Model 3 LR for LONG daily commute?

[Jericho2414]

I really appreciate all the insight and advice. I actually contacted a corporate project manager to get his take and he agrees that EV is the way of the future. He’s heard from others the want for charging stations so he’s going to see what he can do.

I may just get a LR and then either charge on the way home until Corp agrees to add some chargers or maybe just foot the bill for the outlet at work myself.

 

[KenC]

I really appreciate all the insight and advice. I actually contacted a corporate project manager to get his take and he agrees that EV is the way of the future. He’s heard from others the want for charging stations so he’s going to see what he can do.

I may just get a LR and then either charge on the way home until Corp agrees to add some chargers or maybe just foot the bill for the outlet at work myself.

So, what was your opposition to charging on the road, in your original post? Driving an EV is not like driving an ICE, it requires a change in behavior. The fastest trip is to drive fast, and stop at low SOCs, ~15%, and charge up no more than you need. In your case, charge just enough to get home with 10-15% SOC.

From Jacksonville, FL, there have to be plenty of superchargers on your route. In ABRP, just putting in a trip to Altamonte Springs from Jacksonville and back, is 268miles. Putting in some of the battery-draining conditions you might face, high speed, 115% of speed limit; cold temps, 40F; starting at 90%, I get a result of stopping in Daytona Bch supercharger for 9min. That's 3h47m roundtrip, which includes the 9min of charging, for 268 miles. That's an average of 71mph including the charging stop.

Once you own an EV, you also realize that you need to allow for more cushion, as you'll get battery deg, in high heat climates. Trying to eke out a 270mile trip without charging is just going to give you stress. Just drive fast, make a quick stop, and drive without stress.

 

[bjrosen]

One more piece of advice, don't buy FSD. FSD isn't good enough yet to be worth the money. Tesla is going to offer a subscription soon so if it does get good enough you could always do that. The subscription will undoubtedly be more expensive than buying FSD for people who put on a normal number of miles per year but in your case you probably need to buy a new car every two or three years which means you won't get your money's worth. You will get basic Autopilot with the car and that will do everything you need for now.

 

[Jericho2414]

Well I may have to go that route but to answer your question...my aversion to stopping:

I’m already driving 4 hours a day, I have a high stress job (Hospital CFO), I drive home in an effort to see my young kids before they go to bed. I frequently go 3-4 days without seeing them because I leave before they’re up and get home after they’re asleep...so 15 mins on the way home is frequently the difference between seeing my kids or not. Not to mention, who wants to stop for 15 mins after the day I just described? You want to get home as soon as possible so I can workout, eat dinner, shower, and then bed. I just don’t have much time in my life. Can I stop? I suppose yes but I’d rather have a plug and charge during the day lol.

 

[KenC]

Well I may have to go that route but to answer your question...my aversion to stopping:

I’m already driving 4 hours a day, I have a high stress job (Hospital CFO), I drive home in an effort to see my young kids before they go to bed. I frequently go 3-4 days without seeing them because I leave before they’re up and get home after they’re asleep...so 15 mins on the way home is frequently the difference between seeing my kids or not. Not to mention, who wants to stop for 15 mins after the day I just described? You want to get home as soon as possible so I can workout, eat dinner, shower, and then bed. I just don’t have much time in my life. Can I stop? I suppose yes but I’d rather have a plug and charge during the day lol.

If you can charge at work, that's clearly the best option. However, as I pointed out, the fastest trip times are if you drive fast, and make a short charge at low SOC levels, rather than trying to stretch the car's battery range by going slower. If, you don't get the charger at work, since, your concern is getting home quickly to see your kids, rather than stop on the way home for 9 mins, try stopping on the way to work for 10 mins. That should give you your daily cushion so that you can drive fast home without stopping.

 

[designrs]

Charging at work is a no brainer. Don’t overthink it as in a ”charger installation” (although that’s nice)... just get 240v outlet offering between 30A and 50A service (50A preferred) and plug it in!

On the flip side, 10 to 15 minutes at a supercharger before reaching work isn’t that bad. Many Superchargers in Florida are at a Wawa. By the time you use the restroom and grab a coffee your car will be ready to go.

The only way I can see the supercharger option not working is if all chargers are occupied for the morning commute... I doubt they will be though. You can check # of available chargers and status online. Or maybe just stop by a supercharger or two with your ICE car now, just to look.

You might even find that you enjoy your morning coffee break.

 

[run-the-joules]

IMO the seats aren't good enough for that much driving but it depends a lot on your proportions I suppose. The lack of under thigh support gets pretty aggravating on longer drives for me.

 

[designrs]

IMO the seats aren't good enough for that much driving but it depends a lot on your proportions I suppose. The lack of under thigh support gets pretty aggravating on longer drives for me.

I find the seats to be extremely comfortable. This is a very personal issue with age, physical conditioning, medical issues, body shape and personal preferences all factoring in. The OP should definitely evaluate the seats for long commute purposes and personal comfort.

 

[N2B8]

You prob won’t make it even if you charge it to 100%. Especially considering sometimes the temperature drop below 40F.

Today I charged my LR RWD (had it for 2y) to 100% (ambient temperature 60-70F), drove 115mi and the battery was down to 55%. On the way back I needed to use the bathroom so stopped by a supercharger and was able to charge it from 37-52% in the 7-8 min I was there so plenty of juice to go home. My speed was mostly 75-80mph.

