Sounds like a good fit for your needs. I don’t have a problem with EV’s. I just think we should have options and let the market decide. Get government out of business. You’re welcome for the subsidy. I hope EV buyers will decide to pay it forward.
They ever figure out, at least in Illinois, how to "ding" the EV drivers who, because the EVs weigh so darn much, seemingly put more wear and tear on our roads? They don't pay any of the taxes at the pump that supposedly help to finance road repairs. Toll collection is a different story. Seems like the EV folks get the double benefit that ICE drivers foot the bill for: subsidies for buying an EV, and paying for repairs of the roads they are putting more wear and tear on.
One of the issues with Diesel engines is a few of the things they require to make them have cleaner exhaust (EGR, DPF, DEF) also make them far less reliable than the used to be. It’s a tradeoff. But these make them more expensive, more maintenance, and less reliable. But diesel still can’t be beat for towing and hauling. Especially over distances.
I drove from my house to the grocery store on a short errand. I put the car on self driving mode which I get free for a month. My mind was blown. I was extremely scared when the car first took over. It made left turns, stops, starts, and kept a safe distance behind other cars. It changed lanes when it had to. Crazy.
Full Self Driving (Supervised) is amazing but not foolproof. Therefore, I always heed the advice in the old Door song: "Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel." I really like the autonomous parallel parking and back-in parking although it's challenging when there's a lot of traffic.
To buy an EV because of "climate change" is ridiculous.
But there are other reasons I am getting closer to seriously thinking about it. The first is that the reduction in air pollution is a good thing for everyone. I'm talking about the other particulates in the exhaust fumes, not the carbon. Clean air and water is something that every conservative should get behind, and should honestly be the main selling point. Not to mention that the handling of gasoline and fuel also has pollution considerations (production, logistics, storage, spills, etc).
The second is that the cars are kind of cool. A neighbor bought a Cybertruck, and insisted I take it for a spin, a couple months ago. Up close, the vehicle is actually really cool. Pictures make it look DeLorean'ish, but it's actually pretty sharp in person. The inside is spectacular, and feels space-age.
My neighbor is a car racing guy (owns a race team in F1) and loves Tesla. So he says, "I want you to hit the pedal as hard as you can, and gun it." I was hesitant, because it's his car, and I've never driven electric before. I'm a car guy, too, but this is new tech.
But he insisted.
So I hit it, and I felt like I was in Star Wars, with the stars going by in warp speed. I could feel the blood moving to the back of my head, which was firmly planted on the headrest from the G's. I could barely even see the speed, because my vision was distorted. I have NEVER experienced that in any sports car.
The tires are huge, and they didn't slip an inch. The car compares to many super cars, and has incredible torque. Wow! And for only $100K, that kind of power is really something.
The negatives I worry about are the fires, the range, the battery life over time, etc. But for in-town driving, a Tesla will probably be my next sedan.
Fires are something we considered for sure. The saltwater thing is truly an issue. None of that in Nevada. The other concern is that if you get in an accident, it takes forever to get them fixed at the body shop.
They are cool- I rode in one of the first models with a co-worker back in 2019. Some of the models are too small for me, I would have to get the model you got. I have an Acura TL I plan on driving until hopefully 250K and have a ways to go there still. May in time look into an electric depending on if my driving needs change and it financially makes sense. If the Japanese can create a large solid state battery, that will change a lot of things. Still won't solve the problem of the world not having enough resources to make enough batteries.
Mike, Panasonic supplies many of the batteries or components for Tesla. While waiting for the next generation of battery technology, you can lease a Tesla.
Ha, congratulations! Now that Elon is an outed Trump supporter, I don't see the plethora of new Teslas like before in the land of fruits and nuts (unofficial take but new Tesla plates used to be everywhere).
EV's have their place: great for CA and NV for pollution reduction.
Enjoy! Please let us know how your experience is. I like how Elon makes the haters hate because he does not follow the herd and update looks every few years. The truck is badass status symbol!
