Seems inconvenient to have to stop that many times and that long. Would this be 5 days a week? It might be doable...but I would highly recommend waiting until you can afford the long range. How long do you plan on owning the car? ANOTHER thing to consider is that the battery will degrade over time and your available range will decrease. Throw in lower efficiency in the winter plus possible snow? I wouldn’t do it.
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Can someone use their car nagivation system to help me?
- Thread starter talsk
- Start date
Seems inconvenient to have to stop that many times and that long. Would this be 5 days a week? It might be doable...but I would highly recommend waiting until you can afford the long range. How long do you plan on owning the car? ANOTHER thing to consider is that the battery will degrade over time and your available range will decrease. Throw in lower efficiency in the winter plus possible snow? I wouldn’t do it.
EnrgyNDpndnce
Member
OP, just from my perspective, wait until you can afford what you truly need instead of stretching now and possibly regretting your decision. It’s a great car, but range is important and needs to match your requirements. Maybe look for a used LR that meets your budget sooner, although from what I’ve seen the used Model 3s aren’t providing value yet b/c of the Tesla price reductions. Either way I believe it’s better to wait a bit longer, save a bit more toward your down payment, and get what you need to satisfy your use case.
M3BlueGeorgia
Active Member
Yep, they set the rules to try to benefit the Bolt and hurt the Tesla.
The SR+ should be capable of a realistic trip mileage of 154miles/246km.
Calculation assumes 90% starting charge, going down to 10% and getting 80% of EPA, therefore (90%-10%)=80% * 80% = 64% + 240 miles= 154 miles.
However, in severe cold, you should factor in only getting 60% of EPA for 115miles/184km
I don't know the specific winter temperatures of that part of BC nor do I understand the distances involved in the commute, but if the OP thinks they can make the SR+ work for them, it sounds like they should invest in the ChaDeMo adapter. But they also shouldn't routinely charge to 100%, though it'd be OK for a few really, really cold winter days.
Keep in mind another point you may not have thought of, which is that your time is also important. If I was not able to charge at home, I'd be spending an extra 20-30 minutes a day supercharging. In the course of a week, that can add up quickly. I'd much rather be home with the kids (or whatever you prefer doing!). I rarely hit superchargers unless we are doing family trips. The convenience of plugging in at home can not be overstated.
The OP said 210 days/year. That sounds like a daily commute (of 260 week days, minus 12 designated holidays and vacation).
Cold and snow aren’t much of an issue in this area. In Nanaimo the average annual snowfall is 69 cm and the average low temperature from November to March is above freezing. Courtenay is even milder and Campbell River is only slightly cooler with slightly more snow.
Add in additional charging resources over the coming years and I suggest it will become more practical, not less practical, over time.
I think focher is referring to the Canadian Tesla Model 3 “SR-“.
The Canadian federal government provides an incentive of $5,000 for EV purchase, but the base price of the model must be under $45,000. It is permissible to have “trim” levels and options put the price higher.
The Model 3 SR was over $45,000 disqualifying Tesla from the incentives.
Tesla wouldn’t reduce the price of the SR, so it offered the SR-, software limited to 150 km at $44,995.
The SR+ is considered a trim level, so it qualifies for the $5,000 incentive. The provincial government where OP lives offers a further $3,000 incentive with the same purchase price limitation.
Regarding the practicality of this I offer the following.
Several times a month I do the drives the OP describes, without a CHAdeMO adaptor.
The LR is $66,000 in Canada. The SR+ $55,000.
For those of us in the province of BC, the difference between the price of an SR+ and a LR is $11,000 plus the loss of the $8,000, for a difference of about $19,000.
The CHAdeMO adaptor is $650.
There are CHAdeMO EVSEs with free charging in the destinations where OP drives and en route.
I’ll put up with a lot of inconvenience for $18,350. ($19,000 - $650 = $18,350).
ferdboyce
Member
Talsk, you might be able to convince your condo board to allow you to access a standard 110V outlet. I live in a condo in Seattle, and our board was also opposed to the lengthy process of getting owner support for 'charging stations', which sound complex and a bit intimidating to owners who don't understand the need.
I was allowed to run a short length of conduit from an existing 110V outlet to my parking space, and have been using it successfully for nearly 5 years. At 4 miles per hour of charging, it's more than enough to get me to a charge point or supercharger when needed and to build a "reserve" on weekends.
I was allowed to run a short length of conduit from an existing 110V outlet to my parking space, and have been using it successfully for nearly 5 years. At 4 miles per hour of charging, it's more than enough to get me to a charge point or supercharger when needed and to build a "reserve" on weekends.
Here's my two cents.
