Model 3 - LR AWD Waiting Room

[Mineobi]

I'm actually a little embarassed to say how much $$ I spent on accessories and making my M3 look bad ass before even taking delivery of my car. Let's just say...I took advantage of the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sales and saved a TON of $$!!!! I even compiled a spreadsheet and purchased nearly every item on there.

Boxes of accessories have piled up and stored in my house. While anxiously awating delivery, staring at those ESD...I'd take a glimpse at my pile of accessories, just saying...we are getting closer each day.

From Tesla, I ordered the wall connecter and wheel locking nuts

From Amazon, I ordered mud flaps, pad puck jacks (both a must have), organizers for center console and armrest storage box, the hidden arm rest storage box and door lock cover (the last two, not necessary...but it was ON SALE!!!). I have to install these by the end of the month to make sure they all fit properly and I like the functionality of them...as the return window ends at 1/31/2022.

I also ordered Maxpider 3D mats, Tesla puddle lights, better interior lighting (doors, trunk and ambient), cupholder LED light, screen pivot mount, air intake vent cover, trunk bag hook, peformance pedals, screen protector, carbon fiber everything (dash, door trim, window controls, center console, steering wheel, control stalks, front lip, side skirts, rear spoiler, diffuser, badges, etc)

I even ordered new rims from T-Sportline...I don't like the aero covers, and I'm not even a fan of the stock wheel under the covers.

Carbon fiber links?

 

[fishacura]

If you scroll down on the page you’ll see this - “The alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit expired for refueling property placed in service after 2021. Do not report refueling property placed in service after 2021 on Form 8911 unless the credit is extended.”

What is this credit for exactly? Business only or general consumer? Price of vehicle or price of home setup? Sorry the only one I was familiar with was the BBB 10k credit which isn't signed into law.

 

[TesEv]

Regarding the 30% federal tax credit for ev charging installation / equipment, I like to go to the internal revenue code instead of the form instructions, as the form instructions don't always align with the current tax law. From I.R.C. Sec 30C:

(g) Termination​

This section shall not apply to any property placed in service after December 31, 2021.

So unless congress passes an extension, there isn't currently anything in effect for the 2022 tax year.

Thanks for confirming it. My plan now is to install a 14-50 but “wired with 6/3 Romex and 60A breaker” for now. If extended, I may just switch out the receptacle with Tesla wall charger.

 

[ynb86]

What is this credit for exactly? Business only or general consumer? Price of vehicle or price of home setup? Sorry the only one I was familiar with was the BBB 10k credit which isn't signed into law.

It is/was for charging equipment such as your wall charger and 240v set-up installation costs. Consumer and business, with different caps for each. $1000 max credit for consumer if I'm not wrong.

 

[swhalen17]

It is/was for charging equipment such as your wall charger and 240v set-up installation costs. Consumer and business, with different caps for each. $1000 max credit for consumer if I'm not wrong.

accurate - source: my tax return in Turbo Tax

 

[MountainRatMat]

Thanks for confirming it. My plan now is to install a 14-50 but “wired with 6/3 Romex and 60A breaker” for now. If extended, I may just switch out the receptacle with Tesla wall charger.

14-50 must be wired with a 50A breaker. When/if you get a wall charger later just swap out the breaker and replace the 14-50 plug with the wall charger. That is what I did. As long as you have the correct romex installed. The breaker has to be swapped out at the time you swap out the plug for the wall charger in order to both be safe and to meet code.

 

[itsallaboutme]

Has anyone bought a center console wrap for their M3? I am thinking about getting a white one for the console and also white for the steering wheel. I just want to know if it looks good and is it worth it.

 

[TesEv]

14-50 must be wired with a 50A breaker. When/if you get a wall charger later just swap out the breaker and replace the 14-50 plug with the wall charger. That is what I did. As long as you have the correct romex installed. The breaker has to be swapped out at the time you swap out the plug for the wall charger in order to both be safe and to meet code.

Ok will do. Not a big deal breaker.