Sounds like you would bike then. : ) Maintenance costs on my Porsche are crazy. Just paid $400 for an oil change. I do know if you get in an accident with a Tesla, it takes months to get them fixed
Wow. But I was confused by your comment on charging it for free? "For an around-town car and given that I can charge for free, an EV is a good option."
Do you have free charging locally somewhere? We don't, that I've noticed anyway (NC).
Boy do I feel dumb. Yes, of course, and that was a great move for you especially where you are. We looked at it seriously when it wasn't yet good enough to make sense, and have probably missed the boat now as I expect subsidies will go away and the kind of system we'd want/need will again not make much sense in terms of paying off in our lifetimes. Should dig into it and see for sure, though.
Leonard, You can actually go on the Tesla website and get lease pricing based on various annual mileage and down payment scenarios. I believe the leases are all 3 years and no longer have a buy-out option. Leasing is a great way to reduce the risk around battery life and technology obsolescence.
My new highway cruiser is a used Mercedes E350 awd wagon. Lots of passenger room and cargo room. 30 highway mpg with a 21 gallon gas tank means 600 miles of range with no range anxiety. I drove it home from New Jersey to North Carolina and only needed a quick 5 gallon fill up. Maintenance is minimal as it’s a proven drivetrain. It is a stout well built car that’s an absolute bargain on the used car market. These cars will easily last 200-300k miles.
My son would love for our family to get a Tesla. We aren’t quite ready yet. I did find a newer hybrid that will get good mileage in the city and highway. Just upgraded my old pure gasoline Honda Acoord to this one. Decided to buy.
I agree about the around town car. The supercharges are a great but make sure the one at the other end works. I heard from friends that you can go to a place that has a supercharger. It's there but not in service. I wonder who is responsible for maintaining them. Tesla? The place where they are located. Usually it seems they are in large gas stations .
Don't think I'd park it in the garage either. On the street, away from the house. Leasing vs owning is smart too.
I'm currently leasing my third Model S since 2016, and recommend leasing given the rapid technology improvements. My first two cars came with free unlimited supercharging. I have solar (no battery back-up) and high-capacity charging in my home near San Jose. Since 2021, several times a year I make a 400 mile drive between San Jose and Orange County, California. There are numerous Supercharger locations along the route, especially near Interstate 5 and one with 50 chargers < 1 mile from my OC home. I have never had an issue with Supercharger availability or reliability during these trips. It takes 20-25 minutes to gain sufficient charge to complete the trip, but by the time we take a restroom break and buy coffee, we're ready to go. I agree it's longer than filling-up an ICE car. In the early days, I would sometimes need to wait a few minutes to charge in part because charging was slower back then. When you enter a trip on the touchscreen or send it to the car via the Tesla App, it shows you the recommended Supercharger stops to reach your destination and the current number of open chargers. It will also show if a location is off-line for maintenance. Tesla performs the maintenance, but I'm not sure who owns the chargers.
EV's make some sense for an in-town car if you have a charging situation at home as you do. Driving it a couple of hundred miles to visit a friend and asking to plug it in, you may get the stink-eye. The other thing you already mentioned, they are quiet. Don't assume people in crosswalks know you are coming. The only other thing is fire. Please make sure you have a serious fire blanket at home and not in the garage.
I was thinking more of people stepping out into the street relying first on hearing a car before looking to see it. It happens. An old habit of people in the gas-powered age. I listen for them when I'm riding my bike before looking for them behind me.
Sounds like a good fit for your needs. I don’t have a problem with EV’s. I just think we should have options and let the market decide. Get government out of business. You’re welcome for the subsidy. I hope EV buyers will decide to pay it forward.
I agree. NO subsidies of any kind on any car and let's get rid of CAFE standards while we are at it. Let the market speak.
They ever figure out, at least in Illinois, how to "ding" the EV drivers who, because the EVs weigh so darn much, seemingly put more wear and tear on our roads? They don't pay any of the taxes at the pump that supposedly help to finance road repairs. Toll collection is a different story. Seems like the EV folks get the double benefit that ICE drivers foot the bill for: subsidies for buying an EV, and paying for repairs of the roads they are putting more wear and tear on.
