So I think I am hooked. I have been looking at model S for about 2 months and will likely take the plunge this Summer. Just curious, are there any not so obvious benefits to owning an EV? Examples might be discount HOV access, parking at events or hotels or really anything else that owner's might not generally think about.
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Not so obvious benefits
- Thread starter Spainman54
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Well there is the instant torque and not going to gas stations
In Virginia they will prob charge you extra to register
HOV access is really over with as well if you don't already have plates.
Virginia is not an EV friendly state at all.
You are likely to find charging spots iced oh and a huge truck will roll coal on you
Wish I could be more positive about it.
In Virginia they will prob charge you extra to register
HOV access is really over with as well if you don't already have plates.
Virginia is not an EV friendly state at all.
You are likely to find charging spots iced oh and a huge truck will roll coal on you
Wish I could be more positive about it.
NikeWings
Active Member
Depending on your locale, there may be municipal parking benefits, HOV lane access, reduced/offpeak home charging rates with your local utility, EV equipment rebates from your local utility, and most importantly, the pleasure of driving and the lack of anxiety when sitting in traffic. Congrats to you!
mbhforum
Active Member
Great point. Unwanted attention and comments. Some people become very envious and make snide remarks.
Prepare for your electric bill to rise, but of course this should be cheaper than your gas bill.
Ezpass doesn't work through some windshields and you have to either get the external transponder or stick your ezpass out the window.
Not having to shout to have a conversation in the car.
Letting the toddler sleep it off with the HVAC running in an attached garage.
Sleeping in the car when camping. A few threads on this.
Tailgating with music on without having to worry about the 12V battery getting drained, although this might kill your 12V battery faster.
In IL, you get to have a special license plate that you have to register every 2 years instead of yearly & it's much cheaper too! $108 (annual) vs. $35 (biennial)
If you have to go on business trips and your company pays for the mileage, you may come out ahead with the Model S.
Letting the toddler sleep it off with the HVAC running in an attached garage.
Sleeping in the car when camping. A few threads on this.
Tailgating with music on without having to worry about the 12V battery getting drained, although this might kill your 12V battery faster.
In IL, you get to have a special license plate that you have to register every 2 years instead of yearly & it's much cheaper too! $108 (annual) vs. $35 (biennial)
If you have to go on business trips and your company pays for the mileage, you may come out ahead with the Model S.
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The garage stays cooler and smells better.
Early congratulations on your Model S order!
I think your ezpass is similar to the FasTrak pass we use here in California. There have been various windshield configurations over the lifetime of the Model S, resulting in (I think) the three following possibilities: 1) the transponder works anywhere on the windshield, vs. 2) the transponder works nowhere on the windshield, vs. 3) the transponder works if you can put it on a solid black area of the windshield just to the right of the rearview mirror / AP camera housing. My S85D was case #2 until I needed a windshield replacement and I think I'm now in case #3 (haven't tried it yet). You might be able to mount your ezpass on the liftgate glass, that approach has worked for FasTrak transponders.
I've found that having a Tesla is a good conversation starter with people (at Superchargers, parking lots, etc.). I guess I'd count that as a non-obvious benefit.
I like not having to pump gas for my car and getting to start every day with a "full tank" (really a 90%-charged battery). (Alas, I have to put gas in my wife's car from time to time, but it's a plug-in hybrid so at least I'm not doing it real often.)
Bruce.
Haxster
Member
For one point of reference, my California transponder works fine mounted under the rear hatch shelf of my December 2016 build.
Haxster
Member
No need to have an awareness of gas prices or use Gas Buddy to find good prices...unless you have other ICE cars.
And a big one for me (I keep cars a long time): No smog tests!
And a big one for me (I keep cars a long time): No smog tests!
Before we got the Tesla I parked a car with an auto engine stop feature in the garage. This doesn't turn off the engine, it just stops it instead of idling. I got out of the car and thinking the car was off closed the garage. After a while the cars engine came back on and set off the carbon monoxide detectors.
Needless to say this situation has never occurred with my Tesla
Needless to say this situation has never occurred with my Tesla
I haven't had anyone be snarky, including while driving through Trump voter territory in Merced/Central Valley. I have gotten the normal "oohs" and "ahhs", along with lots of questions about range and autopilot, but never any kind of rude or mean comment.
everyone i have talked to with an AP2 car says EZpass works on the windshield. If you're not sure then get a front plated one.
A lot of places have EV parking near the front, Teslas are just fun to drive as well. The benefit of being able to turn on/off remotely your hVAC will make it easy to prewarm/cool your car from anywhere you have a cellular connection.
You'll get a $7500 federal tax credit, unless you don't pay income tax. Not buying gas is fun, i haven't done it in months. pretty sure if i bought gas my credit card would flag it as fraud haha.
Some places like IKEA have preferred parking for EVs, etc. a lot of whole foods i've visited have free charging.
A lot of places have EV parking near the front, Teslas are just fun to drive as well. The benefit of being able to turn on/off remotely your hVAC will make it easy to prewarm/cool your car from anywhere you have a cellular connection.
You'll get a $7500 federal tax credit, unless you don't pay income tax. Not buying gas is fun, i haven't done it in months. pretty sure if i bought gas my credit card would flag it as fraud haha.
Some places like IKEA have preferred parking for EVs, etc. a lot of whole foods i've visited have free charging.
Mark Z
Active Member
Successful with 2017 MS by turning the switchable FasTrak upside down to the right of the mirror mount (switch side facing in.)
I enjoy the cleaner interior of the frunk surround and lid when drying the car. No ICE engine to create extra dirt and grime. The internet radio (both Slacker and TuneIn) are fantastic. Being able to access the full sized map during traffic tie-ups to find alternate roads never before tried (zoom in for more detail). Getting together with other EV owners at both Tesla and non-Tesla events is very enjoyable and educational.
I agree with Bruce. My favorite benefit is having a full battery every morning with no gasoline stops.
I enjoy the cleaner interior of the frunk surround and lid when drying the car. No ICE engine to create extra dirt and grime. The internet radio (both Slacker and TuneIn) are fantastic. Being able to access the full sized map during traffic tie-ups to find alternate roads never before tried (zoom in for more detail). Getting together with other EV owners at both Tesla and non-Tesla events is very enjoyable and educational.
I agree with Bruce. My favorite benefit is having a full battery every morning with no gasoline stops.
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A few benefits I did not expect or fully appreciate:
- Convenience of charging at home -- it is incredibly easy compared to filling up at gas stations
- +1 on Slacker -- been a fun way to discover new music
- Quiet in the cabin at highway speeds has been surprising and great for listening to music
- Autopilot is amazing and makes commuting much more enjoyable-- I arrive at work/home much more relaxed and the same is true for road trips
- Cost of "fueling" has been much lower for me -- where I live you can switch to a time of use plan when you own an EV, and as a result my electric bill is actually lower than it was before my Model S (this is probably unusual, but was very surprising).
There are many posts on this forum about experience with Autopilot, especially the AP2 version that your new Tesla will have. There's a broad spectrum of reactions: Some new owners are as thrilled as EinSV; others are suing.
The company has struggled to deliver promised features when and as projected. Make your decision based on what the car does now, and ignore projections, expectations, and promises. Then if improvements and innovations appear later they will feel like a gift.
martinicus
Member
Random cars will start madly honking and waving as they pass you on the interstate, and they are smiling and giving you thumbs up instead of flipping you off! (where Teslas are uncommon)
I do laundry in the garage, and this is the best unforeseen advantage so far. If I left clothes in the garage with my ICE, then they'd smell like car exhaust. Not so much since the 75D.
