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What's it really like to own a Tesla in New England?
- Thread starter greginfinity
- Start date
That’s not how odds work in craps and it’s also not the colloquial definition.
But whatever.
If you use an analogy to a game of chance, you're implying odds and randomness.
It's not random, and you have no idea what the odds are.
I have driven my model S through 4 Winters in the Boston area. Our winters are definitely not as severe as I expect they are in Maine. Plus, I am retired and therefore do not have the burden of needing to get out on the road first thing in the morning for my commute, regardless of the weather. So, with those disclaimers, let me just say that the biggest disadvantage of the Tesla in winter is the reduced battery capacity because of the cold temperatures. But my car is a 70D, which is no longer offered. The Model S now has a considerably larger battery. You'll have to decide if it's enough for you, but I would think most people would find that quite adequate even in the winter.
A related factor is whether or not the car can be kept in a garage. I have to park mine outside. That means It's colder than it would be in a garage, and it probably takes me more energy to preheat it than it would if it were in a garage. But preheating for me can be done mostly while the car is plugged in, so it isn't an issue of the battery in that case.
The heater itself is marginal for long driving and very cold weather. There are numerous posts about this. People will find that after an hour or so of driving, the heater just seems to take a rest or something, and it becomes increasingly difficult to stay warm. I do not know if the newer models are less prone to this than my 2015 car is. So you may need to dress warmly. But I don't let this deter me from driving in the cold. (I have driven up to Camden, ME, each November, with no problems.)
I hate the frameless windows! I think they are the single worst design decision that Tesla made in their design of the model S. I was especially disappointed that they repeated that design with the model 3. I would have thought they would have learned. It is especially annoying because, in my view, they have absolutely no advantage on a four-door car anyway! Pardon me for venting. Having said that, I think there have only been two times in my four winters that I had enough ice on the glass that it was a major chore to remove the ice before I could open the door. You simply must not run the risk of trying to open the door if there is enough ice that it might prevent the window from operating. Because then you won't be able to close the door. Preheat and scrape! I know better now.
What others have said about the excellent traction is true. I have yet to need snow tires in the Boston area, but living in Maine it would be prudent to have a set of snow tires. One other factor is that I have coil suspension, not the air suspension that is now standard. The air suspension can be helpful for getting through slightly deeper snow.
One other smaller point that I don't see mentioned above is that winter will give you reduced efficiency because regenerative braking is not available or is only partially available when the battery is cold. You need to get used to the fact that the braking will be different in the cold weather, until the battery warms up. Tesla service offers a special brake service for areas like ours that get salt on the roads. I'd recommend having that done each winter.
Nothing is perfect, including the Tesla. I've laid out the challenges above, but driving a Tesla in winter is quite doable. Look at Norway where the Tesla is very well accepted. People there know about winter! You just need to take some precautions and be sensible. You also might want to check out some posts by folks who live in Canada, where it is even colder than ME (or most of Norway). Lots of Teslas there, too.
Good luck on your decision!
A related factor is whether or not the car can be kept in a garage. I have to park mine outside. That means It's colder than it would be in a garage, and it probably takes me more energy to preheat it than it would if it were in a garage. But preheating for me can be done mostly while the car is plugged in, so it isn't an issue of the battery in that case.
The heater itself is marginal for long driving and very cold weather. There are numerous posts about this. People will find that after an hour or so of driving, the heater just seems to take a rest or something, and it becomes increasingly difficult to stay warm. I do not know if the newer models are less prone to this than my 2015 car is. So you may need to dress warmly. But I don't let this deter me from driving in the cold. (I have driven up to Camden, ME, each November, with no problems.)
I hate the frameless windows! I think they are the single worst design decision that Tesla made in their design of the model S. I was especially disappointed that they repeated that design with the model 3. I would have thought they would have learned. It is especially annoying because, in my view, they have absolutely no advantage on a four-door car anyway! Pardon me for venting. Having said that, I think there have only been two times in my four winters that I had enough ice on the glass that it was a major chore to remove the ice before I could open the door. You simply must not run the risk of trying to open the door if there is enough ice that it might prevent the window from operating. Because then you won't be able to close the door. Preheat and scrape! I know better now.
What others have said about the excellent traction is true. I have yet to need snow tires in the Boston area, but living in Maine it would be prudent to have a set of snow tires. One other factor is that I have coil suspension, not the air suspension that is now standard. The air suspension can be helpful for getting through slightly deeper snow.
