Looking to Buy a Used Roadster

[antcee]

Hi All,
I am interested in purchasing a used Roadster as a daily driver. I commute around 160 miles round trip each day, 5 days/week, all open highway. What kind of reduction in the expected 230+ mi. cruise range should I anticipate, given that I will be traveling at sustained highway speeds, including driving through mountain passes with 4000 ft. elevation changes? I'm thinking I would need a charging station both at home and at the office. Anybody out there that puts on a lot of miles on their Roadster? Just wondering how well this car will hold up.
Thanks,
Anthony

 

[Iz]

You will also have to factor in weather. Colder temperatures, particularly at 4000 ft, will also impact range.

 

[antcee]

I would guess cold weather will decrease the range. I does get below 30 F sometimes in the winter, it which case I would be taking a different car.
Thanks.

 

[Bradleybang]

80 miles each way and charging in between doesn't concern me (even with the cold weather).

If you did 40 weeks at 160 miles per day = 32k miles per year, you would definately be the highest miler I know.

Tires would be an issue. The best tires are soft because the car is so fast. Not so good for miles.

Constant charging in cold temps would be another concern for the longevity of the battery pack.

 

[antcee]

Ya, the battery pack pricing is up there. Are they really $30-40k to replace, or $12k?
From what I've read, it's $12k if you buy it when you purchase the car. Is that true?
Thanks

 

[antcee]

It looks like there are quite a few used ones available for sale. Are there any common issues outstanding?

 

[Bradleybang]

From Tesla
"Customers may pay $12,000, €10,000 or £9,000 up front and in return receive a replacement battery pack after seven years. Customers will also have the option of replacing the pack earlier at a premium or later for a partial refund. With the low production volume of the Tesla Roadster, the current replacement price of the pack is almost three times that number. The main reason for the relatively low cost up front -- and why this is a smart purchase -- is that we are arbitraging the relative cost of capital between Tesla and our typical customer. "

So, I dont think this would work for you if you plan on 30k miles per year. You wont make it 7 years and the original owner would have had to buy it.

The biggest complaint. FM reception bad and AM worse. So CDs, satelite and ipod/iphone are your listening options.

Door sills trap dirt/rocks.

Various other odds and ends from others if you research this site

However this is an increadibly fun car to drive on a daily basis.

The "EV grin" will be with you and often you'll forget the small stuff.

 

[vfx]

I would get the charger at work if it's not a hassle. You are on the edge of fun driving/elevation change total limits. That way you can have enough to feel comfortable going off track doing errands to and from work. You also can keep the charges in Standard Mode and get longer life from it.

High altitudes do not affect electric motors but we have owners here who live in Colorado so they could speak better.

There is another very recent thread on buy a used Roadster where Pro and Cons were given by owners.

 

[antcee]

I went to the dealer in West LA today and test drove the Sport version. Sweet ride, the acceleration is amazing!

 

[Webbie]

Drove from Boulder to Georgetown, CO and back, mostly highway, similar elevation change, 165 miles. Did it in Range Mode, but you wouldn't want to do that every day, it's hard on the batteries.
So, I'd say yes, best to have a 220 line at home and work so you could stay in Standard Mode, which is likely to give you 150 miles comfortably. I'm not noticing much change in range with temperatures from 25 to 50. Anyone else?

 

[DrTaras]

I went to the dealer in West LA today and test drove the Sport version. Sweet ride, the acceleration is amazing!

If you went there, then where is your aforementioned cold & 4K elevation commute to/from?

Also, when you got out... did you have the "Tesla Grin?" :biggrin:

 

[antcee]

My commute is from the LA area over the Grapevine. 4100+ ft.
I'm concerned about the battery life, driving around 30k miles/per could eat up the batteries in just 3-4 yrs., if I were to use this as my main commuter. $30k for a new battery could buy a lot of gasoline. Even $12 for a pre-paid battery can by a lot of gas.

As yes, I still do have the "Tesla Grin". Amazing!!!

 

[Webbie]

The positive of the grin may outweigh the negative of the cost.
Let's face it, the Tesla is not a big money saver for any of us.
If you drive 25,000 miles a year, you'll save around 1000 gallons
or $3000. May save you enough for new batteries in four or five years,
but you will still have bought an expensive car. Of course, every time
you put your foot down, you forget the money.

 

[DrTaras]

Also... any of your commute involve needing to use a carpool (HOV) lane? If that can save you time & time is money...

 

[dsm363]

I just entered that raffle to get the 2008 Roadster so there's a 1/200 chance I'll be posting as a Roadster owner. Waiting for the Model S is tough so would be cool to have a Roadster to drive until it gets here.
It's one way to get a used Roadster I guess.

 

[Andy811]

145 mile commute, no problem in standard mode.

My commute is not as brutal as yours, but close. I make it in standard mode with a few miles (15 - 20) to spare. Range mode is no problem, although there is that issue regarding long term battery life. Frankly, that's not a big concern for me as I'll likely just get the new roadster when it's out in 2013 or so.

While I can make the round trip under normal circumstances, you do have to consider all the people at the office who will ask you for a ride and want you to let them feel what 0-60 in 3.7 seconds feels like! :smile: That's quite the battery drain so for safekeeping I do carry the multi charger.

The good news is I have a charging station around the corner near a local restaurant. It's at an Edison office (yes, I get a certain pleasure helping myself to free juice, smiling as they stroll by) and they do have a 240 (aka 14-50) plug. An hour's charge during lunch is all the security I need to satisfy the ride-along requests from office mates.

Costco also has charging stations, but not always with a 240 plug. Most have Avcom chargers, though, and you can purchase an Avcom to 240 converter called the ADAPT1 at Electric Auto Association - Electric Vehicles

If you want an advanced read on mapping out locations of charging stations along your route, look at EVChargerMaps or download the EV Charger Finder iPhone App.

One last thing to consider, though. If you have a 4000 ft altitude change, you undoubtedly have a long downhill stretch at some point. If you play it right and maximize coasting during this leg of the journey, your regenerative braking system will add charge to your battery and increase your range to some extent.

Hope this helps. It really is an incredible vehicle. :biggrin: