Help deciding 60kw or 85kw

I was in the same predicament. The car's for my wife and she commutes about 50 miles every day. I thought it was overkill to get a 100k car for her to drive to and fro for work. Then we considered possible longer distance trips since we have a cabin in Tahoe, so we opted for a P85 instead.

Earthdog said:

So I live in Atlanta, GA and am really torn. Money is an issue but I don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish. My commute is a whooping 40 miles daily. However I want to be able to drive the Tesla up to Nashville, TN. I have read stories implying not to expect 200 miles out of a charge. In my case I wish to drive the Tesla like my normal vehicles( I have PHEV that driving too fast or with the AC means I can't stay in EV mode). I prefer to drive highway speeds of 75-80 and that is most of my commute. I do have Quad Cab Truck I love to drive so its not about distance but I would love to roll into hotel in Savannah or the Gaylord in Nashville and say plug her up

Something else to consider is we have 6 current and about to be 12 CHAdeMO chargers out there for me to use with the adapter in the North Georgia Area.

Just want an honest opinion

TIA

Click to expand...

if you hope to use chademo you will have to spring for supercharger access in a 60 kW battery, and the chademo to model S adapter is rumored to cost $1500 which you will need regadless of what battery size you chose. I would tell you to get the larger battery and enjoy the added range, but I do not have a clear picture of your finances.

my best advice would be to get the 85 kW battery and sell one of your other cars to make up the difference. Your ICE will be sitting around collecting dust more than you can imagine.

You will never, ever complain about having too much capacity and range... the opposite feeling is not so nice.

The 85kWh battery option also includes the Primacy Tires and Supercharger Access, making the 85khw effectively $7000.

Given you want to drive 80MPH with AC on, the 85kWh battery will let you do that and not worry about making 200 Mile range.

If you have not done so already, check out Your Questions Answered | Tesla Motors, where you can dial in speed, AC etc. to see estimated range on 85 and 60 kWh batteries. Unfortunately, the dial only goes to 65MPH, but it still gives you an idea of the range reduction.

get the 85! bigger battery equals more relaxed!

If money is not an issue - get the 85
If money is an issue - get the 85, and just divide the difference ($10k) by the length of your financing period (60/72/84 months)

Galve2000 said:

Your ICE will be sitting around collecting dust more than you can imagine.

Click to expand...

This is true. If you have a Tesla Model S and an ICE, the ICE will only be driven when:
(1) The Model S is already being driven and another member of your household needs to go somewhere, or
(2) The Model S is in the shop and Tesla was out of loaners

You will find that everyone in your household will drive the Tesla by preference. And so will your friends. You'll find yourself trying to figure out how to use the Tesla to haul lumber instead of using your truck. (It's probably possible.)

You may have to worry about your ICE car/truck's battery going dead from disuse, or about the gasoline in the tank "going stale", or about the tires getting flat spots.

The 85kW battery is one thing which is worth the money for sure, though I feel that way about several of the "functional" options. If you're worried about money, skimp on the decorative model S options instead (paint, trim, sound system, parcel shelf, etc.) -- they're quite expensive for what you get.

Agreed. Get the 85. You won't regret it.

liuping said:

The 85kWh battery option also includes the Primacy Tires and Supercharger Access, making the 85khw effectively $7000.

Click to expand...

This is exactly why I would never recommend the 60kWh to anyone. For an extra $7000, you are getting a 41% increase in battery size and range. That is incredible. I don't know why anyone would take a 60. Please do yourself a favor and get the 85. You will regret it if you don't. Many owners found themselves trading up after making this mistake so save yourself the hassle (and money loss) by getting the 85 now. Btw, it's also faster many people forget to mention that. Many people would pay more than $7k just to get the performance increase alone. If I was Tesla I would have priced the 60 much lower than it is currently. The difference in price vs what you get between the 60 and 85 is really an enormous value and a steal for that price and what you get in return.

