Tesla Model S 85D

[familyguy1]

LordGrover said:

Just an aside, do they go flat sitting idle - e.g. airport car park while on two week holiday - will it start and have decent range?

from my research this is a question that comes up fairly often and I believe the answer to be

assuming no electrical drain on the car (lights left on, carcam left running) EV cars maintain their charge perfectly fine over many weeks months when not in use, maybe losing 1-2% over a few months.

Its not advisable to leave for too long as the battery is designed to charge and discharge regularly. Also not adviseable to leave an EV at 100% charge or below 15% charge for any length of time, aslong as your between this then the charge is maintained and no harm is done to the battery.

[Spunagain]

It is not obvious
From what looks like an online early (or earlier than the one on my car) UK owners manual

Tesla UK manual said:

"On average, the Battery discharges at a rate of 1% per day. Situations can arise in which you must leave Model S unplugged for an extended period of time (for example, at an airport when traveling). In these situations, keep the 1% in mind to ensure that you leave the Battery with a sufficient charge level. For example, over a two week period (14 days), the Battery discharges by approximately 14%.

So normally 1-2% sounds about right then!


From the US owners manual

Tesla US manual said:

Saving Energy
Model S has an energy-saving feature that reduces the amount of energy being consumed when Model S is not in use.
Touch Controls > Displays > Energy Saving
andchoose from the following options:

• OFF. Model S shifts to the energy-saving mode at night (10 pm to 5 am).
• ON. Significantly less energy is consumed whenever Model S is not in use. The start-up time of the instrument panel and Bluetooth could be slower.
• Always Connected. Preserves cell connectivity when energy saving is active. This allows the mobile app to connect to Model S more quickly, and provide immediate internet access when entering the car. Slightly more energy is consumed.

So it may be that in low power mode you can leave it longer!

[Jex]

Fascinating. I have been wondering about hybrids, PI hybrids and full electric for some time. This article gives a genuine insight - thanks. My only concern is that I often holiday in the Highlands and Islands, so if I bought an EV I might have to hire a car for the holiday, unless anyone knows of superchargers in the Sutherland, the Outer Hebrides etc. Who will be the first to do the NC500 in an electric vehicle? (I bet someone has already).

[Hazman123]

Great write up, thanks! Just wondering about the effect on range of going a bit faster on motorways, say 90 -Would this reduce range significantly?​

[andrewrob]

Plenty of normal rapids up north

[Jex]

andrewrob said:

Plenty of normal rapids up north

Excellent - thanks

[TwistingMyMelon]

Great real world write up and interesting read

Not that I could afford one but still not for me, I like doing long journeys in one shot , having a real dislike of services, 200-500 miles without stopping through the night is normally my plan. Although I mostly do short journeys and commutes, for which I'd like a Tesla or an BMW i3

AMazing progress and development from Tesla, effectively coming from nowhere>?

DId they develop all the "car knowledge " themselves from scratch or do what other companies do and buy up small companies for the skills and knowledge?

[Spunagain]

Eeek! Readers car of the week! I did not expect that!

[Blue62]

Spunagain said:

Eeek! Readers car of the week! I did not expect that!

You thoroughly deserve it my friend. I have been twitching over a Tesla for a couple of years now but range anxiety is getting the better of me, I am the sort of bloke who doesn't like to hang around. in real world terms how long do you think a round journey of 400 miles to take? Mix of motorway and A/B roads.

[greenarrow]

Great write up....I've been a fan of these since they came out.....such a graceful looking car, its amazing how Tesla has come from no where to produce such an excellent first car (excluding that Lotus Elise copy they did)......

Would love a comparison on PH with say, a current diesel Panamera as I guess that's the nearest competition in terms of fuel efficiency....

[magic354]

With regards to the differences between the P85 and your 85D:
1) Build quality on early Performance cars is significantly poorer in comparison to Dual Motor cars, plus as you say less sound deadening.
2) P85 uses a larger motor than the two smaller motors in your 85D, hence more motor noise
3) The limit of performance in the RWD Performance is grip, as you say. As it was a service loaner the rear tyres would have been shagged and the alignment will have been out which wouldn't have helped.

