Am I crazy? Model Y without home charger...

[jmd2024]

I am in the market for a new car, and with the tax credits and being a nerd, I have finally begun to consider an EV. Test drove a MY last night and really liked it, but here's the catch.

I live on Staten Island, and my landlord will not be installing a charging option at home. I know there is currently one Supercharger site which is ~10 minutes away from me. The mall has a bunch of public/free chargers, but like 8kWh or some such experience. There is another SC site coming soon which I found out about on the site, and there are some SC sites between my residence and where I work (I have customers between Philadelphia and Long Island).

So here's my ask, since I know of no one around me who owns a Tesla, or any EV.

Am I crazy even considering going EV and relying on the charging infrastructure? Odds are slim I will be anywhere but here in 3 years, and odds are nil that the landlord budges on the charging. I know the prices for SC sites aren't posted, so I am curious if any of my island neighbors can indicate rough costs there, since that's my likely best bet as a frequent fill-up spot. mostly hoping to see that if I did go MY and SC, that my weekly costs would be under the 40ish dollars in gas I am spending currently. If it's 20-30 bucks, and i can do some en route work? No biggie. If it's 30-40 which is basically the cost of gas...then I get to thinking now is not Tesla time still. And, will it be an issue if I am not regularly charging to 100% (like, if its every couple weeks versus every week?)

the other vehicles I was considering are an Ioniq5, which I would be even more limited with on the island for charging, or an ICE Nissan Rogue, which may win out but my company GM is pushing hard for me to get a Y like him lol

thanks in advance!

 

[green106]

If cost is the issue I would say don't. I have a MYLR with a SC only a couple of minutes from my house. Never had to wait in line to charge. Has been very convenient. It does cost more to SC so I am not really saving much. However, the vehicle is great.

 

[Suns_PSD]

This just a bad idea. It won't save the OP any money, but it will cause inconvenience and other limitations.

A non-plug in hybrid is the correct choice for this application.

EV's only make sense in a few situations, mostly you have a consistent home parking space with home charging (long-term living situation) that you can use for 90%+ of your charging.

 

[Jedisparky]

Thanks for the responses so far, it's good food for thought.

I park on the street, for what it's worth. that + landlord being against it, and that's my pickle.

Ever thought of renting one for a couple of weeks and see if you can decide on the level of annoyance VS. the enjoyment to see if it could really be a viable option?

 

[jmd2024]

Ever thought of renting one for a couple of weeks and see if you can decide on the level of annoyance VS. the enjoyment to see if it could really be a viable option?

the thought has crossed my mind based on it being suggested here a few times. i did price a few out on one site, seems like depending on the time/day i could get a decent deal on one...but other times not so much.

 

[Iron]

seems like depending on the time/day i could get a decent deal on one...but other times not so much.

Any rental will be cheaper than purchasing a car you may end up not wanting. Go to Hertz.

 

[jmd2024]

Any rental will be cheaper than purchasing a car you may end up not wanting. Go to Hertz.

hertz on staten island would be unlikely...400 per day for a model 3. they offer a managers special/choice EV of some TBD make and model at the more reasonable 45 per day. either way, not a model Y. Turo may be the better bet, not cheap, but at least would be assured of a Y for a few days.

 

[Gigga]

I am in the market for a new car, and with the tax credits and being a nerd, I have finally begun to consider an EV. Test drove a MY last night and really liked it, but here's the catch.

I live on Staten Island, and my landlord will not be installing a charging option at home. I know there is currently one Supercharger site which is ~10 minutes away from me. The mall has a bunch of public/free chargers, but like 8kWh or some such experience. There is another SC site coming soon which I found out about on the site, and there are some SC sites between my residence and where I work (I have customers between Philadelphia and Long Island).

So here's my ask, since I know of no one around me who owns a Tesla, or any EV.

Am I crazy even considering going EV and relying on the charging infrastructure? Odds are slim I will be anywhere but here in 3 years, and odds are nil that the landlord budges on the charging. I know the prices for SC sites aren't posted, so I am curious if any of my island neighbors can indicate rough costs there, since that's my likely best bet as a frequent fill-up spot. mostly hoping to see that if I did go MY and SC, that my weekly costs would be under the 40ish dollars in gas I am spending currently. If it's 20-30 bucks, and i can do some en route work? No biggie. If it's 30-40 which is basically the cost of gas...then I get to thinking now is not Tesla time still. And, will it be an issue if I am not regularly charging to 100% (like, if its every couple weeks versus every week?)

the other vehicles I was considering are an Ioniq5, which I would be even more limited with on the island for charging, or an ICE Nissan Rogue, which may win out but my company GM is pushing hard for me to get a Y like him lol

thanks in advance!

I noticed some negative comments and thought I'd chime in with my experience. I bought a MY AWD mid-January. I'm moving in the near term, so I did not install an outlet for charging at home. I have not found it to be a problem. Once a week or so I charge at a SC to 80 or 90% in the parking lot of a supermarket and do my shopping while it charges. If I have some extra driving, I swing by a SC and top it off for ten minutes. It is a modest inconvenience, but not anything big. I did buy a CCS adapter in case I need a non-Tesla charger, apparently a waste of money because I've never had the need.

