Kind of regretting getting SR+ and not LR or AWD, anyone?

[duanra]

Then it makes sense, the speed limit for me was 60 mph. My temp at 17, so i had 20% loss.

 

[Big Earl]

Then it makes sense, the speed limit for me was 60 mph. My temp at 17, so i had 20% loss.

That sounds about right.

 

[Dana1]

Today I went on a road trip to my son's college to be in fall with my family.
Total distance was 250 miles.
I have SR+, the 240 mile version.
Theoretically, I should just make 1 stop and all will work out. LOL.

At 80 mph, the consumption was averaging 335 kwh/mi.
After 80 miles, we stopped for our very first supercharging experience ever. I normally charge at home with 110V outlet and I get 5 miles/hour.
The supercharger's rate was 330 kw. Incredible! My battery is only 55kwh. Lol.
It charged so fast that I had to go get the car before my lunch was served.
We made 2 more stops to charge.
I was totally ok with the stops, but my wife thought it was absurd. If we had driven her X3, zero fuel stops would have been needed in 250 miles.
True.
But I would still do it again because I am an EV person. Lol.

With a mid range model I would have made the same number of stops for this trip.
With as LR, I might have been ok with 1 stop.
But I don't make long trips like this often.
I have no regrets for getting a SR+

Speed kills, lol. It’s definitely an exponential curve. My LR can do a 280 mile flat run at 80 with no charging stops but as soon as I start going higher speed the range goes down quick.

 

[ConcordeSST]

Bear in mind that short drives like you've shown here are typically not representative of the true efficiency that you'll see on longer drives (where you actually need the range) due, in part, to the energy used to initially heat or cool the cabin and accelerate up to speed. Here are two back to back drives today, one longer, one very short to illustrate the difference in the same weather conditions.

 

[groovidad]

I live on an island. My daily commute is 36 mi/RT. I could have easily chosen the SR. I based my decision on several factors:
-Recharging would be less, weekly
-If I move to the mainland, I’ll have the extra
-If and when I sell it, it becomes a sales point
-I wouldn’t suffer range anxiety
-More charge means more Warp Speed

We all have different scenarios and reasons.
For what it’s worth.......

 

[bogich]

SR+ owner for about 3 weeks now. I could have afforded any of the model 3 versions. Here is where I stand:
There wasn't a day regretting, not having 6 or 7k in my bank account compared to 20+ kWh of battery hanging below my floor. I may regret a bit not having the Sub in the trunk or the premium connectivity(looks like coming soon as a subscription), but that's all. My commute is about 40 miles total a day, it usually takes 20% or less(including sentry mode through the day and heating in the freezing mornings). By the way - experienced Tesla owners are right - I drove more aggressively first two weeks(it is just so much fun), so my Wh/mile is better lately, I also drive more on the weekends - just for fun, but while driving in suburbs and on slow rural roads - we usually get tired and back home before using 50% battery.
I will try a long trip in a few weeks - I have 1000 mile round trip, which I plan on doing with the Tesla(not my primary road trip vehicle), so I will see how it goes. Superchargers are plenty, but I plan on using state roads and will have to jump 189 miles between two SC. Still, I think it won't be an issue, since I keep up with the speed limit and those roads go max 60 mph.
Anyway - enjoy your car and remember - an SR Tesla is the LR of any other EV brand so far!

 

[Sunshine Speed]

My advice is to stick with the SR+ and keep the $7000 plus tax for your next EV, or buy autopilot . I have the LR RWD with EAP for 8 months. I use the autopilot every day, and I have only driven more than 140 miles during a day 4 times total. So 98% of the time the extra range is not used and it's a waste of money. The LR battery is an expensive luxury, or for people who often drive over 140 miles in a day in a cold winter, or 200 miles in a day during warm weather. Reminder that superchargers are really fast. Good luck.

 

[ggnykk]

When I order SR+, I was thinking 240 mi, plenty of mileage, I would never drive 240mi a day, and I won't be driving the EV on a road trip, so it should be plenty. What I didn't do the math is keeping the battery within 10-90% meaning my range has drop down to 190 miles. This 190miles also do not mean I can drive for a distance of 190mile. Over the past week, I have experience outside temperature of 40 to 70 degree. Reading the TeslaFi data, at 40 degree (driving mostly at 70mi/h), the car's efficiency can be down to 75%. (short distance efficiency can be as bad as 45% because the battery is cold) I don't know what would happen at below zero. Driving above 80mi/h also hurt efficiency a lot. With 75% efficiency, you will be dealing with 190mi *.75 = 142mile. So my 240mi SR+ is practically only have 142 mil during spring time. I know it will be better in the summer but I can't imagine what happen during winter. After a week of driving, I regret not getting the LR or AWD.