Saying that, the early P85+ are my favourite models to drive, a little bit lighter, bit more agile, light up the rear tyres when ever you want, and just a laugh. No where near as quick as a Dual Motor car though. I always enjoyed driving the 85/90Ds saying that- the speed you can carry round motorway roundabouts is Ludicrous. Lol. P85D/P90Ds were always good fun- I never got a chance to drive the P100Ds before I left but I did take an original Roadster for a weekend

[saxy]

Congrats on your new Ride. But hearing your story reminds me a lot of the tesla drivers in my town. They all end up changing their lifestyles (where to eat, shop) based on where and when they can charge their cars. Sure you save money but buying an expensive luxury vehicle should give you convenience and not inconvenience.

[firebird350]

Saw one of these yesterday for the first time and was surprised at how undistinguished it looked. Walked around it and concluded that the styling was totally underwhelming. Put me in mind of some sort of Infiniti/Insignia clone. Maybe it doesn't look good in black?

Was also struck by seeing (for the first time in my life, I think) the word 'Model' actually deployed on a car's bodywork in the form of a name/identity badge. Is this an all-time first, I wonder? Presumably, the word 'model' HAS appeared as a badge on a car before but - help me out here - I cannot remember when. Ah, Model T and A Ford, I suppose. Any others?

Answers on a (digital) postcard please!

Going back to the styling I have to say it's so bland as to make me think that yes, I may well have seen other examples of this 'model' before and totally failed to identify them. Then again, there's so much out there on the roads that's bland these days...

[tfboy]

Great write-up

I've had my MS P90DL for exactly 10 months today. A similar kind of journey with a few major differences. Happy to post my story but in a different thread so as not to pollute yours.

the NC500 has been done many many times in Tesla. What Scotland doesn't have in Superchargers more than makes up for Rapid CHAdeMO chargers, so that CHAdeMO adaptor is really worth having.

Spunagain, are you on the Tesla Owners Group UK Facebook group? If you're not, I suggest you join. It's a lovely community with more nerdy information than you could possibly imagine. A great ressource and worth having despite the monstrosity that some people say of Facebook

[anonymous-user]

firebird350 said:

Saw one of these yesterday for the first time and was surprised at how undistinguished it looked. Walked around it and concluded that the styling was totally underwhelming. Put me in mind of some sort of Infiniti/Insignia clone. Maybe it doesn't look good in black?

It's a shame that leading-edge technology is wrapped up in such a dreary/bland looking thing. They would really be on to something were they able to add some (any) style to their designs.

[Mudgey]

had ham said:

It's a shame that leading-edge technology is wrapped up in such a dreary/bland looking thing. They would really be on to something were they able to add some (any) style to their designs.

Different strokes for different folks n all that, I think its great to see a car that doesn't have huge air intakes, sharp edges and awkward looking lines stuck all over the body just because it's currently fashionable to do so. I much prefer the simplistic approach to design with smooth transitions and elegant curves, there is no need to over do it.

I think the Tesla have nailed the design element, if they hadn't I guarantee it wouldn't be selling so well.

OP: Great write up on your ownership and experiences, absolutely looking forward to the day I will own a full electric car! Don't be afraid to go into detail with the finer details of your ownership experience, it makes for interesting reading.

[anonymous-user]

Absolutely, if we all liked the same things, the world would indeed be a very boring place.

I'm fascinated by the technology of Tesla, and thoroughly enjoy the OP's updates, but the styling to me is a huge let down on something so advanced (and expensive!).

Vive la difference!

[tfboy]

Regarding styling, as well as being such a subjective topic, Tesla have been fanatical about the design particularly from an aerodynamic perpsective. They have done an awful lot of work on making it one of the most aerodynamic cars in history which by definition removes any decorative or fancy styling which would impact its overall slipperiness
I also believe the "simple" look is a deliberate design decision and part of their simplicity approach. The interior is very different and whilst some hate it and question the usability of the massive 17" touchscreen whilst driving, it's a very clean, zen, and free from "visual pollution". I admit, I love their design ethos and haven't found any issues using the touchscreen and it's also a lot easier to keep clean. No nooks and crannies to get around.

[Spunagain]

Hi All,
Well thanks to the RCOW there have been a few more response and thanks for all the positive responses. I will try and keep updating when interesting stuff happens.

For me yesterday was a bit of a milestone day, I drove 60 miles mostly on B roads and a few A roads doing the usual family picking and dropping, plus a few more errands for myself; I was surprised to see how many miles I had covered as I had thought it was about half that. While there are plenty of features I have not tried yet, (but will do) I feel I have gelled with the car now. The miles I drove yesterday were the sort of miles I would have loved to have done in the Evora, but I enjoyed them just as much in the Tesla, for me I am now convinced it is a worthy replacement. This means I am likely to keep the car for a goodly while, the big decision will be is that going to be a couple of years and then sell it with a year or so of the “Body” warranty and 5 years of the drive-train warranty remaining, or to push though and see it beyond 4 years old. I think time and what sort of issues I come across will tell!

