Teslas and other electric vehicles

[LasVegas]

The Prius prime is interesting. I suspect that’s what I would want in an EV right now. 30 or so miles on a charge to cover my commute every day and then a gas engine for any other times. I really don’t have the time to wait 45 minutes on a trip for my vehicle to charge. Fill er up and let’s jam!

[DU82]

The Prius prime is interesting. I suspect that’s what I would want in an EV right now. 30 or so miles on a charge to cover my commute every day and then a gas engine for any other times. I really don’t have the time to wait 45 minutes on a trip for my vehicle to charge. Fill er up and let’s jam!

I’m currently shopping for a new vehicle, and a RAV4 Hybrid’s in the lead. (A Prius is too small - I could get in it, but would have trouble getting out these days!). I considered a RAV4 Prime, but they are scarce in these here parts, and right not not worth the extra cost over the hybrid. The Hybrid’s hard enough to find, but at least can be ordered in about a month.

Like many, the EVs disadvantage for me is the long distance driving. A ~60 mile round trip commute would be fine, it’s the trips out of state that are the problem. I see the hybrid as a good in-between for now, and hopefully by the time I’m ready for another vehicle, the EVs will be better for the long haul (my eventual retirement trip to all 30 MLB stadiums.)

[Phredd3]

I do. Best car, and most fun by far, that I've ever had.

If you don't mind sharing further: Any issues with charging infrastructure? What's your range on a full charge, and how long does a recharge take? Have you done any longer trips? How's the service experience?

[Section 15]

Many thanks for the opinions/first hand observations. I've learned a few things that weren't in the reviews and sales literature. It does look like availability of the small SUV plug-ins is limited right now, so I'll probably keep researching and driving my 15 year old Subaru for a while longer.

Please post if you have any more thoughts about plug-ins.

Section 15

[tommy]

If you don't mind sharing further: Any issues with charging infrastructure? What's your range on a full charge, and how long does a recharge take? Have you done any longer trips? How's the service experience?

Range on a full charge is about 270 miles. I put in a 220V outlet on the outside of my house so I can just plug directly into that, so no special charging station at the house. I charge it up 1-2 times per week, and all I have to do is plug it in at the end of the day and let it charge overnight and that's more than enough time to get the full 270 mile charge. I think if it's pretty low on charge, to get it fully charged takes about 7 hours or so, but again, doesn't matter when it's doing it when I'm sleeping.

I'm not experienced with the full charging infrastructure. I know the superchargers that are being installed all over the place are really fast, but I don't know how fast. I do know the on-screen system will give you turn by turn directions and map your route to the closest/most convenient superchargers along whatever route your trip takes you. The longest trip I have taken with it is only about 3 hours up the coast, and the hotel we stayed at had chargers there, so again I just charged there overnight and that was that.

Service experience has been excellent. First of all, because there are only a handful of parts in the car, there's only so much that can go wrong. I have had two minor things, and all you have to do is go on the app on your phone and request service, describe what you need, and in most cases the appointment will be set up with them coming to you, either your home or office or wherever, rather than you having to take it to the shop. The service tech shows up with whatever he needs and does the work right there for you. Great.

The other experience I had is with a flat tire. The car does not come with a spare, but again it's no problem. I went on the app, reported the flat and exactly where I was stuck, and within 15-20 minutes Tesla showed up, the guy with a fully equipped van, changed out the tire in 5 minutes and I was on my way. Pretty nice . . .

The car (Model 3) is really fun to drive. I live in a city that is notorious for terrible traffic and driving kinda sucking. But since I got this car I actually look forward to getting in it and driving. That says something.

[Phredd3]

Service experience has been excellent. First of all, because there are only a handful of parts in the car, there's only so much that can go wrong. I have had two minor things, and all you have to do is go on the app on your phone and request service, describe what you need, and in most cases the appointment will be set up with them coming to you, either your home or office or wherever, rather than you having to take it to the shop. The service tech shows up with whatever he needs and does the work right there for you. Great.

