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mikes_fsd
Banned
Same here, but I primarily bought the S because of the safety ratings. Dumping my old diesel Benz was icing on the cake.
Also in Central Ohio, we can choose our electricity providers. You can buy wind-powered generation for cheaper than the default local utility rate, and the cheapest electrical providers are almost always Duke Power (nuclear) or natural gas (relatively cleaner). I had a plan with Duke Power last year that was 6.9 cents per kwh for 12 months, and my current provider is a three year fixed rate at 7.45 cents per kwh from natural gas.
This definitely is a decent place to own an EV but takes a tiny bit of research/signing-up to change the default energy source over to a cleaner one
When I get a Model 3, the environmental part will be a big factor. I own a Leaf as my sole vehicle now so I'm definitely committed to the whole EV thing, but at the same time the entire driving experience including refueling is vastly superior to a comparable gas car. Range is the only factor now but that heavily diminishes with a Model 3--pro environment at none of the drawbacks is a win-win-win situation.
AMPd
Well-Known Member
ryanakata
Member
Over a year ago, I bought a 335i and fully modded it to be what I thought I wanted. I've always been a gear head and never thought anything could replace the thrill of a tuned ICE. I was interested in the Tesla, but told myself I could not afford it, so I went with the BMW.
Surely enough, my daily commute increased when my job location changed up to about 42 miles round trip a day, not including the lunch break, and the BMW averaging 20mpg immediately made me think about the impact of fuel costs and how that could have been balanced out by a Tesla.
A month back I was in Houston and drove a 70D as well as an 85D and was blown away, it was unlike anything I had ever driven.
I hate using as much oil/fuel as I do already, but then my employer built a new parking garage with NEMA 14-50 charging spots and I feel like slapping myself everyday when I see them. I hope to buy a Model S next year, and give the BMW to my wife for her short commute. She will be graduating nursing school in December so hopefully we can save even faster.
So my reasoning for a Tesla?
1. It's the nicest balance of a car I can see myself in (Performance, comfort, practicality)
2. I hate the idea of constant use of oil, whether fuel or engine oil, by eliminating that I guess the inner tree-hugger in me will feel better even though I'm just a drop in the bucket.
3. I already use an electric lawnmower and yard equipment, why not add to it?
4. I'm a tech nerd, the car is a tech nerds playground.
Surely enough, my daily commute increased when my job location changed up to about 42 miles round trip a day, not including the lunch break, and the BMW averaging 20mpg immediately made me think about the impact of fuel costs and how that could have been balanced out by a Tesla.
A month back I was in Houston and drove a 70D as well as an 85D and was blown away, it was unlike anything I had ever driven.
I hate using as much oil/fuel as I do already, but then my employer built a new parking garage with NEMA 14-50 charging spots and I feel like slapping myself everyday when I see them. I hope to buy a Model S next year, and give the BMW to my wife for her short commute. She will be graduating nursing school in December so hopefully we can save even faster.
So my reasoning for a Tesla?
1. It's the nicest balance of a car I can see myself in (Performance, comfort, practicality)
2. I hate the idea of constant use of oil, whether fuel or engine oil, by eliminating that I guess the inner tree-hugger in me will feel better even though I'm just a drop in the bucket.
3. I already use an electric lawnmower and yard equipment, why not add to it?
4. I'm a tech nerd, the car is a tech nerds playground.
I like the fact that the Tesla is good for the environment, but it ultimately had nothing to do with why I bought the car. The fact that it is 100% battery powered was definitely a factor, but due to the fact that I hate going to gas stations, much more so than lack of emissions. I bought the car because I love new technology and with the exception of some gimmicky things in the new 7 series, nothing else comes close (I also don't think the 7 series looks nearly as nice...looks like an older man's car to me, and some of its best features really only apply if you have a chauffeur). Certainly nothing else out there with a 17" touch screen, which I think is one of the coolest parts of the vehicle.
The free lifetime updates were also actually a huge deciding factor for me. One of the biggest annoyances in my current vehicle, and I guess really any vehicle out there, is that the car you leave the lot with is the same exact car you'll have years down the road. BMW wants several hundred dollars for a map upgrade on a yearly basis, which is just unfathomable to me given the numerous free, continuously updated, and frankly much better options out there. And while I can update the maps, I'll always be stuck with the same several year old, outdated looking user interface. BMW could update all of the UI stuff if they wanted to, but they just don't want to. And while this may seem minor to some, it is extremely irritating to me.
All of that, plus the autopilot features which will beat just about anything else out there in the next month or so, the ability to remote control the vehicle from my phone or watch to a significantly greater degree than any other vehicle (and do so while the car sits in a closed garage), supercar speed at a non-supercar price, stupid fun to drive, I love the look of the car, lots of storage space, undeniable wow factor when others experience it for the first time, safest car ever tested, etc. etc. And related to my first points above, the car will be even better when I trade it in for a new one in 3 years!
