ken830
Recycles dryer sheets
Wow. Just signed-up to read up on early retirement stuff and I find an active Tesla thread with so much misinformation that I just can't ignore. Okay, there's just too much misinformation here for me to address in my post (frankly, I'm just overwhelmed after reading every post in this thread in one shot), but I will add in my experience.
I reserved a Model S back in September 2012 and received one of the first 5,000 cars in early 2013. We needed a bigger car because my wife was pregnant with our first child. A minivan/SUV was in consideration, but taking into account the fuel costs (Bay Area, California) and the miles we drive (22-25k per year), the cost of ownership for the Tesla would be essentially equal. This depended on some assumptions about fuel and electricity costs, but my assumptions have mostly held true for the past 4 years. I thought I would much rather put the same amount of money in a better car than in fuel that is burned-up.
Beside the obvious benefits (quiet drivetrain, instant torque, cheaper fuel), the truly eye-opening benefits of electric became clear only after taking ownership for a month or so. I will give just two examples. Getting a baby to sleep is the most challenging task for new parents. Now, we could let our daughter finish her nap in the car in a closed garage with the A/C or heater running when we get home. The frunk is large enough to hold a full size stroller (with lots of room to spare) and this leaves the entire trunk usable for Costco/Target/Home Depot/BabiesRUs runs -- Even SUVs and Minivans have a hard time with cargo space if you carry a stroller in the back. There are tons of other little (big to us) benefits that you just don't realize are possible until you own the car.
The car is now 4.5 years old and about to hit 100,000 miles. The battery has degraded about 5%, or about 12 miles of range out of 265 miles. We have only replaced the tires. No other maintenance was required. We drive from the Bay Area to Disneyland (800 mile round trip) about 6 or 7 times each year without any issues.
All in all, it was a life changing decision. I was an avid performance car guy and I'm a changed man. Also, soon after buying the Tesla, I got a new job that is 40 miles away from home. Driving my wife's 4-cyl Honda Accord means getting gas every 3-4 days. I did that for a year before buying a used Toyota Rav4 EV and selling all of our gasoline cars. Now, whenever I text my wife I'm coming home, I'm going straight home (in the carpool lane) -- no more walking to the car only to realize I need to get gas during the most crowded time of the day. No more paying $40-50 per tank every 3-4 days when that same amount can fuel an electric car for the entire month.
I reserved a Model S back in September 2012 and received one of the first 5,000 cars in early 2013. We needed a bigger car because my wife was pregnant with our first child. A minivan/SUV was in consideration, but taking into account the fuel costs (Bay Area, California) and the miles we drive (22-25k per year), the cost of ownership for the Tesla would be essentially equal. This depended on some assumptions about fuel and electricity costs, but my assumptions have mostly held true for the past 4 years. I thought I would much rather put the same amount of money in a better car than in fuel that is burned-up.
Beside the obvious benefits (quiet drivetrain, instant torque, cheaper fuel), the truly eye-opening benefits of electric became clear only after taking ownership for a month or so. I will give just two examples. Getting a baby to sleep is the most challenging task for new parents. Now, we could let our daughter finish her nap in the car in a closed garage with the A/C or heater running when we get home. The frunk is large enough to hold a full size stroller (with lots of room to spare) and this leaves the entire trunk usable for Costco/Target/Home Depot/BabiesRUs runs -- Even SUVs and Minivans have a hard time with cargo space if you carry a stroller in the back. There are tons of other little (big to us) benefits that you just don't realize are possible until you own the car.
The car is now 4.5 years old and about to hit 100,000 miles. The battery has degraded about 5%, or about 12 miles of range out of 265 miles. We have only replaced the tires. No other maintenance was required. We drive from the Bay Area to Disneyland (800 mile round trip) about 6 or 7 times each year without any issues.
All in all, it was a life changing decision. I was an avid performance car guy and I'm a changed man. Also, soon after buying the Tesla, I got a new job that is 40 miles away from home. Driving my wife's 4-cyl Honda Accord means getting gas every 3-4 days. I did that for a year before buying a used Toyota Rav4 EV and selling all of our gasoline cars. Now, whenever I text my wife I'm coming home, I'm going straight home (in the carpool lane) -- no more walking to the car only to realize I need to get gas during the most crowded time of the day. No more paying $40-50 per tank every 3-4 days when that same amount can fuel an electric car for the entire month.
Glad it worked out so well for you. If we lived on the west coast and didn't have several long, non-interstate drives a year through the great flyover zone, I'd likely be seriously investigating a Tesla. But, no car is perfect for everyone. 
