Traveling by Supercharger can be more expensive than ICE

[Leeclanual]

Supercharger rates are too high... Tesla needs to cut them in 1/2.

 

[jeremymc7]

Supercharger rates are too high... Tesla needs to cut them in 1/2.

Or you just need to refer all your friends, family and coworkers and get 100k in referral miles.

Sell more Tesla’s. Get more free miles.

 

[LargeHamCollider]

OP brings up a good point, many people “stretch” to buy a Tesla and part of the justification for that stretch is cheap fuel, Tesla is (partially, I’m well aware home charging is much cheaper) undercutting that justification with high supercharger pricing, I sincerely hope that SCs are not a profit center but rather are operated at cost.

 

[one2many]

Ok its late but what the heck. People do not want panels on the roof cause their electric rates
are so low, great, but others are not so lucky. Folks want to argue that super duper charges are
way too expense, 300 miles for the cost of two top shelf drinks at bar. We have many posts here,
please build more super duper chargers, its hard to get from X to Y. Although we all know the super chargers are
built for free in Santa's shed and delivered at Xmas time, the electric companies are bah humbug.
Should Tesla stop expanding the charging network so a few can save a few pennies.
I prefer jack and coke to wine.

 

[Scott7]

As to a comparison again driving your truck, well, that's why we need carbon pricing. When you can externalize the cost of pollution, a lot of things become artificially cheaper!

this thread went on for a while after @MrMassTransit said the real reason. All of us are paying to subsidize the effects of ICE pollution.

 

[totoro722]

I am still musing about gasoline at $2.25/gallon. Can’t recall when I last saw that. Try your experiment in California and see how the numbers come out.

 

[bruce4000]

Does the difference in demand changes justify adding batteries; even if buying them at cost?

One of the reasons I haven’t added solar is based on historical use, system size, current / future pricing it would take at least a decade and I won’t be here that long. Nor does the resale on solar add enough. Same goes for a Powerwall, it’s cost is so high I’d rather upsize the solar instead of adding the battery, or just go with a minimum + margin of error solar setup. The power only goes out here once a year or even every two.

Well apparently worth the cost of batteries to EA. It is probably also site dependent. If utility has to upgrade power to site would be worth it in avoided cost.

 

[brkaus]

Well apparently worth the cost of batteries to EA. It is probably also site dependent. If utility has to upgrade power to site would be worth it in avoided cost.

batteries would help an underutilized station the most.

 

[SageBrush]

Agreed. The only major factors for EVs are home vs non-home charging and temperature.

When I lived in Colorado and had my own home PV, electricity cost 1/2 a cent a mile. At that rate extra consumption in the winter was a footnote.

 

[Daniel in SD]

What Tesla should do is use time of use rates where available and charge time of use supercharging rates. That's especially useful in states like California where electricity is only crazy expensive weekday evenings June-Oct.

 

[jeremymc7]

Don’t some stations have solar panels though which would offset any electrical grid TOD rates ?

 

[Daniel in SD]

Don’t some stations have solar panels though which would offset any electrical grid TOD rates ?

Solar doesn't help very much anymore because there is so much solar generation that it's pushed peak load and rates to 4-9pm (at least in CA).
Need batteries! Hopefully the new 4680 batteries will make that cost effective, especially if they can optimize the chemistry for supercharger use.

 

[Pwdr Extreme]

I am still musing about gasoline at $2.25/gallon. Can’t recall when I last saw that. Try your experiment in California and see how the numbers come out.

Then the 121 gallons of diesel I put in my Coach this afternoon in Colorado @ $1.76 per gallon will really make you cry.

But I will admit supercharging the Model 3 IS cheaper than fueling the 605hp beast.

 

[BuckSteed]

My experience has been quite abit different.

I just did a cross country trip with high winds, Rocky Mountains, storms and pretty weather. It was cool enough in the mountains to need the heater so that reduced my efficiency some.

2217.62 miles - $101.78 in Tesla Supercharging for whole route

Same trip last year in my Audi S5 cost $218.21

So my experience is that it's at least 1/2 my old operating costs... add in no oil changes and almost zero maintenance in the gap is even wider.

Plus, I drove about 93 miles of that whole trip on my own. The entire rest of the trip was all autopilot.

 

[AmokTime]

I didn’t look at the kWh charge, I’m simply going by two facts. One, I drove 140 miles and two, it cost me $14.56 to top off to the same 90% charge I left with.

This Model 3 isn’t overly efficient compared to my Model S. I’ve never achieved rated range in the 3 or my MX, the MS would regularly achieve rated range and often exceeded it.

To add a bit of balance, I almost always exceed rated range by at least a little (except in the depths of winter) in my M3SR+.

 

[jeremymc7]

Obviously gas is, and has been for many decades, WAY overpriced. It’s been a monopoly and sadly it’s one that no one ever did anything about. How many times was AT&T broken up over the decades because it became too large of a monopoly.

Now that said Europe is considerably worse with gas pricing compared to the US. But when it comes to US states like California then you’re talking about one of the highest taxation rates in the country. Obviously I’ve been EV for quite a while but as I recall California taxes were well over 25% per each gallon. Absurd.

 

[BrokerDon]

Here's an idea for all the Democratically dominated legislatures (California legislature + Governor, U.S. House of Representatives):

Pass a law that states the utilities CAN'T charge "demand charges" for EV charging !!!

Here in SoCal SCE (Southern California Edison) business "On Peak" electric rates are 44¢ per kWh... BEFORE "Demand Charges"

Demand Charges increase the already HIGH 44¢ per kWh rate 50% to 100%... or 100% to 200% more during "Critical Peak Pricing" (when SCE declares the grid is "stressed" on HOT days or during wildfires when the grid is partially shut down).

NO I'M NOT KIDDING.

Our business owns an office building and BUSINESS electric rates are CRAZY. Our 4,100 sq. ft office building incurs the 50% to 100% "surcharge" for exceeding 20kW demand more than 3 times IN A YEAR !!!

Now imagine what Tesla pays to Supercharge your EV. OUCH.

SO, Democrats... I challenge you to get your 100% Democrat controlled legislature to EXEMPT EV charging from utility "demand charges" to meet California Governor Newsome's aggressive "no ICE cars in CA" proclamation.

NO EXCUSE NOT TO GET THIS DONE IMMEDIATELY since the Democrats control BOTH the legislature AND the administration.

Your move...

 

[roblab]

I understand that the title of this thread is designed to irritate the average driver. Fine. I'm irritated that someone equates electric propulsion with gas, somehow thinking they are equal. They're not.

That said, I disagree. Traveling by electric drive is cheaper, on top of being easier on the climate. Then, I have to add, MY Model S is allowed supercharging for free. If you wish to buy a less expensive Tesla, figure that some of your travel is going to cost you, but still less than driving a gas car.

 

[jeremymc7]

Yeah I’m in a grandfathered TOU plan with SCE that’s still cheaper then anything they currently offer and YET my bill per kWh usage is nearly twice what it was last year. And that’s not due to me. They raised all the different tears by almost 2x.

 

[drtimhill]

I assumed the OP was click baiting .. but apparently he's serious. Until he adds in maintenance on the ICE car, and realizes he doesnt get anywhere near 40mpg as he claims .. etc etc.