You are correct. I think the mileage rating for EV worldwide (EPA in US, WLTP in Europe etc) are incredibly misleading and completely BS. I dont even know why government agency would even approve such standard that is vastly exaggerated compared to real world usage. Maybe this is intentional.

Whatever the EPA mileage rating is, you should totally expect getting less than half of that in real world during winter time.

 

[ggnykk]

As you found out 80MPH cruising will drastically reduce your range. You'll need to slow down to achieve the EPA rated range, but this would be true in any car.

Another trick that works in a bind is to follow a semi truck with Autopilot set to 2 car distance. This will lower power usage noticeably and give 15-25% range but this is a controversial recommendation because semi's can throw up rocks and can be dangerous to be behind in the case of a tire blowout. I only do this when I need to, but it works wonders.

EPA mileage rating can only be achieved at 55 mph highway speed. The EPA standard originate from the 1970s where speed limit across the US was all set at 55 mph.

 

[ThreeDX]

larger batteries last longer also - the lifetime of a battery is related to the number of charging cycles -- eg: 900 miles would be 3 charging cycles on a LR and about 4 charging cycles on a SR... less charging cycles means better battery health in the long term. Plus, with a LR, one is much less likely to need to charge to 100% or to discharge to near zero... and it's faster... yeah, the SR should only be considered if that is the max budget for them

I don't believe this is the case any longer. On Li-Ion the important thing is total cycle depth and duration at very high SoC it very low SoC. Your point still holds, but charging between 60-70% on both vehicles should produce the same longevity. The difference is you get to stay in that sweet spot for longer with the LR, improving longevity.

 

[David_Cary]

EPA mileage rating can only be achieved at 55 mph highway speed. The EPA standard originate from the 1970s where speed limit across the US was all set at 55 mph.

This is completely untrue. The current EPA standard is only a few years old. It happens to be the toughest standard in the world. Other testing mechanisms give higher ranges so you can complain all you want but it is the best. It is one of the few areas that the US leads the world anymore. It is true that the testing does involve lower speeds but then a correction is done. I find that the correction is still overdone for aerodynamic cars meaning cars with better aero do relatively better than EPA at true highway speeds.

If you go 55 mph, you should exceed the range.

Tesla Range Table - Teslike.com

For those that don't want to click it, the range at 55 mph of a LR with 18/aeros is 412 miles. Note this is the highest of any Tesla including S 100D. I have 75k miles on a 70D and I can absolutely exceed EPA range at 55 mph. My breakeven speed is 69 on a warm day - meaning I exceed EPA below that. I mostly drive 80 mph on trips but have different routes with different speeds if the need arises.

 

[DdotRoq]

I still get a chuckle at the guy who posted about ordering an SR with AP and FSD. To each his own.

Why? I'm just curious. I have a P3D+ with all of the bells and whistles, so this wouldn't fall into my realm, but assuming someone has access to charge every day at home, doesn't want to spend $10k+ on range they will likely never use and wants to take advantage of what Tesla offers, it only makes sense.

I've always said to prospective Tesla buyers to always factor in AP/FSD. It is what makes Tesla, Tesla.

 

[GuyFromGPT]

10 days into the SR+, without Autopilot, I'm happy. If there was any debate about buying another Model 3, it would have been the Midrange. Being a $3000 decision, and additional personal budgetary strain, Analysis was in order. Keep in mind, I was already at the upper reaches of Spousal Approval.

Available on Midrange, and not on SR+, that I'd really enjoy.

1. Full Featured Interface, with streaming audio, as well as Google Satellite maps w/traffic. If this later comes as a subscription, I'm all over this.
2. Homelink Adapter, with location based opening. My standard "clicker" does fine. But the $300 upgrade will be considered down the road.

Available on Midrange, and not on SR+, that are non-essential luxuries.

1. Extra Range. Keeping my SR+ in between 20-80%, gives me 144 of rated daily range. I only need 40 for an average day, which gives me plenty to make it to superchargers if immediate need to travel exists. 25 miles of Midrange battery would have very little impact on my use.
2. Heated Rear Seats. I live on the southern coast of the US, and rarely get back seat usage. Front row is just right.
3. Full Immersive Audio, with all amps and speakers. This was close to being essential. But it failed the cost/benefit analysis.

So, for me, the $3000 that would have been spent is best saved for other uses. Would I have liked to had nicer wheels, another color besides black, Long Range battery, and all the accoutrements? Of, course. But this car is my living feasibility study, of long term EV ownership. And any further expenditure, outside of basic Autopilot before the end of my trial [the only way Autopilot gets purchased, is with a passage of the Tax Credit extension, before my Trial ends], would not greatly increase the happiness I get from driving this vehicle. If this turns out well, over 3-4 years, then we will see what the next one brings.