I haven't found ay problem even though I don't have charging at home. From my experience, anyone living near to a Tesla SC or non-Tesla DC charger will have little or no problems and the lack of at-home charger should not be a barrier to owning an EV.

Of course, I would pay less for electricity charging at home, however, there are many other advantages to the MY that we all know about, but I'll repeat some for the OP: no oil changes and related maintenance, no breathing fumes at a gas station, a car with zero emissions, and overall, a great car that is a pleasure to drive, with the obvious utility of a large hatchback (or SUV if you prefer). After driving the MY for a couple of months, there is no way that I could return to an ICE car, clearly obsolete and primitive in comparison to the Tesla.

 

[hpartsch]

So, some other points worth putting out here...

1-wife was the one who volunteered being happy to go to wherever to charge for 20-30 minutes when needed, and can run errands while it charges (tho i realized the SC that is coming is not at the target she uses a lot, so that is a wrinkle).
2-she would not be bound to the EV, though I suspect there will be wrestling for it. We have a gas car (2017 mini) that we got for our kids to drive that would be the other daily driver. she enjoys that.

MY would replace my own gas daily driver, which outside of work trips is 10-20 miles a day max. In theory I could go M3 instead, but I like the ride height and added utility of the MY.

If only able to charge at home at 110 overnight, in good conditions it should deliver enough to cover that typical 10-20 miles, give or take.

i think if i had no other car, the charging challenges would kill this completely. the wild card for me remains the neighbor, who was into the EV idea but talked himself out of it (never asked why. he has friends with Teslas and his son's in-laws bought a Lucid he's been in and he liked them all), so there could very well be a willing enabler next door...but being he's a snowbird and in FL now, I can't broach the topic until May. which is still plenty of time, as right now i can't do a thing until summer due to lease exit fun.

In the winter, 20-30 minutes might be 50-80 minutes (or longer) due a cold battery. Is she okay with extended charges?

Are you planning on having kids? She might be okay with it now - but with kids - that might quickly change... as priorities change.

Yes, 110 overnight makes it work for your mileage.

 

[hpartsch]

I noticed some negative comments and thought I'd chime in with my experience. I bought a MY AWD mid-January. I'm moving in the near term, so I did not install an outlet for charging at home. I have not found it to be a problem. Once a week or so I charge at a SC to 80 or 90% in the parking lot of a supermarket and do my shopping while it charges. If I have some extra driving, I swing by a SC and top it off for ten minutes. It is a modest inconvenience, but not anything big. I did buy a CCS adapter in case I need a non-Tesla charger, apparently a waste of money because I've never had the need.

I haven't found ay problem even though I don't have charging at home. From my experience, anyone living near to a Tesla SC or non-Tesla DC charger will have little or no problems and the lack of at-home charger should not be a barrier to owning an EV.

Of course, I would pay less for electricity charging at home, however, there are many other advantages to the MY that we all know about, but I'll repeat some for the OP: no oil changes and related maintenance, no breathing fumes at a gas station, a car with zero emissions, and overall, a great car that is a pleasure to drive, with the obvious utility of a large hatchback (or SUV if you prefer). After driving the MY for a couple of months, there is no way that I could return to an ICE car, clearly obsolete and primitive in comparison to the Tesla.

Keep in mind your in FL. NY charging during winter/spring/fall will be drastically different (much longer charges) as the battery will be cold.

 

[jmd2024]

In the winter, 20-30 minutes might be 50-80 minutes (or longer) due a cold battery. Is she okay with extended charges?

Are you planning on having kids? She might be okay with it now - but with kids - that might quickly change... as priorities change.

Yes, 110 overnight makes it work for your mileage.

no more kids here ours are almost in HS and almost in college, so those worries are gone. plus, it isn't the only car around for us, there will remain at least one and likely 2 ICE cars for some time.

 

[Gigga]

Keep in mind your in FL. NY charging during winter/spring/fall will be drastically different (much longer charges) as the battery will be cold.

That's an excellent point that I hadn't thought about. Down here it's about 5 minutes to heat the battery and 20-25 minutes to charge. NYC is fairly chilly December through March but doubling the charge times during tht period would not be a hinderance for me. As a bonus, northerners don't have to contend with what now appears to be months on end of brutally hot temperatures, which is another topic, I suppose, for battery considerations.

 

[jmd2024]

Just giving my current thoughts, taking all feedback into account...

I drove the MY, and I really liked it. and after that, I saw a video where the guy said "drive it last, or don't drive if you aren't really ready to buy", meaning you will probably like it. And I did.

My lease is holding anything up, as I have 4 months remaining, and my only options are to hold it for that span, or to roll in the remaining stuff into a non-tesla...and i hate that choice ("negative equity"...yuck).

I have been paying more and more attention to what charging is readily available just around the house on my daily commute. There are a decent amount of slow but free public chargers along a few normal day to day paths (getting a kid from school, running an errand, etc) so it would not be a PITA to add a bit to the battery. and then as needed, i take 20-30 minutes and use the SC.

