Tesla Model S P90DL
Discussion
Following a good friend's petrolhead footsteps, albeing skipping the intermediate Leafs and Zoes and horrible Outlanders, I've jumped ship. Gone from a high performance tuned diesel to a hyper performance Tesla.
My journey so far has been a real eye opener. I had been following Teslas but only very briefly, remembering the Roadster and hearing some controversy how Top Gear rigged and scripted the whole thing giving it a much worse review than it deserved.
However, Richard's venture into Tesladom re-energised my desire to research the whole electric car thing.
I started researching the Model S and the more I read and learnt about it, the more I realised this car actually ticked far more boxes than I hoped and became a worryingly (!!) attractive option. I started looking them up, realised they were quite expensive but gave so much back in return with massively reduced running costs and the unbelievable flexibility of a insanely quick 0-60 car and also being able to carry 5 adults in utmost comfort.
The Skoda Fabia, whilst fun, and having spent a great deal on it turning it into a project car, felt like it was time time for me to change to something different. I have become increasingly aware of the environment and starting thinking how I could go about financing a very logical folly.
Then I was thinking maybe I should get it as a company car. Since I started my own business, I've not "treated" myself to anything, and when you start looking at the financial advantages of getting an electric car, it becomes all the more compelling.
So around the turn of 2015, I booked myself a test drive in a Model S at West Drayton. It was the first time I had been in an electric car and had an idea of what to expect. However...
I was greeting with great friendliness and professionalism, but interestingly, for the first time walking into a car sales shop, felt bizzarely relaxed. There was no pressure by the sales guys. They started the drive. As we pulled out, although I knew there wouldn't be any engine noise, it's still unnerving the first time. You know to expect it, but it still feels strange!
We pull over into a quiet industrial estate. The car was a P90D and he says "I'll show you the acceleration you get with the P90D model. This doesn't have the 'Ludicrous' option, but gives you an idea". He then floors it. I'm pushed back into my seat. Jaw slowly but surely fally into my lap. This is amazing!
We then swap seats. I sit in the driver's seat. The demonstrator shows me how to create a profile. I adjust the seat, steering wheel, mirrors, etc, and save it. I then stick it into Drive and pull away. I go round the first few roundabouts and the plantedness of the car is striking. The low down battery pack floor gives a very low centre of gravity and there's zero body roll. The next thing that strikes me is just the instantanousness of the pedal response. No lag. None at all. Of course, it's a bit of a change coming from a big turbo conversion where there is inevitably some delay, particularly if you're not in the sweet spot of the rev range. Here, there is no sweet spot. Or rather, any speed is a sweet spot. It's just amazing.
We get onto a slip road onto the M4. I floor it and an unmeasurable grin appears on my face. I start to realise that this is, in my opinion, the car of the future. The demonstrator then shows me the Autopilot features. At first, I'm very reluctant to let it drive itself. But it does so with consummate ease, keeping a safe distance from the car in front, tracking the lane marking and negotiating curves with no drama at all.
We then make it back to West Drayton, and I start taking a few photos and play around with the car's settings on the huge 17" touchscreen. I start to wonder what options I would choose should I go ahead, I have a USB stick with some high quality FLAC files and compare the standard sound system to the "Ultra High Fidelity" sound system. Damn, it sounds quite a bit better. But £1800 better?
I get back into my Fabia. All of a sudden, everything feels to 19" century. It's noisy, there's a hint of diesel smell, it rattles. Why am I feeling like this? I love this car! But it suddenly feels ancient and so passé!
I drive home and continue to think about what model and options I would tick. A few days and weeks pass, but I can't help but think about driving around in a Tesla. I consider myself a pretty well balanced person, and that partly annoys me how I've just been "converted" to the whole Tesla and electric car movement. It's not like me. Xav, what are you thinking? Have you gone mad?!?
A few weeks pass and that feeling doesn't go away. At that point, I decide "Yes, it's going to be my next car". The next big question: to get the 90D which is the high capacity 90kWh battery but not the "performance" version. Remember, Tesla do not make slow cars. The slowest version is still a rather nippy 5s 0-60 in its 4WD setup! The penalty switching to the "P" version is quite severe. Another £20k+ And then there's the "Ludicrous" option. Another £8k or so. Having also ticked various other options, well, pretty much every other option, I'm now north of £100k. Crikey!
"OK" I say to myself. I really need to see whether it's worth spending this extra money on the Performance and potentially Ludicrous options. I remember Richard commenting very sensibly that it's a hell of a lot of money (you can buy probably two Skodas for the price of the upgrade!). Also, you lose a tiny bit in range as the P version is more thirsty on the electron department...
Hmm. OK, I need to see what all the talk is regarding this Ludicrous thing. By now a month has passed, and I phone West Drayton up and enquire about having a second test drive with a car equipped with the Ludicrous option. They say they don't have one available but will get back to me. A day passes, I get a call from WD. They've arranged to have a Ludicrous car brought over from Gatwick (I think) and have it available for a test drive. I take them up on the offer.