 

[CarlThompson]

I am still waiting…but started to think about the charger. I will have an electrician to run wire from basement sub panel to garage regardless. I don’t know if I want to just go with a 14-50 or bite the bullet to get the wall charger (another ~$600) so that I can keep my mobile charger in the car??

You don't have to choose between a 14-50 and a wall charger... you can do both in one device. I myself purchased and mounted a 3rd party wall charger which is plugged into a 14-50 outlet. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of that approach vs. the Tesla wall charger.

Advantages of 14-50 plus 3rd party wall charger over Tesla Wall Connector:

• Cheaper-- I had two (2) 14-50 outlets installed and bought my 3rd party wall charger that plugs into one of them all for less money than a Tesla wall charger plus installation. I chose not to just use the cable that comes with the car plugged into my 14-50 but if I had I would have saved even more money.
• More flexible-- I usually own more than one brand of EV at a time so doing it this way allows me to charge any brand EV with the same setup. I can also charge friends' and neighbors' EVs or plug-in hybrids regardless of the type. Since they're standard 14-50 outlets I can plug in other heavy machinery when I occasionally have a project that requires it. Finally, even though I only have one wall charger set up since I have two 14-50 outlets I can charge two EVs at once should I need to by plugging my Tesla in using the cable that comes with the car.
• More features-- The wall connector I have now connects to WiFi and has an app with fancy energy and charge tracking features and allows me to charge my car only when my electrical utility's rates are the lowest.
• Upgradability-- This for me was important. Much like EVs, the tech in chargers is constantly evolving and new convenience features added. I like the ability to switch out my charger simply by unplugging the old one and plugging in a new one and not needing to do work on the house wiring or hire an electrician. I actually just did this last month and the whole process of switching chargers took about 5 minutes by myself (and that includes wall mounting).

Disadvantages:

• Slightly slower charging-- Because my 3rd party wall charger is plugged into a 14-50 outlet it can charge at a maximum of 40 amps sustained. The Tesla Wall Connector can charge at 48 amps. However, the 3rd party party wall charger I have (made by Emporia Energy) can actually be hardwired too so it could also do 48 amps if I wanted but to me slightly faster charging wouldn't be worth the trade-off of being much harder to upgrade or replace.
• Need to use J1772 adapter that comes with the Model 3-- This could sound like more of an inconvenience than it actually is. But the adapter fits right on the end of the charger's plug and stays there (until I need to charge a non-Tesla). It stays put and doesn't fall off so basically you can just forget it's there. But as @jjrandorin mentioned it's a good idea to keep a J1772 adapter in your car just in case so I just bought a spare adapter from Tesla for $50 so I could keep one in the car and the other on the charging cable without having to keep track of where just one adapter is.

Same as wall connector:

• Looks nicer-- Better looking than just using the cable that comes with the car.
• Built in cable management-- Comes with hook to keep the charge cable neatly coiled.
• Allows you to keep the charger than comes with the car in the car.

 

[Keninblaine]

Thanks for confirming it. My plan now is to install a 14-50 but “wired with 6/3 Romex and 60A breaker” for now. If extended, I may just switch out the receptacle with Tesla wall charger.

Careful. 6/3 Romex isn't rated for 60A, only 55A, which means you can only use a 50A breaker as they don't make 55A breakers. This only slightly reduces the full potential charge rate of the Tesla wall charger. I installed both a 14-50 receptacle and Tesla wall charger in 2 locations in my garage using 6/3 Romex since it gives me more flexibility for how the cars are parked as well as for any possibility of 2 EVs in the future.

 

[mnguy]

Just picked up today! Thanks to this thread for keeping me sane during my wait!

 

[TesEv]

Careful. 6/3 Romex isn't rated for 60A, only 55A, which means you can only use a 50A breaker as they don't make 55A breakers. This only slightly reduces the full potential charge rate of the Tesla wall charger. I installed both a 14-50 receptacle and Tesla wall charger in 2 locations in my garage using 6/3 Romex since it gives me more flexibility for how the cars are parked as well as for any possibility of 2 EVs in the future.