yobigd20 said:

This is exactly why I would never recommend the 60kWh to anyone. For an extra $7000, you are getting a 41% increase in battery size and range. That is incredible. I don't know why anyone would take a 60. Please do yourself a favor and get the 85. You will regret it if you don't. Many owners found themselves trading up after making this mistake so save yourself the hassle (and money loss) by getting the 85 now. Btw, it's also faster many people forget to mention that. Many people would pay more than $7k just to get the performance increase alone. If I was Tesla I would have priced the 60 much lower than it is currently. The difference in price vs what you get between the 60 and 85 is really an enormous value and a steal for that price and what you get in return.

Click to expand...

I agree. The P is also worth every penny of the $10k. I really doubt that anyone regrets getting a performance.

If you price
60kW with primacy upgrade and call them per-delivery for combined CHAdeMO adaptor + supercharger activation
72070+2400=74470
85kW plus CHAdeMO adaptor prior to delivery
81070+1000=82070

So the question is if you are getting CHAdeMO anyway then 85kW is a $7600 upgrade but that would cut your real need of use CHAdeMO.
If you choose to get 85kW for the need to skip CHAdeMO as much as possible then it is just a $6600 upgrade for you.

As an owner of a 60... get the 85.

Dreamin said:

As an owner of a 60... get the 85.

Click to expand...

Why, Dreamin? I mean, how often do you find yourself regretting the decision?

ggbjr said:

Why, Dreamin? I mean, how often do you find yourself regretting the decision?

Click to expand...

Used same logic as OP as I have a 45 mile round trip commute... I thought a 60 would be plenty as it was just supposed to be a fun commute to/from work car.
The car quickly turned into our take it everywhere car. I like driving it too much. I added supercharging a few weeks after delivery. I've taken road trips all over CA in it - and wouldn't mind a little more range.
And under the 'power is addictive' category... a little more can't hurt.

It's not like I lose sleep over it now... but if I had a do-over, I would get an 85.

I have 60 owners regret not getting the 85, but so never vice versa

I had every intention of ordering a 60 going into the process but when it came down to it I did the math and considered the benefits and went 85 when I ordered. I gave it a full 24 hours to sink in that I was willing to drop the extra $7000 and I didn't feel that it was a bad decision so I pulled the early confirmation trigger and have been happy with that decision since. Basically what it comes down to is do what you think is right for you.

Galve2000 said:

the chademo to model S adapter is rumored to cost $1500

Click to expand...

$1000, not rumor
Shop Tesla Gear CHAdeMO Adapter

- - - Updated - - -

neroden said:

You'll find yourself trying to figure out how to use the Tesla to haul lumber instead of using your truck. (It's probably possible.)

Click to expand...

It hauls lumber just fine.

- - - Updated - - -

@Earthdog (OP) - Can you give us a rough picture of what your fully configured 60 would look like? This is often very useful for beginning a directed discussion with "If it was me, I'd remove __ options and get the 85" replies.

I ordered an 85 specifically because of the increased range, (and maybe a little bit for the extra power/speed).
If you are ever considering taking trips (charging is free), those extra miles 57 miles may really come in handy one day (265 - 208 = 57).

I'm about to embark on an extensive trip into the wild (no SC currently in sight or even under construction), and it would really add a LOT of additional time having to stop and recharge every 140-150 miles or so (rough mileage number being 2/3 of rated range, with some safety factor figured in) vs 177-185 or even 200.

Brianman is correct Earthdog (OP): In order to best look at your budget, perhaps you outline how you are planning to configure your car, and then reconsider, and focus more on the 85, and then perhaps trim a few of the other accessories.
Or just bite the bullet and add the 85 to the configuration you really want.

AmpedRealtor said:

You will never, ever complain about having too much capacity and range... the opposite feeling is not so nice.

Click to expand...

How true.

And not mentioned, I don't think, the battery will degrade - is sure to happen. Larger will fill your needs longer.