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SeminoleFSU
Voluntaryist
MS is definitely primary car worthy for most. Although it is nice to have access to access to an ICE, preferably a pick-up for hauling huge crap or towing.. 
dkonigs
Member
Might not be as much as you think. My utility has TOU plans for EV owners (PG&E, SF Bay Area), but they implement it by jacking up the peak and partial-peak rates so high that you don't actually save much money. (Though it does make the incremental cost of vehicle charging look lower.) I think the only way to actually come out significantly ahead is a plan that involves a separate meter for EV charging. Of course that would have much higher installation costs.
yes, primary for my wife and I as well. It's tough to share, but the only second car we could every buy is a Model X, and we aren't affording that anytime soon.
doctorwho
Active Member
Primary car for my wife and I both in our urban pad and in our rural house that involves regular 320km commutes.
Agree! I have a truck in addition to MS.MS is definitely primary car worthy for most. Although it is nice to have access to access to an ICE, preferably a pick-up for hauling huge crap or towing..
LoL Rick
Like Buttah
A little late to the party here because I just returned from a 2500 mile road trip. In 2012 we bought a Honda Pilot specifically for this annual trip because we carry a LOT of gear. Seriously, we had to roll the windows down and slide things in because if we opened the rear doors, things would fall out. This year we pared down the gear, but not by very much, and took the Model S instead. The trip took slightly longer because of the charging stops, but was so much more comfortable and relaxed. The other people at camp were shocked at how much stuff came out of the car. Of course I use the Model S for commuting duty every day (90 mi round trip) as well. We still have the Pilot and will probably keep it until it can be replaced with a Model 3. We have 2 other ICE cars in the driveway gathering dust until I can get a few things fixed on them and get them sold. All this to say that the idea of a MS not being a primary car is complete BS.
GlmnAlyAirCar
Active Member
Sounds like our situations are similar: We have a 2012 Pilot and a Model S. This summer, our family of 4 took the Model S on a two week road trip. We easily loaded all of our gear in the trunk/frunk and had ample room to spread out in the cabin. Since we have kids, stopping every 2-3 hours is the norm, so the charging stops didn't hinder us much other than limiting our choice of stops.
I also commute 110 miles a day, so yes, it is my commuter car and our road trip car.
mknox
Well-Known Member
Without getting too far off the thread topic, there are actually a lot of things you can do to shift some of your residential loads to off-peak. With some thought and planning, you could not only save on your vehicle charging, but on your residential consumption charges as well. Right now, about 85% of my load is Off-Peak, 8% Mid-Peak and 7% On-Peak.
My Model S is my primary car, my only carbine the U.S. I drive it as a daily driver and go on more long trips than I had expected I would. That is mostly because I now drive for business trips of <1000 miles rather than flying and renting a car. That is not always time-efficient but it is very pleasure-efficient and actually allows more flexibility also. I never imagined such a thing would happen.
Factually the Model S is the best single car I have had because it serves as a big SUV (e.g. carrying furniture), a high performance supercar (I only have Insane, though), an excellent urban commuter (TACC!), and a long range effortless cruiser. All that in a cheap to run car is quite incredible!:biggrin:
Factually the Model S is the best single car I have had because it serves as a big SUV (e.g. carrying furniture), a high performance supercar (I only have Insane, though), an excellent urban commuter (TACC!), and a long range effortless cruiser. All that in a cheap to run car is quite incredible!:biggrin:
Would really know what the definition of primary car is? Is it the car you drive to and from work? Use to go our running errands? Go out to dinner with? Go shopping? Take kids to games they are playing in? Or is it the car you head cross country in. Since we got our first EV in 2012 (Volt) the EV has been the primary car in our house. Now that we have a Model S it is easily the primary car. The 2 Volts are the secondary car and what tertiary cars. Once we had the first EV the secondary was a 2007 Camry and tertiary was a 2007 Mercedes R class. Once we got the Volt in 2012 I think the Mercedes ended up being driven about a total of 5000 miles until we got rid of it this summer. Mostly used by kids driving to and from school.
Heard back from them. If you disagree you can message them if you have a Facebook account. I'm sure there are other ways to contact them if you are not a subscriber as well.
