Striking with the hot iron!

Kevin's L3mr RWD was a pretty good deal. It caught the last of the Fed Tesla rebates and the Maryland tax rebate so it was $39,700 delivered. He later added the $5000 desparate Elon end of the month before Tesla stock took off deal for FSD. Somehow his also had basic autopilot in the base price so was all in through FSD for a total price of $44,700 taxes and tags icluded. Now I paid $9000 for the same autopilot and today one pays $12,000. Edmunds currently lists a used 2019 L3MR at $45K and doesn't mention FSD so we did all right. The only minus is he pays $100 a year for connectivity and of course Supercharging isn't free. However the mobile charger was thrown in and with the different plug heads he is good with various home charging setups. This model also had the primo sound and adjustable heated seats. Today new a RWD Model 3 with FSD is $60K with no rebate. Sometimes it pays to strike while the iron is hot. With a set of black Tesla roof racks (gift from Dad) and window tinting (gift from brother) so it looks pretty badass. Very little maintenance and it is not yet out of warrenty. One of our best family car deals ever.

A Blast from the Past

A little iMovie. Circe the Tesla Model 3 pickup 2018. Back when Catherine had the EVs of Nevada website I hoped to be her East Coast volunteer reporter but it never worked out. Still the video preserves how happy I was to pickup that early Tesla Model 3! Still the best car ever. Exported from iMovie in SD 480. Good Times!

Sadly stuck but still over the moon on my EV.

As I mentioned before the need for 4 wheel capability where I winter has forced an ICE car on me. My EV in PA is still the best with minimal issues - tires. inspection & insurance are most of it. I'm out of warranty so the one issue - is the flap door for the charger which I push closed manually. I've heard Tesla comes in at over $250 for this fix so I'm stalling. I also need to replace my 12 volt battery - not because it's out but at 4 years it's a timebomb so.... My main gripe is the up and down the Coast and gas use at my place in the sand. The CyberTruck is the answer but seems further and further away. Elon has decided Tesla can take it's time for we reservation holders while he pumps out the 3 and the Y. Understandable, building his versions of the VW Beetle and taking over the EV world. It does however try ones commitment to electric given every month I wait is more cash to the oil companies. Of course inflation is also a reason why waiting for the Cybertruck is plenty frightening. 1st World Problems, eh? I so miss Circe.

Lectured again by non owners on battery life

So lets break it down. First my original 2012 Nissan Leaf battery was only really useful for 6 years - luckily Tesla came along. That Leaf started with 85 and in 5 years was basically 40 in range. So yes pick the wrong chemistry and you may have a short lived car. I really want at least 10 years out of a car - especially at todays costs. First my Model 3 warranty vs my observed performance. 8 years or 120,000 miles on the Model 3 long range to still perform with 70% battery function. I have 52,426 miles at about 46 months - two months shy of the halfway period of the eight year warranty. My car was originally chargable to 310 miles. Somewhere around 2020 Tesla unlocked a little more - 315 on new cars although mine went to about 312 as the two year mark of ownership arrived. Here at almost 4 years I'm seeing almost 3% cumulative down or 9 miles off the 315 new mark - I can charge to 306 miles. So yearly about 3/4ths of a percent degradation a year (A little less if I properly did out the math but it will do). Now Tesla's warranty is about 3.75% a year degradation of less. Ben Sullin's Teslanomics had a bunch of stats showing across many Tesla owners the highest amounts of battery loss were in the early years and tended to plateau after so I'm guessing this rate of loss mat very good news for my car. Basically at 63, my car will almost certainly outlast me even in my 90's. Even at 75% - 235 miles of range at my age 100 and the cars age of 37, it will make a fine robofleet car as it has FSD. Then it can earn enough in my portion of the fares to buy a better flying Tesla if I'm still around. Luckily the plebes can't see me roll my eyes when they moaning 'but the batteries!'. For Nickola's sake talk to a Tesla EV owner.

A dark side: For a year I've had an ICE

No Pictures. This entry is a depressing confession. A year ago I acquired with my son a vacation home at the beach. In an area inaccessable to anything less than a four wheel drive with good clearence. While it is rented half the year and I can drive my Tesla, when I go down to maintain and visit it I have no choice but 4 wheel drive. Gas use again - ugh. I have a Cybertruck reservation but Elon is not famous for getting new vehicles out the door early. I am acutely aware of how every gallon of gas I buy is making climate worse. I absolutely use the used Forester 4x4 for nothing but that specific drive, but that is still making me deeply unhappy. I also worry with inflation Tesla is going to add bogus options to jump the price from the agreed on reservation price. I really can't afford a much higher price - even with saving and hopefully trading in the Forrester as well. Let's hope next year (2022) the Tesla Cybertruck rolls out on time and on budget. More on the CT soon.

