Not so obvious benefits

[Sir Guacamolaf]

I'll take the contrarian view and give you some downsides of owning an EV

• You can't commit suicide by closing the garage and turning the car on.
• Plus you'll get super soft because you can heat and cool the car in the garage from your phone
• And you won't make new friends with all those friendly people at the gas station.
• You waste a lot of time oogling at the car.
• You'll HATE all other cars, and they will all smell like petrol, ALL the time.
• You will wonder what the craze is about all those fumes and loud fart noises other cars make.
• You will discuss Tesla stuff with Tesla owners, and many others will think of you as elitists, first world problem types.
• Your friends will label you as a Tesla fanboy, and you'll be on a constant mission to educate them.
• You will spend way too much time here.
• You will begin to educate yourself on the damage we are causing to the environment, get alarmed and make many other big changes in your life.
• Your friends will always want to ride with you
• Your family will find excuses to go on road trips
• 1AM on a wintry night, you will run down to the garage in your underwear in -10F just because Tesla decided to roll out a new software update.
• And then you will read all the release notes, and discuss them till 5 AM with everyone here.
• You will develop a paranoia for minivans and shopping carts.
• You'll probably hold your farts until you exit the car. I know I do. Oh c'mon, like you don't!? Sicko
• And a few years later, you'll end up buying another Tesla and do it all over again.

So my advice to you, don't do it. It's a trap.

 

[wdolson]

To say "me too" to the point about the convenience of charging at home. If you don't forget to plug in the car, you can always leave the house knowing you have over 200 miles of "gas" in the tank. When I was commuting to work it always came around where I was dead tired on my way home from work and had to stop for gas or I wasn't going to make it. Unless you have a very long commute, that will never happen again.

Another thing is if you ever get reimbursed for mileage for work or take an IRS tax deduction for using your car for work, you will make out like a bandit. With free supercharging, you can probably pay nothing out of pocket for driving and get $0.57 a mile for it. The IRS might close that loophole someday, but right now its a nice benefit if you happen to be doing driving that qualifies.

Oh and another disadvantage is people in supercars will rev their engines around you to prove their car can do something yours can't (make a lot of noise). But they are just compensating because a P100D could beat them in a drag race.

 

[Casavant]

I'll take the contrarian view and give you some downsides of owning an EV

• You can't commit suicide by closing the garage and turning the car on.
• Plus you'll get super soft because you can heat and cool the car in the garage from your phone
• And you won't make new friends with all those friendly people at the gas station.
• You waste a lot of time oogling at the car.
• You'll HATE all other cars, and they will all smell like petrol, ALL the time.
• You will wonder what the craze is about all those fumes and loud fart noises other cars make.
• You will discuss Tesla stuff with Tesla owners, and many others will think of you as elitists, first world problem types.
• Your friends will label you as a Tesla fanboy, and you'll be on a constant mission to educate them.
• You will spend way too much time here.
• You will begin to educate yourself on the damage we are causing to the environment, get alarmed and make many other big changes in your life.
• Your friends will always want to ride with you
• Your family will find excuses to go on road trips
• 1AM on a wintry night, you will run down to the garage in your underwear in -10F just because Tesla decided to roll out a new software update.
• And then you will read all the release notes, and discuss them till 5 AM with everyone here.
• You will develop a paranoia for minivans and shopping carts.
• You'll probably hold your farts until you exit the car. I know I do. Oh c'mon, like you don't!? Sicko
• And a few years later, you'll end up buying another Tesla and do it all over again.

So my advice to you, don't do it. It's a trap.

Beware.... It is all true! Wonderfully true

 

[mbhforum]

People watching with Autopilot.

 

[Saghost]

People watching with Autopilot.

I do look at my fellow drivers more while AP is active. It's kinda depressing, though, because it means I'm fully aware of the quarter of them who have a phone in their hands, texting or talking.