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The 'if you are able to make it work' part shows to me they truly don't understand how the car is actually used. Maybe they define 'primary' car as a car you can use in 100% of all situations without an issues even though we know this doesn't apply to gas cars either (gas stations can be without power after a hurricane).
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The 'if you are able to make it work' part shows to me they truly don't understand how the car is actually used. Maybe they define 'primary' car as a car you can use in 100% of all situations without an issues even though we know this doesn't apply to gas cars either (gas stations can be without power after a hurricane).
I think they are over focusing on the P85D and its price. Any of the Model S configurations gives you nearly all the same benefits as a primary car as the P85D does. The only think it doesn't give you is the 0-60 time and honestly who needs that for every day driving. We would have loved the P85D, but honestly we couldn't financially justify it. Particularly my wife she was on the fence anyway. Her family financial background is pretty immature and because of it she tends to be conservative with what we do with our money. We could have afforded the P85D, but it wasn't worth the discussion.
If you think about the Model S it is perfectly suited as an everyday car. The P85D just also gives you something that you don't need for every day driving.
Khatsalano
Member
It's hard to explain to a one-time tester (vs. an everyday owner) why having a Model S as your primary or only car is totally fine, even with road trips. I drive 38,000 miles a year and there is no problem.
It's like that moment when you got your first iPhone, do you remember? Your brain could not understand how much your Blackberry sucked, until you used an iPhone. A couple days later, you're like, "err ... why would I ever want a Blackberry?" Ok, to be fair, there was a small segment that wanted touchkeys because they could not deal with a touchscreen. Where is that segment now?
- K
It's like that moment when you got your first iPhone, do you remember? Your brain could not understand how much your Blackberry sucked, until you used an iPhone. A couple days later, you're like, "err ... why would I ever want a Blackberry?" Ok, to be fair, there was a small segment that wanted touchkeys because they could not deal with a touchscreen. Where is that segment now?
- K
hello!
oh, I only have a home phone...you know, the thing with a dial?
touchkey? is that my keyfob
Vger
Active Member
I have often felt that almost every review is hampered by this type of thinking. You have to LIVE with the car to really appreciate its practicality. I try to explain that to friends of mine that are impressed with a test ride or even drive, but still do not pull the trigger, needing a bit more confidence to get over the hump.
True people really dont understand until they try an EV car how much more better experience they are. Better quieter ride, no hassle of stopping for gas when commuting to or from home. Everyone has experienced hopping in the car first thing in the morning and going crap. I need to stop and fill up before I get to work. Not with an EV car. I know every morning with no matter which car I am assigned to (we figure out who gets which car based on the days trips) I grab I have more then enough fuel to get to and from work without any need to stop for gas. This is to me why an EV car is the best type of car to be the primary car. Less day to day thinking. Sure when I take a road trip I need to think a little more, but that is not everyday.
Since CR owns the car why don't they have one of their reports drive it for 3-6 months and install a 14-50 in their garage and actually use the car as intended. Ideally it'd be someone who would buy the car because it fits their driving profile not someone who goes on 800 mile unscheduled trips into the desert and exclaims 'this car is useless!'.
Two reasons we like having our ICE in addition to the MS:
1. Spirited discussions of who will have to drive the ICE when both cars are needed. Creates passion!
2. Like visiting historic Williamsburg, Virginia, it's nice to see how things were in the old days.
1. Spirited discussions of who will have to drive the ICE when both cars are needed. Creates passion!
2. Like visiting historic Williamsburg, Virginia, it's nice to see how things were in the old days.
I guess, but my P85D is my daily driver. We do have a 4WD Honda Pilot (which the Mrs. drives) for its stuff/kid-hauling, drive to the snow, camping/remote destination capabilities. I suppose there are people for whom a Model S would not be the ideal daily driver. That said, I don't personally know anyone who would turn down a Model S as their daily driver, given the option. I was a party with some doctor types the other weekend, most of whom had Leafs and other "commuter cars." The subject of Tesla was discussed heavily. One of the docs sort of summed it up by saying that every Leaf owner secretly wishes they were a Tesla owner.
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