New owner —Worried

[PhilRogers]

Hi everyone! I really need your advice and forgivrpe this lengthy post. I have wanted a Tesla for so long and finally got mine last Saturday. I have been reading the threads and need some advice/reassurance, because my anxiety is preventing me from truly enjoying my new car.

(I’m still learning how to post here — posted this previously as a reply in another thread.

It's a Model 3 Standard Range Plus. I picked it up in St. Louis on Saturday. (That's where they found me one--I live in suburban Chicago). On my 295 mile trip home, I had to charge twice. I was really surprised by that. (Both were at Superchargers---which by the way took a really long time---as long as an hour).

Here were the conditions: Blinding rain, pretty cold (probably 40's), wipers and lights for much of the trip. Do those kinds of conditions really sap range? So much so that I needed to supercharge twice on a 295 mile trip?

Please, another example. I'm 28 miles from work. One day this week I started with my car displaying a range of 299 miles. It rolled off 40 miles on that 28 mile trip. Is that normal? (45 degrees, some drizzle, wipers for part of the trip --- and lights). Last night on the way home that 28 mile trip burned 35 miles.

Now---one last thing. I know this is controversial: I just really don't like the appearance of the aero covers or the gun-metal wheels below them. PLEASE DON"T FLAME ME ON THIS I paid extra for the 19" sport wheels because I just thought they look better. Are those really sapping my range? Or can someone reassure me that that number may be minimal? I've seen everything from 5% to 10% range reduction on the forums. I'm so worried I made a huge mistake.

Most of all everyone, I just want to start loving my car. This is all sort of hanging over me. I don't have range anxiety. I have "think about range all the time" anxiety.

Any and all advice/comfort you could offer would be very welcome. It is a beautiful car.

Thank you,
Phil Rogers
Chicago

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Short answer - yes

Play with this to understand why your range was reduced. Set your car to pre-condition before you leave in the AM, especially in cold weather and your range will increase. Also don't wait around at a charger to fully charge,,, once you get enough + a comfortable buffer move to the next SC. 19 wheels and sport tires do decrease range. Also rain, high speed, cold weather, wind, and elevation impact range.

 

[SalisburySam]

Yes.
Very possibly.
Yes.
No.

 

[smatthew]

Rain causes a huge increase in power usage. The rain increases the rolling resistance.

LPT: Change from miles remaining to battery percentage. It's much less stressful.

Charging shouldn't have taken an hour - did you charge to 100%? Did the car ever show "conditioning for supercharging" on the way to the supercharger?

Especially while on a trip I never charge higher than 60 percent - the supercharger is so much faster when the battery is empty. It can take longer to get from 70-100 than from 0-70.

 

[PhilRogers]

Rain causes a huge increase in power usage. The rain increases the rolling resistance.

LPT: Change from miles remaining to battery percentage. It's much less stressful.

Charging shouldn't have taken an hour - did you charge to 100%? Did the car ever show "conditioning for supercharging" on the way to the supercharger?

Especially while on a trip I never charge higher than 60 percent - the supercharger is so much faster when the battery is empty. It can take longer to get from 70-100 than from 0-70.

thank you! I was charging to 100% because I was on the road and I was seeing such rapid drain. What do you think about my day to day usage on my work trips? Is that typical?

What about my wheels? Did I make a mistake? (I can’t figure out how to change the avatar picture or I would make it an image of the car—you’d see how amazing it looks!)

 

[PhilRogers]

Short answer - yes

Play with this to understand why your range was reduced. Set your car to pre-condition before you leave in the AM, especially in cold weather and your range will increase. Also don't wait around at a charger to fully charge,,, once you get enough + a comfortable buffer move to the next SC. 19 wheels and sport tires do decrease range. Also rain, high speed, cold weather, wind, and elevation impact range.

thank you. Regarding preconditioning, is that just a simple matter of putting in a departure time?

I’m really stressing over my wheels. I love the way they look —even waited longer on the car to get them. Now I’m worried I shouldn’t have.

 

[Stach]

Hi everyone! ,,, It's a Model 3 Standard Range Plus. I picked it up in St. Louis on Saturday. (That's where they found me one--I live in suburban Chicago). On my 295 mile trip home, I had to charge twice. I was really surprised by that. (Both were at Superchargers---which by the way took a really long time---as long as an hour).

Here were the conditions: Blinding rain, pretty cold (probably 40's), wipers and lights for much of the trip. Do those kinds of conditions really sap range? So much so that I needed to supercharge twice on a 295 mile trip?

Please, another example. I'm 28 miles from work. One day this week I started with my car displaying a range of 299 miles. It rolled off 40 miles on that 28 mile trip. Is that normal? (45 degrees, some drizzle, wipers for part of the trip --- and lights). Last night on the way home that 28 mile trip burned 35 miles.

Now---one last thing. I know this is controversial: I just really don't like the appearance of the aero covers or the gun-metal wheels below them. PLEASE DON"T FLAME ME ON THIS I paid extra for the 19" sport wheels because I just thought they look better. Are those really sapping my range? Or can someone reassure me that that number may be minimal? I've seen everything from 5% to 10% range reduction on the forums. I'm so worried I made a huge mistake.

