Okay, I'll say it...

[Kevy Baby]

I don't stress over my consumption or range loss.

Now, I do NOT begrudge those who monitor it meticulously - kudos to you.

But from all my reading here, I've come to the conclusion that

1. Most of the issues are just not understanding the magic of the calculations (basically, that they are just best guess averaged numbers)
2. Ultimately, there is going to be some degradation. It happens, but in most cases, it really isn't significant
3. Other than using best practices, there's not a whole lot I can do to change it.

I do pay attention to usage on a Macro level - I glance at the usage since last charge sometimes before charging (though not often) and I will monitor how things are going on a longer trip, but mainly to see if I need to charge before I get to my destination or before I get home.

But mainly, thanks to the conversations here, I've decided that it is something that I can "set and forget." I do my daily charging at work (where it is free) to 80% except to 90% EOD Friday to load up for the weekend. While I can charge at home for free (my garage is separated from my condo unit, so the association pays for the electricity*), I try to minimize charging there (so that it remains available to use). And I use Superchargers when on a trip, which thankfully I still have 668 of my 1,000 free miles remaining, though they are set to expire next month I believe (I should use a good chunk of them on a trip later this month).

So thank you to all who have shared in this forum - you've been a great help getting me to understand the expectations. Your experience and shared knowledge has allowed me to drive with peace of mind.

 

[ewoodrick]

Congratulations, that's a step further toward being a seasoned EV user.
People who never gave a crap about how many miles they got in a tank of gas, or what their efficiency was, go anal when they get an EV.

 

[PianoAl]

Our last car was a Leaf. It started with an effective range of about 70 miles, and we live 30 miles from the main town. When we got it, we could drive to town (on freeways) do errands and drive home. Just before selling it (three years later), we always had to recharge before returning.

But, even coming from that, we no longer even think about range, and from what I've learned here, we'll probably never see any significant range degradation.

 

[neurocutie]

Congratulations, that's a step further toward being a seasoned EV user.
People who never gave a crap about how many miles they got in a tank of gas, or what their efficiency was, go anal when they get an EV.

Sure, because most people with ICE cars use the routine, if tank is getting empty, fill it up soon, nearly anywhere, anytime, a detour of less than 1-2 miles and less than 10mins, whether around home or 1000miles from home. Can't do that with EVs, not yet anyways.

 

[jjrandorin]

Sure, because most people with ICE cars use the routine, if tank is getting empty, fill it up soon, nearly anywhere, anytime, a detour of less than 1-2 miles and less than 10mins, whether around home or 1000miles from home. Can't do that with EVs, not yet anyways.

If you have home charging, you "fill up" at home, while you sleep or the car is otherwise unoccupied, and leave every single morning with a "full tank". Unless one is taking a road trip, "filling up" is a non issue. Unfortunately, for some reason ICE drivers and new EV drivers overlook this when they start stressing about the 7 miles lost of max range they start posting about.

 

[MichaelP90DL]

Adjustments in attitude and planning need to be made. And it ain't hard to do. Anxiety fades with time.

 

[rdcisneros3]

People who never gave a crap about how many miles they got in a tank of gas, or what their efficiency was, go anal when they get an EV.

In those people's defense, the often-seen obsession with range is usually grounded in fear of diminished battery capacity, which isn't something to worry about with ICE cars.

 

[jjrandorin]

In those people's defense, the often-seen obsession with range is usually grounded in fear of diminished battery capacity, which isn't something to worry about with ICE cars.

This is correct, and yet we see people say the effect of :

"I have a 12 mile round trip commute, and I have 1200 miles on my car. My 90% charge used to be 279, and now its 267!! WTF?!?!?!? I need to take this car to tesla to have them straighten this out!!!"

 

[roblab]

Sure, because most people with ICE cars use the routine, if tank is getting empty, fill it up soon, nearly anywhere, anytime, a detour of less than 1-2 miles and less than 10mins, whether around home or 1000miles from home. Can't do that with EVs, not yet anyways.