 

[MarcusMaximus]

I'll take the contrarian view and give you some downsides of owning an EV

• You can't commit suicide by closing the garage and turning the car on.
• Plus you'll get super soft because you can heat and cool the car in the garage from your phone
• And you won't make new friends with all those friendly people at the gas station.
• You waste a lot of time oogling at the car.
• You'll HATE all other cars, and they will all smell like petrol, ALL the time.
• You will wonder what the craze is about all those fumes and loud fart noises other cars make.
• You will discuss Tesla stuff with Tesla owners, and many others will think of you as elitists, first world problem types.
• Your friends will label you as a Tesla fanboy, and you'll be on a constant mission to educate them.
• You will spend way too much time here.
• You will begin to educate yourself on the damage we are causing to the environment, get alarmed and make many other big changes in your life.
• Your friends will always want to ride with you
• Your family will find excuses to go on road trips
• 1AM on a wintry night, you will run down to the garage in your underwear in -10F just because Tesla decided to roll out a new software update.
• And then you will read all the release notes, and discuss them till 5 AM with everyone here.
• You will develop a paranoia for minivans and shopping carts.
• You'll probably hold your farts until you exit the car. I know I do. Oh c'mon, like you don't!? Sicko
• And a few years later, you'll end up buying another Tesla and do it all over again.

So my advice to you, don't do it. It's a trap.

My biggest negative(and this is actually true): I've ended up parking in the outskirts of parking lots to avoid said minivans and shopping carts. I used to get spots right up front and now have to walk. This is, of course, theoretically mitigated by EV-only spots. Unfortunately, those are always ICE'd over.

 

[FlyF4]

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.

Well, there is some mis-information here. Many localities are no longer depending on transponders or ezpasses now. There is a rapid movement toward license plate identification with cameras. Example, our transponders don't even work any more, but every bridge we have crossed has captured our car plate and deducted the crossing fee from our account.

As for our electric bill, I agree. Cheaper than gas, but not that expensive. It cost us about $8 to get 300 miles of range and that is IF we charge at home. Usually we don't. We typically go to a supercharger outside our favorite buffet restaurant that we hit about once a month.

I am curious about snide remarks. We sure haven't gotten any. Maybe this depends on where people live. I'm thinking that there are more snide remarks from EV drivers about ICE cars. Just my opinion.

 

[FlyF4]

My biggest negative(and this is actually true): I've ended up parking in the outskirts of parking lots to avoid said minivans and shopping carts. I used to get spots right up front and now have to walk. This is, of course, theoretically mitigated by EV-only spots. Unfortunately, those are always ICE'd over.

Great. You are getting more exercise. You'll live longer

 

[Don85D]

Owning an EV allows you to create your own fuel. Our 85D runs on sunshine using only a small solar array and the cost of the array was covered by a government rebate. We can generate 25000 km of free driving each year for the next 30 years. Free Supercharging and free Destination Charging are a bonus when touring.

 

[David29]

There is owning an EV and there is owning a Tesla. Many of the advantages/disadvantages of a Tesla do not apply to other EVs, so you need to separate those. E.g., Autopilot is not an EV characteristic, it is a Tesla feature (although many other brands have some or many of the same functionality as the Tesla Autopilot).
An EV will definitely help you feel better about yourself, but as others have said above, you might feel less tolerant of petroleum fumes, oil drips, exhaust emissions and the vehicles that produce them (as well as their owners).
And you'll be part of the group leading the pack to a better future (we all hope so, anyway)!

 

[Saghost]

There is owning an EV and there is owning a Tesla. Many of the advantages/disadvantages of a Tesla do not apply to other EVs, so you need to separate those. E.g., Autopilot is not an EV characteristic, it is a Tesla feature (although many other brands have some or many of the same functionality as the Tesla Autopilot).
An EV will definitely help you feel better about yourself, but as others have said above, you might feel less tolerant of petroleum fumes, oil drips, exhaust emissions and the vehicles that produce them (as well as their owners).
And you'll be part of the group leading the pack to a better future (we all hope so, anyway)!

