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Possible new Tesla Owner with some Qs!

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Hey guys, have been driving the same gas car for ~10 years now (Audi S4) and the last 2 or 3 waiting to see how EV's progressed before taking the plunge on a new vehicle. Wife drives a gas SUV so will keep that for now. Friend has owned the 3 now since 2017 or whenever it came out, and loves it. Former Boss went from an Audi S7 to the Model S a few years ago and swears he'll never go back despite the Audi in his words "trouncing" the S in terms of interior design/comfort.

Debating between the Y and 3 (possibly Performance for both given lead times), given Covid and lower drivnig habits I don't need a > $120k vehicle! Some Q's:

1. I assume charging just via a regular outlet isn't recommended as it seems to just charge 5 km or so an hour?
2. Have some range anxiety primarily with winter driving. Tend to have to drive my son around for hockey which could be a couple hundred km. How much worse is the range in the winter?
3. Really dumb one...but I love Newstalk Radio 1010 in Toronto, is there no way to listen to that without paying for a subscription?
4. For folks that have moved, what do you miss the most about gas vs EV?

Thanks!
 
1. Don't use a regular outlet. You should use a 40amp circuit at a minimum.
2. The inclusion of a heat pump in all new tesla vehicles means the range hit is probably around the 15% mark rather than my 30% hit in my 2018 Model 3
3. FM Radio is free, but there is no AM radio
4. Honestly, nothing. After having my car since May 24th 2018, i can truly say i dont miss a damn thing about gas cars.

Bonus*
You may find the wait times on Tesla's website to be pessimistic. A co-worker of mine used my referral code last weekend and the website said January. Well he just got a call from Tesla yesterday and they updated it to early November (and maybe a bit earlier than that).
 
Tune in radio might have am channels which is built into the car. Would require premium connectivity or a tethered hotspot.

Came from an A5 to a model 3 sr plus, and I can confirm the fit and finish isn't in the same league. However with that said, low charging costs, better tech and instant torque sold me after my first test drive of the model 3. I would suggest test driving both. You may prefer the handling of the model 3, but may need the room of a model y especially if your son's gear will take up alot of room.
 
Hi!

1) As other said, please use a 240V outlet, similar to something that you would use for a stove, or dryer. You can get an electrician to install it in your garage or where you park. The cost of this will depend on your panel if you have free slots, the distance from the panel to where you want the plug to be, and the difficulties to making the run. Lots of different folks do this in the GTA, and if you really want then even Tesla has a list of recommended electricians. Best to shop around though, and get multiple quotes.

I find that getting an outlet is sufficient, as the Tesla mobile charger that comes with the car for no extra cost, will already do 32A @ 240V with a nema 14-50 adapter, giving 7.7kW charging, which is sufficient to charge a model 3 SR+ from 0 to 100 in 6 1/2 hours, of a model 3 LR / Performance in a little over 10 hours (ie overnight). A Tesla Wall Charger does look nice etc, but it really isn't needed IMHO.

2) I know there are varied opinions on this, but in all my research as well as friends testimony, you should expect to see a reduction in range in winter for about 20 to 25%. So let's say that in normal driving you get about 500km range for a long range (yes the website will say something like 560 but let us consider real world). cut that down by 25%, that's 400km.

Then we add in the supercharging network into the mix. If you need to, are your trips going to pass by superchargers? If so, add int 10 to 15 minutes to top up (and a washroom / food break).

Range is definitely something to think about, but with teslas this becomes a lot easier than other EVs.

3) as others said, there isn't an AM antenna in the car. For Newstalk 1010 radio, they do also broadcast on FM HD channel, 99.9FM subchannel HD2. You can use this to tune in for the Tesla.

4) I missed nothing about having to gas up once in a while, and love the instant torque and the speed of it. And I'm only talking about my wife's Model 3 SR+ which is 1 motor only and the least "HP". And I came from a GLA45 AMG. I liked it so much that I bought a 2nd one which is coming soon.

HTH
 
We have a 2018 Model 3 LR RWD and mainly charge at home with a Tesla Wall Connector. Used an existing 30 amp circuit intended for a shop heater. Drawing 24 amps it adds 34 km/hr to our car. Interestingly a 2021 SR+ adds 40 km/hr when plugged into the same wall connector. We find the 34 km/hr rate to be plenty for us but your needs may be different.