I have also noticed that for full regen to work, the range needs to be about 205 miles. Above that it is limited to 50kW and when it is full there is no regen – this is to protect the battery. I have now set my charge limit to 205 miles to save on brake wear, power wastage and the fact that I enjoy the single pedal driving experience on the slog to work.

Hazman123 said:

Great write up, thanks! Just wondering about the effect on range of going a bit faster on motorways, say 90 -Would this reduce range significantly?

Absolutely, speed is the killer of range – Tesla have an nice plot showing the effect here:

So it looks like 90 mph will give you a range of about 150 miles, (I guess at night when the roads are quiet!)
The same model also plotted power vs. speed, and while its only a model is does seems to tie in very well with my experience so far of getting 330Wh/mile at 70mph.

TwistingMyMelon said:

Amazing progress and development from Tesla, effectively coming from nowhere. Did they develop all the "car knowledge " themselves from scratch or do what other companies do and buy up small companies for the skills and knowledge?

As I understand it they bought in a lot of expertise from the outside even recently (last year) they poached Volvo’s head of design! I think they got a lot of help from Lotus consultancy, not just for the Roadster bring up but also for the Model S development. But I suspect the strategic partnership with Daimler in 2009 included a load of expertise. Oh, and access to parts – all the columns stalks are Mercedes parts as are a fair few parts on the car.
From my experience in the Tech industry I remember hearing guys from Apple complaining about Tesla’s aggressive recruitment of their engineers.

Blue62 said:

In real world terms how long do you think a round journey of 400 miles to take? Mix of motorway and A/B roads.

Difficult to answer – easiest answer is “Depends!”, I think if you are driving aggressively you are going to see between 150 and 200 miles on a fully charged battery, but I think keeping your license reasonably safe, you could aim to recharge every 150 miles. The superchargers charge fastest when the battery is empty and slows down when you get to 80% so there is a benefit to running the battery down properly between charges. A supercharger can charge an 85kWh battery to 80% in about half an hour, these things chuck out 120kW! (I have noticed though not always though: the Jn13 M4 charger has been limited to 60kW a couple of time I have used it).

So between start and destination I would plan to charge twice, and budget at least half an hour for each top-up. The rest of the time depends on speed and road conditions. And I guess the location of chargers on your route.

greenarrow said:

Would love a comparison on PH with say, a current diesel Panamera as I guess that's the nearest competition in terms of fuel efficiency.... .

There is a guy at work with a Panamera, I will have a chat with him to do a couple of rides and note some comparisons, but don’t hold your breath as quiet times at work are few and far between! Oh and I am not a motoring Journalist so what ever we come up with , it may not be what you have in mind!

magic354 said:

P85+ are my favourite models to drive, a little bit lighter, bit more agile, light up the rear tyres when ever you want, and just a laugh.”

I can see exactly what you mean, a friend has bought a 2014 P85 a couple of months before me and he absolutely loves it, although he had his 1st glitch with odd noises coming from the HVAC, which was fixed quickly so he is still feeling the love!
What was it like working for Tesla? The staff I have come across so far (Sales people from Heathrow last year, and the Service guys at Bristol) seem to be incredibly well motivated (and competent!).
The roadster sounds a hoot! I am keeping a look out for more news of the Roadster II which is said to be based on the Model 3 battery platform.

saxy said:

But hearing your story reminds me a lot of the tesla drivers in my town. They all end up changing their lifestyles (where to eat, shop) based on where and when they can charge their cars. Sure you save money but buying an expensive luxury vehicle should give you convenience and not inconvenience.

I can see what you mean, I guess it is all part of the early adopter thing. The charging thing is not really about money though, If you are charging away from home really that should be for a road trip. I think the idea of an EV is you charge at home and do you day to day driving on that basis. (If you can’t do that then maybe an EV is not for you – having said that my mate charges his though the window of his flat and does his main charging at supercharges because he just wanted a Model S!)
Superchargers really are there for the Roadtrips that are few and far between, I will do my Sunderland run 4 maybe 5 times a year and use the Supercharger network for those, the rest of the time now I have a 32A charger, I will charge from home.