The ludicrous test drive arrives and this time, it's Maggie, another demonstrator who takes me out with a few friends I had brought along for the experience. She pulls up by a slip road. Switches to "Ludicrous" and then plants it. OMFG! It's visceral. Your internal organs are seriously displaced. It's like a roller coaster ride. Do this a few times, I can see people throwing up, it's that brutal! She then throws it round a roundabout doing a U-turn and floors it back up the dual carriageway. This is off the chart in terms of real performance. It might not beat the supercars above 60mph, but before that and with the limits of traffic and speed limits on our roads, it's mightily impressive.
I eventually get back home after driving yet again, in an agricultural diesel engined car. Yup, I've decided, the Tesla is for me. Now to decide whether I want to spend that much more on the silly Ludicrous version. I realise that the usefulness is questionable. Yes, it's a nice party trick to show off to your mates, but how often would I really use it?
A week later, I place my order. And yes, I tick the Ludicrous option
I now have a two-week "cooling off" period where I can change the spec, etc, or cancel and get a full refund of the £2,000 deposit. In that time, Richard sends me a PM on Facebook saying he's selling his Tesla. 
a second time. A great price too 
Respect to the man who probably has more cars and sells more cars than a few car dealers out there
In the end, I stick with my decision to buy a new built-to-order Tesla. Ont he 15th April, the order is locked in and I can no longer pull out (well, I can, but will lose the £2k deposit). Now the excrutiating wait commences. I'm commited, yet have to wait. Through the Speakev forum, I get in touch with a chap who has the ability to track the order. I get the container number and ship the car will sail on. Every day, sometime several times a day I check up on the position of the container ship crossing the Atlantic.
Finally, the car arrives and a pick up is scheduled on 30th June. It's a manic time. They have 40 cars sheduled for pick up - extra pressure to meet end of quarter targets. I turn up, excited like a 5-year-old. I do a quick once-over on the car, and am happy to expedite the whole induction process as I felt pretty familiar with the car's toys. The staff were quite grateful as they had just so many customers to get through that Thursday.
A week has now passed and I'm still in love with what the car has to offer. It's turned out to be quite a Jekyll and Hyde kind of car, able to cruise very comfortably and quietly along the motorways at 60-70mph. But get on the twisties, and put your foot down and instant gratification and smile-enducing driving. It manages to be so versatile, it's quite terrifying how a potent package a well-designed electric car can provide. In my opinion, it really is the future. When you look at what else is on offer, the environment issues, the fact you're burning fuel, creating emissions when at a standstill on the M25 when an electric car doesn't, and with autopilot, takes all the stress out of being stuck in a jam. I actually don't mind now being stuck in standstill traffic. I just let the car do the stuff whilst I relax and listen to music. No more tired left leg with a heavy duty clutch, noise when not moving, etc.
I cannot see myself every wanting to drive an ICE car unless it's a track toy. There's a kind of lack of drama with no engine noise, but 99% of the time, I don't miss it. I appreciate the quiteness and comfort far more for the majority of the time than having a really involved and connected feeling to the car and road. Maybe I'm showing my age LOL. The only downside I can think of is the sheer size of the car. It's WIDE, and in tight country lanes, can bring a scare or two when something wide comes the other way!
My journey so far has been a real eye opener. I had been following Teslas but only very briefly, remembering the Roadster and hearing some controversy how Top Gear rigged and scripted the whole thing giving it a much worse review than it deserved.
However, Richard's venture into Tesladom re-energised my desire to research the whole electric car thing.
I started researching the Model S and the more I read and learnt about it, the more I realised this car actually ticked far more boxes than I hoped and became a worryingly (!!) attractive option. I started looking them up, realised they were quite expensive but gave so much back in return with massively reduced running costs and the unbelievable flexibility of a insanely quick 0-60 car and also being able to carry 5 adults in utmost comfort.
The Skoda Fabia, whilst fun, and having spent a great deal on it turning it into a project car, felt like it was time time for me to change to something different. I have become increasingly aware of the environment and starting thinking how I could go about financing a very logical folly.
Then I was thinking maybe I should get it as a company car. Since I started my own business, I've not "treated" myself to anything, and when you start looking at the financial advantages of getting an electric car, it becomes all the more compelling.
So around the turn of 2015, I booked myself a test drive in a Model S at West Drayton. It was the first time I had been in an electric car and had an idea of what to expect. However...
I was greeting with great friendliness and professionalism, but interestingly, for the first time walking into a car sales shop, felt bizzarely relaxed. There was no pressure by the sales guys. They started the drive. As we pulled out, although I knew there wouldn't be any engine noise, it's still unnerving the first time. You know to expect it, but it still feels strange!
We pull over into a quiet industrial estate. The car was a P90D and he says "I'll show you the acceleration you get with the P90D model. This doesn't have the 'Ludicrous' option, but gives you an idea". He then floors it. I'm pushed back into my seat. Jaw slowly but surely fally into my lap. This is amazing!
