I would like to hear from 60 kWh owners. Afterwards, now that you have had your car for awhile, would you change your mind?
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[POLL] 60 kWh owners : Do you wish you had purchased more range?
- Thread starter insaneoctane
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- Model S
I traded an 85 for a 60 because I wanted the AP2 hardware. I never came very close to using all of the 85 and after 8 months with the 60 I can say the same for it. I guess if they ever offer the 75 upgrade for a few hundred dollars I might do it but even then I'm not sure.
After owning a 60 kwh for 3 years my conclusion is simple - more range is always better.
Not that the range has been a real issue, especially with the supercharger network around here in Norway.
I do regret not putting in the extra bucks for an 85, in 2014 the difference was like 8000 USD, not that much compared to the jump from 75 to 100 now. If not for the real need for range, it does give you peace of mind knowing you have an extra range buffer available.
Got a 75D on the way now, the 15 kwh extra will do wonders for ease of mind for my long distance driving.
the more range - the better in my opinion.
Not that the range has been a real issue, especially with the supercharger network around here in Norway.
I do regret not putting in the extra bucks for an 85, in 2014 the difference was like 8000 USD, not that much compared to the jump from 75 to 100 now. If not for the real need for range, it does give you peace of mind knowing you have an extra range buffer available.
Got a 75D on the way now, the 15 kwh extra will do wonders for ease of mind for my long distance driving.
the more range - the better in my opinion.
Am I missing something, but don't you have the ability to upgrade to 75kwh for a couple of thousand dollars?
Not in the past you didn't - the older 60's were built with actual 60 kwhr batteries. It is only recently that the 60's have been physical 75's that you can software unlock.
I have a 2017 60D that I kinda wish I'd made a 100D. My reasoning was that I'd keep it only 12-24 months and then upgrade to whatever autopilot 3, or the refreshed interior was. With business tax savings + fuel savings the argument makes some sense. BUT I love the car so much I could see myself driving it 5 years or longer despite newer Tesla tech - the air suspension, ventilated premium seats, HEPA filter and AP2 hardware check all the boxes I need for comfort and future proofing (car is smooth riding and quieter than my 2016).
So NOW I wish I had the 100D - that I had "range proofed" myself more. It's my only regret. Oh well. OTOH I need that range so infrequently I haven't even laid out the $2K to upgrade to the 75D so it is largely in my imagination - at least 'til winter comes in Wisconsin and it his -15 - and my range is chopped in half.
So NOW I wish I had the 100D - that I had "range proofed" myself more. It's my only regret. Oh well. OTOH I need that range so infrequently I haven't even laid out the $2K to upgrade to the 75D so it is largely in my imagination - at least 'til winter comes in Wisconsin and it his -15 - and my range is chopped in half.
ZBB
Emperor
My 2013 60 now has just over 75k miles on it. We've done several road trips -- two that we're over 4K miles each and another 2 that we're 1000-2000 each. The limited range has only been a minor annoyance a couple times while off the supercharger highway. I've visited 100 separate super chargers, and while a 60 charges slower (our average stop is about 45 min and added 120 miles), and a few supercharger stops needed 95%+ charges, so were over an hour, I've never regretted saving the $8k. I just didn't need that extra range often enough to matter.
Just shows how some of us value range. I held out until the cost was $2000, which I thought was a near steal. If nothing else, I believe resale value will be at least $2000 higher, but who knows. Others like you believe that is still too expensive to add about 40 miles of range.
Now, prospective Model 3 owners are debating whether $9000 is too much for 90 miles of range. Of course, that 90 miles can't be added later, which may result in my coming up with the nine large. But based on what it cost for me to add 40 miles, $9000 seems really steep. Others compare it to the upgrade to a S100 and think it's a great deal.
Range proofed. That's the main reason I think I'll get the 310 mile Model 3. Almost no one even thinks about range when buying an ICE -- although I have a friend who always has a reserve tank in the bed of his pickup! -- and I think the same thing will happen when all electric vehicles have at least 300 miles of range. Of course, given the inefficiency of Supercharging beyond about 80% and the effects of temperature and elevation, it could be argued that to get to 300 range proof miles, you need a battery rated at 400 miles or more. (I know many current Tesla owners believe in the theory that it's best to just have enough juice to get to the next Supercharger, but some old fogies like me can't even stand to drive on the last quarter of a gas tank, much less drain the battery to near empty before Supercharging.)
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I've had my MS60 now for 9 months, and it's my daily driver. Even at $2k I'm not able to justify the upgrade to 75. I don't do a lot of long range driving though. The long trips I've taken though would have required me to stop at the same number of superchargers whether I had a 75 or 60. The 100 is a different thing altogether. Then you do get to skip superchargers, but it's a lot of cash. That being said, if I did more long range trips in cold weather, then I could see the extra range being helpful.