So Wither 2020 - Has Tesla spoiled me for blogging?

Circe at three years.

 

So you can tell Electric Vehicles have arrived when you miss an entire year+ of blogging.  I've had some health challenges and yet that isn't it.  It's that between COVID ( which cancelled a lot of EV shows ) and my car being so effortless to drive, I really have felt less like a hobbyist. Yet I still see people every day wanting to either learn about EVs or telling me why they don't work.  LOL.

Circe the LRM3 (Long Range Model 3) has worked well with 50K miles and 3+ years. No breakdowns other than a tire eaten by a PA highway pothole.  Trips to San Francisco and back; Cape Cod, MA; Outer Banks, NC (OBX); Niagara Falls / Canada, and Boston. At 50K I am down in maximum charging from the original 315 miles to 313 miles. At that < 1% rate of capacity loss for 50K I could gladly keep this car for a million miles. The biggest expense was a set of tires - on top of the pothole tire and replacing the rim. (eventually - at the time the rim seemed ok but my shop pointed out damage and I had it replaced before the Coast 2 Coast and back trip.) Tires were about $1200 for a nice set of Michelins mounted.

Over one thousand uses of my Tesla home charger 240V charger.  Zero issues.  At 5 seconds extra to plug each night and unplug each morning I have spent an hour and a half of the last three and half years on keeping charged for all my PA/DC/MD/VA driving.  I keep a 120V/240V Tesla mobile charger (was included) in the trunk - never needed for the possible emergency - knock on wood. Handy though for trickle charging at OBX.

Speaking of charging, Tesla has added Superchargers in Gettysburg,PA; Kitty Hawk,NC; Frederick, MD; and many others.  I am hopeful this rate of expansion continues. While I have never had to wait for a Supercharger spot - again knock on wood, I have pulled into the last a couple times. So keep building them Tesla because I see more Model 3s and Ys everyday.

Failures?  I had my car computer replaced for free as I bought FSD (Full Self Driving) up front.  While autopilot is great with adult supervision on highways, it still at 3+ years is not FSD.  Still I would have paid a similar price for the current autopilot.  Still want the promised FSD. Replacing cabin air filter soon. Wipers and Wiper Fluid. No brake work yet, due to regen braking putting energy back into the car rather than wasting it heating brake shoes.

Other failures (not fixed yet).  The charge flap used to auto open and close. As the car is now out of bumper to bumper warranty, so I just close and open manually. No yearly PA inspection issues.

I paid it off and have solar at home so I'm driving on sunshine.  Will try to blog more but again it's just like owning any fast roomy sports car. Except cheaper, faster, safer, easier to fuel, and cleaner.  Way cleaner.

 

 

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A Charged Up Year - So how about you?

A small ten posts for this year. I did do the National Drive Electric Week.

Why do I become complacent on blogging when I'm having the best drives of my life.  Whether Coast to Coast or family visits Circe the Tesla Model 3 LR RWD has performed quite well. True self driving seems no closer than the beginning of the year but I can be patient.  If any one issue bugged me it was going through my tires at only 39K miles.

However it's hard to blame the car when I love the accelerating.  I generally stay with the speed limit but I do like to get to it smartly.  Add 4000 lbs of vehicle and D G, and we are talking tires wearing quickly.  I was feeling that - especially in rain and snow so at the 20 month mark it's 4 new tires and they are great again.  I had hoped to get to 2 years and at least 40K miles. Maybe this will motivate me to cut back on the jackrabbiting. Still, The Tesla Model 3 continues to be the most efficient electric on the road.

A quick fast charging pic as I have no new Circe exterior pics. This was in Kill Devil Hills NC USA.

Very Fast and not even version 3

So what is stopping you my friend?  This car in a base 240 mile model with an electric drivetrain that protects us from climate change and carbon emissions is about $40K.  Do you really prefer an ICE engine that is pretty and smooth now but a smokey monster in 5 or 6 years?  I'm amazed every time I read or hear someone proudly announce they bought another gas monster.

Please in the coming year think before you leap - your decisions add up to a world our kids do or don't survive.