We then swap seats. I sit in the driver's seat. The demonstrator shows me how to create a profile. I adjust the seat, steering wheel, mirrors, etc, and save it. I then stick it into Drive and pull away. I go round the first few roundabouts and the plantedness of the car is striking. The low down battery pack floor gives a very low centre of gravity and there's zero body roll. The next thing that strikes me is just the instantanousness of the pedal response. No lag. None at all. Of course, it's a bit of a change coming from a big turbo conversion where there is inevitably some delay, particularly if you're not in the sweet spot of the rev range. Here, there is no sweet spot. Or rather, any speed is a sweet spot. It's just amazing.
We get onto a slip road onto the M4. I floor it and an unmeasurable grin appears on my face. I start to realise that this is, in my opinion, the car of the future. The demonstrator then shows me the Autopilot features. At first, I'm very reluctant to let it drive itself. But it does so with consummate ease, keeping a safe distance from the car in front, tracking the lane marking and negotiating curves with no drama at all.
We then make it back to West Drayton, and I start taking a few photos and play around with the car's settings on the huge 17" touchscreen. I start to wonder what options I would choose should I go ahead, I have a USB stick with some high quality FLAC files and compare the standard sound system to the "Ultra High Fidelity" sound system. Damn, it sounds quite a bit better. But £1800 better?
I get back into my Fabia. All of a sudden, everything feels to 19" century. It's noisy, there's a hint of diesel smell, it rattles. Why am I feeling like this? I love this car! But it suddenly feels ancient and so passé!
I drive home and continue to think about what model and options I would tick. A few days and weeks pass, but I can't help but think about driving around in a Tesla. I consider myself a pretty well balanced person, and that partly annoys me how I've just been "converted" to the whole Tesla and electric car movement. It's not like me. Xav, what are you thinking? Have you gone mad?!?
A few weeks pass and that feeling doesn't go away. At that point, I decide "Yes, it's going to be my next car". The next big question: to get the 90D which is the high capacity 90kWh battery but not the "performance" version. Remember, Tesla do not make slow cars. The slowest version is still a rather nippy 5s 0-60 in its 4WD setup! The penalty switching to the "P" version is quite severe. Another £20k+ And then there's the "Ludicrous" option. Another £8k or so. Having also ticked various other options, well, pretty much every other option, I'm now north of £100k. Crikey!
"OK" I say to myself. I really need to see whether it's worth spending this extra money on the Performance and potentially Ludicrous options. I remember Richard commenting very sensibly that it's a hell of a lot of money (you can buy probably two Skodas for the price of the upgrade!). Also, you lose a tiny bit in range as the P version is more thirsty on the electron department...
Hmm. OK, I need to see what all the talk is regarding this Ludicrous thing. By now a month has passed, and I phone West Drayton up and enquire about having a second test drive with a car equipped with the Ludicrous option. They say they don't have one available but will get back to me. A day passes, I get a call from WD. They've arranged to have a Ludicrous car brought over from Gatwick (I think) and have it available for a test drive. I take them up on the offer.
The ludicrous test drive arrives and this time, it's Maggie, another demonstrator who takes me out with a few friends I had brought along for the experience. She pulls up by a slip road. Switches to "Ludicrous" and then plants it. OMFG! It's visceral. Your internal organs are seriously displaced. It's like a roller coaster ride. Do this a few times, I can see people throwing up, it's that brutal! She then throws it round a roundabout doing a U-turn and floors it back up the dual carriageway. This is off the chart in terms of real performance. It might not beat the supercars above 60mph, but before that and with the limits of traffic and speed limits on our roads, it's mightily impressive.
I eventually get back home after driving yet again, in an agricultural diesel engined car. Yup, I've decided, the Tesla is for me. Now to decide whether I want to spend that much more on the silly Ludicrous version. I realise that the usefulness is questionable. Yes, it's a nice party trick to show off to your mates, but how often would I really use it?
A week later, I place my order. And yes, I tick the Ludicrous option
I now have a two-week "cooling off" period where I can change the spec, etc, or cancel and get a full refund of the £2,000 deposit. In that time, Richard sends me a PM on Facebook saying he's selling his Tesla. a second time. A great price too Respect to the man who probably has more cars and sells more cars than a few car dealers out there In the end, I stick with my decision to buy a new built-to-order Tesla. Ont he 15th April, the order is locked in and I can no longer pull out (well, I can, but will lose the £2k deposit). Now the excrutiating wait commences. I'm commited, yet have to wait. Through the Speakev forum, I get in touch with a chap who has the ability to track the order. I get the container number and ship the car will sail on. Every day, sometime several times a day I check up on the position of the container ship crossing the Atlantic.
Finally, the car arrives and a pick up is scheduled on 30th June. It's a manic time. They have 40 cars sheduled for pick up - extra pressure to meet end of quarter targets. I turn up, excited like a 5-year-old. I do a quick once-over on the car, and am happy to expedite the whole induction process as I felt pretty familiar with the car's toys. The staff were quite grateful as they had just so many customers to get through that Thursday.