I'm leasing because getting the Tesla was just a "fun thing to do." I really wasn't willing to make an investment out of it, and the extra range was expensive. And boy, have they changed the rules a lot in the last 9 months! The value is a lot better now imho. Hold out for 3 months and the only MS will be a 100 and come with the teleportation feature standard.
I'm leasing because getting the Tesla was just a "fun thing to do." I really wasn't willing to make an investment out of it, and the extra range was expensive. And boy, have they changed the rules a lot in the last 9 months! The value is a lot better now imho. Hold out for 3 months and the only MS will be a 100 and come with the teleportation feature standard.
ev-now
Member
Our MS60 (original, not upgradable) was bought for my wife's typical 50-100 miles shuttling day (kids here, there and everywhere) - it works well, even in the cold and has capacity for forget to plug in without panic.
BUT, the car is gorgeous to drive, and we have free supercharging - but we effectively cannot use it as getting from CO to anywhere via Supercharger with this capacity is both scary (how close to zero it will go) and time-consuming (having to recharge at EVERY charger).
With hindsight I would have gone for a 90 (100 not available then) - but then again likely that would have pushed it completely out of reach.
If you can, buy the range - I personally think this will help with enjoyment of the vehicle and resale as other longer range options become available (not least of which being M3).
BUT, the car is gorgeous to drive, and we have free supercharging - but we effectively cannot use it as getting from CO to anywhere via Supercharger with this capacity is both scary (how close to zero it will go) and time-consuming (having to recharge at EVERY charger).
With hindsight I would have gone for a 90 (100 not available then) - but then again likely that would have pushed it completely out of reach.
If you can, buy the range - I personally think this will help with enjoyment of the vehicle and resale as other longer range options become available (not least of which being M3).
It does take some time to get over the idea of running the charge down lower than you would be comfortable with in an ICE, What is tough to realize unless you drive a Tesla for a while is that, unlike even the best ICE, you know a LOT more information about your range and the amount of "fuel" in the "tank". Car gas gauges are notoriously inaccurate, especially on older cars. You really have no idea how much gas you are using, although that has improved in recent cars.
With the Tesla, it gives a pretty good estimate of how much energy you will need to reach your destination. Then it monitors your actual usage and lets you know if you are over or under the initial estimate. If you are over, then slow down a little. If you are under, then speed up if you wish.
Most drivers start out like you, and leave lots of buffer (i.e., charge to a higher level) at first. Once you realize this is not necessary 95% of the time (and learn to recognize what can cause the 5% when you should charge more), the comfort level goes WAY up.
Not saying it's a good idea to run the car to an extremely low charge level while travelling, but leaving a "quarter tank" buffer is not optimal, either.
If it helps, it doesn't matter what size battery you have. If you're using appropriate logic in your planning, it's almost always faster overall to stop at every charger. It seems like it's longer because you stop so often...But it's not.
The break even point is usually in the 40-70 mile range, depending on your battery size and the distance off your route.
EV trip planner does a good job of calculating the differences in trip time.
Thanks for your responses. I am quite surprised that <20% wished that they had gotten more! I guess I just have to decide ahead of time if I am the 84% who is OK with minimal range!
There a lot of arguments for and against
My take is this...
While you might not use all of it or rarely use it, it's the peace of mind to have it.
EV Super Charger is not available in every corner like a gas station where you can just drive up and take 5-10 minutes to fuel up
There also the fact most people buy car as long term investment and want to maximize its value after it's been paid off. Keeping it beyond 5 years. So the larger battery can be useful.
There is no official plan from Tesla it being upgradable at a reasonable cost. So it's best to get it larger now
My take is this...
While you might not use all of it or rarely use it, it's the peace of mind to have it.
EV Super Charger is not available in every corner like a gas station where you can just drive up and take 5-10 minutes to fuel up
There also the fact most people buy car as long term investment and want to maximize its value after it's been paid off. Keeping it beyond 5 years. So the larger battery can be useful.
There is no official plan from Tesla it being upgradable at a reasonable cost. So it's best to get it larger now
I want to stop every 1 1/2 to 2 hours, and in general the SCs are spaced appropriately for that. However, Tesla is catching on that the chargers need to be closer together in colder climates. It is possible that, in the future, travel in the summer in these areas will allow skipping Superchargers.
Also, as Tesla populations increase in an area, they tend to build a separate location nearby an existing one, rather than expand. These may be some miles apart. I think in the future, the car software will suggest where to stop a little more strategically, taking into account loading on the facilities as well as the individual car's SOC and range.
The frequency people would like to stop/charge is important.
However, that preference is often at odds with getting to point B ASAP, which is to stop every ~60-70 min...assuming there's convenient chargers along the way, of course.
It's not a new idea, and again it has a lot of variables, but it's good to reiterate the top level concept.