And why would anyone want to? My gas cars had to be driven to the nearest station, 2+ miles, which wasn't open from 9PM to 7AM, and which takes near 10 minutes EACH WAY, not counting standing in the rain and wind and cold, or hot and dry for those ten minutes holding the handle. The amount of time I actually spent getting power into my EV is around ten seconds, the time required to plug or unplug the car IN MY GARAGE, and it's full every morning, or at least 90%, another thing my gas car couldn't do. That's why most gas car owners let the gas gauge drop to a quarter tank, whatever that means. ("Oh, it's about, maybe 100 miles. No, more like 75. Depends how I drive, you know? Well, I get fewer miles near the end of the tank, so....) Precise, no.

Outside of the fact that charging is nearly always done in a garage near the home, from your own outlet, full every morning, and the fact that the remaining miles are displayed on the dash along with a map showing distance to nearest supercharger, worrying about finding a station is not a problem. When you factor in that EVs are generally eight times more efficient than gas cars, and hardly pollute the environment (70% of pollution is transportation) AND electricity is cheaper, well, duh. And there are outlets ALL OVER. Even 240 volt. "Can't do that with gas cars, not yet anyways...." at least, not in my garage.

But if you like driving to a gas station and holding onto a smelly nozzle that is pumping highly explosive liquid into your car a foot from your body, well, hey. Go for it! I bet you've never wondered why they have those monstrous fire extinguisher nozzles above the gas pumps.

 

[roblab]

In those people's defense, the often-seen obsession with range is usually grounded in fear of diminished battery capacity, which isn't something to worry about with ICE cars.

No, gasser drivers fear their engine will blow up.

 

[dmurphy]

In those people's defense, the often-seen obsession with range is usually grounded in fear of diminished battery capacity, which isn't something to worry about with ICE cars.

Not true at all; it's just mostly ignored on gas cars. Efficiency goes down as the engine and other ancillary parts get worn. As carbon deposits build up, injectors leak and get clogged, exhaust systems develop back pressure due to clogging etc - everything gets affected.

Now, I'll grant that decent engine management computers adjust and change parameters to keep the engine operating at the best it can, but it's never the same as new. It'll never be as good as it was the day it rolled off the dealer lot.

Whereas, my Tesla is MORE efficient and delivers MORE power than it did when I bought it.

 

[KenC]

Habit. People are habituated to the weekly trip to fill up the gas tank. So, THAT seems normal. Having to change one's mindset to not having to go to the gas station weekly, and fork over a Ulysses, is apparently quite hard. Must involve some sort of addiction. Seems unfathomable to people that you can fill up at home and that literally every house and building you pass is a potential place to charge. Not fast, but you can't squeeze fresh gas out of every house you pass. Fresh electrons, sure.

 

[dmurphy]

Habit. People are habituated to the weekly trip to fill up the gas tank. So, THAT seems normal. Having to change one's mindset to not having to go to the gas station weekly, and fork over a Ulysses, is apparently quite hard. Must involve some sort of addiction. Seems unfathomable to people that you can fill up at home and that literally every house and building you pass is a potential place to charge. Not fast, but you can't squeeze fresh gas out of every house you pass. Fresh electrons, sure.

I love to people-watch and observe behaviors ... This’ll be interesting.
My wife has been driving my Model 3 since October, while her SUV gets repaired. This means she hasn’t been to a gas station or even had to think about it for months.

Once she gets her Buick back, I’m interested to see what her feelings are about that. After always having a car ready to go in the morning - 72 degrees with a full charge - she’ll be going back to a 20 degree cabin and an empty tank.

This could be fun.

 

[G26okie]

And why would anyone want to? My gas cars had to be driven to the nearest station, 2+ miles, which wasn't open from 9PM to 7AM, and which takes near 10 minutes EACH WAY, not counting standing in the rain and wind and cold, or hot and dry for those ten minutes holding the handle. The amount of time I actually spent getting power into my EV is around ten seconds, the time required to plug or unplug the car IN MY GARAGE, and it's full every morning, or at least 90%, another thing my gas car couldn't do. That's why most gas car owners let the gas gauge drop to a quarter tank, whatever that means. ("Oh, it's about, maybe 100 miles. No, more like 75. Depends how I drive, you know? Well, I get fewer miles near the end of the tank, so....) Precise, no.

