Questions from a newb

[JosephRose]

I think I'm close to ordering a Model Y Performance.

1. It lists 303 miles. How many should I really expect, living out here near Philadelphia PA?
2. Is there a detailed checklist of known issues and things that I should look for when taking delivery of the vehicle? And will I have that opportunity to check the vehicle over well before officially accepting it?
3. I'm not seeing any expected delivery date for some reason. When I've looked in the past it was shown. Is that gone now... it's a complete mystery?
4. I see people talking about some credits/incentives coming in January. Is this total speculation, or do we have some solid evidence showing that we will actually be getting that in January? Any details?
5. I plan to put a charger outside on the side of my house. Any tips/warnings related to this? It's going to get rained and snowed on quite often, as well as be in direct, hot sunlight during parts of the day in the Summer.
6. Any links to other great tips for a brand new owner?

 

[DanDi58]

Some quick replies, if you search through the forum you'll see extensive threads covering all of your questions.

1) In warm weather, probably real-world range of 250-260 miles, depending on driving habits.
2) Yes, those exist but frankly, just check it out like any new car. You don't need to show up with a 10-page checklist.
3) It does come and go depending on backlog. MYP's tended to be delivered a little sooner, not sure if that has changed.
4) There's a LOT of discussion on this topic here. Bottom line is it has passed the House and the Senate probably won't look at it until later this year. I believe it's the Build Back Better plan but not sure of the real name. Tesla will not get max credit due to lack of union workers.
5) The wall charger is waterproof (if you intend to get the Tesla one) so won't be an issue. I use a NEMA 14-50 plug which gets me between 25 - 30 miles of range an hour - plenty for my needs.
6) As I noted, you should really spend some time reading through threads here, it will give you better info (well, MORE info) on all of these questions.

Just one other note - you'll need to get tires for the winter. The summer tires on the MYP really shouldn't be used below temps of 45 or so. Many people go with 19's for a better selection.

 

[pt19713]

In terms of #1 and efficiency, if you take delivery in colder weather, it'll be worse than normal. Depending on the length of your drive and if you precondition (heat up the cabin and battery while on shore power), along with other factors. Expect 300-330 Wh/mi of efficiency in the winter for longer drives. This works out to around 3 miles per kWh. Since most don't use 100% of the battery, if you're using 80% of the battery, this works out to around 190-200 real world miles in colder temps. Once it gets warmer, your efficiency should be around 280-300, or roughly 80% of the battery and 210-220 miles. Note, there will be battery degradation, most of it within the first 10k-15k miles, so range will drop over time.

 

[jcanoe]

The latest information is that the Performance Model Y now comes with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires so you won't have to purchase a set of all-season tires or winter tires unless you need these for extreme winter driving.

For outdoor use the Tesla Gen3 Wall Connector is fully weather rated and can be used in all weather conditions. The Wall Connector is designed to be hard wired so there is no power plug where water can get into the plug and receptacle connection. The Gen3 Wall Connector now comes with a 24 ft charging cord.

If you anticipate ~200 miles of real world driving in winter temperatures you won't be disappointed with the range in cold weather. When taking a road trip in most places in the US and Canada there is a Tesla Supercharger located every 120 miles or so along most major routes with new Supercharger locations coming online every month.

The first time presented with a longer trip new Tesla owners rely on their experience with conventional vehicles where you gas up, load up everyone and drive until you have to stop. The Tesla Supercharger network makes it possible stop every 2 hours or so, take a 20 minute break while charging briefly, and driving to the next Supercharger along the route. The trip may take a little more time but you arrive less fatigued from driving.

You can plan your trip using the Tesla Navigation system. Many Tesla owners use A Better Route Planner (ABRP) on their computer and on their phone. ABRP is very helpful when planning longer road trips.

A Better Routeplanner

 

[DanDi58]

The latest information is that the Performance Model Y now comes with Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 tires so you won't have to purchase a set of all-season tires or winter tires unless you need these for extreme winter driving.

That makes a lot of sense. It was kind of strange to offer this type of car with summer tires anyway.

 

[jcanoe]

That makes a lot of sense. It was kind of strange to offer this type of car with summer tires anyway.

Not if you live in Southern California or Florida.

 

[DanDi58]

Not if you live in Southern California or Florida.

My point is that isn’t a max performance vehicle, so the extra grip isn’t really necessary.

 

[avs007]

My point is that isn’t a max performance vehicle, so the extra grip isn’t really necessary.

It's a common thing manufacturers do, particularly when you get a sport/suspension package from the factory. Most all my previous cars have been like that too.

 

[jjrandorin]

My point is that isn’t a max performance vehicle, so the extra grip isn’t really necessary.

I think I see what you mean, however (as a data point) my wifes X3 M40i was also delivered with summer tires, although BMW does offer more options for tires (and rims) than tesla does.

In So Cal, I have been driving on summer tires year round on on my own vehicles for over 12 years, but my vehicle is always a sedan. Wifes SUVs (what she prefers) have had some combination of summer tires or all seasons, depending on if we upgraded the rims when we ordered or not.