One other smaller point that I don't see mentioned above is that winter will give you reduced efficiency because regenerative braking is not available or is only partially available when the battery is cold. You need to get used to the fact that the braking will be different in the cold weather, until the battery warms up. Tesla service offers a special brake service for areas like ours that get salt on the roads. I'd recommend having that done each winter.
Nothing is perfect, including the Tesla. I've laid out the challenges above, but driving a Tesla in winter is quite doable. Look at Norway where the Tesla is very well accepted. People there know about winter! You just need to take some precautions and be sensible. You also might want to check out some posts by folks who live in Canada, where it is even colder than ME (or most of Norway). Lots of Teslas there, too.
Good luck on your decision!
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Driver Dave
Member
I really appreciate the replies on both sides of the fence. I am going to postpone any vehicle purchase and see how things shake out over the next year. The horrible service stories seem to keep creeping up so I would like to hear about this improving before I purchase a Tesla. I know other manufacturer dealers can be terrible too but at least there are choices. Thanks again!
except of course I think the vast majority of folks have not had any service at all, and those with issues are much more likely to post about it.
Also there is a stark difference between Model 3 and S/X thanks to its engineered simplicity and entirely new generation of technology throughout. Meanwhile you will continue to keep servicing your ICE vehicle while you wait for people to stop complaining on the internet, which of course is a think that will never happen
Also there is a stark difference between Model 3 and S/X thanks to its engineered simplicity and entirely new generation of technology throughout. Meanwhile you will continue to keep servicing your ICE vehicle while you wait for people to stop complaining on the internet, which of course is a think that will never happen
I bet the fact you are seeing more stories about problem with service is that there are just so many more Tesla owners now. I would even suspect that less owners on a percentage basis are needing service.
I do worry that the service capacity isn’t keeping up with the number of cars but I’m reasonably hopeful they will get it worked out eventually.
I went to Watertown once so far in over a year of ownership. But it was only to take delivery and mounting of the winter wheel set I purchased from Tesla
I do worry that the service capacity isn’t keeping up with the number of cars but I’m reasonably hopeful they will get it worked out eventually.
I went to Watertown once so far in over a year of ownership. But it was only to take delivery and mounting of the winter wheel set I purchased from Tesla
I'm in MA and have a vacation house in NH.
Bought Model 3 last fall, had defective cracked rear window, service was great and they loaned me a Model S.
I liked the Model S so much and the 3, I just ordered an X.
Watertown SC is awesome !!! Small, but great people.
Have you test driven one? Go to Natick and arrange taking one home, they did for me.
Long Repairs are probably the worst thing. But everything varies by location.
Summer efficiency makes up for poor winter efficiency. You need to learn how to "manage" the HVAC if you want to squeak out best efficiency.
Most of New England has expensive Electricity. Solar or Free Super Charging helps a lot.
I think some Model 3 owners are way overly picky.
Bought Model 3 last fall, had defective cracked rear window, service was great and they loaned me a Model S.
I liked the Model S so much and the 3, I just ordered an X.
Watertown SC is awesome !!! Small, but great people.
Have you test driven one? Go to Natick and arrange taking one home, they did for me.
Long Repairs are probably the worst thing. But everything varies by location.
Summer efficiency makes up for poor winter efficiency. You need to learn how to "manage" the HVAC if you want to squeak out best efficiency.
Most of New England has expensive Electricity. Solar or Free Super Charging helps a lot.
I think some Model 3 owners are way overly picky.
Driver Dave
Member
Not sure how an EV goes to service once a month, every month, for 12 months.
I mean, there's just not many things that could go wrong.
So yeah, there is a "really?!?" response that is totally fair.
Driver Dave
Member
Wait until things start going wrong for you. Once they have to touch the car after assembly, it is never the same again.
Get a Model S now—the best you can afford.
I've been driving my 2013 model S (rear-wheel drive only) all around New England year-round and can say that the sheer joy of the smooth quiet powerful ride far outweighs the ICE experience of even the best trouble-free Audi (which you have to stop and put gasoline in every now and then!). Yes, I've been to service more than a few times, and Mobile has come to me, but there's no way I'd ever go back to the noisy, stinking, vibrating experience that characterizes every ICE.
I've been driving my 2013 model S (rear-wheel drive only) all around New England year-round and can say that the sheer joy of the smooth quiet powerful ride far outweighs the ICE experience of even the best trouble-free Audi (which you have to stop and put gasoline in every now and then!). Yes, I've been to service more than a few times, and Mobile has come to me, but there's no way I'd ever go back to the noisy, stinking, vibrating experience that characterizes every ICE.