A week has now passed and I'm still in love with what the car has to offer. It's turned out to be quite a Jekyll and Hyde kind of car, able to cruise very comfortably and quietly along the motorways at 60-70mph. But get on the twisties, and put your foot down and instant gratification and smile-enducing driving. It manages to be so versatile, it's quite terrifying how a potent package a well-designed electric car can provide. In my opinion, it really is the future. When you look at what else is on offer, the environment issues, the fact you're burning fuel, creating emissions when at a standstill on the M25 when an electric car doesn't, and with autopilot, takes all the stress out of being stuck in a jam. I actually don't mind now being stuck in standstill traffic. I just let the car do the stuff whilst I relax and listen to music. No more tired left leg with a heavy duty clutch, noise when not moving, etc.
I cannot see myself every wanting to drive an ICE car unless it's a track toy. There's a kind of lack of drama with no engine noise, but 99% of the time, I don't miss it. I appreciate the quiteness and comfort far more for the majority of the time than having a really involved and connected feeling to the car and road. Maybe I'm showing my age LOL. The only downside I can think of is the sheer size of the car. It's WIDE, and in tight country lanes, can bring a scare or two when something wide comes the other way!
Shadow R1 said:
Good write up.
Put some pictures up if you get chance.
Just trying to work out the time frame, did you pick it up last year June 30 ?
Perhaps bring it up to date after you have owned it for 10 months.
Yes, sorry, June last year.Put some pictures up if you get chance.
Just trying to work out the time frame, did you pick it up last year June 30 ?
Perhaps bring it up to date after you have owned it for 10 months.
Here are a few from the unveiling when I picked it up
Complete with personnalised "welcome to the family" message
I'm unfortunate in that I can't charge where I live at the moment - the car is parked 50m from my front door and there aren't any charging points in the car park
However, I was charging at work (until last week) and using public and the simply awesome Tesla Supercharging network to top my battery up.I did 1,200 miles in just over a week of ownership, and not paid a penny. I did buy the CHAdeMO adapter and also a Type 2 cable so I'm pretty well covered. The car comes with its own UMC - Universal Mobile Connector. This comes with adapters on the supply side, allowing you to charge at 10 amps off a UK plug, up to 32 amps on a single phase blue commando socket or 16 amps three phase with the red commando plug (although I'd have to buy that adapter).
A point to note and understand is that the actual "charger" is in the car. The new default charger gives up to 11kW of power, allowing me to charge at up to 16a 3 phase. The onboard charger is what does the 230 (or 400V) AC conversion into DC that then goes to the car's batteries. If you use CHAdeMO or the Tesla Supercharging network, then it's DC directly, bypassing the car's chargers - the chargers are in the CHAdeMO / Supercharger cabinets. CHAdeMO gives up to just over 32kW power, Supercharging gives a whopping 120kW power. When you're nearing an empty battery, this allows you to charge up to 50% capacity in about 20 minutes / 80% capacity in 40 minutes. It's important to note that the charge rate decreases as the batteries fill up - as they're nearing full capacity, the current reduces a lot so the super fast charging solutions aren't any faster than charging at 16 amps off a commando. For that reason, when using the Supercharging network, Tesla recommend you only charge what you need to get to the next Supercharing station. You'll spend a lot less time charging from 10-50% than from 50-90%. These short charge sessions means long distance road trips become an absolute doddle and "range anxiety" that we hear about so much isn't an issue (providing of course your route goes near these charging stations). Planning these short stops on long trips doesn't really slow you down either - you'd normally stop every couple of hours for a leg stretch / drinks / break. So you use that time to refill / re-energise the car as the same time as you re-energise yourself
If I could charge at home, I'd obviously do that. When you do charge at home, you're effecitvely leaving every morning with a full tank. And you never have to stop at a fuel station again, mess around with mucky oily fuel pumps, etc. Oh and you're never in that situation when you need to do an emergency trip only to realise you need to stop en route to fill up with fuel. With the 230-250 mile range in my 90kWh Model S, it's more than enough for two return commuting trips to London. Every other day, I top off at work or Supercharger so it's an inconvenience, but something I'm living with for the moment. It's accelerated my desire to move house and get somewhere where I can charge at home.
In terms of cost, if you charge at home, you'd go onto an Economy 7 plan so you pay cheaper leccy at night and charge at night. If you assume you'd need to "fully charge" your car, let's assume that's 80kWh of energy. At around 6.5p/kWh, it's just over a fiver to fill your car. A massive saving. And that's if you exclusively charge at home and pay for it... I was paying 10 times that to fill my Fabia that did around 500miles, so in reality, it's about 5 times more cost effective than my diesel Fabia!
As of today (1st May 2017), I've done nearly 20,000 miles and it's probably cost me around £50 in various public chargers and Ecotricity since they moved to charging. The rest of the time has been from places where I've worked where they generously allowed me to plug in and Tesla Superchargers / Destination Chargers.
I'll post my first long road trip in a bit
And regarding Ludicrous amongst other things, a chap in Canada has written a web front-end which interrogates the car's API through Tesla's servers and obtains telemetric information, geolocalisation, etc. www.teslalog.com
Here's a log of acceleration. It's not that precise (only logs every 0.5 seconds), but gives an idea.
