SR+ after 2 years

My thoughts after 2 years with our Tesla Model 3 SR+. Delivery 11/12/2019.

First a few stats.

35,000km

147wh/km

Original tyres still good

No warranty issues

I can drive from home, Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to Canberra where my daughter lives and back and not touch the brake pedal once

Nine week trip from Sydney’s Northern Beaches to Tasmania and around, via Canberra and then touring around NSW. Got down to 2km range left at one stage. No problem really because I knew I was heading to a charger. Range and charger access not a problem.

The Pros.

Zero emissions.

Not using fossil fuel.

Very low running costs. $250 for the whole 9 week trip to Tasmania.

Enjoyable to drive, either on the highway or around home in the burbs. You all know about this.

For me and my wife, the SR+ range is good enough.

My granddaughter saying “Poppy, you have a very cool car”.

The Cons.

The turning circle is too large. Much bigger than my previous vehicle, a VW Tourage.

The A pillar is too thick.

Not that I hardly ever use them but the brakes could be better.

Conclusions after 2 years.

Would I purchase an ICE again? Not a chance.

Many people are interested in EVs but it’s the unknown for them. I come from an electrical background so it was an informed decision to purchase an EV.

I do wonder how long it will take people to wake up to PVs on the roof, a battery in the garage alongside the EV and how much money this saves in day to day living. Sure it cost me about $100k, but we had the money and now don’t pay fuel bills for the car and the all-electric house is free of energy costs. $100k added to the cost of a new house these days is not a lot extra. When the penny drops it will be a complete revolution. No wonder politicians are worried.

Just my thoughts.

Merry Christmas.


(“2018 tesla mode 3 long range 2” by jerjozwik is lisensed under CC BY-ND 4.0.)

 

[Maximillan]

I can drive from home, Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to Canberra where my daughter lives and back and not touch the brake pedal once

Thank you for the write up, I enjoyed that.

Can you get to Canberra without stopping for a charge or what's you're typical approach?

 

[rx80]

Nine week trip from Sydney’s Northern Beaches to Tasmania and around, via Canberra and then touring around NSW.

Do you have any videos of the trip (for public consumption)? If so, would love to watch

 

[paulp]

Your zero emmisions and not using fossil fuel is not correct unless you have certainty that the not-at-home chargers you are using are sourcing 100% renewables. So in tassie all good, elsewhere you need to do some research to be sure.
You‘re at home solar charging is fantastic too and ageee its a no brainer that many just cannot see due to their silly prejudices. I’ve not purchased motoring energy for 7 years now, and 6 of those properly emmisions free. Make up for it with flying though…

 

[toshman]

Nice write up. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RareEarth]

Presence of solar, battery and car charger will be a plus when selling a house.

 

[HarryD]

Yes, I can get to Canberra, just, without charging on the way. But we usually stop at Goulburn on the way for a tea and coffee.
From Canberra to home is downhill so I get home with about 40km left. We usually take a round about way home so again stop at Goulburn.

 

[doggy1]

Yes, I can get to Canberra, just, without charging on the way. But we usually stop at Goulburn on the way for a tea and coffee.
From Canberra to home is downhill so I get home with about 40km left. We usually take a round about way home so again stop at Goulburn.

I have a 3LR, but still the figures are similar and show an SR+ just making it to Canberra and more easily on return to sea level when you look at the kWHrs:

1. Outgoing. Sydney Avalon Beach (sea level) to Canberra/Queanbeyan. Elevation gain 577M (from sea level) with highest point Great Dividing range along the way at 763M. Conditions 25degC and no wind to speak of until the last 108km when a very strong headwind blew in at around 30-40km/hr. Until that point, the kwhrs were tracking better than ABRP and Tesla Nav predicted. i.e., the predicted final SOC was 22% but we were tracking at a Tesla estimated 31% until the wind and that pulled us back to the final figure, which was 25%. Max power was 260kW and distance travelled 320.4km. Boot, frunk and some back seat packed with stuff for kids and grandkids and total two passengers. Aircon was on 20.5 the whole way and we used 55.6kwhrs for a total of 173WHr/km. Most of the trip was 112km/hr and we sat at 2 above the speed limit the whole way. It was a quickish trip at 3hrs 45min. There was only 540 metres of roadwork.