The winter range reduction can vary depending on ones driving patterns. The largest hit is in the first part of a drive when considerable battery power is used to heat the cabin and the car in general. On longer trips the hit becomes less of an issue. Conversely if one takes multiple short trips and lets the car get cold each time, the impact on range will be much greater.

Owner satisfaction for Teslas is very high, probably the highest of all brands.
 
My Model Y is plugged into a 110V outlet now -- but I'm at the cottage and it's sitting for over 36 hours. It's a VERY slow way to charge, and before the winter I will be getting a 240V outlet installed, and have already bought my NEMA 14-50 adaptor. I never talk charging in terms of how many km per hour, because your mileage will depend on the weather, terrain, and driving habits. Right now, up and down Highway 11 in the summer/fall, I get about 5.5km/kWh, and I expect a 30% drop in range in the winter - a combination of temperature and using snow tires.

Check out the TuneIn app for your phone - I believe you can get 1010 on there for free (with ads). Your phone connects to the car via Bluetooth, so you can play from your music or any app on your phone (I play a lot of audiobooks).

I don't miss a thing about ICE cars, and when I've driven one (rented, or a friend's) I hate it and can't wait to get back to my EV. I got my first EV at the start of 2019 (a Leaf), and switched to a Tesla Y this past summer, when I needed more range. I can't imagine ever choosing to drive an ICE again.
 
Hi!

1) As other said, please use a 240V outlet, similar to something that you would use for a stove, or dryer. You can get an electrician to install it in your garage or where you park. The cost of this will depend on your panel if you have free slots, the distance from the panel to where you want the plug to be, and the difficulties to making the run. Lots of different folks do this in the GTA, and if you really want then even Tesla has a list of recommended electricians. Best to shop around though, and get multiple quotes.

I find that getting an outlet is sufficient, as the Tesla mobile charger that comes with the car for no extra cost, will already do 32A @ 240V with a nema 14-50 adapter, giving 7.7kW charging, which is sufficient to charge a model 3 SR+ from 0 to 100 in 6 1/2 hours, of a model 3 LR / Performance in a little over 10 hours (ie overnight). A Tesla Wall Charger does look nice etc, but it really isn't needed IMHO.

2) I know there are varied opinions on this, but in all my research as well as friends testimony, you should expect to see a reduction in range in winter for about 20 to 25%. So let's say that in normal driving you get about 500km range for a long range (yes the website will say something like 560 but let us consider real world). cut that down by 25%, that's 400km.

Then we add in the supercharging network into the mix. If you need to, are your trips going to pass by superchargers? If so, add int 10 to 15 minutes to top up (and a washroom / food break).

Range is definitely something to think about, but with teslas this becomes a lot easier than other EVs.

3) as others said, there isn't an AM antenna in the car. For Newstalk 1010 radio, they do also broadcast on FM HD channel, 99.9FM subchannel HD2. You can use this to tune in for the Tesla.

4) I missed nothing about having to gas up once in a while, and love the instant torque and the speed of it. And I'm only talking about my wife's Model 3 SR+ which is 1 motor only and the least "HP". And I came from a GLA45 AMG. I liked it so much that I bought a 2nd one which is coming soon.

HTH
Thanks for all the responses!

@JJHawk are you sure about 99.9? I think they used to have an HD2 but not anymore. I could be wrong.. But I don't see it on my Audi Q5.

On the Tesla wall charger... How much faster is it vs the 240v?
 
1. Don't use a regular outlet. You should use a 40amp circuit at a minimum.
2. The inclusion of a heat pump in all new tesla vehicles means the range hit is probably around the 15% mark rather than my 30% hit in my 2018 Model 3
3. FM Radio is free, but there is no AM radio
4. Honestly, nothing. After having my car since May 24th 2018, i can truly say i dont miss a damn thing about gas cars.

Bonus*
You may find the wait times on Tesla's website to be pessimistic. A co-worker of mine used my referral code last weekend and the website said January. Well he just got a call from Tesla yesterday and they updated it to early November (and maybe a bit earlier than that).

Which model did your coworker go with?
 
Thanks for all the responses!

@JJHawk are you sure about 99.9? I think they used to have an HD2 but not anymore. I could be wrong.. But I don't see it on my Audi Q5.

On the Tesla wall charger... How much faster is it vs the 240v?
The Tesla wall charger runs on 240v. When I put ours in there were some rebates here in BC so the net cost was pretty attractive. If you search elsewhere on the TMC website you should find various discussions about installing the Tesla charger versus other options (in terms of cost, speed, convenience, etc.)
 
