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Relocating to UK...what to do with my Tesla?
- Thread starter houseofwindsor
- Start date
Candleflame
Active Member
if you like fast driving and spend a lot of time in the overtaking lanes it gives you slightly easier visibility to the left of the car via the left door mirror. If you got the steering wheel on the right side you often have to do a shoulder glance to make sure its safe to go back into the cruising lane. You just generally have a bit more awareness of the left side of the car.
On the flipside its also easier to to do angular left turns. Where in a RHD you have to do a proper owls turn you can just quickly glance into the right rear window. If this is blocked you got trouble though - so the traveling european business man never hangs his shirts in the right rear window! haha.
Curbside parking is also much easier because you can just look out of the window onto the ground lol.
Now, the other thing is that the cars infontainment systems are a bit easier to operate with your right hand for most people.
On rural country roads in the UK which are very narrow (you struggle to fit 2 SUVs next to each other) its also easier because you can basically hug the curb as you can tell exactly where the left side of the car is.
eladts
Member
Technically, he won't lose his warranty. He'll just have to ship the car back to the US to get service under warranty, or any service at all for that matter. Tesla service service center in Europe simply won't touch US-spec cars.
Beside that problem there are many differences between US-spec and UK-spec cars that would make a US-spec car not road legal or limits its usability in the UK.
- RHD vs LHD
- Symmetric vs asymmetric headlights
- Red vs amber rear turn signals - may change soon as new Model Y in the US have rear amber turn signal now.
- Different charge port
- Cellular network - you can't just swap a SIM as it is an eSIM.
There is NOTHING illegal about driving RHD in Europe or vice versa. Vehicles do it all the time in the "tunnel".
No difference in headlights between USA and UK.
Res vs. amber. Yes, America should have banned that years ago.
"He'll just have to ship the car back to the US to get service under warranty, or any service at all for that matter. Tesla service service center in Europe simply won't touch US-spec cars."
If that's not losing the warranty, no idea what is.
Love misinformation spreaders!
I moved from the USA to Europe last year and was told so SELL or I'd lose my warranty. From the horses mouth.
-- UK cars dont use the Tesla custom charge connector (they use CCS in Europe/UK), so you would have almost nowhere to supercharge.
-- Of course, the driver seat would be on the wrong side of the car.
-- I've no idea if the car nav system would ever get the appropriate map updates.
-- I've no idea if you can even *get* the correct software updates at all.
Having shipped and then lived with US spec cars in the UK and across Europe, and then EDM spec cars brought back home to North America... I highly recommend unloading the US spec Tesla and picking up some local market machine.
There were issues galore with either scenario in the 80s, 90s, 00s and have only become exponentionally worse in recent decades. And further still with dial-home and always online non-global spec EVs.
Just ask all the grey-market shops that convert US spec salvage/flooded/crashed Teslas and resell them across the UK, Central and Eastern Europe.
There were issues galore with either scenario in the 80s, 90s, 00s and have only become exponentionally worse in recent decades. And further still with dial-home and always online non-global spec EVs.
Just ask all the grey-market shops that convert US spec salvage/flooded/crashed Teslas and resell them across the UK, Central and Eastern Europe.
FYI, I knew that a guy in Ukraine or something similar bought and imported a Model Y directly from US. Except the pain in the back about taxes, shipping costs, registration, homologation (he had to deal also with a rear engine failure), he had to deal on a daily basis with an _epic_ pain in the back called:
- charging port: in EU and UK there is the Type 2 (AC charging) and CCS Combo 2 (DC charging), not a Tesla connector like in US
- he has no map/online services available
- as said, he had to fight to have his rear engine replaced by an official Tesla garage
Yes, all well known issues with US spec Teslas abroad. There are more too.
However, in the case of the US cars that end up in Eastern and Central Europe... there is an entire industry thats developed to 'jail break' them (so to speak)... replace the eSIMs with local carrier SIM cards with data service, whitelist US VINs in dial-home EU Tesla car<->mothership communications or disable it completely and side-load firmware updates (with some 'improvements' such as regional nav maps, etc), all the way to replacing Imperial with Metric units and swapping charge ports and whitelisting the cars to supercharge across the EU.
