from enjoying it...

I have personally never been in the presence of a Tesla and only know what I hear and read on the ole inter web…but
DW actually viewed and sat in one while on a trip to Chicagoland and was mightily impressed (evidently).

So I thought that I would reach out to Zathras (and any others with ownership experience) to get info on actual ownership
and any possible regrets? I assume that an in home charging area needs to be installed? Average distance per charge?
..…of course opinions and comments from the gallery are graciously appreciated as well

As additional info, we live in Virginia where they are not currently allowed to be sold….a BIG negative in my book….

 

[kcowan]

We went to their dealership and also took a test ride. It is a sweet car and I would say is in the same class as a BMW M6 (but cheaper). With their charging station plans, by 2015 it will be possible to do long distance trips around the US and Canada.

Yes you need an in-home charging station. If DW primarily drives around town, then it is definitely a contender. I would wait until there is an in-state dealer. YMMV.

(BTW we only drive our northern car for 6 months, and same with our southern car. We do not put enough miles on either of them to justify purchase.)

 

[Chuckanut]

As additional info, we live in Virginia where they are not currently allowed to be sold….a BIG negative in my book….

[mod edit]

You may not be able to buy a Tesla in Virginia but I assume (always dangerous!) that you can own a Tesla in Virginia and get it serviced there or maybe just over the state border. But, maybe not.

Tesla was rated the best car it ever tested by Consumer Reports.

But..... you are still going to be on the leading edge of technology.

And, they are not pollution free, the pollution just comes from other sources.

And, finally the low cost per mile of electric vehicles will eventually go up when the states figure out a way to make electric vehicles pay the equivalent of a gas tax. It will happen if for no other reason, when gasoline vehicle owners get tired of subsidizing the roads for electric vehicle owners.

Despite all of the above, I wish I had a Tesla. There is a Tesla showroom in my area and I love to go in and caress the display car. The car has to be great fun to drive!

 

[Zathras]

VACollector...

My only regret is that other companies aren't jumping on the bandwagon yet

I actually envy you as your winters are less harsh than mine (meaning you won't take as much a hit to winter range) and you have a supercharger route to both the north and south.

We get about 290 miles in the summer, and about 200 in the winter. I would expect you would be closer to 220-240 in the winters. A lot of it depends upon your driving behavior, and elevation changes.

As for the direct sales, I have not heard of any Texas owners having an issue. You can purchase right over the Internet and it looks like you have service to the north and south. Not sure where you are in VA, however, if you are out of the service area they will come to you.

If the Tesla disappeared tomorrow, I would buy another tomorrow night.

One other regret... I have been spoiled and can no sooner drive an internal combustion engine than a cart pulled by horses.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

VACollector, I can't answer any questions for you or make any statements about ownership but I'd love to be able to. I guess the closest I'll get is with our Toyota Prius V, which I really like. I can't even justify the Prius to be honest. Then again, why do you have to justify anything. Some things just make you feel good. I feel good after having driven around town for three weeks and filling up with eight gallons. I also feel good about following a Tesla through town couple weeks ago just to get my eyeballs full of beauty. I say go get one.

 

[Animorph]

Edmunds had plenty of trouble with theirs I hear:

2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test - New Updates

 

[Chuckanut]

Here is a rather creative review of the Tesla Model S.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/tesla_model_s

 

[Zathras]

Edmunds had plenty of trouble with theirs I hear:

2013 Tesla Model S Long-Term Road Test - New Updates

They did indeed.
They did buy a very early one. One of the first few thousand made in the first year of production.
The issue on the motors is an interesting one. The majority of these had been replaced due to an annoying noise. Tesla has gone above and beyond by simply replacing the motors while they got the issue figured out.

It is the first car they engineered from the ground up. If that will keep you up at night, I would pass.
They have come a long ways in a short period of time. I have no regrets with mine, and would buy one again.
I know of a score of owners locally, two have sold theirs. Both did so in order to get an upgraded Tesla Model S.

 

[Turboslacker]

Can't wait for the upcoming Model X SUV as well. I love everything Elon Musk is into so I just had to buy TSLA stock recently. Now if it does well enough I may finally be able to afford to buy one of his cars lol. I did happen to scan the used market for the sedan...very impressive resistance to depreciation values too. What a vehicle!


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Another Reader]

They have become ubiquitous here in Silly Valley. I see at least four or five every day between here and the freeway. Based on color, I count over 10 in the surrounding neighborhoods. Who would buy that ugly green color?