Outside of the fact that charging is nearly always done in a garage near the home, from your own outlet, full every morning, and the fact that the remaining miles are displayed on the dash along with a map showing distance to nearest supercharger, worrying about finding a station is not a problem. When you factor in that EVs are generally eight times more efficient than gas cars, and hardly pollute the environment (70% of pollution is transportation) AND electricity is cheaper, well, duh. And there are outlets ALL OVER. Even 240 volt. "Can't do that with gas cars, not yet anyways...." at least, not in my garage.

But if you like driving to a gas station and holding onto a smelly nozzle that is pumping highly explosive liquid into your car a foot from your body, well, hey. Go for it! I bet you've never wondered why they have those monstrous fire extinguisher nozzles above the gas pumps.

Hahaha at the gas station comment. Funny, I was at a car meet recently and a couple people called my car a bomb.

 

[Runt8]

Hahaha at the gas station comment. Funny, I was at a car meet recently and a couple people called my car a bomb.

Maybe they meant it’s “the bomb”

 

[jjrandorin]

I love to people-watch and observe behaviors ... This’ll be interesting.
My wife has been driving my Model 3 since October, while her SUV gets repaired. This means she hasn’t been to a gas station or even had to think about it for months.

Once she gets her Buick back, I’m interested to see what her feelings are about that. After always having a car ready to go in the morning - 72 degrees with a full charge - she’ll be going back to a 20 degree cabin and an empty tank.

This could be fun.

Either YOU will be driving the buick, or you will be buying her an EV, sooner rather than later

 

[dmurphy]

Either YOU will be driving the buick, or you will be buying her an EV, sooner rather than later

From your mouth, to my bank account ....

 

[ewoodrick]

In those people's defense, the often-seen obsession with range is usually grounded in fear of diminished battery capacity, which isn't something to worry about with ICE cars.

I totally disagree. How much range did your previous tanks have? There are cars with range less than the Tesla LR.
The problem comes mostly from a desire to analyze the situation, because it is different.

There are a LOT of Tesla drivers that have no idea what a kWh is or how many the car uses each mile. They just get in their car and drive until it gets close to maybe a 1/3 or 1/2 tank and then plug in.

Most every Model 3 is getting the range that is promised. (There are always exceptions)
Winter is a bad time to get an EV, the 30% degradation is hard to sometimes swallow. But in reality, a very minor impact to most drivers.
There are over 100,000 Leafs with 88 mile or less range in daily use with happy owners. (OMG, you have 200+ mile range!!!)

Once you stop analyzing the situation, it starts working much better.

 

[rdcisneros3]

Not true at all; it's just mostly ignored on gas cars. Efficiency goes down as the engine and other ancillary parts get worn. As carbon deposits build up, injectors leak and get clogged, exhaust systems develop back pressure due to clogging etc - everything gets affected.

Now, I'll grant that decent engine management computers adjust and change parameters to keep the engine operating at the best it can, but it's never the same as new. It'll never be as good as it was the day it rolled off the dealer lot.

Whereas, my Tesla is MORE efficient and delivers MORE power than it did when I bought it.

That's a very EV-friendly way to look it. An objective look would clearly see that the breakdown/degradation of ICE performance over time vs battery degradation over time is not an apples to apples comparison. I'm sure you know this.

An example is not needed to support what is well-known, but for giggles: I just sold my mom's 2008 Mazda 3 that was getting 29 MPG in mixed driving at 12 years/160K miles in service. It is EPA-rated for 28 MPG mixed when new. I also just sold my 2015 Leaf that had lost roughly 1/3 of it's battery capacity after 5 years/100K miles in service. Neither of those examples are outliers.

I'm not interested in or looking for a discussion of the merits of ICE vs. EV. I own both and absolutely love my Model 3 while still appreciating the benefits of an ICE car. I plan on owning one of each for the foreseeable future. I'm just standing by my original comment that EV drivers (especially new ones) are often overly and unnecessarily focused on range due to the fear and reality of battery degradation vs. the longevity of a well-maintained ICE.

 

[rdcisneros3]

I totally disagree. How much range did your previous tanks have? There are cars with range less than the Tesla LR.
The problem comes mostly from a desire to analyze the situation, because it is different.

It doesn't sound like you disagree with me. All of what you said makes sense and supports the notion that many newer EV drivers worry about range due to the fear of battery degradation, whether or not it's something they NEED to worry about.