How often do Tesla owners run out of charge?

[busaman]

I run it down as low as 2-3% semi-regularly -- on long trip legs I use just about all of that battery that I paid for. But it's a planned thing. Depart slow, but once the next Supercharger gets closer you can crank up speed and heating with less worry.

I have owned 2 ICE cars before my Tesla and I ran them out once each. It seems harder to run out in the Tesla, though, in some sense in that it's got such accurate information about remaining charge.

yep thats it right there if it says 9 miles its 9 mies then your walking.

 

[Tevvy]

Ok so I’ll admit. I ran out of battery last week.

My own stupid fault. I was rushing to the airport and therefore only charged to the minimum at the last SC before I parked up for a few days.

Came back with 2 miles range showing. Nearest charger was 8 miles (not even a SC just a standard free charger at a supermarket). I drove at a snails pace but....

I had 0.5 miles to go and it died on me.

Rang Tesla support who got a truck to me within an hour. He would have taken me to the nearest supercharger (50 miles away) but I said to take me to the slow one at the supermarket.

Was all very easy actually. However I felt so stupid. The truck driver said it was a very regular occurrence.

 

[Rocky_H]

However I felt so stupid. The truck driver said it was a very regular occurrence.

That's the thing that bothers me. I don't ever want to be "that guy" who ran his electric car out of energy and had to get towed. I'm just not going to ever let it happen. Besides the truck driver, other people are going to see that, and it will cement in their minds that "those new electric cars are deficient and unreliable and can't do what you need", and therefore they will be immunized from even considering an electric car for several more years. I just don't want to be involved in giving Tesla a perceptional black eye like that. And yes, I know that gas cars get towed frequently for all kinds of reasons, but people are actively looking for excuses for why electric cars can't work, so I don't want to provide them ammunition, even by accident, if I can be a little extra diligent to avoid it.

 

[David99]

That's the thing that bothers me. I don't ever want to be "that guy" who ran his electric car out of energy and had to get towed.

I'm one of those people that often 'push it'. Especially on road trips I plan and drive so arrive at 5% or less at a Supercharger. Once you get to know your car, it's fine to do. That's the beauty of having a Tesla. The remaining range is pretty accurate towards the end. The one thing to do when you get below 10% is to slow down and drive carefully. Hard acceleration at low battery is one of the worst things you can do to your battery. If you drive gentle towards the end you can easily get the range that is shown and if lucky some more.

 

[wdolson]

That's the thing that bothers me. I don't ever want to be "that guy" who ran his electric car out of energy and had to get towed. I'm just not going to ever let it happen. Besides the truck driver, other people are going to see that, and it will cement in their minds that "those new electric cars are deficient and unreliable and can't do what you need", and therefore they will be immunized from even considering an electric car for several more years. I just don't want to be involved in giving Tesla a perceptional black eye like that. And yes, I know that gas cars get towed frequently for all kinds of reasons, but people are actively looking for excuses for why electric cars can't work, so I don't want to provide them ammunition, even by accident, if I can be a little extra diligent to avoid it.

This did remind me that the only times I have ran out of gas were times I had been avoiding going to the gas station. Leaving the house at 90% charge every time I go eliminates this issue. The only scenario where I could run out of charge would be if I was far enough from home that I needed to charge away from home. That drastically narrows the times when it could happen.