 

[duanra]

Good reasoning.

 

[GuyFromGPT]

Why? I'm just curious. I have a P3D+ with all of the bells and whistles, so this wouldn't fall into my realm, but assuming someone has access to charge every day at home, doesn't want to spend $10k+ on range they will likely never use and wants to take advantage of what Tesla offers, it only makes sense.

I've always said to prospective Tesla buyers to always factor in AP/FSD. It is what makes Tesla, Tesla.

It IS one of the main components, of considering Tesla ownership. Even though I have little personal use for it, I've seen (via the free trial) how compelling the purchase is, for those with the means.

 

[pipestem]

In good weather on flat land I can routinely go 70 mph and hit the rated 240 wh/mi in my MR. That does not count accelerating from 0 to 70. I just got back from a 414 mile weekend that gave me several opportunities to measure interstate energy consumption. Model 3 is a great road trip car.

 

[vickh]

10 days into the SR+, without Autopilot, I'm happy. If there was any debate about buying another Model 3, it would have been the Midrange. Being a $3000 decision, and additional personal budgetary strain, Analysis was in order. Keep in mind, I was already at the upper reaches of Spousal Approval.

Available on Midrange, and not on SR+, that I'd really enjoy.

1. Full Featured Interface, with streaming audio, as well as Google Satellite maps w/traffic. If this later comes as a subscription, I'm all over this.
2. Homelink Adapter, with location based opening. My standard "clicker" does fine. But the $300 upgrade will be considered down the road.

Available on Midrange, and not on SR+, that are non-essential luxuries.

1. Extra Range. Keeping my SR+ in between 20-80%, gives me 144 of rated daily range. I only need 40 for an average day, which gives me plenty to make it to superchargers if immediate need to travel exists. 25 miles of Midrange battery would have very little impact on my use.
2. Heated Rear Seats. I live on the southern coast of the US, and rarely get back seat usage. Front row is just right.
3. Full Immersive Audio, with all amps and speakers. This was close to being essential. But it failed the cost/benefit analysis.

So, for me, the $3000 that would have been spent is best saved for other uses. Would I have liked to had nicer wheels, another color besides black, Long Range battery, and all the accoutrements? Of, course. But this car is my living feasibility study, of long term EV ownership. And any further expenditure, outside of basic Autopilot before the end of my trial [the only way Autopilot gets purchased, is with a passage of the Tax Credit extension, before my Trial ends], would not greatly increase the happiness I get from driving this vehicle. If this turns out well, over 3-4 years, then we will see what the next one brings.

Good thread. I have an inventory MR at $2.5K more than a SR+ ($560 discount). Still debating..

 

[bogich]

Check the model year. If it is 2018 it would cut on the residual value and might not worth the $2.5k extra. Off course, if you want the extra base, rear heated seats and +24 miles, then go for it.

 

[vickh]

Check the model year. If it is 2018 it would cut on the residual value and might not worth the $2.5k extra. Off course, if you want the extra base, rear heated seats and +24 miles, then go for it.

2019, but I would gladly do 2018 if the price was lower, since I'm a "buy and hold" buyer

rear heated seats don't matter in AZ (ventilated would ) Range is king..

I still can't get a definitive answer about paying for premium streaming for SR+ vs MR in the future..

 

[MXWing]

I initially ordered an SR+ and began to have range anxiety before I even took delivery. So I cancelled and switched to an LR. I’m really happy I did. I can see how easy it is to get less than the full stated range under less than optimal conditions.

I still get a chuckle at the guy who posted about ordering an SR with AP and FSD. To each his own.

You always invest into the battery. Battery is more important than performance and more important than software. Doesn't surprise me you got disagrees.

When someone calls me an idiot for doing/saying something stupid - I eat the humble pie and try to make better choices going forward.

What many people do not realize, which is shocking to me is that batteries degrade over time. Not as fast on a Tesla as another EV but it happens.

More range, less concern with charging at higher levels 80%. Much more buffer against inevitable degradation as well.

What people also do NOT plan for is additional bells and whistles that contribute to vampire drain.

Want to enable sentry mode? Range loss
Want to keep your Blakvue running while parked on camper mode? Range loss
Want dog mode, comfortable car with climate control on? Range loss
Want to drive fast and get to fast speeds quickly? Range loss

The good news is @Richardster wouldn't eat it too terribly if he got a LR before end of June and sells his SR+ the first week of July.