Is Tesla Model S Heating/Cooling Effective like ICE cars?

[ecarfan]

I'm disheartened by reading some of the replies on this post. Im seeing a lot many folks talk about disappointing heating and cooling and it's almost a tempting thought for me to take a loss on my deposit and not bother getting the car rather than getting an expensive Tesla and being annoyed by it every day while paying dearly for it. What the heck.

I think some posts in this thread are overly alarmist. Keep in mind that Tesla is very popular in Norway. It gets very cold there, as I hope you are aware. In addition, there are many Tesla owners in places like Arizona and Florida where it gets very hot.

 

[rhumbliner]

We've experienced 111° days in Las Vegas and the a/c kept us very comfortable. It was -22° here in Jackson the other day and the cabin was comfy warm. Didn't really make note of the energy drain since range hasn't been a concern.

 

[CliffG]

I responded very positively for my S85, and on reflection I realized that the heat arrives faster than it does for the ICEs I've had since there's no need to wait for the engine to warm up - though of course the electric heater also has to heat up, just quicker.

On the other hand, the most recent loaner I had (P85) provided no heat at all.

So, I'd say it's a crapshoot for a specific vehicle, but can be fixed to your satisfaction.

 

[Tribaltech]

my feet are always cold in the winter.

This. Is. not. Good. At. All!!!!!!

 

[Tribaltech]

We've experienced 111° days in Las Vegas and the a/c kept us very comfortable. It was -22° here in Jackson the other day and the cabin was comfy warm. Didn't really make note of the energy drain since range hasn't been a concern.

That's good to know. You mind my asking what vehicle do you have? Is it a P90 or P100? With good range in those vehicles I can see how someone may not notice range losses. Thanks

 

[Tribaltech]

I responded very positively for my S85, and on reflection I realized that the heat arrives faster than it does for the ICEs I've had since there's no need to wait for the engine to warm up - though of course the electric heater also has to heat up, just quicker.

On the other hand, the most recent loaner I had (P85) provided no heat at all.

So, I'd say it's a crapshoot for a specific vehicle, but can be fixed to your satisfaction.

Again, that's really concerning. What the heck Tesla?! Such inconsistencies being reported. How does one report situations directly to Tesla. Any idea?

 

[CliffG]

Again, that's really concerning. What the heck Tesla?! Such inconsistencies being reported. How does one report situations directly to Tesla. Any idea?

In my case, I reported it as soon as I returned the loaner (and was glad to get back in my car). Otherwise, you could just use the voice commands (hold the voice control button on the steering wheel, then say "Note", "Report", "Bug note", or "Bug report" followed by your problem.

Judging from the survey results, though, I'd guess this is a problem that's receding in the rearview mirror (which is a different issue, discussed elsewhere around here).

 

[Tribaltech]

In my case, I reported it as soon as I returned the loaner (and was glad to get back in my car). Otherwise, you could just use the voice commands (hold the voice control button on the steering wheel, then say "Note", "Report", "Bug note", or "Bug report" followed by your problem.

Judging from the survey results, though, I'd guess this is a problem that's receding in the rearview mirror (which is a different issue, discussed elsewhere around here).

That's good to see. But what the heck, now there's a problem with the rear view mirror??? What did I miss?

 

[Tribaltech]

AC works very well for me, zero complaints. But I have issues with the heat.

On sub-freezing days, the heat is great for about the first 30 minutes, then goes into a mode where it is basically useless. I speculate that the car has switched into a mode where it is trying to harvest waste heat from the battery pack or motors - whatever it is doing, it is pretty ineffective. When this happens, I can work around it by raising the set temperature. If I crank it to 80+, I can usually get back into my comfort zone. For reference, I normally like my thermostat set at 71 year round.

Also, the driver's side footwell has extremely poor airflow. The front passenger footwell is fine. I asked my service center about it, and they advised that poor footwell airflow on the driver's side is "normal for my VIN range" (~8xxxx). So my feet are always cold in the winter.

Hi forgot to ask: do you mind telling me what year Model S do you own? Thanks.

 

[CliffG]

That's good to see. But what the heck, now there's a problem with the rear view mirror??? What did I miss?

lol. no - spend a bit more time around here and you'll realize that everybody has /something/ to gripe about. I've had more problems with other cars (which is why I now have a Tesla) and others around here seem to /only/ have problems with their Tesla. Or maybe they just like complaining. I don't know.

Since you're in Michigan, it's a dead certainty you're not picking it up somewhere nearby. Make it a day, and make sure to go over these concerns with your delivery specialist - turn the heat on and off; turn the a/c on and off - leave it on for a while. make a list of the things you're anxious about and tick them off before leaving with yours.

 

[AWDtsla]

AC = steroids
heat = meh.