Any and all advice/comfort you could offer would be very welcome. It is a beautiful car.

Hi Phil, I own an SR+ as well and live nearby in Madison. You definitely mentioned some of the things that can negatively impact range and you also said started with a range of 299 miles one day, which must have been a typo as the SR+ max range is 250 miles. Having to Supecharge twice on your trip back from St. Louis seems very extreme (definitely needed once), but in the summer I was able to make it back to the North side of Madison from downtown Chicago on one charge and driving 75mph. Here are my guesstimates on factors and range loss in your trip back from St. Louis:

• 40 degree temp = 10-15% loss (cold air is thicker, battery is happier the warmer it is up to maybe 90 degrees)
• Car Heater = 5-15% loss depending upon set temperature (could be even larger if you set the temp really high, use the seat heaters as they consume far less energy)
• 19" Wheels = 5-10% loss depending upon tire pressure
• Weather conditions = 5-10% loss with rain resistance and depending upon wind direction and strength
• Speed = 0-10% loss (Car range is rated at 65mph, so anything over that really puts a hit on range, depending upon wind direction). Most people would drive over 65mph on the interstate.

When you add all of those factors up, unfortunately the range loss would fall into line with what you experienced (25-605)....60% seems extreme, so probably more like 25-50%, depending upon the unknowns.

I don't have any supercharger experience, but I've seen a wide range of charge times, depending upon how busy they are and if you happen to hit a bad / slow one (it happens).

I absolutely LOVE my SR+ and have taken it on a couple of 200+ mile day trips, and it honestly has exceeded my expectations, as I'm very aware of what it takes to get the best range.

I hope that this helps!
Stach

 

[Stach]

What do you think about my day to day usage on my work trips? Is that typical?

What about my wheels? Did I make a mistake?

About your day trips, yes I'd say that's easily typical. All of those factors that I pointed out above, will come into play there too. The first couple of miles of any trip can be especially draining, if your battery or cabin need to warm up, etc...

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

OP also didn't mention wind.
Wind is an invisible enemy . Aerodynamic drag depends on motion relative to the air, so strong headwinds in particular can really mess with efficiency.

The wheels are a mistake if you need the range and efficiency.
But check tire pressures. If they've been set for warmer weather, they're going to be a bit low on the colder days.

 

[PhilRogers]

Thank you for your really kind reply. Regarding the St. Louis trip my car was charged fully to 240 but it was a 295 mile trip. That’s why I was surprised at having to make two stops, one in Springfield and the other in Bloomington.

As far as my work trips, it’s garaged on both ends.

(By the way last Sunday I drove to Rockford—-89 miles on the nose). Do you think that 178 mile round trip should have been ok or was it risky? (I charged at the Rockford supercharger before returning)

 

[ilyak]

OP, you’re getting a lot of good tips here. I’ll ad one more: do not charge to 100% during road trips (except for before departure, if you need to). Charging rate begins to slow down above 50%, with the most dramatic reduction past 80%. As the result, charging 80-100% will take as much time as charging 10-80%. Use abetterrouteplanner.com to find optimal charging times and locations for your trips.

 

[PhilRogers]

OP also didn't mention wind.
Wind is an invisible enemy . Aerodynamic drag depends on motion relative to the air, so strong headwinds in particular can really mess with efficiency.

The wheels are a mistake if you need the range and efficiency.
But check tire pressures. If they've been set for warmer weather, they're going to be a bit low on the colder days.

thanks, re: mistake, how much range do you think the wheels are realistically causing me? For instance on my 28 mile trip to work?

 

[PhilRogers]

OP, you’re getting a lot of good tips here. I’ll ad one more: do not charge to 100% during road trips (except for before departure, if you need to). Charging rate begins to slow down above 50%, with the most dramatic reduction past 80%. As the result, charging 80-100% will take as much time as charging 10-80%. Use abetterrouteplanner.com to find optimal charging times and locations for your trips.

Thank you! That is a great tip!

 

[BrandX]

You can find the impact of different wheels here. https://teslike.com/

 

[Stach]

thanks, re: mistake, how much range do you think the wheels are realistically causing me? For instance on my 28 mile trip to work?

Here are a couple of great links with tire size / efficiency information. In comparison to your 19" wheels, you would gain 5% efficiency by switching to the 18" wheels and 10% if those 18" wheels were wearing the Aero hubcaps (so around 10-20 miles basically).

How does tire size impact the range on a Tesla? - Tesla Owners Online

Teslike.com

 

[glide]

Hi everyone! I really need your advice and forgivrpe this lengthy post. I have wanted a Tesla for so long and finally got mine last Saturday. I have been reading the threads and need some advice/reassurance, because my anxiety is preventing me from truly enjoying my new car.

(I’m still learning how to post here — posted this previously as a reply in another thread.

