@BunsenBurner, my back is usually good, but on very long drives and with advancing age, it would stiffen up. AP, and especially TACC (Traffic Aware Cruise Control, or Adaptive Cruise Control in other manufacturer’s parlance) made a really big difference because I could relax my feet.
Not hang them out the window, but relaxed near the pedals.
Good point @MotherOfDragons . If I had hit that barrier at that speed, I’m not sure that I would have handled it as well as AP did.
Where do you service your Tessa especially if there is no dealership? Thanks!
Tesla service center locations: https://www.tesla.com/findus/list/services/United%20States
Maintenance prices at Tesla service centers are listed at https://www.tesla.com/support/maintenance-plans . (Warning: sticker shock if you are used to paying $39.95 at the Chevrolet or Ford dealer.)
I apologize if this was asked and answered earlier. In real usage, how many miles can you go on a charge? I tend to think of fully electric vehicles as toys for city dwellers/commuters. That would work fine for me right now, but the Prius plug-in has the benefits of both and can go over 500 miles on a tank of gas, but operates electric only for 11-20 miles (depending on model). While it can be nice to ignore gas stations altogether, I think I would be more frustrated if my car can only drive for a few hours before having to be recharged. I may be too paranoid, but I would also not want to be stranded by the single fuel source. Batteries lose the ability to hold a charge over time. I guess it all rather depends upon the common usage of the vehicle.
Yes, but gasoline goes bad over time as well, unless you remember to use a fuel stabilizer. The equivalent for a car is to just leave it plugged in so it gets a trickle charge.
My guess is the poster meant that the battery is less effective over time. A brand new battery will allow a better charge/range than a 5 year old battery, similar to a battery on a laptop, for example. That battery that allows a 200 mile range will degrade with time.
^yes, that. I have been driving Hybrids for 10 years now. You can tell the difference when they age…or when it is cold…or hot…or wet. Many of the weather issues exist for all cars, but when your car gives you constant feedback about performance, you notice things. I can tell the difference in elevation between home and work because of the slightly lower fuel economy on the trip uphill. (I live in DFW, not a large elevation change)
The Model S 100D has an EPA rated range of 335 miles. Depending on weather, driving style, tires used, terrain, etc., you will probably get less range. Smaller batteries, or heavier cars (the Model X) will also affect range. My X P90D (P=performance, D = double motor, front and back, 90 = kwh) gets a bit more than 200 miles when I drive it “with spirit” in reasonable weather, but I could probably get the rated 250 miles if I put my mind to it.
The tires make a huge difference. My X, on 19" tires, gets a lot more range (10-15% more) than a similar car with 22" tires. The 22" tires look better (most people think so, I think it’s childish and a bit foofoo), but their ride is harsher on potholes and the range sucks.
Hills affect range. The Tesla has pretty good regenerative braking, but for it to be effective, the battery has to be in condition to accept the charge from the slow down, i.e., it can’t be full, and it can’t be too cold. Tesla’s battery management software is pretty advanced, and its prime purpose is to prevent battery degradation. So, for example, the management software will slow down charging as the battery gets close to full (just as you would slow down the pour when trying to fill a glass of water to the tippy-top).
Long term battery degradation, assuming responsible charging is estimated to be 23 miles of range loss per 100,000 miles driven. Responsible charging includes not letting your battery drain to 0% often, not charging to 100% unless you’re driving shortly (ie, don’t charge to 100 and leave it overnight), basically keeping your battery between 10% and 90%. This is easy to do when you get in the habit of plugging in your car when home, and if your electric rates go down in the evening, setting the charge to start at the appropriate time.
Absolutely! This is a topic with DW, who appears to have had 2 lapses of judgment in her life. One was accepting my marriage proposal, the other is her indefensible love of her Supercharged Range Rover.
The Tesla has real time graphs showing electrical usage over different mile ranges, instantaneous and average, since last charge, on a trip, etc., and my wife likes to point out how range is affected during our drive to Saratoga Springs. I ask her if she thinks her Range Rover doesn’t use more gas on the hills also. The discussion never gets anywhere 
but she does admit that having a big graph is more informative than just watching a needle move from F to E.
:))
@IxnayBob Why do I have a feeling that you often drive “with spirit”? 
Stupid question: When you charge a Tesla, can you set it to only charge to 90% vs 100%?
@doschicos, I don’t drive with quite as much spirit as I once did, which is probably a good thing 
you can set the charging rate (Amps), time to start the charge, and level of charge. The charging rate is location specific, and remembers what your preference was at the location. In the photo, if “Schedule Charging” had been selected, something would come up to set the start time. The hand in the photo is adjusting the maximum charge level. You can also set all of this on the Tesla phone (iphone and Andriod) app, plus much more.
http://images.car.bauercdn.com/pagefiles/14668/1752x1168/teslavbmwvporsche_09.jpg?mode=max&quality=90&scale=down
Aside: the car in the screen (touchscreen and phone app) will be the same color as your car, but it’s more useful that it will show you whether the charge door is open, and whether or not the cable is attached.