Yes I just read something about 55A max for 6/3 romex. I am comparing individual 6awg or go 4/3 or just stay with 50A and not max out the wall charger capability. I original thought the wall charger max out at 60A x 0.8 = 48A so 6/3 romex is ok but I guess not for the code.

 

[whiskeylover]

Thanks for keeping me company all these weeks, you guys. Just picked up my Blue M3LR at Dedham, MA today, and it's beautiful.

Also, checked the config. It's an Atom processor (not that it bothers me). Also, got one year of free premium connectivity (as opposed to 30 days that most people are getting these days.) Pics are coming soon.

Good luck with your waits, guys. Hang in there.

 

[GcS3]

Just picked up today! Thanks to this thread for keeping me sane during my wait!
View attachment 759772

Congrats! chip? first 3 digits of last 6 vin#?

 

[whiskeylover]

Just picked up today! Thanks to this thread for keeping me sane during my wait!
View attachment 759772

Dedham?

 

[cmy4x4]

You don't have to choose between a 14-50 and a wall charger... you can do both in one device. I myself purchased and mounted a 3rd party wall charger which is plugged into a 14-50 outlet. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of that approach vs. the Tesla wall charger.

Advantages of 14-50 plus 3rd party wall charger over Tesla Wall Connector:

• Cheaper-- I had two (2) 14-50 outlets installed and bought my 3rd party wall charger that plugs into one of them all for less money than a Tesla wall charger plus installation. I chose not to just use the cable that comes with the car plugged into my 14-50 but if I had I would have saved even more money.
• More flexible-- I usually own more than one brand of EV at a time so doing it this way allows me to charge any brand EV with the same setup. I can also charge friends' and neighbors' EVs or plug-in hybrids regardless of the type. Since they're standard 14-50 outlets I can plug in other heavy machinery when I occasionally have a project that requires it. Finally, even though I only have one wall charger set up since I have two 14-50 outlets I can charge two EVs at once should I need to by plugging my Tesla in using the cable that comes with the car.
• More features-- The wall connector I have now connects to WiFi and has an app with fancy energy and charge tracking features and allows me to charge my car only when my electrical utility's rates are the lowest.
• Upgradability-- This for me was important. Much like EVs, the tech in chargers is constantly evolving and new convenience features added. I like the ability to switch out my charger simply by unplugging the old one and plugging in a new one and not needing to do work on the house wiring or hire an electrician. I actually just did this last month and the whole process of switching chargers took about 5 minutes by myself (and that includes wall mounting).

Disadvantages:

• Slightly slower charging-- Because my 3rd party wall charger is plugged into a 14-50 outlet it can charge at a maximum of 40 amps sustained. The Tesla Wall Connector can charge at 48 amps. However, the 3rd party party wall charger I have (made by Emporia Energy) can actually be hardwired too so it could also do 48 amps if I wanted but to me slightly faster charging wouldn't be worth the trade-off of being much harder to upgrade or replace.
• Need to use J1772 adapter that comes with the Model 3-- This could sound like more of an inconvenience than it actually is. But the adapter fits right on the end of the charger's plug and stays there (until I need to charge a non-Tesla). It stays put and doesn't fall off so basically you can just forget it's there. But as @jjrandorin mentioned it's a good idea to keep a J1772 adapter in your car just in case so I just bought a spare adapter from Tesla for $50 so I could keep one in the car and the other on the charging cable without having to keep track of where just one adapter is.

Same as wall connector:

• Looks nicer-- Better looking than just using the cable that comes with the car.
• Built in cable management-- Comes with hook to keep the charge cable neatly coiled.
• Allows you to keep the charger than comes with the car in the car.

Another advantage of the Tesla wall charger is that it does NOT require a GFCI breaker (at 3 to 4 times the cost of a "normal" breaker), it is built into the wall unit.