What's worth noting is the power which increases to 500kW, around 665hp is instant. The actual launch is around the -250ms mark - the point at which the speed starts increasing. The power you see before is pre-loading the motors using launch control.
In the next 1.5 seconds, power ramps up to the 665 odd HP and then is constant till I lift off around 4 seconds later by which time I'm at around 80mph
In that initial 1.5 seconds when power is ramping up - I'm presuming to maintain traction, speed goes from 0 to around 40mph. Another 1.5 seconds later, we're over 60mph.
Not only is it vicious, there's no pre-warning of it. It's not as if you're riding a wave of torque that gradually increases. It's not there then in a fraction of a second (with no real noise apart from the groan of the brakes strugglng to keep the car immobile!), you're litterally catapulted forwards with a level of G-force that is relentless until 70mph+
For a long time, I did debate whether it's worth spending a lot more money to get the performance version and then ludicrous on top. I don't regret it. I'm using it quite a lot. Not in full launch control, but the ability with little to no warning to just shoot off the lights and already be 100m up the road before anyone behind you has moved off the line is rather giggle-inducing.
A couple of comments from fellow PHers from a Skoda / PH event day last year - there's a thread on here from which I've pulled the following quotes :
Particular thanks to the Tesla Owner who despite me openly admitting I wasn't an electric car fan demonstrated "Ludicrous mode" to me - I have to say it felt more like a fair ride than a car - no noise, no warning, no gears just a huge shove that left your stomach on the start line.
I also have to thank Xavier for the time to talk about living with a Tesla as a daily & also for the chance to experience 'ludicrous' mode before leaving; it's fair to say my perception of acceleration in a road car has been re-calibrated.
The thing that impressed me most was the Tesla 'ludicrous mode'. Watching the YouTube videos doesn't prepare you for the reality of seeing it in action. Before he left for the day the owner was kind enough to offer a demonstration from onboard. Bloody 'ell it's quick!!! I'm in no hurry to give up on the internal combustion engine, but can't deny the effectiveness of Tesla's technology.
I'd be delighted to give demos to people who want - it still surprises me from time to time. When you do it to an unsuspecting passenger - you tell them it's going to be brutal - and they're "yeah yeah". Then you plant it, and most of the time, a long string of expletives follow as their brain tries to compute what's happening
Here's a log of acceleration. It's not that precise (only logs every 0.5 seconds), but gives an idea.
What's worth noting is the power which increases to 500kW, around 665hp is instant. The actual launch is around the -250ms mark - the point at which the speed starts increasing. The power you see before is pre-loading the motors using launch control.
In the next 1.5 seconds, power ramps up to the 665 odd HP and then is constant till I lift off around 4 seconds later by which time I'm at around 80mph
In that initial 1.5 seconds when power is ramping up - I'm presuming to maintain traction, speed goes from 0 to around 40mph. Another 1.5 seconds later, we're over 60mph.
Not only is it vicious, there's no pre-warning of it. It's not as if you're riding a wave of torque that gradually increases. It's not there then in a fraction of a second (with no real noise apart from the groan of the brakes strugglng to keep the car immobile!), you're litterally catapulted forwards with a level of G-force that is relentless until 70mph+
For a long time, I did debate whether it's worth spending a lot more money to get the performance version and then ludicrous on top. I don't regret it. I'm using it quite a lot. Not in full launch control, but the ability with little to no warning to just shoot off the lights and already be 100m up the road before anyone behind you has moved off the line is rather giggle-inducing.
A couple of comments from fellow PHers from a Skoda / PH event day last year - there's a thread on here from which I've pulled the following quotes :
Particular thanks to the Tesla Owner who despite me openly admitting I wasn't an electric car fan demonstrated "Ludicrous mode" to me - I have to say it felt more like a fair ride than a car - no noise, no warning, no gears just a huge shove that left your stomach on the start line.
I also have to thank Xavier for the time to talk about living with a Tesla as a daily & also for the chance to experience 'ludicrous' mode before leaving; it's fair to say my perception of acceleration in a road car has been re-calibrated.
The thing that impressed me most was the Tesla 'ludicrous mode'. Watching the YouTube videos doesn't prepare you for the reality of seeing it in action. Before he left for the day the owner was kind enough to offer a demonstration from onboard. Bloody 'ell it's quick!!! I'm in no hurry to give up on the internal combustion engine, but can't deny the effectiveness of Tesla's technology.
I'd be delighted to give demos to people who want - it still surprises me from time to time. When you do it to an unsuspecting passenger - you tell them it's going to be brutal - and they're "yeah yeah". Then you plant it, and most of the time, a long string of expletives follow as their brain tries to compute what's happening
Edited by tfboy on Monday 1st May 12:12
Joining the "0 miles club" has become a rite of passage. Not something I'm in a hurry to repeat 
A few more photos
Interior shots
Supercharging in France last summer
The following covers my first long road trip through France last summer
After a month's ownership, I'm still in love By the end of the weekend, I will have gone over the 3,000 mile mark.