 

[ProspectiveBum]

They have become ubiquitous here in Silly Valley. I see at least four or five every day between here and the freeway. Based on color, I count over 10 in the surrounding neighborhoods. Who would buy that ugly green color?

+1 here in the SoCal burbs. There are 2 in the parking garage at work. Beautiful machines. I'm holding out hope that their forthcoming "family car" will be in my price range, because the current models definitely aren't.

 

[Zathras]

... Who would buy that ugly green color?

LOL, I guess I would
That is my wife's and my second favorite color.

+1 here in the SoCal burbs. There are 2 in the parking garage at work. Beautiful machines. I'm holding out hope that their forthcoming "family car" will be in my price range, because the current models definitely aren't.

Target price of the Model III is $35-$40 thousand, 200 mile range, due in 2017 (I'm expecting 2018).

 

[Another Reader]

I toured the old GM Fremont plant when it was operated by NUMMI and they made Tacoma pick-ups and Pontiac Vibes. NUMMI built a state of the art paint shop not too long before it shut down. The stamping plant was fairly new too, IIRC. I wonder how much of that Tesla was able to use.

 

[Zathras]

I toured the old GM Fremont plant when it was operated by NUMMI and they made Tacoma pick-ups and Pontiac Vibes. NUMMI built a state of the art paint shop not too long before it shut down. The stamping plant was fairly new too, IIRC. I wonder how much of that Tesla was able to use.

I'm pretty sure the stamping setup was 100% replaced when Tesla moved in. Not sure, however I suspect the paint shop was as well. Went on a tour a couple months ago, it was quite eye opening.

Here is a NG show on the tesla plant, Megafactories Tesla Model S - YouTube

 

[Another Reader]

I'm pretty sure the NUMMI workforce was replaced as well...

Definitely looks different than when NUMMI was there, and that was supposedly an improvement over GM.

 

[Zathras]

I'm pretty sure the NUMMI workforce was replaced as well...

Definitely looks different than when NUMMI was there, and that was supposedly an improvement over GM.

Oh yes. As I recall the NUMMI plant had been shut down some time prior to the sale. I would guess some of those laid off workers found jobs at Tesla, however I have no idea.

On the tour they told us how they have, and are, painting the floors all white, installing skylights and basically completely revamping the plant.
They want it to look bright, fresh and clean.
I saw unconverted areas that really looked like dungeons in comparison.

 

[VaCollector]

Thanks to everyone for the comments!

DW is still in the exploring stage but the last time she bought a car I was sitting on the front porch when she drove up in her new X5 followed by someone else driving her one year old CR-V, who was followed by her salesman in another 5 series BMW…thankfully he was only there to drive everyone back to the dealership So I thought that I'd at least educate myself just in case

Since her j*b involves travel in several out of the way locations, I suspect that she may have to love the Tesla from afar until charging stations become more frequent….which brings me to my question:

Is there an adapter so that the Tesla can hook up to a regular plug??…or possibly the regular plug is equipped that way??

 

[mpeirce]

Is there an adapter so that the Tesla can hook up to a regular plug??…or possibly the regular plug is equipped that way??

from Your Questions Answered | Tesla Motors

MOBILE CHARGING
If the rate of charge from a 240 volt or 110 volt outlet meets your daily needs, there’s no need to configure your Model S with additional charging equipment. The Mobile Connector will work for you.

The Mobile Connector comes with two adapters. One adapter allows you to plug into a 110 volt household outlet. The other adapter is for a 240 volt outlet called a NEMA 14-50. You probably don’t have one in your home today, but an electrician can easily install it.

HIGH POWER CHARGING
If you have a long commute, we recommend configuring your Model S with Dual Chargers and ordering the Wall Connector. This pairing will allow you to recharge quickly overnight.

Outlet type - Miles of range per hour of charge
120V/12A - 3
240V/40A - 29
240V/80A - 58

 

[Zathras]

Also check out the supercharger map. The east coast has a lot of chargers scattered about. If she is traveling to the center of the country it is a bit sparse.
In which case, she gets to borrow your car, and you get to drive the Tesla

 

[calmloki]

Tesla just keeps hitting the right buttons. Is this the latest in their perfect customer relations moves?

Infinite Mile Warranty | Blog | Tesla Motors

 

[Chuckanut]

Zanthras, So now that Tesla has given you an unlimited mileage warranty on the power train and free charging, is there any limit to the amount of driving you will be doing?

 

[Zathras]

Well, there really wasn't a limit on driving before the extension of the warrantee
We took a 5500 mile driving vacation earlier this summer.
Best driving vacation I ever took.

Next summer it will probably be the east coast.