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2nd extra Tesla as a back up for 1 driver?

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ymc226

Member
Aug 10, 2021
38
22
California
#1
I am expecting my 1st Tesla hopefully in October being a S LR. Being in the Los Angeles area, one always needs a car and have for a while own 3 vehicles,. One being my daily driver (SUV), have another SUV and lastly a sports car. If one vehicle was having issues which I admit is rare with modern vehicles, I still would have adequate back up.

Eventually, I would want to get rid of all of my ICE vehicles but reading in this forum about issues with Teslas which may have longer than expected repair times from lack of parts or not enough service technicians, maybe getting a 2nd Tesla to alternate day to day driving is good insurance. Does anyone have 2 Teslas just because. I also am very interested in the X wouldn't mind having an X and S just for my use. The wife is more interested in a G wagon.
 
#2
I have 2 Ss but only because the trade in offer for the old one was not enough so kept it thinking I'd sell it privately. But now attached to it and, honestly, given what I've heard about repairs taking so long have decided to keep the older one "just in case".
 
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#4
We had a lot more cars than drivers in our household. Finally reducing the herd so to speak. After having a G Wagon, I don't get the appeal for it as just a daily driver. It is an amazing vehicle in a lot of ways but most of that is wasted on the street so to speak. I also felt like mine personally kept OPEC in business.

While I love my S, I can't say I am a big fan of the X. I bought a Y instead and never really considered the X to be honest. The Y makes a great daily driver and in you go with the Performance version it is pretty quick. I never wanted to deal with the falcon wing doors. Too gimmicky for me. Can't say I ever really liked the styling of the X that much either. Looks like even more of a pregnant guppy than the Y. Ultimately we ended up selling the Y and bought a 3.

It has turned out to be an amazing daily driver. Fits in parking places easier. Probably the sportiest of all the Teslas to drive currently (no Roadsters yet). My wife likes it a lot better than our Y. Pretty flickable, still very quick and pretty roomy in the front.

If I had to do it over again, I might have just gone with 2 S's instead though. I ordered my about 10 months before I got it. Nothing to go on other than a hunch. Turned out to be so much better than I thought it would other than dumping the steering wheel. Everything else pretty much was better than I hoped.

Looking outside of Tesla, I can't see anything that would personally tempt me away from their lineup. I am not a the ultimate fan boi but they nailed so many things for me and now that autopilot is working pretty well, I am a very happy owner. Hopefully no major issues going forward.
 
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#6
ymc226 said:
I am expecting my 1st Tesla hopefully in October being a S LR. Being in the Los Angeles area, one always needs a car and have for a while own 3 vehicles,. One being my daily driver (SUV), have another SUV and lastly a sports car. If one vehicle was having issues which I admit is rare with modern vehicles, I still would have adequate back up.

Eventually, I would want to get rid of all of my ICE vehicles but reading in this forum about issues with Teslas which may have longer than expected repair times from lack of parts or not enough service technicians, maybe getting a 2nd Tesla to alternate day to day driving is good insurance. Does anyone have 2 Teslas just because. I also am very interested in the X wouldn't mind having an X and S just for my use. The wife is more interested in a G wagon.
Click to expand...
I think you hear about all of the problems and delays on a forum, but don't get a good overall sense of how many people drive their cars with no issues. I wouldn't overact and think you need an extra car, just in case your Tesla requires service. I've had 3 Model S over 9 years, and have been without my own car for a total of ~ 3 weeks. And within that, Tesla provided a loaner for the majority of time, when it became clear a new wiring harness would take a week to arrive for my 2018. Anyway, you can always rent a car in worst case scenario where your Tesla is in the shop for 3 months after an accident. But you would do that with any car, and so it seems like a waste to buy, insure, park an extra Tesla.
 
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#7
LoudMusic said:
What if they both need repairs?
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Reminds me of the question I (a skydiver since the 60s) get when asked what happens if the parachute malfunctions. Answer: You use the reserve parachute all skydivers carry. Then they ask, and what happens if that one fails? :) Fortunately, in the case of Tesla the chances of both vehicle being in crashes is very small. But I guess it could happen.
 
#8
ymc226 said:
I am expecting my 1st Tesla hopefully in October being a S LR. Being in the Los Angeles area, one always needs a car and have for a while own 3 vehicles,. One being my daily driver (SUV), have another SUV and lastly a sports car. If one vehicle was having issues which I admit is rare with modern vehicles, I still would have adequate back up.

Eventually, I would want to get rid of all of my ICE vehicles but reading in this forum about issues with Teslas which may have longer than expected repair times from lack of parts or not enough service technicians, maybe getting a 2nd Tesla to alternate day to day driving is good insurance. Does anyone have 2 Teslas just because. I also am very interested in the X wouldn't mind having an X and S just for my use. The wife is more interested in a G wagon.
Click to expand...
We just have the 1 Tesla and just passed 82,000 miles. It has never left us stranded and has spent part of one day, 5 hours in the shop for a new windshield. We have not been worried
 
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#9
What if they both need repairs?
Patrick W said:
Reminds me of the question I (a skydiver since the 60s) get when asked what happens if the parachute malfunctions. Answer: You use the reserve parachute all skydivers carry. Then they ask, and what happens if that one fails? :) Fortunately, in the case of Tesla the chances of both vehicle being in crashes is very small. But I guess it could happen.
Click to expand...