I'm starting to get used to the sheer size and width of it. Everything has now become second nature: the autopresent door handles / completely keyless operation, the "charge when the opportunity presents itself", etc, it's just so easy to live with.
I haven't had any real range anxiety at all. With the 250+ range, it's not an issue for my daily commute. As I drive 80 miles return every day to work, I essentially get two days' worth of charge with a lot of spare energy to have fun with when I'm in the mood, or when I'm provoked I could do three days' worth, but as I don't have the luxury of charging at home and the charging at work has recently become an "issue" due to an inconsiderate colleague (might be related to Clarkson actually!), I tend to only charge to 70-80% as that's what's most time-efficient. For those who don't know, the charging rate is ramp-based and slows down as the battery fills up. If you're at a Supercharger (which is the highest rate of charge possibly today), you'll go from 0-50% in about 20 minutes. 50-80% takes another 20 minutes and the 80-100% would probably take another 20-30 minutes on top of that. So as I'm having to wait, it's just not worth it. Arguably, it's also not best for the battery to fully charge it and not use that first few percent of capacity. Storing the car 100% fully charged isn't recommended, so I just stick to 70-80% which gives me the 2+ daily return commutes I'm doing.
On Tuesday, I'm off to South West France, near Spain. I've already planned my route through the Channel Tunnel. It's roughly 11 hours of driving and 3 hours or charging. Really looking forward to that. evtripplanner.com is great for working out energy consumption / times. I'll see how accurate it really is!
So a month in, I can update with the following summary:
Pros:
A few more photos
Interior shots
Supercharging in France last summer
The following covers my first long road trip through France last summer
After a month's ownership, I'm still in love
By the end of the weekend, I will have gone over the 3,000 mile mark.I'm starting to get used to the sheer size and width of it. Everything has now become second nature: the autopresent door handles / completely keyless operation, the "charge when the opportunity presents itself", etc, it's just so easy to live with.
I haven't had any real range anxiety at all. With the 250+ range, it's not an issue for my daily commute. As I drive 80 miles return every day to work, I essentially get two days' worth of charge with a lot of spare energy to have fun with when I'm in the mood, or when I'm provoked
I could do three days' worth, but as I don't have the luxury of charging at home and the charging at work has recently become an "issue" due to an inconsiderate colleague (might be related to Clarkson actually!), I tend to only charge to 70-80% as that's what's most time-efficient. For those who don't know, the charging rate is ramp-based and slows down as the battery fills up. If you're at a Supercharger (which is the highest rate of charge possibly today), you'll go from 0-50% in about 20 minutes. 50-80% takes another 20 minutes and the 80-100% would probably take another 20-30 minutes on top of that. So as I'm having to wait, it's just not worth it. Arguably, it's also not best for the battery to fully charge it and not use that first few percent of capacity. Storing the car 100% fully charged isn't recommended, so I just stick to 70-80% which gives me the 2+ daily return commutes I'm doing.On Tuesday, I'm off to South West France, near Spain. I've already planned my route through the Channel Tunnel. It's roughly 11 hours of driving and 3 hours or charging. Really looking forward to that. evtripplanner.com is great for working out energy consumption / times. I'll see how accurate it really is!
So a month in, I can update with the following summary:
Pros:
- It's the most comfortable, calm, serene car you could possibly ever be in. Wafting along the motorways on a quiet surface with virtually no noise (just a bit of road / wind noise as you approach NSL)
- It's incredibly luxurious yet minimalist. I accept, the styling is down to personal preference, but a month in, I still love it and am not bored at all with the simplicity of it.
- It'll leave ANYTHING for dead at the lights, coming out of roundabout, coming up a slip road. It's deceptively quick, it's addictively quick, and the greeny in me loves this is at zero noise and zero car emissions cost whatsoever.
- The infotainment keeps me busy at quiet times / traffic jams. Quick browse on the web, randomly pick pretty much any piece of music on Spotify.
- Autopilot is just awesome. Using it as it was intended it massively reduces tiring on long trips and stop/start traffic jams. Combining AP with stops every 2-3 hours to charge means I'm not worried at all about my long solo drive
- The logging information available through a few APIs (I'm using Teslalog.com) is a geek's paradise. Note to self: do NOT use this car for a heist!
- I've done just about 3k miles and it's not cost me a penny through the use of Superchargers, destination chargers (work / gym / shopping centres / IKEA) and a few Ecotricity pumps, although the latter will end as they complete their conversions. this has now changed of course
- It's still frikkin wide and ain't getting any narrower! Tight roads can make for uncomfortable driving. Something big coming the other way not quite tight against their kurb somehow clenches my buttocks as we cross! I now systematically look for a "safe" parking slot when out and about, with still no absolute guarantees someone too interested won't cause a car ding.
- The CHAdeMO charging adapter has issues with Nissan-branded Ecotricity charging stations, so choice is limited. But that problem will no longer be one once they finish the conversion to charging (£) for charge (electrons). The issues have now been resolved with a new version D CHAdeMO adaptor.