 

[TesEv]

Careful. 6/3 Romex isn't rated for 60A, only 55A, which means you can only use a 50A breaker as they don't make 55A breakers. This only slightly reduces the full potential charge rate of the Tesla wall charger. I installed both a 14-50 receptacle and Tesla wall charger in 2 locations in my garage using 6/3 Romex since it gives me more flexibility for how the cars are parked as well as for any possibility of 2 EVs in the future.

Yes I just read something about 55A max for 6/3 romex. I am checking if it’s better to do individual 6awg instead or go 4/

You don't have to choose between a 14-50 and a wall charger... you can do both in one device. I myself purchased and mounted a 3rd party wall charger which is plugged into a 14-50 outlet. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of that approach vs. the Tesla wall charger.

Advantages of 14-50 plus 3rd party wall charger over Tesla Wall Connector:

• Cheaper-- I had two (2) 14-50 outlets installed and bought my 3rd party wall charger that plugs into one of them all for less money than a Tesla wall charger plus installation. I chose not to just use the cable that comes with the car plugged into my 14-50 but if I had I would have saved even more money.
• More flexible-- I usually own more than one brand of EV at a time so doing it this way allows me to charge any brand EV with the same setup. I can also charge friends' and neighbors' EVs or plug-in hybrids regardless of the type. Since they're standard 14-50 outlets I can plug in other heavy machinery when I occasionally have a project that requires it. Finally, even though I only have one wall charger set up since I have two 14-50 outlets I can charge two EVs at once should I need to by plugging my Tesla in using the cable that comes with the car.
• More features-- The wall connector I have now connects to WiFi and has an app with fancy energy and charge tracking features and allows me to charge my car only when my electrical utility's rates are the lowest.
• Upgradability-- This for me was important. Much like EVs, the tech in chargers is constantly evolving and new convenience features added. I like the ability to switch out my charger simply by unplugging the old one and plugging in a new one and not needing to do work on the house wiring or hire an electrician. I actually just did this last month and the whole process of switching chargers took about 5 minutes by myself (and that includes wall mounting).

Disadvantages:

• Slightly slower charging-- Because my 3rd party wall charger is plugged into a 14-50 outlet it can charge at a maximum of 40 amps sustained. The Tesla Wall Connector can charge at 48 amps. However, the 3rd party party wall charger I have (made by Emporia Energy) can actually be hardwired too so it could also do 48 amps if I wanted but to me slightly faster charging wouldn't be worth the trade-off of being much harder to upgrade or replace.
• Need to use J1772 adapter that comes with the Model 3-- This could sound like more of an inconvenience than it actually is. But the adapter fits right on the end of the charger's plug and stays there (until I need to charge a non-Tesla). It stays put and doesn't fall off so basically you can just forget it's there. But as @jjrandorin mentioned it's a good idea to keep a J1772 adapter in your car just in case so I just bought a spare adapter from Tesla for $50 so I could keep one in the car and the other on the charging cable without having to keep track of where just one adapter is.

Same as wall connector:

• Looks nicer-- Better looking than just using the cable that comes with the car.
• Built in cable management-- Comes with hook to keep the charge cable neatly coiled.
• Allows you to keep the charger than comes with the car in the car.

Thank you for all the good pointers!

 

[TesEv]

Another advantage of the Tesla wall charger is that it does NOT require a GFCI breaker (at 3 to 4 times the cost of a "normal" breaker), it is built into the wall unit.

Yes you are right. I read the manual about it. No gfci.

 

[frnk.hspr]

Thanks for keeping me company all these weeks, you guys. Just picked up my Blue M3LR at Dedham, MA today, and it's beautiful.

Also, checked the config. It's an Atom processor (not that it bothers me). Also, got one year of free premium connectivity (as opposed to 30 days that most people are getting these days.) Pics are coming soon.

Good luck with your waits, guys. Hang in there.

Congrats. How did you receive the 1 year vs 30 days?

 

[cmy4x4]

Just picked up today! Thanks to this thread for keeping me sane during my wait!
View attachment 759772

The white on white is VERY COOL! Congratulations!