Thanks for all the responses!

@JJHawk are you sure about 99.9? I think they used to have an HD2 but not anymore. I could be wrong.. But I don't see it on my Audi Q5.

On the Tesla wall charger... How much faster is it vs the 240v?
I think this pic helps. Just tried it in the car
 

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Also, I do love Android Auto, and in particular Waze.

Any good solutions to getting that on the Tesla?
No. Unfortunately not. There are of course ways, but each I have not found it to be sufficient.

With the google map item in the teslas, there is already traffic reporting (with premium connectivity) and at least traffic rerouting (with standard connectivity, it just won't show the traffic on the screen). I don't miss Waze that much, except for all the crowdsourcing items such as police speed traps / red light cameras etc.

On the Tesla wall charger... How much faster is it vs the 240v?

It is all about the Amps that it is able to deliver. There are 2 limits:
a) Firstly, it is actually limited on the car side, depending on the Model and trim that you get. What you need to know here is that the Model 3 SR+ will cap this to 32A, and for DC / supercharging it is capped at 170kW. Other models and trims are higher, up to the limit of the Wall charger (I think 48A continuous, not sure) and for DC / Supercharging at 250kW.
b) The Tesla Universal Mobile Charger (UMC) gen 2 (this comes free with the car) is capped at 32A. Even if you get the extra NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 adapter (about 50 bucks) it will max out at 32A, with other adapters maxing out at the lower amps due to the plug standard.

With this, the answer to your question is: If you use a wall charger with most Teslas, you can have charging up to 48A (on a 60A circuit / breaker @ 80% continuous), which will net you about 11kW of charging. Using the UMC, it is at 7.7kW. So you get 3.3kW more charge out of it, but you also spend about 600bucks on a wall charger, vs a 50 buck adapter (equating the cost of installing a plug vs installing the said wall charger)
 
No. Unfortunately not. There are of course ways, but each I have not found it to be sufficient.

With the google map item in the teslas, there is already traffic reporting (with premium connectivity) and at least traffic rerouting (with standard connectivity, it just won't show the traffic on the screen). I don't miss Waze that much, except for all the crowdsourcing items such as police speed traps / red light cameras etc.



It is all about the Amps that it is able to deliver. There are 2 limits:
a) Firstly, it is actually limited on the car side, depending on the Model and trim that you get. What you need to know here is that the Model 3 SR+ will cap this to 32A, and for DC / supercharging it is capped at 170kW. Other models and trims are higher, up to the limit of the Wall charger (I think 48A continuous, not sure) and for DC / Supercharging at 250kW.
b) The Tesla Universal Mobile Charger (UMC) gen 2 (this comes free with the car) is capped at 32A. Even if you get the extra NEMA 14-50 or 6-50 adapter (about 50 bucks) it will max out at 32A, with other adapters maxing out at the lower amps due to the plug standard.

With this, the answer to your question is: If you use a wall charger with most Teslas, you can have charging up to 48A (on a 60A circuit / breaker @ 80% continuous), which will net you about 11kW of charging. Using the UMC, it is at 7.7kW. So you get 3.3kW more charge out of it, but you also spend about 600bucks on a wall charger, vs a 50 buck adapter (equating the cost of installing a plug vs installing the said wall charger)
Thanks, looking at a Model Y. So I'd be looking to install a 60a circuit?
 
Honestly, up to you! Costs will be different if you get a 60A circuit vs a 40A circuit:
a) The wires - a 40A circuit will mean 32A continuous (again 80%). This means, you can use 8AWG copper wires. For a 60A circuit with 48A continuous, you have to use 4AWG copper wires. The lower the number the more expensive the wire (usually).
b) the circuit breaker - 40A vs 60A breakers will also see a slight increase on the 60A one for costs.

The only way to make use fully of a 60A circuit at 48A continuous, is to indeed get a Wall connector, which is 600+CAD.

The benefit will be 7.7kW vs 11kW of charging speed, so a difference of 3.3kW. This basically means, for a Model Y (let us just say 0to100% is 75kWh since I don't know if all Model Y now has the 82kWh battery), you will charge for 9 hours 45 minutes on 32A continuous (40A circuit) vs 6 hours 45 minutes on 48A continuous (60A circuit). Now this said, this is 0to100%, no one goes home at 0% and no one charges to 100% either. And IMHO anything more than a couple of hours is going to be an overnight thing, so to me, it was not worth getting a more powerful circuit nor a wall connector when 32A charging was sufficient.

