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Depends how technical you are.. Easiest might be if you contact Cary your local Tesla rep. He should be able to explain. Otherwise pm me and I will try and explain, using some simple math. Not appropriate on open forum. Too long.

I'm technical but not really after the tech details.. more about.. for someone in my position with a standard wall plug, what situation am I in now, and what options do I have (specific to Australia) and what are the benefits ?

I can chat to Cary but figured people seem to know the details here and it would help others.
 
I have spent the best part of 6 hours last night in the 'Design Studio'. I'm guessing you guys know this feeling very well : )

So far I have settled on a P85, grey with 21'' grey turbines, standard roof and black leather/carbon interior. I passed on the alcantara dash as I can't grasp how that would look exactly and also unsure how this material wears in the WA sun. I've also deliberated the need for the Tech Package as it now appears the key feature here is the turn-by-turn navigation, something google maps does through a blue tooth connected phone. I always wanted parking sensors and given these are now outside the tech package I finding some of the other features a little gimmicky for >$4k. With the tech package I am sitting at a giddy $170k!!

Anyone had similar reservations on the tech package?
 
I have spent the best part of 6 hours last night in the 'Design Studio'. I'm guessing you guys know this feeling very well : )

So far I have settled on a P85, grey with 21'' grey turbines, standard roof and black leather/carbon interior. I passed on the alcantara dash as I can't grasp how that would look exactly and also unsure how this material wears in the WA sun. I've also deliberated the need for the Tech Package as it now appears the key feature here is the turn-by-turn navigation, something google maps does through a blue tooth connected phone. I always wanted parking sensors and given these are now outside the tech package I finding some of the other features a little gimmicky for >$4k. With the tech package I am sitting at a giddy $170k!!

Anyone had similar reservations on the tech package?
Yes it is expensive but not specifying it means you will lose some of the intelligence, like auto present handles, Driver profiles as well as turn by turn navigation. I would drop 21" wheels and buy the Tech package instead, if you decide you want the wheels later you can retrofit, you can't retrofit the Tech package.
P.S. The design studio tells me you need Tech Package for parking sensors.
 
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Anyone had similar reservations on the tech package?

To be honest, there's no way I'd consider buying the car without the tech package. I think it's pretty terrible that it's not included as standard for the price they're asking for the car - the Model S is all about tech, but without the tech package it's a kind of stunted experience. I agree, I'd forego the 21" wheels over the tech package. You can always buy the those wheels from Tesla, or alternatives, afterwards and not have to pay the LCT on them!

Otherwise, congrats, yours is perhaps the first confirmed Performance I've heard of so far in Australia!
 
I'm technical but not really after the tech details.. more about.. for someone in my position with a standard wall plug, what situation am I in now, and what options do I have (specific to Australia) and what are the benefits ?

I can chat to Cary but figured people seem to know the details here and it would help others.
Ok then. You have an 85KWh battery. You use 1Kw per 5 km's. An ordinary house power point can supply 10amps constant draw.. So, 2.4KW per hour or 12 - 14 km of range per hour. Bear in mind that there are always losses, and nothing is 100% efficient, so you probably end up with something like 2 Kw going to the battery. The formula is amps x volts = watts. So a 15 amp outlet will give 15 x 240 = 3600Watts or 3.6 Kw less losses. From this you can carry on with the math to work out your daily projected usage, your off peak hours and the time it will take to charge, including those times when your battery might be depleted and you need to "fill up" quickly. Most houses in Australia have an 80 amp supply from the pole. Need to be aware how much power your whole house is drawing at various times. (check your power bill). Some, like myself have 3 phase power, with a 200 amp supply. Means i can draw 32 amps x 3 at one time so a total 96 amps!!! with appropriate wall box (EVSE- electric vehicle supply equipment) 38.4Kw!!! Because the voltage is 400 with 3 phase. As i said, there are losses and 5 km per Kw is not dead accurate and depends on your driving style. Does that help?
If your demands for range are not that great, have your electrician install a 15amp power point, or even a 20, and that would probably do you. Otherwise you are going to have to go to the expense of bringing in a larger supply off the street. Bear in mind that a 20 amp power point is a heavy duty industrial type. You will see these at say a marina.
Also, have a look at the other thread here on mobile power for travellers. You will get further info from that.
 
Ok then. You have an 85KWh battery. You use 1Kw per 5 km's. An ordinary house power point can supply 10amps constant draw.. So, 2.4KW per hour or 12 - 14 km of range per hour. Bear in mind that there are always losses, and nothing is 100% efficient, so you probably end up with something like 2 Kw going to the battery. The formula is amps x volts = watts. So a 15 amp outlet will give 15 x 240 = 3600Watts or 3.6 Kw less losses. From this you can carry on with the math to work out your daily projected usage, your off peak hours and the time it will take to charge, including those times when your battery might be depleted and you need to "fill up" quickly. Most houses in Australia have an 80 amp supply from the pole. Need to be aware how much power your whole house is drawing at various times. (check your power bill). Some, like myself have 3 phase power, with a 200 amp supply. Means i can draw 32 amps x 3 at one time so a total 96 amps!!! with appropriate wall box (EVSE- electric vehicle supply equipment) 38.4Kw!!! Because the voltage is 400 with 3 phase. As i said, there are losses and 5 km per Kw is not dead accurate and depends on your driving style. Does that help?
If your demands for range are not that great, have your electrician install a 15amp power point, or even a 20, and that would probably do you. Otherwise you are going to have to go to the expense of bringing in a larger supply off the street. Bear in mind that a 20 amp power point is a heavy duty industrial type. You will see these at say a marina.
Also, have a look at the other thread here on mobile power for travellers. You will get further info from that.