It's barely do-able on the recommended 90% max charge for daily commuting, with ideal weather and traffic. Winter or stalls could make this bad. However, if you get the CHAdeMO adapter ($602, ouch, but...) you have 4 fast-charge options on your commute - Qualicum Foods (free!), Buckley Bay Rest Area (half charge rate), Superstore in Courtenay (free!), and the community centre in Campbell River (free!). With the exception of Buckley Bay, these are all 50kW DC fast chargers so you'll get the max charge rate that the adapter allows. This would provide a 50% charge in about a half hour, which is usually much more than you'd actually need en-route (especially if the plan is to stop at the Nanaimo supercharger on the way home).
Of course, you need to be ready to accept that this is your life now, stopping for quick top-ups on a Long-Range commute in a Standard-Range vehicle, especially if charging at home isn't an option. Honestly, I personally wouldn't get an electric vehicle if I could not charge at home. Seems like a lot of wasted time as I don't have many hobbies or work tasks I could do while waiting for my car to charge (though some use that time to wash their vehicles using those no-rinse products!). If I had the ability to charge at home (say, to get to that 90% before leaving) I believe your commute with the CHAdeMO adapter is entirely reasonable. Keep in mind you may only need a standard 120V 15A outlet depending on what charge state you arrive with (how long you stay at a fast charger, and how close it is to home), and how long it stays plugged in.
Another thing to note (for others perhaps) is that while the Long Range option no longer qualifies for the incentive, it is ~$2500 cheaper now. It's almost as if the $3000 BC incentive still applies to it.
It's barely do-able on the recommended 90% max charge for daily commuting, with ideal weather and traffic. Winter or stalls could make this bad. However, if you get the CHAdeMO adapter ($602, ouch, but...) you have 4 fast-charge options on your commute - Qualicum Foods (free!), Buckley Bay Rest Area (half charge rate), Superstore in Courtenay (free!), and the community centre in Campbell River (free!). With the exception of Buckley Bay, these are all 50kW DC fast chargers so you'll get the max charge rate that the adapter allows. This would provide a 50% charge in about a half hour, which is usually much more than you'd actually need en-route (especially if the plan is to stop at the Nanaimo supercharger on the way home).
Of course, you need to be ready to accept that this is your life now, stopping for quick top-ups on a Long-Range commute in a Standard-Range vehicle, especially if charging at home isn't an option. Honestly, I personally wouldn't get an electric vehicle if I could not charge at home. Seems like a lot of wasted time as I don't have many hobbies or work tasks I could do while waiting for my car to charge (though some use that time to wash their vehicles using those no-rinse products!). If I had the ability to charge at home (say, to get to that 90% before leaving) I believe your commute with the CHAdeMO adapter is entirely reasonable. Keep in mind you may only need a standard 120V 15A outlet depending on what charge state you arrive with (how long you stay at a fast charger, and how close it is to home), and how long it stays plugged in.
Another thing to note (for others perhaps) is that while the Long Range option no longer qualifies for the incentive, it is ~$2500 cheaper now. It's almost as if the $3000 BC incentive still applies to it.
As a bit of unsought advice, please do not take a high interest loan (>5%) on such an expensive "want" (not need) item. Car loans can have brutal interest on worse credit. They'll probably give you the loan, but with some high interest that will hurt a lot down the road.
So, I spoke to my landlord today and I believe we can come to an agreement to get a level 2 charger at my condo. As the condo board is being very picky and expect it to be wired to my hydro meter, it's a bit pricier than I would hope but might be feasible as my landlord is open to a long term rental agreement. If I could live here for 7+ years (which is great for me as I love the condo) it would be worth it.
Regarding the practicality of this I offer the following.
Several times a month I do the drives the OP describes, without a CHAdeMO adaptor.
The LR is $66,000 in Canada. The SR+ $55,000.
For those of us in the province of BC, the difference between the price of an SR+ and a LR is $11,000 plus the loss of the $8,000, for a difference of about $19,000.
The CHAdeMO adaptor is $650.
There are CHAdeMO EVSEs with free charging in the destinations where OP drives and en route.
I’ll put up with a lot of inconvenience for $18,350. ($19,000 - $650 = $18,350).
I would seriously consider the CHAdeMO. In combination with the now possible level 2 charging at my condo, I think I can be very happy with the SR+. Particularly since, as you've stated elsewhere, I would expect chargers to become more common over the next few years. One of my worksites in Courtenay has recently allowed level 1 charging, but I would not be able to park there all day so it's pretty much worthless, but it's promising that they are looking into this. The BC gov't has mandated 30% of new vehicles must be EV by 2030 and 100% by 2040 (unless that's changed) and I know BC Hydro is looking at aggressively expanding charging access to support this.
Looking at the averages there.
75 inches of rain a year !!! Rain is not an EV’s friend. And the average high in July is 65F. You won’t need a ton of heat but you’ll probably run the heat 9 months of the year. It’s the heater that eats watts. And defogger.
It’s to bad there isn’t a software limited LR-
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