Hi! Am flying to San Jose this weekend to test drive the S
am wondering what battery size people have in their cars (or have reserved)? I live in Mililani, but work downtown so probably drive 40 miles a day. I'm leaning towards the 40kwh so I can spend more on options. Any input is appreciated.
Just keep in mind that there are two charge modes on the Model S, standard and range. Standard mode only charges the battery up to 80% of capacity I believe, and is better for the long term health of the battery. Range mode would fill the battery to capacity which would theoretically give you 160 miles of range, but it is not recommended for every day use because of battery degradation. So on a 40kwh battery your every day driving range is probably closer to 128 miles.
Furthermore, I've been driving around for a week and I've been averaging 355 kw/mile. At that consumption rate on a 40kwh battery, you are looking at a range of 113 miles in range mode and 90 miles in standard mode. So if you are comfortable with 90 miles of practical range on a daily basis, then the 40kwh battery is probably sufficient. You could be a more efficient driver than I am, but then again you could be worse. I tend to drive by myself most of the time and mostly in town stop and go traffic. I run my AC, play the stereo, have my daytime running lights on (because they look cool), and ambient cabin lights on at night. I've been trying to be more efficient with my driving lately, but since I've been giving a bunch of test rides, I've been known to floor it every once in a while which is not great for efficiency.
One of the advantages of the 60kwh battery is you can make use of the superchargers that Tesla is setting up whereas the 40kwh battery cannot. However, I doubt Tesla ever puts a supercharger on Oahu so unless you plan to move somewhere else, I think you can ignore the supercharger aspect of it.
From what I can tell, I think air suspension is a must as an option. It really is a great ride. If you can afford it, I would strongly suggest the panoramic roof even if you don't ever plan to open it. Not only is there more headroom in the back, but the ambience of the car seems nicer. The one thing I'm pretty sure you can get by without is the paint armor. Also it is probably cheaper to install a 14-50 NEMA outlet than getting the HPWC.
Hope this one man's opinion is helpful to you. Have fun on test drive. You'll love it and start counting the days until you get your car.