 

[designrs]

I really appreciate all the insight and advice. I actually contacted a corporate project manager to get his take and he agrees that EV is the way of the future. He’s heard from others the want for charging stations so he’s going to see what he can do.

I may just get a LR and then either charge on the way home until Corp agrees to add some chargers or maybe just foot the bill for the outlet at work myself.

You might be able to find a suitable electric source to tap into near a building that’s not a designated parking spot. Around back. Loading dock. Etc. You probably have the rank to talk with security / facility management about non-standard parking. Put a sign in the window, “Parked with permission of... whatever.”

* As long as the car is safe.

Then again there are plenty of hotels and rental apartments that have installed destination chargers, so it can’t be that hard. As you are basically in an “industrial complex” there has got to be lots of electric sources around the buildings.

* Your facility maintence garage and/or security buildings would be a prime locations to check out.
** Anyplace close to a breaker box would be perfect!

 

[polyphonic54]

Have you considered renting a place and making the drive 1-2x/week instead of daily? I personally would not want to spend 4+ hours in the Model 3 every day, or any car. That sounds awful.

275 miles per day is really pushing it for the car too. You'll likely drive faster than the EPA rating accounts for, and want to leave a reserve in case of bad weather (rain/headwind), emergency, unpredictability of life, etc.

 

[run-the-joules]

Have you considered renting a place and making the drive 1-2x/week instead of daily? I personally would not want to spend 4+ hours in the Model 3 every day, or any car. That sounds awful.

this, unless it was part of my workday and could be in meetings from the car and only be in the office 4 or so hours a day, but it sounds like he's working full days on top of the commute. To each their own I suppose. The only way I'd do that is at $20m/yr worth in comp so I could retire after a year

 

[mattack4000]

If you can swing it, I would go with the Model S for the extra buffer. Battery degrade. What works today might not work a year from now.

Problem solved if they can install a 220 outlet. Heck even a 110 outlet would work for you.

 

[Candleflame]

I’ve seen threads asking if a Model 3 LR can handle a long commute and the answer is typically yes, however I have something I haven’t seen discussed...

I have a long daily commute 136 miles each way (272 daily). Please no comments about that as I can answer them quickly: Yes, the commute is for a high paying job. No, my wife will not move. No, I cannot work from home. No, I cannot find a similar job that’s closer to home. No, I cannot charge at work (although that might be a possibility). No, I do not care about depreciation or resale value.

That out of the way, I live in Jacksonville, FL so it gets hot and the winters don’t get below 30-40*. My commute is 100% highway. I’m currently paying $600/m in gas so an EV seems like a no-brainer. My problem is I’m not sure a Model 3 LR can go 275 daily (I always read to charge to 80% and not below 20%, which would leave only 210 miles). Being on the road for 4 hours a day, I’m not real interested in stopping to charge.

So my question is, can a LR actually be used for 275 daily with no charging in between?

Thanks

Not possible especially not with degradation and ideling. You will loose around 10% range after 1 to 2 years. So if you can just about scrape it in summer you just cant in winter and not with degradation.
Your best solution will be to charge at work i.e. initially with just a plug out of the window!

 

[Sophias_dad]

Have you checked Plugshare for nearby chargers to your workplace, either free or paid? A short walk to get an hour or two of charging could save you stopping on the way home and give you a bit of exercise at the same time.

 

[bjrosen]

What you need is a helicopter not a Tesla. Don't laugh, back in the 80s I was at a Supercomputer startup and one of the guys there commuted in a small helicopter, landed in on the lawn next to the building.

 

[Sophias_dad]

need is a helicopter

Was thinking the same thing!

Side note: I'm sure the electrician folks already thought of this, but if those conduits were laid 15 years ago when LED parking lot lights weren't yet a thing, I wonder if the conductors for the lights can now be downsized considerably, leaving space for a new set of fat conductors either for a subpanel or at least one 240V outlet.

 

[ATPMSD]

I briefly looked at chargepoint and while it’s be cool to charge people to use it, the initial investment looked to be $4k or more. That’d be a hard sell considering there’s only one employee and maybe me.

The best idea would be the 240v outlet. I could pay for it myself if needed and then split time with the EV owner (or pull rank lol).

The way to sell Chargepoint is for your company to support/encourage EVs! This is a build it and they will come sales pitch. Best to run power to support a bank of charging stations and install new ones are needed.

Given what your savings on fuel, installing a 14-50 plug should be very cost effective.

Some have suggested using SuperChargers. It is my understanding that using SuperChargers on a daily basis is bad for the battery.

 

[HAL2001]

I agree with jjrandorin, You would want to plug in at work or you will be in constant range anxiety. Even if your on a level 1 charge for 7-8 hours that would solve everything. Can you make it on a single charge, yes, but your on the edge depending on weather conditions.

BTW AP is a major plus on a long drive. Not for range, more for less stress.

 

[Needsdecaf]

IMO the seats aren't good enough for that much driving but it depends a lot on your proportions I suppose. The lack of under thigh support gets pretty aggravating on longer drives for me.

I'm 6'2" with a 32" inseam. I find the underthigh support to be fine, which is surprising considering that I often find this lacking in most cars.

So definitely depends on how it fits you.