 

[ATPMSD]

It lists 303 miles. How many should I really expect,

150 miles. Now before you fall out of your chair let me explain:

1. That 303 miles figure assumes you go from 100% SOC to 0%. A lot of people use a battery SOC range of 80%-20%, which gives you a usable range of 182 miles. If you expand that to 95%-10%, which is likely the max for normal driving, this will get you up to 258 miles.
2. That 303 figure is based on driving the car as was done during the EPA test, almost no one drives like that
3. Finally, there is driving in cold weather and that will eat up more of the battery

So if we combine 2 & 3, and we assume you see a consumption of 300 wH/mi, which would be pretty good, then your usable range is:

For 80%-20% SOC range: 150 miles​

For 95%-10% SOC range: 212 miles​

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[pt19713]

It's a common thing manufacturers do, particularly when you get a sport/suspension package from the factory. Most all my previous cars have been like that too.

Yeah, Tesla should offer one tire option like some manufacturers do. Standard set is all-season, optional no upcharge summer performance tire. It's not a difficult thing for the service/delivery center to swap out a set of tires since they're probably going to have inventory on those tires any way.

 

[gx9901]

I'm currently seeing an expected delivery date for the MYP as February, 2022 on the website. Last time I looked, which was probably a couple of weeks ago, it was January. So if you order it now, February/March would be a likely EDD.

 

[Fidalgo]

On 5: electrician initially installed a GFI (ground fault interrupter) 50 amp circuit for my NEMA 14-50 plug but this interfered with the GFI built into the Tesla charger in the car. The result was a nuisance trip at times, halting charging. I replaced the circuit breaker with a conventional one designed for my circuit breaker box and haven’t had a problem since.

 

[ATPMSD]

On 5: electrician initially installed a GFI (ground fault interrupter) 50 amp circuit for my NEMA 14-50 plug but this interfered with the GFI built into the Tesla charger in the car. The result was a nuisance trip at times, halting charging. I replaced the circuit breaker with a conventional one designed for my circuit breaker box and haven’t had a problem since.

I assume you are using the Mobile Connector. The GFIC in the connector protects the circuit from the connector to the car. If your breaker GFIC was tripping it was most likely due to faulty wiring or a facility outlet. I would pull the outlet and check for exposed wires and that the connections are tight. Also, if it a cheap outlet (such as Leviton) get a high quality one as there have been a lot of postings about the cheap outlets burning up. Expect to pay $50-$80.

A GFIC circuit breaker is required by code. If you have an electrical fire, and the insurance company finds out a standard breaker was used, they could deny your claim. The risk, of course, is up to you.

 

[jcanoe]

I assume you are using the Mobile Connector. The GFIC in the connector protects the circuit from the connector to the car. If your breaker GFIC was tripping it was most likely due to faulty wiring or a facility outlet. I would pull the outlet and check for exposed wires and that the connections are tight. Also, if it a cheap outlet (such as Leviton) get a high quality one as there have been a lot of postings about the cheap outlets burning up. Expect to pay $50-$80.

A GFIC circuit breaker is required by code. If you have an electrical fire, and the insurance company finds out a standard breaker was used, they could deny your claim. The risk, of course, is up to you.

The GFCI for the plug-in EV charging circuit is now required by code but the risk of not having GFCI protection on the circuit (separate from the built-in GFCI protection in the Wall Connector/Mobile Connector) is electrocution while plugging and unplugging the EVSE, not an overload or a fire. All you need to do to be safe when plugging or unplugging the equipment is first turn off the power to the circuit by flipping off the circuit breaker. (If it was a fire risk then the GFCI requirement would be retroactive, apply to older circuits without the GFCI.)

 

[avs007]

The GFCI for the plug-in EV charging circuit is now required by code but the risk of not having GFCI protection on the circuit (separate from the built-in GFCI protection in the Wall Connector/Mobile Connector) is electrocution while plugging and unplugging the EVSE, not an overload or a fire. All you need to do to be safe when plugging or unplugging the equipment is first turn off the power to the circuit by flipping off the circuit breaker. (If it was a fire risk then the GFCI requirement would be retroactive, apply to older circuits without the GFCI.)

What's interesting about this code, is that it doesn't apply to RV's, which use the same exact NEMA 14-50. With that being said, I always flip the breaker off before plugging in my RV, becuase I don't want to fry any electronics in my rig.

 

[jcanoe]

What's interesting about this code, is that it doesn't apply to RV's, which use the same exact NEMA 14-50. With that being said, I always flip the breaker off before plugging in my RV, becuase I don't want to fry any electronics in my rig.

I inquired about why the GFCI requirement did not extend to 14-50 receptacles used to power RVs. The answer I received is that currently an RV electrical system is not compatible with the GFCI. I did not receive any additional information. Perhaps someone who understands RV electrical can provide an explanation.

 

[DanDi58]

Of course, the way to avoid most of the issues discussed in the above few posts is to have a licensed professional electrician take care of the work for you....

 

[ATPMSD]

What's interesting about this code, is that it doesn't apply to RV'

Disagree, the code requires a GFIC breaker unless you can find where it says it is not needed. As to EVs:

“Electrical codes have recently been amended to deal with the influx of these applications around the country. New codes state that a GFCI breaker must be installed on a NEMA 14-50 outlet used for EV charging. A GFCI breaker is designed to prevent a shock hazard when an electrical circuit comes in contact with water. This is a safety precaution to help prevent injury and death”

 

[jcanoe]

Disagree, the code requires a GFIC breaker unless you can find where it says it is not needed. As to EVs:

“Electrical codes have recently been amended to deal with the influx of these applications around the country. New codes state that a GFCI breaker must be installed on a NEMA 14-50 outlet used for EV charging. A GFCI breaker is designed to prevent a shock hazard when an electrical circuit comes in contact with water. This is a safety precaution to help prevent injury and death”

RV as in Recreational Vehicle, i.e. motor home.