The Supercharger network is growing all the time – in the image below (grabbed) the grey ones are the ones expected to open in 2017

So while my journey was a little different to my normal one (though I would not say inconvenient) I expect the additional charges will make the differences smaller month by month.

tfboy said:

Great write-up. I've had my MS P90DL for exactly 10 months today. A similar kind of journey with a few major differences. Happy to post my story but in a different thread so as not to pollute yours.

the NC500 has been done many many times in Tesla. What Scotland doesn't have in Superchargers more than makes up for Rapid CHAdeMO chargers, so that CHAdeMO adaptor is really worth having.

Spunagain, are you on the Tesla Owners Group UK Facebook group? If you're not, I suggest you join. It's a lovely community with more nerdy information than you could possibly imagine. A great ressource and worth having despite the monstrosity that some people say of Facebook

Cheers! Congrats on the P90, that must be crazy acceleration! I don’t mind you posting here at all, but maybe another thread may get other owners to post as well, as I suspect there are quite a few different experiences, especially with the earlier cars.

I have joined the FB group but I do not “post” much there yet as I am not sure I have anything new to offer (yet!).

I have got the Chademo adapter but not used it yet. My plan is to try it out next time I am at Ikea!

tfboy said:

Don't be afraid to go into detail with the finer details of your ownership experience, it makes for interesting reading. .

Cheers tfboy, I will, a friend who has a Leaf delights in sailing close to the wind when it comes to battery remaining and has been rescued at least twice that I know of! I think I may see how low I can run the battery before the range anxiety gets the better of me 63 mile is my lowest so far! I will try to record the range and conditions.

[tfboy]

Spunagain said:

Difficult to answer – easiest answer is “Depends!”, I think if you are driving aggressively you are going to see between 150 and 200 miles on a fully charged battery, but I think keeping your license reasonably safe, you could aim to recharge every 150 miles. The superchargers charge fastest when the battery is empty and slows down when you get to 80% so there is a benefit to running the battery down properly between charges. A supercharger can charge an 85kWh battery to 80% in about half an hour, these things chuck out 120kW! (I have noticed though not always though: the Jn13 M4 charger has been limited to 60kW a couple of time I have used it).

The charging speed depends on three factors.
1. Your battery temperature. If cold, it won't charge as quickly. Regen braking can also be impacted. You can see (at least up to 50kW) the dotted yellow line on the energy dial.
2. Your state of charge. As you've noted, when it charges up, speed decreases. You can get full speed up to about 50% SoC, then it drops to about 70kW by the time you're at 70%, and 45-50kW when you reach 80%. From then, it slows down quite a bit so if you're in transit and supercharging to get to another point, depending on your overall travel length, stopping more often for shorter times can be quicker than stopping just once for a very long time if you need to get to above 80-90% SoC.
3. The Superchargers are run in pairs. You can see lettering on the charging stalls. 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, etc. You plug up like when going to take a leak at the gents If possible, don't plug into an xA or xB stall if the other corresponding xB or xA is already in use. The nitty gritty nerdy detail: each big square charging unit by the mains (not where you plug in) has 4x 30kW chargers and they are split across the -A and -B charging stalls. If you arrive empty and there's no one else there, you will get all 4 chargers working for you (giving you up to 120kW, depending on the factors above). If them someone arrives and plugs into the paired cable, he will get 1 of the 4 chargers, so he will be limited to 30kW max, and your max charging speed will drop to 90kW. As your car fills up and the battery's charge speed drops below 90kW, the other car's charge speed will start going up. Of course, if you arrive second at a paired charger and the car on the other one arrived just before you and is nearly empty, he's going to get the majority of the 120kW until he leaves or fills up to a point you can start taking more of what's left of the charger.

Regarding mileage, be warned, as you've realised, the car is so enjoyable to drive, any excuse becomes good enough to go out. Ironically, I've done about four times the number of miles in my Tesla compared to my previous diesel burner, and that is of course despite / including any "charging challenges" along the way. I've done 900 miles in a single day driving to Spain from the UK. Not a problem. Superchargers along the way make it a breeze and yes, it might take an extra two or three hours compared to slogging it out in a diesel, but particularly with autopilot, you don't arrive completely trashed and need the whole following day to recover

If you're in Newbury, I'm in Reading. I'd be more than happy to meet up, let you see what a P90DL is like (warning! ).

I'll get another post up soon relating my experience.