Great, concise info Dborn. Thanks.

Two quick questions that hopefully you can also answer: can 3-phase be added be added to a 1 phase house (relatively) easily ? And, do you only need the dual chargers if you have a supply > 40 amps?
 
I'm no expert on the power system in Australia, but a few notes:

  • You use about 1kWh (not kW) per 5km - kWh is energy; kW is power.
  • The maximum power for a 10A 240V circuit would be 2.4kW (not per hour), but what you can actually use would be less. In Canada, the maximum current is 80% of the breaker size, so 8A in the 10A case, or 1.92kW. Probably something similar there.
  • A single Model S charger can handle up to 10kW, or 20kW if you get dual chargers, so you would never be able to go as high as 38.4kW.
 
Why did they put a Sub-Zero package option for australia?http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Australia

It's a pity the rear seat heaters are bundled with the wiper defrosters and washer nozzle heaters, because I haven't seen a frosted windscreen in 25 years of living in Perth...

Subzero was one of only 4 things I deselected after pressing the MAX OUT MY MODEL S button.... :)
 
Yes it is expensive but not specifying it means you will lose some of the intelligence, like auto present handles, Driver profiles as well as turn by turn navigation. I would drop 21" wheels and buy the Tech package instead, if you decide you want the wheels later you can retrofit, you can't retrofit the Tech package.
P.S. The design studio tells me you need Tech Package for parking sensors.

Great tip on the wheels, just wish the 19s came in dark grey.

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To be honest, there's no way I'd consider buying the car without the tech package. I think it's pretty terrible that it's not included as standard for the price they're asking for the car - the Model S is all about tech, but without the tech package it's a kind of stunted experience. I agree, I'd forego the 21" wheels over the tech package. You can always buy the those wheels from Tesla, or alternatives, afterwards and not have to pay the LCT on them!

Otherwise, congrats, yours is perhaps the first confirmed Performance I've heard of so far in Australia!

Thanks. Strictly speaking it's yet to be confirmed as I was still agonising over the tech package. Sod it, just gonna press the button!
 
Great tip on the wheels, just wish the 19s came in dark grey.

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Thanks. Strictly speaking it's yet to be confirmed as I was still agonising over the tech package. Sod it, just gonna press the button!

I like your style! Pressing it with tech? All accounts I've read have said it's the best option there is. E.g the smart phone functionality it includes. Tracking of your car etc.
 
So if I have a single charger on my Model S, and we get given a 40amp wall unit, and I only reall yhave normal 10A 240V power points - what should I ask my electrician to install to get maximum charge possible for my Model S?

If the 80% rule applies there, a 50A 240V circuit would allow you to draw 40A, which is 9.6kW - close to the single charger max of 10kW. In Canada/US, most Tesla owners have 240V 50A receptacles in their garage, unless they get the HPWC, which can go up to 80A on a 100A breaker.
 
I'm no expert on the power system in Australia, but a few notes:

  • You use about 1kWh (not kW) per 5km - kWh is energy; kW is power.
  • The maximum power for a 10A 240V circuit would be 2.4kW (not per hour), but what you can actually use would be less. In Canada, the maximum current is 80% of the breaker size, so 8A in the 10A case, or 1.92kW. Probably something similar there.
  • A single Model S charger can handle up to 10kW, or 20kW if you get dual chargers, so you would never be able to go as high as 38.4kW.
In Australia, a power point must be able to supply its stated rating continuously. (confirmed with my electrician who just installed my 3 phase power point). So, no, we don't have the 80% rule. I accept the power vs energy correction. Just put it down quickly, 2.4w per hour is of course KWh.
They will be providing us with a 32amp EVSE 3 phase. I was just doing the straight calc. So, it depends on what the electronics in the EVSE will do with the available current.

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So if I have a single charger on my Model S, and we get given a 40amp wall unit, and I only reall yhave normal 10A 240V power points - what should I ask my electrician to install to get maximum charge possible for my Model S?

The EVSE wall unit will accept up to 40 amps (10, 15, 32 and 40, switchable internally so you run any of those set currents. Makes a difference in the size of the cable and of course the breaker). You probably need your electrician to run a 40 amp supply, single phase, with RCD breaker on the dedicated line to your charging point. He will then have to cap it off til the wall unit arrives.
 
In Australia, a power point must be able to supply its stated rating continuously. (confirmed with my electrician who just installed my 3 phase power point). So, no, we don't have the 80% rule. I accept the power vs energy correction. Just put it down quickly, 2.4w per hour is of course KWh.
They will be providing us with a 32amp EVSE 3 phase. I was just doing the straight calc. So, it depends on what the electronics in the EVSE will do with the available current.

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The EVSE wall unit will accept up to 40 amps (10, 15, 32 and 40, switchable internally so you run any of those set currents. Makes a difference in the size of the cable and of course the breaker). You probably need your electrician to run a 40 amp supply, single phase, with RCD breaker on the dedicated line to your charging point. He will then have to cap it off til the wall unit arrives.

Fantastic - settled! Copy and paste thanks Dborn :D
 
You probably need your electrician to run a 40 amp supply, single phase, with RCD breaker on the dedicated line to your charging point. He will then have to cap it off til the wall unit arrives.

Great info, thanks Dborn - though obviously will confirm once Tesla AU has their charging infrastructure info finalised. Has anyone calculated yet how long a standard charge would take on a 60/85kWh Model S with both 40A (single charger) and 80A (dual charger, three phase?) supply?