Hallelujah and Amen!
One of the issues with Diesel engines is a few of the things they require to make them have cleaner exhaust (EGR, DPF, DEF) also make them far less reliable than the used to be. It’s a tradeoff. But these make them more expensive, more maintenance, and less reliable. But diesel still can’t be beat for towing and hauling. Especially over distances.
I drove from my house to the grocery store on a short errand. I put the car on self driving mode which I get free for a month. My mind was blown. I was extremely scared when the car first took over. It made left turns, stops, starts, and kept a safe distance behind other cars. It changed lanes when it had to. Crazy.
Full Self Driving (Supervised) is amazing but not foolproof. Therefore, I always heed the advice in the old Door song: "Keep your eyes on the road and your hands upon the wheel." I really like the autonomous parallel parking and back-in parking although it's challenging when there's a lot of traffic.
To buy an EV because of "climate change" is ridiculous.
But there are other reasons I am getting closer to seriously thinking about it. The first is that the reduction in air pollution is a good thing for everyone. I'm talking about the other particulates in the exhaust fumes, not the carbon. Clean air and water is something that every conservative should get behind, and should honestly be the main selling point. Not to mention that the handling of gasoline and fuel also has pollution considerations (production, logistics, storage, spills, etc).
The second is that the cars are kind of cool. A neighbor bought a Cybertruck, and insisted I take it for a spin, a couple months ago. Up close, the vehicle is actually really cool. Pictures make it look DeLorean'ish, but it's actually pretty sharp in person. The inside is spectacular, and feels space-age.
My neighbor is a car racing guy (owns a race team in F1) and loves Tesla. So he says, "I want you to hit the pedal as hard as you can, and gun it." I was hesitant, because it's his car, and I've never driven electric before. I'm a car guy, too, but this is new tech.
But he insisted.
So I hit it, and I felt like I was in Star Wars, with the stars going by in warp speed. I could feel the blood moving to the back of my head, which was firmly planted on the headrest from the G's. I could barely even see the speed, because my vision was distorted. I have NEVER experienced that in any sports car.
The tires are huge, and they didn't slip an inch. The car compares to many super cars, and has incredible torque. Wow! And for only $100K, that kind of power is really something.
The negatives I worry about are the fires, the range, the battery life over time, etc. But for in-town driving, a Tesla will probably be my next sedan.
Fires are something we considered for sure. The saltwater thing is truly an issue. None of that in Nevada. The other concern is that if you get in an accident, it takes forever to get them fixed at the body shop.
Well . . . at least you bought Elon's EV.
Ha, rented.
If you are using it for driving around town on short trips it makes sense. Plus you live in a warmer climate then the shitty cold winters in Chicago.
Agree. I know a Chicago guy that has them and says they are good there. He charges at home.
They are cool- I rode in one of the first models with a co-worker back in 2019. Some of the models are too small for me, I would have to get the model you got. I have an Acura TL I plan on driving until hopefully 250K and have a ways to go there still. May in time look into an electric depending on if my driving needs change and it financially makes sense. If the Japanese can create a large solid state battery, that will change a lot of things. Still won't solve the problem of the world not having enough resources to make enough batteries.
Mike, Panasonic supplies many of the batteries or components for Tesla. While waiting for the next generation of battery technology, you can lease a Tesla.
Good luck!! I'm one of those who will never buy an EV. I'd be an E-bike for around town first, but I don't think I'll even do that.
Ha, congratulations! Now that Elon is an outed Trump supporter, I don't see the plethora of new Teslas like before in the land of fruits and nuts (unofficial take but new Tesla plates used to be everywhere).
EV's have their place: great for CA and NV for pollution reduction.
Enjoy! Please let us know how your experience is. I like how Elon makes the haters hate because he does not follow the herd and update looks every few years. The truck is badass status symbol!
I wouldn't buy or lease a Tesla or any EV. There are a lot of those cars out there that after 4-5 years maintenance costs are getting excessive.
