Considering a Model S - am I mad in my situation?

[WannabeOwner]

answering my question of "Can I charge at a Type 2 plug" with "Yes, the UMC cable will do that" was wrong on Tesla's part.

Yes, but maybe no

They may have said, or said badly / sloppily, or even meant-but-didn't-say, "Type-2 cable comes with the car" and/or you might have understood that to mean "UMC fits a Type-2 charger" rather than "yes you can charge at a Type-2 socket"



I always find the Type-2 chargers a bit primitive because they don't have tethered cables. So users have to get a long cable out and trail it on the ground ... and then put it away wet / dirty / scuffed ...

... when you charge from a lamppost, in future, it will look something like this:

3rd Party Chargers with tethered cables are no better. Unlike Tesla - all vehicles chargeport at rear-left-corner - they have to be long enough to reach wherever the charge port is ... so they usually trail on the ground and sometime get left on the deck afterwards ...

The Plugs the Rest use:

The Tesla plug:

and the Supercharger Experience:

... nothing trailing along, nor left lying on, the floor ...

 

[Peteski]

Sadly not, just the one where I'm staying whilst in the loan car.

There is so much conflicting info on what comes with the car in the UK and what the UMC can connect to, it's unreal. So it sounds like answering my question of "Can I charge at a Type 2 plug" with "Yes, the UMC cable will do that" was wrong on Tesla's part.

I shall call them again! Thanks all.

You will get a separate Type 2 cable with a new car. The blue cable on this page:-

What do you get included with the car

 

[WannabeOwner]

You will get a separate Type 2 cable with a new car.

Although its a loan vehicle (on this occasion ... but of course that will become a purchase ) so i think best to make sure its "onboard"

 

[arg]

So it sounds like answering my question of "Can I charge at a Type 2 plug" with "Yes, the UMC cable will do that" was wrong on Tesla's part.

Indeed that was totally incorrect, you need a type2-type2 cable if the hotel has a socketed chargepoint.

The UMC should come with a 13A plug adapter, which is useful at the many hotels that don't have formal charging facilities but can have their arm twisted for a 13A socket.

Hotels with Tesla destination chargers you don't need anything at all as they have a cable with type2 plug permanently attached.

A very small number of hotels with early installations by ZeroCarbonWorld have "EV charging" with an ordinary 32A commando socket instead of a proper EV chargepoint - those you will want the UMC with the blue adapter which it probably comes with.

There is so much conflicting info on what comes with the car in the UK and what the UMC can connect to, it's unreal.

The answer's very straightforward for a new car you are buying, but for this case with a loaner there could be anything in the boot, so it's as well to check before departure. Actually, it's as well to check before departure even when buying new....

 

[Candleflame]

A 100 would do 220 miles without charging, and I would hazard even in Winter (but if not then with a quick stop). Assuming you can charge at the far end before you come back.

The 100 will also charge faster at Supercharger (all have same 10% - 70% charge time, but the 100 puts on more miles per percent - 1/3rd more)

As sidmini said I suggest you try actual journeys in A Better Route Planner (experiment choosing the various models and assume 20% more energy use in the depths of winter)



Actually, if you have to Supercharge anyway then faster is OK. Overall saves more time driving faster, and charging longer, more so with a 100 than a 75 (charges faster). Used to think 75 MPH was the sweet spot, but the A Better Route Planner guy posted some graphs of actual car data showing that even faster was more economical. Not sure its a good defence in court though! and maybe, taking you literally, "90+ mph" is getting past the sweet-spot

If I can get-home-in-one I hypermile. If my journey requires a Supercharger anyway then I press on. UK Motorway miles usually involve a prolonged section of either roadworks or traffic at circa 50 MPH, which does wonders to my range too!

The sweetspot for supercharging and long distance driving with 10 - 75% charging is about 155km/h I think. With 5-60% or so It is 165ish.

 

[CaffeineJunkie]

I'm at I point where I think I'm going to place an order this week, so thank you everyone for the help.

Just wondering... is there a reason why all inventory 75Ds show a 0-60 speed of 5.4s on the advert, whereas the custom order page states 4.2 for a 75D? I'm not overly bothered about the speed, I'm just wondering if I'm missing out on some change in motor/battery etc. by going inventory.

 

[DJP31]

I'm at I point where I think I'm going to place an order this week, so thank you everyone for the help.

Just wondering... is there a reason why all inventory 75Ds show a 0-60 speed of 5.4s on the advert, whereas the custom order page states 4.2 for a 75D? I'm not overly bothered about the speed, I'm just wondering if I'm missing out on some change in motor/battery etc. by going inventory.

Basically the adverts are wrong, assuming you mean new inventory. Older RWD 75’s were 5.4 and the AWD was 5.2. That changed a while ago and from the factory the 75D is now 4.2 and older ones like mine can be ‘uncorked’ from 5.2. to 4.2 - which does make a heck of a difference off the line.

No doubt you already have a referral code, free Supercharging being limited to 12 months for orders after 18th Sept, so make sure you use one!

 

[CaffeineJunkie]

Thanks both - I wasn't aware of the "uncorking" issue, as soon as you've mentioned that term I've found lots of stuff articles and everything makes sense

 

[DJP31]

Thanks both - I wasn't aware of the "uncorking" issue, as soon as you've mentioned that term I've found lots of stuff articles and everything makes sense

It was a classic Tesla PR disaster that should have been a huge win. They announced the uncorking, and taking 1 sec off the 0-60 for free is a big deal, and when everyone contacted their Service Centre they were told “Sorry, your VIN isn’t on the list”. In the end something like 95% of facelift 75D’s were uncorkable. Those that were still software locked to 60kWh had to pay to unlock the extra battery, the cost of which had also previously dropped dramatically a few months earlier.

 

[WannabeOwner]

I wonder if part of the Uncorking was the anticipated 0-60 of the Jag i-Pace ... in current clothes the two are very close, Uncorked: not so much.

Both still "blinking quick" of course ...

 

[CaffeineJunkie]

So, my order (from inventory) is placed! I went for a Midnight Silver with 21" Sonic Carbons, Black Premium, Carbon Fibre and EAP. No PUP - I couldn't find a car with the right "other bits" and PUP, and I couldn't really care less about SubZero or HEPA and I figured I can always upgrade the speakers they bother me that much.

I think the only question I have left is... is there an easy way to make sure its "uncorked" when I collect it?

 

[DJP31]

I think the only question I have left is... is there an easy way to make sure its "uncorked" when I collect i

If the car was built after June/July 2017 then it will be uncorked already. It was only cars before that, and a few that were in transit, that needed to be uncorked by a visit to the SC.

There are a few apps that you can use to time your 0-60 and TeslaFi shows in the raw data P1 for uncorked, P3 is corked.

 

[Mark_T]

Congratulations on your new car, you are going to love it I'm sure!

 

[CaffeineJunkie]

If the car was built after June/July 2017 then it will be uncorked already

The VIN shows it as a 2018 model (Nov '17 on), so guess I'll be ok . Thanks for the info

 

[WannabeOwner]

I figured I can always upgrade the speakers they bother me that much.

I've read that the speakers need bedding in, so perhaps don;t be too swift to replace them if not matching your expectation ...

 

[Brass Guy]

Did you order a 75 or 100?

 

[CaffeineJunkie]

Did you order a 75 or 100?

I went for a 75. I couldn't justify the extra in the end - for the very few times I'll have to stop twice on a trip I'll cope.