The other experience I had is with a flat tire. The car does not come with a spare, but again it's no problem. I went on the app, reported the flat and exactly where I was stuck, and within 15-20 minutes Tesla showed up, the guy with a fully equipped van, changed out the tire in 5 minutes and I was on my way. Pretty nice . . .

The car (Model 3) is really fun to drive. I live in a city that is notorious for terrible traffic and driving kinda sucking. But since I got this car I actually look forward to getting in it and driving. That says something.

Really different service reports between LA and DC, which I expect has to do with rate of expansion and overall market penetration in the two regions. Hopefully Tesla service on the East coast comes up to par before I'm looking again. Thanks for the post!

[moonpie23]

this is a quickie photo, but here are the super chargers along I95IMG_3004 2.jpg

[acdevil]

I’m currently shopping for a new vehicle, and a RAV4 Hybrid’s in the lead. (A Prius is too small - I could get in it, but would have trouble getting out these days!). I considered a RAV4 Prime, but they are scarce in these here parts, and right not not worth the extra cost over the hybrid. The Hybrid’s hard enough to find, but at least can be ordered in about a month.

Like many, the EVs disadvantage for me is the long distance driving. A ~60 mile round trip commute would be fine, it’s the trips out of state that are the problem. I see the hybrid as a good in-between for now, and hopefully by the time I’m ready for another vehicle, the EVs will be better for the long haul (my eventual retirement trip to all 30 MLB stadiums.)

My wife has a RAV4 hybrid and absolutely loves it. We’ve had it for 2 years with no issues.

[mr. synellinden]

Range on a full charge is about 270 miles. I put in a 220V outlet on the outside of my house so I can just plug directly into that, so no special charging station at the house. I charge it up 1-2 times per week, and all I have to do is plug it in at the end of the day and let it charge overnight and that's more than enough time to get the full 270 mile charge. I think if it's pretty low on charge, to get it fully charged takes about 7 hours or so, but again, doesn't matter when it's doing it when I'm sleeping.

I'm not experienced with the full charging infrastructure. I know the superchargers that are being installed all over the place are really fast, but I don't know how fast. I do know the on-screen system will give you turn by turn directions and map your route to the closest/most convenient superchargers along whatever route your trip takes you. The longest trip I have taken with it is only about 3 hours up the coast, and the hotel we stayed at had chargers there, so again I just charged there overnight and that was that.

Service experience has been excellent. First of all, because there are only a handful of parts in the car, there's only so much that can go wrong. I have had two minor things, and all you have to do is go on the app on your phone and request service, describe what you need, and in most cases the appointment will be set up with them coming to you, either your home or office or wherever, rather than you having to take it to the shop. The service tech shows up with whatever he needs and does the work right there for you. Great.

The other experience I had is with a flat tire. The car does not come with a spare, but again it's no problem. I went on the app, reported the flat and exactly where I was stuck, and within 15-20 minutes Tesla showed up, the guy with a fully equipped van, changed out the tire in 5 minutes and I was on my way. Pretty nice . . .

The car (Model 3) is really fun to drive. I live in a city that is notorious for terrible traffic and driving kinda sucking. But since I got this car I actually look forward to getting in it and driving. That says something.

I have a Model 3 as well and agree with all of Tommy's views and praise for the car. It is the best car I've ever driven BY FAR. As far as something I would have to drive every day (not factoring in cost/value) I wouldn't trade it for anything on the road. I also charge overnight when I'm sleeping. Very easy. I have absolutely no range anxiety. There are chargers everywhere near where I live. If anyone wants to PM me with specific questions, please feel free.

[Phredd3]

So far, we get about 25 miles of range in full EV mode at full charge, but that number depends a lot on the environmental conditions and your driving style.

