-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Opinions: Model 3 w/o Home Charging or Garage
- Thread starter NewGuyAl
- Start date
Given that you do have L2 charging access 2x a week on an otherwise short commute, you'll be fine. Having 2 superchargers nearby is an extra plus for a boost when needed if you do a lot more driving than normal. You'll get used to a different type of EV ownership than the folks on here who swear by home charging, but as long as you're okay with it going in then there's realistically nothing wrong with it. Remember to ABC (Always Be Charging) - download Plugshare and always be on the lookout for L2's you can plug into when you're out running errands, and you'll be set.
I bought my M3LR with no prospect of home charging and survived a New England winter without (yes not as cold as MN, but not SF weather either). I basically did the dance of finding an excuse to do something near a supercharger once a week and then used L2's when I was out getting groceries or working from a coffee shop for a few hours. I have home charging now and yes it's convenient, but not life changing. I will say that I have the benefit of driving distances here in the Boston area not being very long compared to other parts of the country so YMMV depending on how much you drive, but it sounds like you'll be able to make it work just fine.
I bought my M3LR with no prospect of home charging and survived a New England winter without (yes not as cold as MN, but not SF weather either). I basically did the dance of finding an excuse to do something near a supercharger once a week and then used L2's when I was out getting groceries or working from a coffee shop for a few hours. I have home charging now and yes it's convenient, but not life changing. I will say that I have the benefit of driving distances here in the Boston area not being very long compared to other parts of the country so YMMV depending on how much you drive, but it sounds like you'll be able to make it work just fine.
Lephturn
Member
I got my M3SR+ in Sept 2021. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and my son started downhill ski racing this past winter. I used my M3 in snow and very cold conditions as low as -34 Celsius. I parked outside all winter and only had 110v 15 amp wall plug (standard GFCI outdoor outlet. The RWD version performed very well in the snow and ice with a set of Nokian winter tires. Range can drop significantly in extreme cold but you can mitigate this with regular charging and scheduled departure. Note that with L2 available at work and your schedule, charging 1-3 times per week on L2 should be all you need. It is only in extreme cold (below -20 C) where I find the effects are significant.
1. Orange Electric Vehicle Charger Simplified - check it out as an option that may be more attractive for your landlord.
2. 120v will charge slowly in all but the most extreme cold. Even in very cold weather you can charge on 120v if you start charging right after you have driven the car when the battery is already warm.
3. Recent software updates include the ability for the car to automatically use the brakes when regen is limited so that the amount you slow down when releasing the accelerator is consistent with and without regen. This works really well. If you use scheduled departure it will warm the battery somewhat although in extreme cold regen may still be limited at first. I always use scheduled departure, plugged in or not, as getting into a car that cold is just not fun. Heated wipers, mirrors, and cameras as well as heating the interior and turning on tbe seat and steering wheel heaters is amazing. Far faster and far superior experience to an ICE car.
4. I didn’t do any of that. I find the blue on my car chips a bit more easily than some cars I have had but…. it’s a car. PPF if you like but you don’t have to. I figure if it gets too chipped/scratched after a couple of years then I’ll wrap it. So far I don’t feel the need to do anything other than a bit of touch up paint on a couple of spots.
5. See above, I always precondition unless I am critical on range. It is heat that accelerates battery degradation slowly over time along with time at state of charge. That means that supercharging daily or weekly would likely accelerate degradation slightly. It also means that charging to over 80% and even 100 on L2 or 110v and then driving the car soon after will be unlikely to have a material effect on degradation. It is charging to 100% and letting the car sit for hours or days at a high state of charge that will have more of an impact. I would not charge to 100% every day, but scheduling charging to go to 80% or even higher a couple of times per week on level2 is unlikely to cause any measurable degradation. Especially if you precondition and drive soon after so that when you get home the car is around 80%. That way when it sits overnight it will be at 80% or less overnight. The good news is that as much as the cold reduces range, it is the combination of time at high states of charge and heat that can accelerate degradation slightly and the cold offers protection from much of that effect. The vast majority of degradation in the first two years comes from calendar aging and all of the rest is only a small impact.
1. Orange Electric Vehicle Charger Simplified - check it out as an option that may be more attractive for your landlord.
2. 120v will charge slowly in all but the most extreme cold. Even in very cold weather you can charge on 120v if you start charging right after you have driven the car when the battery is already warm.
3. Recent software updates include the ability for the car to automatically use the brakes when regen is limited so that the amount you slow down when releasing the accelerator is consistent with and without regen. This works really well. If you use scheduled departure it will warm the battery somewhat although in extreme cold regen may still be limited at first. I always use scheduled departure, plugged in or not, as getting into a car that cold is just not fun. Heated wipers, mirrors, and cameras as well as heating the interior and turning on tbe seat and steering wheel heaters is amazing. Far faster and far superior experience to an ICE car.
4. I didn’t do any of that. I find the blue on my car chips a bit more easily than some cars I have had but…. it’s a car. PPF if you like but you don’t have to. I figure if it gets too chipped/scratched after a couple of years then I’ll wrap it. So far I don’t feel the need to do anything other than a bit of touch up paint on a couple of spots.
5. See above, I always precondition unless I am critical on range. It is heat that accelerates battery degradation slowly over time along with time at state of charge. That means that supercharging daily or weekly would likely accelerate degradation slightly. It also means that charging to over 80% and even 100 on L2 or 110v and then driving the car soon after will be unlikely to have a material effect on degradation. It is charging to 100% and letting the car sit for hours or days at a high state of charge that will have more of an impact. I would not charge to 100% every day, but scheduling charging to go to 80% or even higher a couple of times per week on level2 is unlikely to cause any measurable degradation. Especially if you precondition and drive soon after so that when you get home the car is around 80%. That way when it sits overnight it will be at 80% or less overnight. The good news is that as much as the cold reduces range, it is the combination of time at high states of charge and heat that can accelerate degradation slightly and the cold offers protection from much of that effect. The vast majority of degradation in the first two years comes from calendar aging and all of the rest is only a small impact.
Similar threads