Sounds like you would bike then. : ) Maintenance costs on my Porsche are crazy. Just paid $400 for an oil change. I do know if you get in an accident with a Tesla, it takes months to get them fixed
I like the idea of leasing it how much a month?and for how long?
3 years, 10k miles per year, $500/mo. If you know someone with a Tesla product you can ping them and they will send you a code to save money.
Super deal you can get a Chevy bolt for $699/mo for a crappy inferior product
Wow. But I was confused by your comment on charging it for free? "For an around-town car and given that I can charge for free, an EV is a good option."
Do you have free charging locally somewhere? We don't, that I've noticed anyway (NC).
I have solar!
Boy do I feel dumb. Yes, of course, and that was a great move for you especially where you are. We looked at it seriously when it wasn't yet good enough to make sense, and have probably missed the boat now as I expect subsidies will go away and the kind of system we'd want/need will again not make much sense in terms of paying off in our lifetimes. Should dig into it and see for sure, though.
Leonard, You can actually go on the Tesla website and get lease pricing based on various annual mileage and down payment scenarios. I believe the leases are all 3 years and no longer have a buy-out option. Leasing is a great way to reduce the risk around battery life and technology obsolescence.
My new highway cruiser is a used Mercedes E350 awd wagon. Lots of passenger room and cargo room. 30 highway mpg with a 21 gallon gas tank means 600 miles of range with no range anxiety. I drove it home from New Jersey to North Carolina and only needed a quick 5 gallon fill up. Maintenance is minimal as it’s a proven drivetrain. It is a stout well built car that’s an absolute bargain on the used car market. These cars will easily last 200-300k miles.
Love those Mercedes wagons.
My son would love for our family to get a Tesla. We aren’t quite ready yet. I did find a newer hybrid that will get good mileage in the city and highway. Just upgraded my old pure gasoline Honda Acoord to this one. Decided to buy.
Hybrid's are great! A diesel hybrid would be amazing
Pro Trump.Pro Musk. Even Pro Carter.
Good job 👏😄
I agree about the around town car. The supercharges are a great but make sure the one at the other end works. I heard from friends that you can go to a place that has a supercharger. It's there but not in service. I wonder who is responsible for maintaining them. Tesla? The place where they are located. Usually it seems they are in large gas stations .
Don't think I'd park it in the garage either. On the street, away from the house. Leasing vs owning is smart too.
I'm currently leasing my third Model S since 2016, and recommend leasing given the rapid technology improvements. My first two cars came with free unlimited supercharging. I have solar (no battery back-up) and high-capacity charging in my home near San Jose. Since 2021, several times a year I make a 400 mile drive between San Jose and Orange County, California. There are numerous Supercharger locations along the route, especially near Interstate 5 and one with 50 chargers < 1 mile from my OC home. I have never had an issue with Supercharger availability or reliability during these trips. It takes 20-25 minutes to gain sufficient charge to complete the trip, but by the time we take a restroom break and buy coffee, we're ready to go. I agree it's longer than filling-up an ICE car. In the early days, I would sometimes need to wait a few minutes to charge in part because charging was slower back then. When you enter a trip on the touchscreen or send it to the car via the Tesla App, it shows you the recommended Supercharger stops to reach your destination and the current number of open chargers. It will also show if a location is off-line for maintenance. Tesla performs the maintenance, but I'm not sure who owns the chargers.
EV's make some sense for an in-town car if you have a charging situation at home as you do. Driving it a couple of hundred miles to visit a friend and asking to plug it in, you may get the stink-eye. The other thing you already mentioned, they are quiet. Don't assume people in crosswalks know you are coming. The only other thing is fire. Please make sure you have a serious fire blanket at home and not in the garage.
Quiet on the outside, but you hear the road noise a bit if the radio is off on the inside.
I was thinking more of people stepping out into the street relying first on hearing a car before looking to see it. It happens. An old habit of people in the gas-powered age. I listen for them when I'm riding my bike before looking for them behind me.
Ironically, in self-driving mode it would see you and veer away.
Huh? What'll they think of next? Self-driving? :)