Living with a Tesla in Geneva?

[leaf]

Hi,

A friend of mine who is a car nut is moving to Geneva shortly (work relocation) and has made the decision to sell his Porsche 911 and try a Tesla. He'll probably wait for a Model X. As someone who has owned a few electric cars and who has a Model 3 on reserve, he's asked if I could give him any pointers for living with a Tesla in Geneva.

I think the questions that come to mind are:
* Any tax incentives at purchase? Any tax incentives on a yearly basis?
* Is it wiser, generally speaking, to lease or to buy cash?
* He will live in an apartment. What are the chances of him being able to negotiate the installation of a charger at home?
* Generally, what are the challenges around charging?

Any info you may be able to give would be greatly appreciated!

 

[pjw65]

I know that Geneva has the most expensive tax for Teslas in Switzerland. In Zürich, where I live it's zero!

 

[leaf]

pjw65, can you explain the tax? Is it annual? Or at purchase?

 

[ggnykk]

Get it leased, the electric car technology is changing so fast that you can expect Tesla to depreciate a bit more than ICE luxury sedans.

In terms of charging, I am pretty sure that the current referral program from Tesla offer some kind of incentive to setup your own charging or something. He/she just has to find the referral link of a current Tesla owner, so you get that incentive.

 

[Alfred]

Hi,

A friend of mine who is a car nut is moving to Geneva shortly (work relocation) and has made the decision to sell his Porsche 911 and try a Tesla. He'll probably wait for a Model X. As someone who has owned a few electric cars and who has a Model 3 on reserve, he's asked if I could give him any pointers for living with a Tesla in Geneva.

I think the questions that come to mind are:
* Any tax incentives at purchase? Any tax incentives on a yearly basis?
* Is it wiser, generally speaking, to lease or to buy cash?
* He will live in an apartment. What are the chances of him being able to negotiate the installation of a charger at home?
* Generally, what are the challenges around charging?

Any info you may be able to give would be greatly appreciated!

Taxes are annual and vary from Canton to Canton. Those taxes follow broadly engine size/power and indirectly car size.
- The numbers for Geneva can be found here. At the bottom you can see that you should qualify for a rebate.
- Lease or cash is mostly a tax question and may also depend on how and whether your employer helps you pay for your car.
- Whether your apartment can provide a plug near your parking depends on the exact location and the owner. Chances are good to get at least a 240/10A, which is mostly adequate for Swiss commuters (distances are short). A chat with the apartment administrator could clarify that. Just do not ask for a "car charging station" that would imply some hefty gas-pump-style contraption to be installed and tends to get declined on the spot. Just ask for a plug and look at the details with the electrician on-site.
- There are no special challenges about charging a European Model S (3-phase capable). Do not plan to take a US version with you. Switzerland has enough superchargers as well. The locations can be found on the Tesla Supercharger pages. Power plugs are not rare in Switzerland. More information about charging can also be found at: Tesla Ladetechnik | Tesla Motors Schweiz and Stecker & Kabel .

Tesla Model S sell well in Switzerland. Just contact Tesla Motors (Switzerland) and the Swiss Tesla Owners Club (STOC) for further information.
The larger challenge will likely be to learn to drive on narrow roads in congested cities and deal with sparse and equally small parking spaces.

 

[Bankroetlama]

Get it leased, the electric car technology is changing so fast that you can expect Tesla to depreciate a bit more than ICE luxury sedans.

That's really not a valid argument. The larger depreciation is also calculated in the lease price. So you pay it either way

 

[leaf]

Thanks Alfred and everyone else, much appreciated. I'll pass on these details. My buddy spends half his time in London and has no trouble dealing with tight parking spots etc - I think from what I've read and understand, getting a 240v/10A charge socket in the car park at his apartment building is likely to be the hardest bit. I know I struggled with this in London for a year, but parking / car ownership in London is a nightmare anyway

 

[RobStark]

That's really not a valid argument. The larger depreciation is also calculated in the lease price. So you pay it either way

Is the depreciation larger in Europe than the US?

Model S depreciates at a lower rate than S Class in the US.

Sub 100 mile BEVs depreciate quickly. Teslas not so much.

 

[ggnykk]

That's really not a valid argument. The larger depreciation is also calculated in the lease price. So you pay it either way

You are right. I should have said that people can get out of the lease at the end without buying the car. So he/she don't have to worry about the depreciation after the 3 year lease. There would be quite a big change in battery technology in 3 to 5 years time.