Hi - I ordered a new Model S Performance a few weeks ago and am wondering what advice any new or long-time Tesla owners would have. Looking for tips on maintenance, seats, range, etc... I'll often be going on road trips, averaging a speed of 130 km/h. The summers here are between 25 and 35 degrees Celsius and winters rarely drop below -5. Won't be driving more than 550km per day.
Super excited for this car... I've gone from thinking it's pretty cool a few years ago to it being my dream car when I tested it a few months ago..
Sorry for the vague question, but seriously, any advice is appreciated. Hopefully we can also shift ourselves into a state of normalcy and keep our sanity at home by talking about things other than COVID-19, such as cars.
First of all try and forget the rated range. You will drive yourself nuts. Cold weather, stop and go, and high speeds kill the range. Driving smoothly with minimum stop and go, between 80 & 100 Kph, will beat the rated range. I don't know the supercharger situation where you are but here in NE USA I got over range anxiety after a month and a couple of trips of over 300 miles. It's just not an issue but will almost certainly be foremost on your mind at first.
Second, get yourself a tire repair "kit" and a 12 volt air compressor. A reamer, insertion tool and rope repair plugs (and pliers to remove that nail) will get you going when roadside assistance is still hours away. I am assuming European cars do not have spare tires (no spares in US cars).
Third, check your charging options beyond the Tesla network and get charging adapters if necessary. Check out A better Route Planner or Plug Share apps to see where charging stations are and what type of connector they have. I have no idea what adapters come with your car but it is probably a good idea to have at least one option for fast charging in addition to the Tesla superchargers (they can be full or inoperative, and slow charging is really slow if you are trying to get somewhere).
Fourth, don't worry about the user interface. It looks complicated with multiple options, but It is quite intuitive and easy to navigate after going through it a couple of times.
A few things I found useful: I installed a drawer below the center screen. The "shelf" will lose it's contents every time you can't help yourself and fully depress the accelerator pedal. The footwell, frunk and trunk lighting is barely there and direct fit aftermarket LED lights were a huge improvement in the dark. You could also consider PPF on the areas prone to picking up stone chips (I did the front bumper and rocker panels. Other people wrap the entire car. Overkill?). A set of winter floor mats isn't a bad idea (EODRO worked fine for me).
Maintenance just isn't an issue. As was previously posted, the general current theory for battery life is to stay between 20% and 80% (but there are multiple, and frequently heated, discussions on how to treat your battery). I've had no degradation over 5 months and 3,000 miles but it is inevitable and not worth worrying about.
Oh, and you just won't believe how much fun this car is. You will develop a permanent "Tesla grin".