Of course, all of these things are just my experience in getting my set up done at home. For a more accurate quote, you really do need an electrician and costs will be mainly determined by your electricity capacity service coming into your home, your panel (if it has free slots or not), and the run (distance and difficulty) to where you want the plug/charger to be from the elec panel.
 
4. For folks that have moved, what do you miss the most about gas vs EV?
Absolutely nothing. A few months after buying my first Tesla in 2013 I started planning on how to replace my Porsche with another Tesla, which I did in 2014 and since that time have only driven electric.
The winter range reduction can vary depending on ones driving patterns. The largest hit is in the first part of a drive when considerable battery power is used to heat the cabin and the car in general.
With the Model Y using a heat pump instead of a resistive heater it takes much less energy to heat the cabin. It’s only a matter of time before Tesla uses a heat pump in all their models.
 
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The other few things I'm reading on Tesla and EVs in general:

1. Lots of creaks and noises on interiors of the 3 and Y over time.. So fit and finish is a bit of a question mark?

2. Somewhat concerned they removed the ability to turn regen down to low in the winter. Anyone seen a mention from Tesla about bringing it back as an option? I assume it's just a matter of getting used to how much to lift your foot from the accelerator. But keep wondering about my wife or 14 year old when he starts driving and both switching from an ICE SUV to an EV...

3. Is the paint that bad on the 3 and Y? Seems many are getting PPF and ceramic. Makes the lease vs buy decision a bit more difficult when you're thinking about a $3-6k cost upgrade.

There is definitely a lot of hate on Tesla in many reviews and non Tesla forums, just wondering how much on the fit and finish side is true around creaks/noises in particular as those drive me nuts.
 
The other few things I'm reading on Tesla and EVs in general:

1. Lots of creaks and noises on interiors of the 3 and Y over time.. So fit and finish is a bit of a question mark?

2. Somewhat concerned they removed the ability to turn regen down to low in the winter. Anyone seen a mention from Tesla about bringing it back as an option? I assume it's just a matter of getting used to how much to lift your foot from the accelerator. But keep wondering about my wife or 14 year old when he starts driving and both switching from an ICE SUV to an EV...

3. Is the paint that bad on the 3 and Y? Seems many are getting PPF and ceramic. Makes the lease vs buy decision a bit more difficult when you're thinking about a $3-6k cost upgrade.

There is definitely a lot of hate on Tesla in many reviews and non Tesla forums, just wondering how much on the fit and finish side is true around creaks/noises in particular as those drive me nuts.
1. I would say the finish is on par with previous VW Jetta's I've owned(2006, 2015), but not up to the fit and finish of a Mercedes.

2. i would say this is a none issue if you get winter tires, i just got the winter tire package from Tesla, back in 2018 when the model 3 first came out the regain seemed iffy on the ice and snow, but the issue was completely gone in 2019, guessing some software update improved how it handled the slipping while slowing down, I don't think it's me getting used to it as my wife infrequently drives my car and also noticed it from one winter to the next.

3. I have a red 2018, paint is great, no issues, plan is to let it wear and tear and maybe in a couple of years wrap it in a different colour to make the car seem new again.

Right now i have three child seats in the back, most of the creaking/rattling comes from the loose buckles and occupants of said seats, maybe next time I Vacuum I'll go for a drive without the child seats in it.
 
The other few things I'm reading on Tesla and EVs in general:

1. Lots of creaks and noises on interiors of the 3 and Y over time.. So fit and finish is a bit of a question mark?

2. Somewhat concerned they removed the ability to turn regen down to low in the winter. Anyone seen a mention from Tesla about bringing it back as an option? I assume it's just a matter of getting used to how much to lift your foot from the accelerator. But keep wondering about my wife or 14 year old when he starts driving and both switching from an ICE SUV to an EV...

3. Is the paint that bad on the 3 and Y? Seems many are getting PPF and ceramic. Makes the lease vs buy decision a bit more difficult when you're thinking about a $3-6k cost upgrade.

There is definitely a lot of hate on Tesla in many reviews and non Tesla forums, just wondering how much on the fit and finish side is true around creaks/noises in particular as those drive me nuts.
I sometimes wonder if some noises are noticed more in a Tesla because there is not the drivetrain noise that may cover the noise in ICE vehicles.
 
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