Ok, so here's my experience. I was one of the first to get a Model 3 in NH. I've had it for about 15 months. In that time my wife and I have put nearly 35,000 miles on it.
Had service come out ONCE to fix some loose carpet trim on the side of the center console. I couldn't get it to "snap back" into place. They sent someone to my house. He arrived on time and spent about 10 minutes fixing it. I watched what he did, in case it ever happened again. The trim has stayed put.
Living in NH, we went through some *frigidly* cold times. I took to making notes of some numbers and, as far as 'reduced range' goes, here's what I discovered.
You can lose as little as 20% if you do some simple things.
- drive about 5MPH slower on the highway. (65-70MPH)
- leave the heat around 65F-68F, after all, you're probably wearing a jacket.
- look for "drafting opportunities" more on the highway.
- pre-heat your car while still hooked up to your charger (my example is in my garage).
I 'lost range' in my Camry in the winter months. Sure, not 20%, but it wasn't negligible either.
The "practical" difference in charging was when I drove to Philadelphia to visit my kids during Christmas. It meant Supercharging in Greenwich (on the Merrit Parkway) to 'be safe' instead of trying to get through NYC to get to one of the Superchargers on the NJ Turnpike.
Had service come out ONCE to fix some loose carpet trim on the side of the center console. I couldn't get it to "snap back" into place. They sent someone to my house. He arrived on time and spent about 10 minutes fixing it. I watched what he did, in case it ever happened again. The trim has stayed put.
Living in NH, we went through some *frigidly* cold times. I took to making notes of some numbers and, as far as 'reduced range' goes, here's what I discovered.
You can lose as little as 20% if you do some simple things.
- drive about 5MPH slower on the highway. (65-70MPH)
- leave the heat around 65F-68F, after all, you're probably wearing a jacket.
- look for "drafting opportunities" more on the highway.
- pre-heat your car while still hooked up to your charger (my example is in my garage).
I 'lost range' in my Camry in the winter months. Sure, not 20%, but it wasn't negligible either.
The "practical" difference in charging was when I drove to Philadelphia to visit my kids during Christmas. It meant Supercharging in Greenwich (on the Merrit Parkway) to 'be safe' instead of trying to get through NYC to get to one of the Superchargers on the NJ Turnpike.
Driver Dave
Member
Been driving Teslas for 4 years. Never seen or heard anything like that.
Maybe gas cars yea, but EVs are just too "not complicated" machines.
I live 2 hours north of the Watertown service center. I've gone there for a couple of things (drive unit replacement, 2 annual services), but a ranger has handled most everything else in my driveway (front wheel bearing, 3 door handles, parking brake, replace moisture filled leaky taillights).
My S is RWD and handles NH snow fine with snow tires. However, my next one will definitely be AWD, as I live up a steep hill that can be a bit challenging for the RWD traction controll.
My S is RWD and handles NH snow fine with snow tires. However, my next one will definitely be AWD, as I live up a steep hill that can be a bit challenging for the RWD traction controll.
Definitely go to the Drive Electric events on the 14th and 21st in several locations around Maine. I went to the one in S. Portland last year in my Volt, and this year will go in my Model 3. The Tesla owners were all very helpful in answering questions and giving rides.
I certainly had concerns about getting service 3+hrs away, but fortunately, I've never had any issues that required service in 9 months.
I've had the same experience, though putting 18" snow tires on instead of my 20" summers made the range loss somewhat less for me. In winter, I typically set the climate to 68-70F (I hate wearing jackets in cars), and I use my heated seat on the lowest setting. I refuse to be uncomfortable in my car.
My results show that if you're making short drives of 30 miles or less, you can easily reach 400-410 Wh/mi. For longer drives, 300-350 Wh/mi seems fairly reasonable at traffic speeds depending on road conditions. Snow means closer to 350 Wh/mi, and clear roads on cool winter days means closer to 295 Wh/mi. When estimating range for route planning, I always use 300 Wh/mi when roads are clear, and 350 Wh/mi when roads are snow covered and I need to use the windscreen defrost to keep ice from forming on my wipers.
That all means I plan on stops every 170 miles in the dead of winter in heavy snow. This worked out perfectly for me during the blizzard in 2018 in the Virginia/DC area when I drove down from NH. Otherwise 200-250 miles works fairly well if I keep SOC between 10% and 90%.
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