Thank you - I was hoping to find a 2010 in my price range. 200 miles would be 3 times what I'm getting from my 2014 Leaf ; )
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Need feedback on Roadster for daily driver
- Thread starter RealGreen
- Start date
Thank you - I was hoping to find a 2010 in my price range. 200 miles would be 3 times what I'm getting from my 2014 Leaf ; )
With a standard battery, 200 miles is from a "range" charge, where the Roadster brings the battery charge up to about 94%. Standard charge is about 83%, which is much better for long-term battery life. My 2010 claims just over 200 miles on a range charge (I think the last time was 214), and a standard charge comes in at about 160 miles. I'm still on the original battery.
These numbers, of course, are under "ideal" conditions, which is a gentle freeway speed, level ground, pleasant weather, and no wind. The thing is, though, there tends to be two different modes of driving. In a "daily driver" mode, you're doing something like 50-100 miles in a day, and doing a standard charge every night. So, range is not an issue. I hardly even look at the battery state.
The other mode is for travel, presumed to be an infrequent event. There you push the charge to 94% with a Range mode charge, and leave immediately so that the stress on the battery is minimized. When driving in Range mode (independent of charging in range mode), the battery charge and range displays are adjusted to the new scale, which include the top and bottom 10% or so. That's where the 200 miles range comes into view. In practice, that 200 miles is more like 180 so that you don't dip into the very bottom of the battery, which is also a stress on battery life. And then, as you well know from the Leaf, bad or cold weather impacts range too. The heat consumes about 10-15%. Air conditioning a bit less.
So, to your original questions, I found the Roadster to be a great daily driver. Fast, fun, efficient, and a head-turner whenever you take it out. Negatives are minimal space for stuff (passenger, groceries, etc.), and the $700-ish annual service fee. Tesla's expertise and experience in servicing the cars has dropped significantly in the past few years, as the experienced techs have moved on or retired, so you should do some checking with your local SC to see what sort of customer base they have of Roadsters to keep themselves sharp. If you're going to be one of only a couple of Roadsters in their service area, and if the center is really busy with other cars, it might be a cautionary consideration in your purchase. The car is generally very reliable, but when something does go wrong, or if something wrong is introduced by the service center team (don't get me started), then you might want to have a back up plan in place for transportation. Fixing stuff can take time due to parts availability.
Excellent - very helpful information. One more question - I know Teslas can use non-tesla chargers; are Roadsters able to do that? And can they plug into the high speed Tesla charges that have gone up all over the US?
hurd300403
Member
I own a 2010 2.0 w/ the 3.0 battery upgrade. I live in the DC area and drive it almost everyday even though I also own a performance model 3. Absolutely love it and very few issues.
Sadly, no you will not be able to charge at any supercharger, but you can charge at most slower 3rd party stations w/ an adapter.
A couple of thoughts, I've owned 2 roadsters, a 2.0 and a 2.5 sport.
They are as fun as it gets to drive.
They are a pain to get in and out of.
They ride like crap.
Still worth it.
They are as fun as it gets to drive.
They are a pain to get in and out of.
They ride like crap.
Still worth it.
Thanks - no problem. I live in the DC area too and in fact literally moving to DC from VA soon. Are you part of the EVADC group?
Check on PlugShare PlugShare - Find Electric Vehicle Charging Locations Near You select "Tesla" chargers, and you can find all the destination chargers avaialble that you CAN get an adapter to fit the roadster. CAN also get an adapter for the J1772. When ready to get the adapter(s), @hcsharp CAN fulfill your needs...
My Roadster has been my daily driver for over 10 years and 160K miles. I think I've had more problems than most people. It's had a failed PEM (they all will eventually), several bouts of failed PEM fans, and then a ton of more minor things that don't keep it from driving but are annoying, like TPMS failures, a GPS antenna failure, etc.
I don't mind the noise and the ride and the limited space. It's just too much fun not to drive.
I don't mind the noise and the ride and the limited space. It's just too much fun not to drive.
A bit too cute with the "CAN" references. @RealGreen might not catch that the adapters made by @hcsharp are called CAN JR (for J1772) and CAN SR (for Model S/X/3 destination chargers). These adapters are about the same size as the connector on the Roadster charge cables but have a socket for J1772 or Tesla S/X/3 charge connector where the big cable would be.
The cable at a Supercharger would also mate physically with the CAN SR, but nothing will happen because the signals required for digital authentication are not present. The Roadster is not capable of taking in the high-voltage direct current delivered by the Superchargers.
If you're still not convinced of the suitability as a daily driver, consider that two Roadsters (not one, but TWO) have driven around the world. One of them in less than 80 days. One of them was the first EV to ever circumnavigate the globe. One of them stopped at my house to get 70A and a nap. I made a custom UMC which helped one of them get across the Gobi Desert, and the endless potholes of Kazakhstan.
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I tell folks asking about the car that "you don't get into it, you put it on". This is both a physical thing and a metaphysical thing. There's a YouTube video (link below) made by the early Roadster team at Tesla showing how tall people get into and out of the Roadster, and once into the car you will find the driving experience like nothing else. You become part of the car, or it becomes part of you. I'm not sure which. It's hard to describe if you haven't driven one. I finally let my younger daughter drive the car (it's ok; she's 30) and among the smiles and giggles she said "Dad, it's fun to drive again!"
My 2008 #302 is my daily driver (except in crappy weather) now 50,000 mi. Range is about175, Std is about 130, so obviously still original battery. I use Firestone Firehawks on the rear and they do great, about 50-60,000 mi rated.
pharma5
Roadster F#25, Model 3 #36xx
Make sure have at least 30 A charging, esp in summer - Roadster gives off a lot of heat when charging, and it is not managed well on a regular 120V 15A. Check that you are ok with the low driving position for highways esp w traffic and trucks. Get all season tires or 2nd set of wheels+tires for winter. (The OEM tires are summer performance, not great for snow & ice).
Consider a Model 3 for everyday utility, cargo, passengers, range per $, supercharging, ease of forward support, safety on the road, lower maintenance, etc. A Performance Model 3 also has substantially quicker 0-60, and is still smaller / more agile than a Model S. Each gives instant toque and handles really well for their vehicle class.
I love the Roadster because it is unique to drive, great looking, and rare, a snapshot of the world about to change with the coming EVs. But for buying an everyday car (or only car?) today, some of those later EVs make very good selections as well.
Consider a Model 3 for everyday utility, cargo, passengers, range per $, supercharging, ease of forward support, safety on the road, lower maintenance, etc. A Performance Model 3 also has substantially quicker 0-60, and is still smaller / more agile than a Model S. Each gives instant toque and handles really well for their vehicle class.
I love the Roadster because it is unique to drive, great looking, and rare, a snapshot of the world about to change with the coming EVs. But for buying an everyday car (or only car?) today, some of those later EVs make very good selections as well.
