This "set it to what you need" seems likely to increase range anxiety and/or lead to more running out of juice, I mean for average or at least non-TMC folks. It takes away some of the joyful simplicity of owning an EV, though I realize it's a practical recommendation. But after hearing "top off/always have a full tank in the morning" as a feature, now hearing "use a crystal ball and charge what you need" is a bit unsettling, especially if you have an unpredictable life. Mine's actually pretty predictable...weekdays. But I can't see trying to remember to reset this two days out of seven.
It sounds like it's better for the battery, but Tesla isn't totally clear on that score--they say over 90% is worse, but also to charge only what you need, which implies that 90% is bad...maybe 85% is bad...how about 80%...when is it safe? ;-) I anticipate battery abuse and/or range anxiety, neither of which I want, plus sometimes "oh sorry, I can't drive--Tesla says to charge only what I need so my old 230ish range is now 115ish and I ran too many errands." This won't impress folks who might be interested in a Model S.
Sorry to ramble. This just seems to me to make EVs more complicated and perhaps scare off some potential purchasers for whom a Model S would be perfect. Hopefully I'm wrong. The Model S is so straightforward; this feels like a step backwards to me. Maybe they should've just made a third category (Max, Standard, and below that, something around 70%) while still showing the slider for advance users. As they expand more and more to regular car drivers, IMHO they need something simpler than "predict what # between 50-90% will be enough." :cursing:
The other 4.5 updates look great, though--especially the Supercharger list and using shore power when plugged in (I think).