What if they crash into each other?
 
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#10
If it’s just backup. Why not diversify and keep one ICE that you won’t use that often.

My X never saw service in 2.5 years and my Model 3 I had for a year was in 1 day in service for a defective rear glass. And they gave me a loaner. New Model S has not seen service yet.

I have 1.5 EV’s. My other car is my wife’s Volt. But she doesn’t drive very much these days. I might get rid of it. Volt has been in service twice and they never fixed it, I ended up fixing it. And in for a recall and broke something and now it’s worse than when it went in.
 
#11
If you want an EV as a backup, I would look for something low cost and have a timely repair turnaround for those who ask what happens if the backup EV also fails when you are waiting for service on your tesla. However in today's world, everything EV is expensive, but chevy bolt, Nissan leaf, and a few other EVs might be an option.
 
#12
I've had my Tesla for about 5 years now and anything that's broken wasn't a debilitating problem just an inconvenience like the door handles breaking or the louvers going out.
However, when I work on my car I have the Harley so I can run to town and get parts since I live 45 min from the nearest settlement/town. But that is again just a nice thing as I could just put the car back together and drive it then pull it apart once I return with whatever part/tool I needed.

IMO every household should have 2 vehicles because it's convenient to have a spare. More than that is just pointless and a waste of space and money.
 
#18
No2DinosaurFuel said:
The man has to cut cost where he can in these inflationary times. And given how many states are now tacking on cost to registration for EVs, I say that is genius. Just register one as non-operational and you are good. Just make sure to swap plates each time he goes out.
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And totally illegal in numerous ways.

If you are hurting that much, cut Tesla’s off your toy list.
 
#19
ymc226 said:
I am expecting my 1st Tesla hopefully in October being a S LR. Being in the Los Angeles area, one always needs a car and have for a while own 3 vehicles,. One being my daily driver (SUV), have another SUV and lastly a sports car. If one vehicle was having issues which I admit is rare with modern vehicles, I still would have adequate back up.

Eventually, I would want to get rid of all of my ICE vehicles but reading in this forum about issues with Teslas which may have longer than expected repair times from lack of parts or not enough service technicians, maybe getting a 2nd Tesla to alternate day to day driving is good insurance. Does anyone have 2 Teslas just because. I also am very interested in the X wouldn't mind having an X and S just for my use. The wife is more interested in a G wagon.
Click to expand...

If you are selling your other two cars and replacing them with a second vehicle that your wife primarily uses, sure, do whatever you want. But another new vehicle purely as a backup to the two others is financially insane. Even 3 months of a Hertz Rental Model 3 is much more cost effective than buying, maintaining, and insuring a 3rd car.

But let's say you had $100k burning a hole in your pocket and were committed to this idea...why get two nearly identical cars? That's so....boring. At least get a S and a F150 Lightning or something actually useful. Again, this whole idea is stupid, but if you're committed do it, at least diversify.



Also, the G63 is sold out through 2023.

NewbyMaybe said:
If you see an affordable Tesla that's been garage kept, no wrecks, then jump on it as an investment, the fuel situation isn't going to get better. If it happens to be the same color/model then you can just have one tag and insurance policy!
Click to expand...

Other than the Roadster, Teslas are not an investment. Sure, you might see a Signature Model S show up on BringaTrailer in 20 years with 3k miles on it bringing in close to its MSRP....beyond that, it's a common depreciating asset.

But....you do realize that each vehicle has its own VIN? Insurance coverage isn't tied to just the color of your car. What you're describing is hardcore insurance fraud.
 
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#20
Thanks for all of the replies and thoughts. As I stated, I'm just used to having several cars for variety (daily driver is a Suburban; I've had every generation Suburban or GMC Yukon XL since 1999 as a DD changing every 5-6 years, 2nd is a 1995 LR Defender 90 NAS that I would not trust on a long trip, and the third is a Porsche GT3 that is impractical for long trips). My wife has her own SUV which would become the long trip vehicle as it has a spare tire. If I eventually get rid of all my ICE vehicles as California will be ICE unfriendly in the future, it would feel sort lonely having only one car to myself.

As someone pointed out, most posts of issues are not counterbalanced by the multitude of other Tesla owners that do not have any serious issues at all and have not encountered the need for a back up. I'll keep the Suburban for a while after I get the S. If I still feel the need for a 2nd EV after getting rid of the Chevy, at this point I would like to stay in the Tesla ecosystem with its Supercharger network and sales system that do not involve dealerships. If I was younger, I'd consider the Roadster but my preference these days more lies with the X.

I just love the interior design aesthetic of all Teslas. Given that the EV is a whole different ball game, I don't see the need for the usual switches and vents to carry over from ICE vehicles and like the fact that the S has no vents and very little switches making for a very clean and modern interior.
 
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