It's a Model 3 Standard Range Plus. I picked it up in St. Louis on Saturday. (That's where they found me one--I live in suburban Chicago). On my 295 mile trip home, I had to charge twice. I was really surprised by that. (Both were at Superchargers---which by the way took a really long time---as long as an hour).

Here were the conditions: Blinding rain, pretty cold (probably 40's), wipers and lights for much of the trip. Do those kinds of conditions really sap range? So much so that I needed to supercharge twice on a 295 mile trip?

Please, another example. I'm 28 miles from work. One day this week I started with my car displaying a range of 299 miles. It rolled off 40 miles on that 28 mile trip. Is that normal? (45 degrees, some drizzle, wipers for part of the trip --- and lights). Last night on the way home that 28 mile trip burned 35 miles.

Now---one last thing. I know this is controversial: I just really don't like the appearance of the aero covers or the gun-metal wheels below them. PLEASE DON"T FLAME ME ON THIS I paid extra for the 19" sport wheels because I just thought they look better. Are those really sapping my range? Or can someone reassure me that that number may be minimal? I've seen everything from 5% to 10% range reduction on the forums. I'm so worried I made a huge mistake.

Most of all everyone, I just want to start loving my car. This is all sort of hanging over me. I don't have range anxiety. I have "think about range all the time" anxiety.

Any and all advice/comfort you could offer would be very welcome. It is a beautiful car.

Thank you,
Phil Rogers
Chicago

You will never get the rated range, even with smaller wheels. If you think it’s bad now, wait until winter. You will lose over 40% range.

Then wait until Tesla caps your supercharging speeds and battery 3 years from now.

Queue Tesla fanboys saying “nuh-uh!” In 3...2...1...

 

[ForeverFree]

OP is indeed getting great advice from everyone here.

As a real-world example of charging strategy: We went from LA to Park City (near SLC). Yes, we charged to 100% before leaving home, allowing us to make a big first push. After that, though, we made even more Supercharging stops than abetterrouteplanner recommended. Every 120 - 150 miles ... 1.5 - 2 hours. Bathroom break and a quick charge. Coffee and a quick charge. Ice cream cone and a quick charge.

Got us 700+ miles in 12 hours. About one hour longer than if we had driven a petrol car ... and endured bladder-busting gaps between fill-ups.

More importantly, when we awoke the next morning, my wife — who is normally a reluctant road-tripper — suggested “Hey, let’s go for a drive!”

Not only an efficient way to travel but also a civilized one!

 

[Twiglett]

hey there Phil, welcome to the forums and to Tesla ownership!
As you get more relaxed with it, you will find you don't need to charge to 100%, especially if you lean on the supercharger network. Let the car tell you where to charge on trips really helps.
As others have mentioned, there isn't really a need to fully charge unless the nav tells you to.
I found that abetterrouteplanner is an invaluable tool for preplanning, just to increase the comfort factor of longer trips.
A Better Routeplanner
A huge boost for the comfort factor is going on a really long trip. Last summer we did an 1800 mile road trip. Did preplanning with ABRP and relied on the in car nav for charging stops on the road. Never had to charge beyond 90% for any of it.
Good luck and happy driving

 

[joebruin77]

Although there are factors out of your control (head wind, rain, etc), there are several things you can control:

1) Tire Pressure
As others have mentioned, check your tire pressure. If you are concerned about range, I would fill your tires about 2 psi above the recommended level. The recommended tire pressure can be found on the sticker on the door frame of the driver's door. I personally keep a bicycle tire inflator in the trunk so I can add air anytime, anywhere.

2) Cabin Heater
As others mentioned, using the cabin heater zaps battery energy like crazy. So preheat the cabin before you leave while the car is still plugged in, whenever possible. Use the seat heaters full blast and turn the cabin heater down as low as you can stand it. You can consider wearing a scarf, hat, and driving gloves if that helps you turn the heater temp down a few more degrees.

3) Slow down
Unlike ICE cars, the faster your speed, the less efficient your energy use. What was your average highway speed during your trip? If you slow down from an average of say 75 mph to 65 mph, you will notice a dramatic improvement in your efficiency. Of course, if you slow down even further, you will continue to see improvements in efficiency. If your battery is low as you are on your way to a Supercharger, the car will show a message instructing you to slow down in order to make it to the Supercharger.

4) Apply Hydrophobic Sealant to the Windshield
I had never thought about the impact of windshield wiper use on efficiency, but that makes sense. I would apply Aqua Pel, Rain X, or some other hydrophobic windshield treatment so that you can reduce or even eliminate the need to run your wipers. Once the car is moving above 40 mph, the water just rapidly beads off.

Hope that helps,
joebruin77

 

[Kevy Baby]

LPT: Change from miles remaining to battery percentage. It's much less stressful.

This. Very much this.

I can’t figure out how to change the avatar picture or I would make it an image of the car...

You have to have a certain number of posts before you can add an avatar, but I believe you can always add an image to a post. Just click the "Upload an Image/File" button at the bottom. Give it a second to upload, then click the "Insert Full Image." Although it is possible that you have to have a certain numbers of posts to do that as well.