Your feet are freezing because the air outlet in the driver footwell is not directing air correctly, plus the algorithms don't keep enough airflow to it, especially if you turn on range mode. Not things you'd notice in Fremont.

 

[Tribaltech]

lol. no - spend a bit more time around here and you'll realize that everybody has /something/ to gripe about. I've had more problems with other cars (which is why I now have a Tesla) and others around here seem to /only/ have problems with their Tesla. Or maybe they just like complaining. I don't know.

Since you're in Michigan, it's a dead certainty you're not picking it up somewhere nearby. Make it a day, and make sure to go over these concerns with your delivery specialist - turn the heat on and off; turn the a/c on and off - leave it on for a while. make a list of the things you're anxious about and tick them off before leaving with yours.

Alright. Phew!!! And yes great idea. Trust me I've got a list going to talk things through over my delivery. And yes I've already mentally prepared to spend a full day on the delivery. The day cannot come soon enough. I feel like the longer i am sitting here and waiting for my Tesla, the more weird doubts, cold feet (pun intended) and conspiracy theories are popping up in my head. Thanks for your inputs. Much appreciated.

 

[Tribaltech]

AC = steroids
heat = meh.

Your feet are freezing because the air outlet in the driver footwell is not directing air correctly, plus the algorithms don't keep enough airflow to it, especially if you turn on range mode. Not things you'd notice in Fremont.

If I tell my wife the "heat = meh" she'll respond saying "your idea of buying a Tesla = meh" hahah. She's awesome though. Very kind person but just constantly stays cold. Anyway mind my asking what year is your S? Thank you.

 

[ChadFeldheimer]

Hi forgot to ask: do you mind telling me what year Model S do you own? Thanks.

I have a 2015.

 

[AWDtsla]

If I tell my wife the "heat = meh" she'll respond saying "your idea of buying a Tesla = meh" hahah. She's awesome though. Very kind person but just constantly stays cold. Anyway mind my asking what year is your S? Thank you.

December 2015. I've heard complaints about cold feet for a long time before this and that Tesla had changed "something" in the footwell to make it better, but it sucks pretty hard in my car. I have to disable range mode every 5-10 minutes to defrost my feet when it's really cold out.

 

[CliffG]

Alright. Phew!!! And yes great idea. Trust me I've got a list going to talk things through over my delivery. And yes I've already mentally prepared to spend a full day on the delivery. The day cannot come soon enough. I feel like the longer i am sitting here and waiting for my Tesla, the more weird doubts, cold feet (pun intended) and conspiracy theories are popping up in my head. Thanks for your inputs. Much appreciated.

And don't forget, there's always Amazon...
<just joking!> see these </just joking!>

 

[JSergeant]

My experience with both heating and cooling has been generally very good, but I have to say that it is much better on my current S90D than it was on the previous (2013) S85, so maybe that's part of the reason for the divergence of opinions. I've done 3 cross country trips which have included driving in 100+ degree conditions in the West and found the A/C to be fine (I am someone who doesn't like the heat - I keep the thermostat in the car set to 72). In fact in the S90D the A/C would sometimes make the car too cold. I haven't done any long distance driving in the cold, but in my normal local (NJ) winter driving the heat has always been fine. The ability to pre-heat the car in the garage in the winter is wonderful - I've been reminded how awful it is to be in an ICE starting in the cold the last couple of weeks as we've done some short trips in my wife's Quest. It seems to take for ever for the car to start throwing out any heat. Even if you don't pre-heat the Tesla, it starts throwing out heat immediately. Being able to switch on the AC from the iPhone App 5 minutes before getting back in the car when traveling in hot places is also great.

 

[svp6]

Depends on the settings you choose. No problems with range mode off (neither heating nor AC). If you have range mode on, both are somewhat disappointing because of the software limitations, but you can turn the fan on higher speed and they work OK. As said before, pre-heating/cooling is really where the car shines, and provides much more comfort than any car I owned before.

 

[STbreaker]

@Tribaltech, I don't think you shouldn't get the car, just that you should know what its limitations are. I set my heat at 63 because I find it comfortable set at that temperature - granted I do leave a light jacket on usually. Using the seat warmers also helps a lot.

Part of the energy usage also has to do with your situation. I have a 30 mile commute each way. I find that from home to work, my energy usage isn't much different from summer since it was in the garage (a lot less battery heating needed). At work, the car is parked outside and no charging station is available, so a lot of energy goes towards battery warming even on "range mode." On a day to day basis it's probably irrelevant. It may limit/alter your road trips though.

 

[⚡️ELECTROMAN⚡️]

pre-heating/cooling is really where the car shines, and provides much more comfort than any car I owned before.

I'm so looking forward to that. Definitely in my top five features of electric car ownership. Probably #3.