- A piece of trim by the steering wheel doesn't stay flush against the dash. Minor cosmetic thing hardly noticable, but I'll mention it when it goes in for its first service as I'm not expecting trim to fall off £100k+ car. This has now been fixed.
- Not being able to charge at home / work is a minor nuisance when I have to take time out somewhere to do it.
great write up(s) - only slightly jealous - we are in the market for an EV and went to test drive a leaf at the weekend..
"it's certainly quick off the line isn't it" said the pleased with himself salesman, he then followed it up with "would beat a GT-R up to 30mph.."
i wish i could make the math work to get a model s...
"it's certainly quick off the line isn't it" said the pleased with himself salesman, he then followed it up with "would beat a GT-R up to 30mph.."
i wish i could make the math work to get a model s...
PixelpeepS3 said:
great write up(s) - only slightly jealous - we are in the market for an EV and went to test drive a leaf at the weekend..
"it's certainly quick off the line isn't it" said the pleased with himself salesman, he then followed it up with "would beat a GT-R up to 30mph.."
i wish i could make the math work to get a model s...
Depending on your mileage, it's probably quite easy to justify, particularly with man maths "it's certainly quick off the line isn't it" said the pleased with himself salesman, he then followed it up with "would beat a GT-R up to 30mph.."
i wish i could make the math work to get a model s...
On PCP, a second-hand Tesla might be a couple of hundred quid a month more than another car, but if you're doing thousands of miles, then the fuel savings really come into account. All second-hand Teslas will have free Supercharging for Life so you benefit from that too when doing long road trips.
tfboy said:
PixelpeepS3 said:
great write up(s) - only slightly jealous - we are in the market for an EV and went to test drive a leaf at the weekend..
"it's certainly quick off the line isn't it" said the pleased with himself salesman, he then followed it up with "would beat a GT-R up to 30mph.."
i wish i could make the math work to get a model s...
Depending on your mileage, it's probably quite easy to justify, particularly with man maths "it's certainly quick off the line isn't it" said the pleased with himself salesman, he then followed it up with "would beat a GT-R up to 30mph.."
i wish i could make the math work to get a model s...
On PCP, a second-hand Tesla might be a couple of hundred quid a month more than another car, but if you're doing thousands of miles, then the fuel savings really come into account. All second-hand Teslas will have free Supercharging for Life so you benefit from that too when doing long road trips.
moving 80 miles away
2 of us need to commute 4 days a week (160 miles per day)
640 miles per week.
train fare would cost another £600 per month (for 2 adults)
we were looking at a leaf for around £350-400 a month which would be the 2nd car
I pay £350 a month for the lease on the audi
So, if i could get something for £700 a month it would be 'saving us' money but not sure how the PCP would stack up given the 35,000 miles a year usage (and how much would the car be worth after 3 years of that mileage?)
PixelpeepS3 said:
basically...
moving 80 miles away
2 of us need to commute 4 days a week (160 miles per day)
640 miles per week.
train fare would cost another £600 per month (for 2 adults)
we were looking at a leaf for around £350-400 a month which would be the 2nd car
I pay £350 a month for the lease on the audi
So, if i could get something for £700 a month it would be 'saving us' money but not sure how the PCP would stack up given the 35,000 miles a year usage (and how much would the car be worth after 3 years of that mileage?)
Might be possible with some shopping around and negotiating. It would probably depend on what deposit you could bring in up front. I can't tell now using Tesla's calculator as they only offer it for new purchases which are more expensive and of course you now lose out on free supercharging which might or might not be an impacting factor.moving 80 miles away
2 of us need to commute 4 days a week (160 miles per day)
640 miles per week.
train fare would cost another £600 per month (for 2 adults)
we were looking at a leaf for around £350-400 a month which would be the 2nd car
I pay £350 a month for the lease on the audi
So, if i could get something for £700 a month it would be 'saving us' money but not sure how the PCP would stack up given the 35,000 miles a year usage (and how much would the car be worth after 3 years of that mileage?)
tfboy said:
PixelpeepS3 said:
basically...
moving 80 miles away
2 of us need to commute 4 days a week (160 miles per day)
640 miles per week.
train fare would cost another £600 per month (for 2 adults)
we were looking at a leaf for around £350-400 a month which would be the 2nd car
I pay £350 a month for the lease on the audi
So, if i could get something for £700 a month it would be 'saving us' money but not sure how the PCP would stack up given the 35,000 miles a year usage (and how much would the car be worth after 3 years of that mileage?)
Might be possible with some shopping around and negotiating. It would probably depend on what deposit you could bring in up front. I can't tell now using Tesla's calculator as they only offer it for new purchases which are more expensive and of course you now lose out on free supercharging which might or might not be an impacting factor.moving 80 miles away
2 of us need to commute 4 days a week (160 miles per day)
640 miles per week.
train fare would cost another £600 per month (for 2 adults)
we were looking at a leaf for around £350-400 a month which would be the 2nd car
I pay £350 a month for the lease on the audi
So, if i could get something for £700 a month it would be 'saving us' money but not sure how the PCP would stack up given the 35,000 miles a year usage (and how much would the car be worth after 3 years of that mileage?)