Self-quoting to update this. Apparently 25 mile range is the system default for a new car on full charge. After roughly ten days' worth of practical, day-to-day use, the projected full-charge range has increased to well over 30 miles (32.9, as I type this, to be precise - I just checked the app on the fully-charged Prius Prime now sitting in the driveway). In case anyone is still interested.

[Section 15]

Self-quoting to update this. Apparently 25 mile range is the system default for a new car on full charge. After roughly ten days' worth of practical, day-to-day use, the projected full-charge range has increased to well over 30 miles (32.9, as I type this, to be precise - I just checked the app on the fully-charged Prius Prime now sitting in the driveway). In case anyone is still interested.

I definitely am. Please continue to post as you learn more. This is stuff that I am not seeing in the available reviews/literature.

Thanks,
Section 15

[LasVegas]

Self-quoting to update this. Apparently 25 mile range is the system default for a new car on full charge. After roughly ten days' worth of practical, day-to-day use, the projected full-charge range has increased to well over 30 miles (32.9, as I type this, to be precise - I just checked the app on the fully-charged Prius Prime now sitting in the driveway). In case anyone is still interested.

Which is just great. I’m surprised this isn’t a more popular option. Enough range for daily commutes to work but a gas engine backup for trips. Seems like a natural next step before full electric.

[Edouble]

Which is just great. I’m surprised this isn’t a more popular option. Enough range for daily commutes to work but a gas engine backup for trips. Seems like a natural next step before full electric.

It cost me about $4 to take my Model S on a 230 mile round trip getaway to the mountains this weekend, FWIW.

[LasVegas]

It cost me about $4 to take my Model S on a 230 mile round trip getaway to the mountains this weekend, FWIW.

Yeah but I have zero interest in waiting the 45 minutes for a charge. At least that’s what I have heard the charge time is to get you to the next charger on the network. I’m sure one charge got you the full trip but longer ones would require long stops to charge.

[Phredd3]

It cost me about $4 to take my Model S on a 230 mile round trip getaway to the mountains this weekend, FWIW.

Once you own it, yes, but it also represents a capital investment of about 33% more than our basic trim, mid-level Prius Prime XLE (compared to the base Tesla Model S). In our first two weeks of ownership, we've driven about 750 miles and used less than a half a tank of gas - around four gallons for under $20 at current prices. It's a trade-off, to be sure, but one we are not unhappy with at this point. Day-to-day electric range is up to 33.4 mpc (miles per charge) at last check, and we haven't yet even installed a 240V outlet, although I expect we will before long.

On the negative side, the Toyota app is just crap. In the model car we bought, it really does only one thing, which is to report on the state of the charge in progress. However, when you first open the app, it just blindly loads whatever was there from the last time you opened the app, and generally does not refresh on its own. A manual refresh takes only about ten seconds, but that seems like quite a long time when that's really the only reason to have the app open and the app just shows a spinning wheel of loading while it fetches the data. The graphic showing the state of the battery doesn't refresh even then, staying stubbornly glued to whatever was there originally, unless you completely quit the app and reload it. You don't need the graphic, of course, but it is disconcerting to read that just 30 minutes of charging is remaining, and you have a projected EV range of perhaps 30 miles, but you still see the outsized battery graphic showing only, say, 25% charge. The app does not notify you in any way when the charge is complete, either, which just seems utterly basic. Considering all the excellent engineering work, including software, that Toyota packed into the car itself, you'd think they would be able to design a consumer-level application that smoothly does the one job it is supposed to do, but, alas! It seems they couldn't be bothered. You can ultimately get the information you want, but you have to work for it.

Overall, though, I'll just restate that it was a good decision for us at this point, and it suits our needs very well. Everyone's situation is different.

[Dr. Rosenrosen]

So I’ve been wanting a truck for a while but haven’t pulled the trigger for several reasons including gas mileage. About two weeks ago I randomly came across an announcement for the Ford F-150 Lightning on the very day they released info to the public. So for $100 I put my name on the list to be able to order one in the fall. I’m pretty excited about it, and the Lightning is getting great reviews so far. We’ll see in a few months if it all works out.