The hassle and the cost are NOT worth it... even for a minor fender-bender, but US totalled S100D purchased at $20K and imported without duty fees, VAT or other taxes.
However, in the case of the US cars that end up in Eastern and Central Europe... there is an entire industry thats developed to 'jail break' them (so to speak)... replace the eSIMs with local carrier SIM cards with data service, whitelist US VINs in dial-home EU Tesla car<->mothership communications or disable it completely and side-load firmware updates (with some 'improvements' such as regional nav maps, etc), all the way to replacing Imperial with Metric units and swapping charge ports and whitelisting the cars to supercharge across the EU.
The hassle and the cost are NOT worth it... even for a minor fender-bender, but US totalled S100D purchased at $20K and imported without duty fees, VAT or other taxes.
Here's my take on having a US spec vehicle in Europe, Germany to precise. Friend drove his to the UK from Germany with no issue. Supercharger adapter via 3rd party is available along with plenty of slower type 2 to Tesla adapters (awesome for free 3rd party charging.) Maps work but no nav/lte. I hotspot mine everywhere so it's meh. Depending on the service center, they will work on the vehicles, you just have to pay labor and parts. Software updates are available pending you sign and submit a pdf to Tesla saying the cars out of region. Warranty is still in tact for return to the states. My local service center back home understood my situation and we keep in touch about different things and my eventual return home.
Would I do it all over again? Barring the minor inconveniences. Yes I would. It makes traveling Europe so much nicer and taking a $20k hit on the car 3 months after I bought it wasn't worth it.
Biggest issue is registration. If under SOFA status then it's no issue but if not, homologation comes into play concerning various things that are a pain in the ass. And then OP has to weigh what to do financially. I'd honestly store it, work on paying off, buy something cheap local for the time there if not under SOFA.
Would I do it all over again? Barring the minor inconveniences. Yes I would. It makes traveling Europe so much nicer and taking a $20k hit on the car 3 months after I bought it wasn't worth it.
Biggest issue is registration. If under SOFA status then it's no issue but if not, homologation comes into play concerning various things that are a pain in the ass. And then OP has to weigh what to do financially. I'd honestly store it, work on paying off, buy something cheap local for the time there if not under SOFA.
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Europeans have decided that there is a benefit in having turn signals that are visually distinct from brake lights. They use amber turn signals. Either color is allowed in the US. For aesthetic or other design reasons, many US cars have only red lights. There is some data that supports the conclusion that stopping time is faster when different colors are used.
SageBrush
REJECT Fascism
In my city drivers have decided that turn signals are optional, so the lamp color is a moot argument.
Candleflame
Active Member
yeah but you live in the usa. europe isnt qutie like that.and that comes with some priviledges i.e. able to have semi derestricted speed limits.
I have friends who drive US imports here in the UK and have no problems whatsoever with LHD, rear turn signal colour or any other thing that might be different in terms of homologation. That said they are driving Dodge Rams so they can see over or around pretty much everything else on the roads, and what they can't see they don't feel as they roll over them 
I'd not like their fuel bill @ the equivalent of circa $8/gal - but that would not be an issue for you of course.
Tough call, I manage for a couple of weeks when I take ours to Europe for a holiday (when we could leave the country of course) but I wouldn't want to drive a "left hooker" (UK slang for LHD cars) long term. And you would have the added complication of charging/software updates/lte, etc.
Good luck and enjoy your time over here
I'd not like their fuel bill @ the equivalent of circa $8/gal - but that would not be an issue for you of course.Tough call, I manage for a couple of weeks when I take ours to Europe for a holiday (when we could leave the country of course) but I wouldn't want to drive a "left hooker" (UK slang for LHD cars) long term. And you would have the added complication of charging/software updates/lte, etc.
Good luck and enjoy your time over here