And, it's good for the environment....
The free lifetime updates were also actually a huge deciding factor for me. One of the biggest annoyances in my current vehicle, and I guess really any vehicle out there, is that the car you leave the lot with is the same exact car you'll have years down the road. BMW wants several hundred dollars for a map upgrade on a yearly basis, which is just unfathomable to me given the numerous free, continuously updated, and frankly much better options out there. And while I can update the maps, I'll always be stuck with the same several year old, outdated looking user interface. BMW could update all of the UI stuff if they wanted to, but they just don't want to. And while this may seem minor to some, it is extremely irritating to me.
All of that, plus the autopilot features which will beat just about anything else out there in the next month or so, the ability to remote control the vehicle from my phone or watch to a significantly greater degree than any other vehicle (and do so while the car sits in a closed garage), supercar speed at a non-supercar price, stupid fun to drive, I love the look of the car, lots of storage space, undeniable wow factor when others experience it for the first time, safest car ever tested, etc. etc. And related to my first points above, the car will be even better when I trade it in for a new one in 3 years!
And, it's good for the environment....
I've been enamored with EVs for the past 4 years (LEAF, Volt, LEAF, RAV4 EV). I like the smooth acceleration and whir of the electric motor. One of the best parts about driving electric is sitting at a stoplight and not wondering "is that a new noise?" and "why is the engine revving like that?". I also like the idea of cutting out the middle man when it comes to fuel sources. There are so many different ways to make electricity.
This car is one of the best looking cars I've ever seen/could have imagined. I still turn around and check it out as I'm leaving the garage at night. Amazing machine.
This car is one of the best looking cars I've ever seen/could have imagined. I still turn around and check it out as I'm leaving the garage at night. Amazing machine.
JPP
Active Member
Paradigm shift-disruptive technology. Buzzwords, yes, but true in my case. Yes, the environmental effects are welcome, but the economics of driving and the whole package (performance, safety, comfort, etc, etc) are hard to beat.
I really like cars that are low maintenance and are really reliable. Used to buy Lexus's in the past primarily for that reason. But after seeing Tesla - assumed that it will be a highly reliable and low maintenance car - didn't see too many things that could break or need constant replacement. Two cars later - my hypothesis is correct.
Joe
Joe
EarlyAdopter
Active Member
I bought a Model S because finally there was an EV that wasn't a punishment car.
Sad that 2.5 years later it's still the only non-punishment EV...
Sad that 2.5 years later it's still the only non-punishment EV...
paulkva
part of the supercharge.info dev team
I bought a Model S primarily because it was the only car, of everything I had test-driven when I was shopping for a new car, that my wife didn't have any complaints* about. :-D
...In all seriousness, I was hesitant to even try an electric car because most of them were completely unappealing to me, and I was worried it would be a commute-only car, so we'd have no backup if my wife's car had an issue. The environmental aspect is nice (I was looking for a car that got decent gas mileage but was still fun to drive), but it was far from #1 on my list. #1 before I bought it was "fun to drive" -- i.e. the incredible torque -- and I could only hope that the whole supercharger thing would work out so we could consider it for road trips. Now that I own it, it's our primary road trip car, and the superchargers can get us pretty much anywhere we want to go. My list of reasons why I'd buy it again in hindsight now include the tech and software updates (it's better than it was when I bought it!), the quiet, the convenience of charging at home, the reduced fatigue on road trips, and the direct-sales business model.
*Most of her complaints were legitimate and I agreed with many of them. We were just about prepared to "compromise" on a Lexus IS350, which had its share of issues in our view, until we tried the Model S.
...In all seriousness, I was hesitant to even try an electric car because most of them were completely unappealing to me, and I was worried it would be a commute-only car, so we'd have no backup if my wife's car had an issue. The environmental aspect is nice (I was looking for a car that got decent gas mileage but was still fun to drive), but it was far from #1 on my list. #1 before I bought it was "fun to drive" -- i.e. the incredible torque -- and I could only hope that the whole supercharger thing would work out so we could consider it for road trips. Now that I own it, it's our primary road trip car, and the superchargers can get us pretty much anywhere we want to go. My list of reasons why I'd buy it again in hindsight now include the tech and software updates (it's better than it was when I bought it!), the quiet, the convenience of charging at home, the reduced fatigue on road trips, and the direct-sales business model.
*Most of her complaints were legitimate and I agreed with many of them. We were just about prepared to "compromise" on a Lexus IS350, which had its share of issues in our view, until we tried the Model S.