Good write up and an interesting read.
I can't really see the justification though ... Spend £100k on a car to save on fuel and environmental costs?
Surely the impact of building the thing outweighs any emissions savings!
Plus outside of the South east and in N.Wales ... loses its appeal, even in ludicrous mode.
Please keep this up to date, I am interested in how it develops.
I can't really see the justification though ... Spend £100k on a car to save on fuel and environmental costs?
Surely the impact of building the thing outweighs any emissions savings!
Plus outside of the South east and in N.Wales ... loses its appeal, even in ludicrous mode.
Please keep this up to date, I am interested in how it develops.
High mileage Tesla cars
I have been commuting to Amsterdam for the last 12 months, where the most common airport taxi is Tesla model S! I have chatted with the drivers who let me know that quite a few have over 200k km on clock. They are very reliable and have very low operating costs. Also quickest taxi I have ever been in.
Seems like a good long term choice if you have access to a charging point.
Regards
Richard
I have been commuting to Amsterdam for the last 12 months, where the most common airport taxi is Tesla model S! I have chatted with the drivers who let me know that quite a few have over 200k km on clock. They are very reliable and have very low operating costs. Also quickest taxi I have ever been in.
Seems like a good long term choice if you have access to a charging point.
Regards
Richard
Trexthedinosaur said:
Good write up and an interesting read.
I can't really see the justification though ... Spend £100k on a car to save on fuel and environmental costs?
Surely the impact of building the thing outweighs any emissions savings!
Plus outside of the South east and in N.Wales ... loses its appeal, even in ludicrous mode.
Please keep this up to date, I am interested in how it develops.
It's not just the running costs and environmental side, it's the complete package. Yes, part of my decision process was related to the tax benefits buying it as a company car (my accountant said I'm due a refund of just under 10k having bought the car! However, even putting that aside, the electric drive train is really very different and the whole concept of efficient propulsion, regenerative braking, etc, is very very appealing, at least to me.I can't really see the justification though ... Spend £100k on a car to save on fuel and environmental costs?
Surely the impact of building the thing outweighs any emissions savings!
Plus outside of the South east and in N.Wales ... loses its appeal, even in ludicrous mode.
Please keep this up to date, I am interested in how it develops.
I honestly don't get the South East / N Wales ludicrous comment. Sure, I'm not launching off the line everywhere, but the instantaneousness of immense torque is incredibly useful for overtaking. The danger would lie when in a traditional ICE car where things just happen so much slower, regardless of how powerful it is.
Hoofy said:
On the bright side, if you had a normal car, you'd be in a similar position. Had to look up those supercharger points. How long does it really take?
Under 10% to 50% state of charge is around 20 minutes. 50-80 is a further 20 minutes. It works really well when on a long trip and you want 30 minutes to stretch your legs, grab a bite to eat, etc. It's just at Green Park in Reading, there isn't much to do unless I pre-order my Asda shopping the day before or masochist myself into going to the gym Oh another point, had my first ever track day in it last week at Llandow, tagging along with a bunch of guys from SportsMaserati.
It was immensely fun and fast and I was impressed how well it handled on track. Sure, it's no Elise or Atom topping the scales well over 2 tons, but considering that, it handled rather well. I was certainly keeping up with 4200 and an AM Vantage who was quite a lot slower (but I don't think he was trying).
Only issue with repeated harsh abuse is the power drops after half a dozen laps to keep the batteries cool. So a 50-lapper isn't what the car's designed for. But after 5 laps, my eco tyres were starting to slip all over the place. Great fun though and being able to hear all the other V8s in front of you as you go along in complete silence is quite nice. Took quite a few passengers and one of them commented along the lines it was a frikkin quick demented magic carpet. You do get the sensation of floating around, but still well over 1G lateral in the corners and peaking at around 1.2 to 1.3G in acceleration.
It was immensely fun and fast and I was impressed how well it handled on track. Sure, it's no Elise or Atom topping the scales well over 2 tons, but considering that, it handled rather well. I was certainly keeping up with 4200 and an AM Vantage who was quite a lot slower (but I don't think he was trying).
Only issue with repeated harsh abuse is the power drops after half a dozen laps to keep the batteries cool. So a 50-lapper isn't what the car's designed for. But after 5 laps, my eco tyres were starting to slip all over the place. Great fun though and being able to hear all the other V8s in front of you as you go along in complete silence is quite nice. Took quite a few passengers and one of them commented along the lines it was a frikkin quick demented magic carpet. You do get the sensation of floating around, but still well over 1G lateral in the corners and peaking at around 1.2 to 1.3G in acceleration.
A couple of videos of the track day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DR97Vv0pwQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQYMpUdegfw
Apologies for the language!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX0bTXzPV_E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DR97Vv0pwQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQYMpUdegfw
Apologies for the language!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX0bTXzPV_E
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