[jimsumner]

Which is just great. I’m surprised this isn’t a more popular option. Enough range for daily commutes to work but a gas engine backup for trips. Seems like a natural next step before full electric.

My wife has had one of these for several years and is very satisfied.

And, yes, she usually gets low 30s from a full charge.

[moonpie23]

soooooooo, the ordeal of dealing with Tesla on a customer service level DEFINITELY makes me feel like #75 in the line at the apple store to get the new iphone...

[wavedukefan70s]

I’m currently shopping for a new vehicle, and a RAV4 Hybrid’s in the lead. (A Prius is too small - I could get in it, but would have trouble getting out these days!). I considered a RAV4 Prime, but they are scarce in these here parts, and right not not worth the extra cost over the hybrid. The Hybrid’s hard enough to find, but at least can be ordered in about a month.

Like many, the EVs disadvantage for me is the long distance driving. A ~60 mile round trip commute would be fine, it’s the trips out of state that are the problem. I see the hybrid as a good in-between for now, and hopefully by the time I’m ready for another vehicle, the EVs will be better for the long haul (my eventual retirement trip to all 30 MLB stadiums.)

My daughter has the highlander hybrid .she loves it.

[Edouble]

Yeah but I have zero interest in waiting the 45 minutes for a charge. At least that’s what I have heard the charge time is to get you to the next charger on the network. I’m sure one charge got you the full trip but longer ones would require long stops to charge.

I am based in Atlanta and rarely go more than one state over for business.

You're right, if I were to take the vehicle to California, well, let's just say that would involve a lot of sightseeing.

Once you own it, yes, but it also represents a capital investment of about 33% more than our basic trim, mid-level Prius Prime XLE (compared to the base Tesla Model S). In our first two weeks of ownership, we've driven about 750 miles and used less than a half a tank of gas - around four gallons for under $20 at current prices. It's a trade-off, to be sure, but one we are not unhappy with at this point. Day-to-day electric range is up to 33.4 mpc (miles per charge) at last check, and we haven't yet even installed a 240V outlet, although I expect we will before long.

On the negative side, the Toyota app is just crap. In the model car we bought, it really does only one thing, which is to report on the state of the charge in progress. However, when you first open the app, it just blindly loads whatever was there from the last time you opened the app, and generally does not refresh on its own. A manual refresh takes only about ten seconds, but that seems like quite a long time when that's really the only reason to have the app open and the app just shows a spinning wheel of loading while it fetches the data. The graphic showing the state of the battery doesn't refresh even then, staying stubbornly glued to whatever was there originally, unless you completely quit the app and reload it. You don't need the graphic, of course, but it is disconcerting to read that just 30 minutes of charging is remaining, and you have a projected EV range of perhaps 30 miles, but you still see the outsized battery graphic showing only, say, 25% charge. The app does not notify you in any way when the charge is complete, either, which just seems utterly basic. Considering all the excellent engineering work, including software, that Toyota packed into the car itself, you'd think they would be able to design a consumer-level application that smoothly does the one job it is supposed to do, but, alas! It seems they couldn't be bothered. You can ultimately get the information you want, but you have to work for it.

Overall, though, I'll just restate that it was a good decision for us at this point, and it suits our needs very well. Everyone's situation is different.

My last car was a regular Prius hybrid, which I enjoyed a lot.

The TESLA's ability to integrate with my iPhone has been surprisingly disappointing. In my old Prius, my music playlists were easily accessible and well organized on the Prius dashboard screen. I can't even access these playlists on my TESLA, unless I do so manually via my iPhone.

The TESLA app, however, is pretty amazing. I can start the vehicle, check charge time, open/close the charge port, honk the horn, summon the vehicle, etc. Hypothetically, were someone to carjack or steal the vehicle, I could just show the police the vehicle on the app (the app always shows the location of the vehicle) and they could go get it. Maybe other cars have that technology too now, IDK...