2. Return trip was 334.3km with 69% SOC used (so, being downhill, better than the 75% SOC used for uphill). Total 51kwhrs for 141WHrs/km. Again, 500M of road work. Again, 2km/hr above posted speeds. A bit slower at 4hrs 8Mins. max power used at 160kW was lower than the outbound trip. Again, two passengers with our clothes and some food but most of the heavy stuff was jettisoned in Canberra and Queanbeyan. Temperature average was 21degC and we had about a dozen rain showers but only a couple of heavy ones. No wind to speak of.

 

[HarryD]

The SR+ is not as heavy as the LR, so lower wh/km.
I don't like giving the state government money by paying fines so 110km/h or less for me.
Air con at what ever is comfortable.

 

[doggy1]

The SR+ is not as heavy as the LR, so lower wh/km.
I don't like giving the state government money by paying fines so 110km/h or less for me.
Air con at what ever is comfortable.

True. Probably 5% better. We often go to Canberra and would have been happy with the SR+ until Tesla dropped the LR price and the NSW Govt did the Stamp Duty thing giving that extra range breathing space. We also wanted to figure in longer term battery degradation. The SR+ might have a charging advantage over the LR but we still pulled 170kW from the Goulburn Chargefox at 22% SOC so gratifying to see 1,200km/hr charge rate for a while even though we have the (inferior to Panasonic in my view) LG pack.

 

[HarryD]

Do I need a LR? No. Would I like a LR, yes. If I was purchasing now with the lower prices, stamp duty etc it would be LR.
It's not a case of need, as we all know, it's all about want. Especially at my age, 73.
Model 3s had just gone up in price before I placed my order in Sept 19. Much cheaper now.

 

[doggy1]

The SR+ is not as heavy as the LR, so lower wh/km.

This is true in your case as you are presumably pre-LFP battery. However, for current SR+ buyers, the weight is almost the same as the LR. Viz:

SR+ 1825kg
LR 1847kg

So about 1% different.

I'm pleased that your first couple of years have been good and hope for similar.

I too would have bought an SR+ if it was two years ago.

I'm 74 and my first ever car was a Sports Car (MG TD). I have always yearned to have a sports car like a Morgan as my last car. Turns out I have inadvertently purchased a sports car and it is unlikely I will ever "put my foot right down" with it! Also, I just love running on electrons .

 

[brainrevisited]

SR+ 1825kg
LR 1847kg

Are you sure about this? SR+ weight is 1611kg for 2021 LFP, and 1654kg for 2022 LFP. It is significantly lighter than the LR. (Source: 2021 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus RWD - Specifications and price).

My SR+ has been averaging 140Wh/km over 4,000km of mixed city / highway driving.

 

[doggy1]

I am no longer sure about anything, except my own confusion!
I decided to look in my LR user manual and that says 1911kg, heavier again! Plus it lists a single motor LR at 100kg lighter. It also has the SR but unclear if this is old SR, SR+ or LFP or Pana.
So given my manual is supposedly for my car, dual motor LR, and even then unclear if this is for LG or Pana pack about all I can be vaguely sure of is that mine is perhaps 1911kg. I acknowledge it also seems unlikely LFP added to SR or SR+ would add a couple of hundred kg.

 

[lynchpatricia]

dang

 

[AussieOwner]

Original tyres still good

How??

Ive gone through 2 sets in 12months.

Edit: I do have a LR and do ALOT of country driving.

 

[doggy1]

Ive gone through 2 sets in 12months.

How many kilometres per set?

 

[AussieOwner]

How many kilometres per set?

20-27k

 

[cafz]

I had to replace the original 2019 SR+ tyres at 35,000km. I think it depends a lot on how often you indulge in a punchy takeoff from the lights!

 

[HarryD]

Now at 37,000kms and at our daughter's place, Canberra. Still enough tread for about 5k I would think, but I am starting to consider new tyres.
Probably stick to the originals. I do not roar away from the lights etc. I did once or twice when the car was new, but now I don't need to. Nothing to prove performance wise, to myself or others. I just look at the poor suckers in their ICEs and shake my head. The AMPOL ad says it all to me, so 1890s tech. Yes 1890s not 1990s.