On the Tesla side, OTA updates are a big one (though maybe not not so obvious - but the eager anticipation of the next version and easier acceptance of temporary flaws might not be so obvious.)

The slick integration and automatic handling of everything up to and including garage doors and speed bumps/curbs is pretty impressive, too.

 

[Zero CO2]

For me the greatest not so obvious benefit is the wealth of information on the TMC site! ...this is host to one sharp group of car enthusiasts, trouble shooters, climate change believers , and EV experts all concentrated in one virtual location.

What a great feeling to know that when you have your first post /question about your model S (mine was on how to deal with the lack of a spare tire ) you will get immediate responses with great alternatives to solve your problem .....This benefit will last beyond the initial euphoria...

 

[Saghost]

This benefit will last beyond the initial euphoria...

Hard to say, since the initial euphoria doesn't really seem to end much with a Tesla.

 

[Skotty]

I like that you can run it indoors. No worries about exhaust in the garage, exhaust finding it's way into the house, and you can remote start without caring if the car is inside or outside.

 

[Zero CO2]

Hard to say, since the initial euphoria doesn't really seem to end much with a Tesla.

Hey I didn't say how long it would last ...

 

[wdolson]

Well, there is some mis-information here. Many localities are no longer depending on transponders or ezpasses now. There is a rapid movement toward license plate identification with cameras. Example, our transponders don't even work any more, but every bridge we have crossed has captured our car plate and deducted the crossing fee from our account.

As for our electric bill, I agree. Cheaper than gas, but not that expensive. It cost us about $8 to get 300 miles of range and that is IF we charge at home. Usually we don't. We typically go to a supercharger outside our favorite buffet restaurant that we hit about once a month.

I am curious about snide remarks. We sure haven't gotten any. Maybe this depends on where people live. I'm thinking that there are more snide remarks from EV drivers about ICE cars. Just my opinion.

We don't have any toll roads around the Portland area. There are some toll bridges outside the Portland area, but they just take cash.

In the Seattle area I think they still use the transponders and cameras. If they can't get a transponder signal, they use the license plate photo, but the photos have problems. We found out about the system in Seattle last summer when we got a bill from the WASDOT demanding payment for using a toll bridge in the Seattle area when the car with that plate hadn't left the Columbia Gorge for six months. My SO sent a dispute and they dropped it when she demanded the photos.

 

[hsctiger93]

What Sir Guacamoloaf said plus you get to post your experiences on the Tesla Moments thread!

Seriously, you live close enough to the metro Richmond area to discover how many owners already exist here. And you're close to a Service Center opening up (I think) late this summer. Owners by and large are very polite around here and willing to either chat or leave you alone.

But it's the little things you'll notice that you DON'T miss any more. Gas stations, oil changes, crazy expensive services that seem to creep up on you and the dealer won't cut you a break.

Little things you will notice: Peaceful, quiet rides you can't get in an ICE outside of a Rolls, Tesla grins, how so much more of the car just seems to work without you having to do anything (sort of like Apple devices), discovering new music on Slacker, and I can only imagine the reactions you'll get on the road when driving on AutoPilot. You should consider charging admission for that.

 

[dragoljub]

Here is one that I did not realize was a win until it occurred to me.

If you ever run into a friend on a walk and want to roll down your window for a quick chat you will not be spewing exhaust and heat in there face. Stay as long as you want have a nice relaxing chat.

It's the little things that make you realize you are driving the future.

Also take a car picnic, comfortable with AC or roof open in a quiet clean hepa filtered cocoon.

The frunk is perfect for take out food so too don't have to smell up your cabin.

 

[Zero CO2]

I have not tried it yet ... but if you fold down the rear seats in the model S it looks big enough sleep 2 any one tried this ?

 

[SW2Fiddler]

Cat doesn't YOWWWLLLL when driving places like she does in an ICE car. Just looks at touch screen or out the window ...like a dog.