I get it may be an adjustment, but in my mind, it seems like something i can manage. Honestly I've looked at a few hybrid options and the selections either don't do it for me, or aren't in my range. It's tough coming out of the nicest car I've ever owned, too.

Given I have some time to kill, I am going to research and keep an eye on options, and probably rent one from Turo for a day or three and live the EV life and see if what I think I can tolerate lines up.

the wild cards in all this is the landlord/neighbor. I expect that clarity in May, which is generally perfect timing. Plus, who knows, maybe when Q2 ends there will be some even nicer deals and just in time for me to order/pick one from inventory.

 

[Gigga]

Given I have some time to kill, I am going to research and keep an eye on options, and probably rent one from Turo for a day or three and live the EV life and see if what I think I can tolerate lines up.

A little off topic, but don't forget to include the Chill mode setting during your demo or rental. This is how I have it set for driving around town, and I find it a pleasure. Also, your passengers will appreciate it.

 

[hpartsch]

A little off topic, but don't forget to include the Chill mode setting during your demo or rental. This is how I have it set for driving around town, and I find it a pleasure. Also, your passengers will appreciate it.

The acceleration is part of what got me. I was flooring it for years at stoplights/during passes. It took me years to let that go. I finally put mine in chill and it does save on tires. As I get older, I now like chill mode. However, the acceleration from stop to go, on on very steep hills, is almost laughable/dangerous (even when flooring it). I wish all power would be unlocked when the pedal is floored for emergency situations/steep hills/passing.

 

[Midnightsun]

Think of it this way, how convenient is it if you needed to charge your smartphone at the local convenience store every few days or so. Sure it can be done but eventually you would question your choice.

 

[father_of_6]

There are a decent amount of slow but free public chargers along a few normal day to day paths (getting a kid from school, running an errand, etc) so it would not be a PITA to add a bit to the battery. and then as needed, i take 20-30 minutes and use the SC.

I spent the first 6 months of ownership charging exclusively at Superchargers during Winter/Spring and now have had home charging for almost 3 years... so I know what you're getting yourself into.

I actually *liked* visiting the Supercharger. It was a bit of downtime where I'd play games on the car screen or stare at my phone. It was still a lot of time, charging 2 or 3 times a week. Most of the sessions were along my daily commute but sometimes I would drive out there on the weekends. 20 minutes each way + 30 minutes of charging.

I feel very strongly that your free public L2 chargers will be almost useless. *Maybe* if you find one outside the mall and you already plan to be there for 4 hours... but picking the kids up from school won't get you any real juice... plan for something like one hour to add 5-10% to the battery.

What I expect to happen is that you'll get the car, limp along using Superchargers for a while, then find a home charging solution out of necessity... whether that's the neighbor or a change of heart from the landlord (after a test drive ).

I don't think getting the car is the wrong choice, but I do feel like it will force you to figure out a home charging solution in the long run... and you'll be even happier with the vehicle once you do. That was my experience.

 

[Jedisparky]

hertz on staten island would be unlikely...400 per day for a model 3.

Woah!?!? $400 per day!!!?? That's insane. No wonder they're selling the fleet because no one want's to rent them.

 

[jmd2024]

Woah!?!? $400 per day!!!?? That's insane. No wonder they're selling the fleet because no one want's to rent them.

Yea, I don't know if it was the timing or what, but I picked a week and change in late April (when I will be home for a stretch and not flying for work) and i think for 8 or 9 days it was over 3k and i was like...that can't be right. and while I could do managers special for a much more reasonable fee...the reality is...i don't know what i'd get and that defeats the purpose. I was even considering doing a hertz rent2buy, but i don't really like the idea of buying used at this point. leasing, having the warranty the entire time....knowing how many treat a rental....

 

[TSLY]

My takeaway from this thread is... If you don't own a home -- or a condo/co-op where you can access WiFi in the garage and obtain the HOA's permission to install a charger -- Do not buy an EV! I'm in the latter camp. I live on the penthouse of a 4 story building, with my Tesla MY parked in the street level underground garage, directly below. Luckily, through the magic of technology, a receiver in the garage linked to my eero mesh WiFi network can access my Tesla. It works! My first reaction when I set it up was, whew!

 

[SidetrackedSue]

My takeaway from this thread is... If you don't own a home -- or a condo/co-op where you can access WiFi in the garage and obtain the HOA's permission to install a charger -- Do not buy an EV! I'm in the latter camp. I live on the penthouse of a 4 story building, with my Tesla MY parked in the street level underground garage, directly below. Luckily, through the magic of technology, a receiver in the garage linked to my eero mesh WiFi network can access my Tesla. It works! My first reaction when I set it up was, whew!

You probably understand why we tried dangling our router over the balcony edge and parking the car below. But we are 200' up so it was out of range!

We also did the more logical thing of checking the WiFi networks we could see and trying to see if we knew anyone in those apartments. We did but he refused to let our car have access to his network. At the time I thought we'd only be downloading. He was right since the car also uploads info when connected (at least that's what I see from others posting about how many GB their car has uploaded to tesla overnight.)