Learning from recent purchasers...

[David99]

I'm in the same boat right now so I found this thread very helpful.

One thing about the dual charger. I decided against it. It was high on my list at first, but the Tesla guy at the store made a good point that I would only need it when I drive much more than 200 miles a day. With the single charger you can recharge a completely dead battery in 9 hours which you always have over night on a normal day. The other point is that 80 Amp chargers out in the wild are very rare. All L2 charging stations are 30-40 Amp max.

What makes more sense is getting the ChaDeMo adapter. There are quite a few out there already and they seem to growing in numbers. Chances you find one of those out on the road are much higher than an 80 Amp L2. And the ChaDeMo will charge 2-3 times faster than the dual charger option.

 

[VolkerP]

OP want's to make sure for the options that cannot be retrofitted easily or are prohibitive in cost when doing so.
I suggest you and your family take a look into a car at night without the interior lighting package. It is impossible to find a dropped key, or wallet, or any other dark colored object in my car since I have the darkish grey textile seats.

WRT dual chargers: that is an investment in future-proofing your car and a rather cheap one so go for it. Current rollout of anemic L2 chargers is no proof that things can't rapidly change.

 

[jerry33]

What makes more sense is getting the ChaDeMo adapter. There are quite a few out there already and they seem to growing in numbers. Chances you find one of those out on the road are much higher than an 80 Amp L2. And the ChaDeMo will charge 2-3 times faster than the dual charger option.

The ChaDeMo won't charge faster if you don't have the dual charger. It will be limited to 40 amps. It's the dual charger that lets it charge at 80 amps.

 

[deonb]

The ChaDeMo won't charge faster if you don't have the dual charger. It will be limited to 40 amps. It's the dual charger that lets it charge at 80 amps.

ChaDeMo is a DC charger, just like SuperChargers. You need to have Supercharging enabled to support ChaDeMo. You specifically don't need a dual charger for full speed ChaDeMo - just like you don't need a dual charger (or any charger for that matter) to do full speed Supercharging.

 

[andrewket]

If you're thinking about using dominion's EV rate plan you might want to reconsider the twin chargers. Dominion's super off peak window is only 4 hours long. I've needed 80A to fully charge in that window. Personally I would buy the twin chargers anyway to provide the most flexibility when traveling. The retrofit cost is expensive.

 

[yobigd20]

OP want's to make sure for the options that cannot be retrofitted easily or are prohibitive in cost when doing so.

yes. buy now vs later. cost of retrofitting things is absurd. for example, the "+" package upgrade is upwards of $23k ....

It is impossible to find a dropped key, or wallet, or any other dark colored object in my car since I have the darkish grey textile seats.

yea thats for sure. my iphone light has been a life saver here. (and thats even WITH the interior lights)

WRT dual chargers: that is an investment in future-proofing your car and a rather cheap one so go for it. Current rollout of anemic L2 chargers is no proof that things can't rapidly change.

that is exactly the reason I got it. future proofing.

If you're thinking about using dominion's EV rate plan you might want to reconsider the twin chargers. Dominion's super off peak window is only 4 hours long. I've needed 80A to fully charge in that window.

thats a very good point, I never thought about that. if you live in an area where 12am-4am or something like that is much cheaper, if you're close to empty that won't be enough time charging on a single charger.

The ChaDeMo won't charge faster if you don't have the dual charger. It will be limited to 40 amps. It's the dual charger that lets it charge at 80 amps.

I keep forgetting this one myself. but its a good thing to keep pointing out - CHAdeMO is DC fast charging, it's DC to DC, so it'll bypass the onboard chargers. no need for dual chargers but yes you'll need supercharging enabled.

 

[hsctiger93]

Wherever you keep your shopping or todo list, add a new list for "Tesla questions/concerns". When a family member has a question, add it to the list. Before making the journey, spend an hour with your family seeing which ones you either (a) don't really need to know yet or (b) already know the answer for -- and cross those off. Type up the remaining list and print a copy for each family member. Make it a game to see who can get the most questions answered. Then compare (mental) notes after your visit. Anything you don't get a satisfactory or complete answer for, bring back to TMC. I think it would make an interesting thread.

I love this idea! Of course, my kids are 9 and 6 so their questions will be more like, "Can it fly?" "Can I ride in the frunk?" "Can dad still find the music I like to hear to get pumped up before my baseball games?" "How do you play movies in it?" "Can I bring the xbox and play it in the car?" You know, the hard-hitting questions.

The wife will ask: "What happens if I get stranded?" and "No, really. I need to know what happens if I get stranded."

Leads me to a question: How many of you use AAA for roadside assistance? Or do the service plans include Tesla roadside assistance? Getting AAA is pretty cheap and it could provide her with the peace of mind in case, well, you know. She gets stranded.

- - - Updated - - -

If you're thinking about using dominion's EV rate plan you might want to reconsider the twin chargers. Dominion's super off peak window is only 4 hours long. I've needed 80A to fully charge in that window. Personally I would buy the twin chargers anyway to provide the most flexibility when traveling. The retrofit cost is expensive.

Do you know what the different rates are? Is the cost savings really that dramatic?

 

[Al Sherman]

I joined AAA before I got the car. I was doing the "early adopter" "unknown quantity", better be prepared thing. I don't think it's necessary. Tesla Roadside Assistance appears to me to be all that's necessary and pretty much the same thing except you eliminate the middle man (AAA) and the Roadside Assistance people get the ball rolling with the Service Center. Whenever I've used Roadside Assistance I got an immediate call from the Service Center also. I think AAA and Roadside Assistance pretty much use the same cast of characters as far as flat bedding.

I will also put in a plug for the twin chargers. No doubt you'll find folks that have never needed them. While it's never been seriously necessary that I have them, there have been a few times in the past year that I WAS glad I had them. At the very least it's a convenience that imo is worth paying for. Maybe not so much if you aren't getting the HPWC also but there's always the "future proof" argument.

 

[hsctiger93]

OK. So I'm hearing loud and clear the internal lights are a must, even if they only partially solve the internal darkness at night. I did debate this one.

And thanks for the heads-up about AAA vs. Tesla roadside assistance. I have to imagine the better service comes from the SC since they know the car's requirements. I assume it's included regardless of the service plan you purchase (or none at all)?

 

[techmaven]

Do you know what the different rates are? Is the cost savings really that dramatic?

Yes... if your electricity provider is Virginia Dominion Power:

Electric Vehicle Pricing Plan

There is more than one plan. I chose to a have a separate meter since switching my whole house to variable rate would not work out for me.

On Schedule EV, super off peak is roughly less than 6 cents per kWh and runs from 1am to 5am. They require a "dedicated hard wired circuit" installation, which I initially interpreted as requiring an EVSE, but after going through it, interpret that as you will. The primary intent to just to make sure you don't use the circuit for something else. It is a pilot program and is subject to change. At the moment, the program is authorized through November 30, 2016. Whether or not this works for you comes down to EVSE + installation costs vs. energy consumption + possibility that the plan ends.

 

[andrewket]

I love this idea! Of course, my kids are 9 and 6 so their questions will be more like, "Can it fly?" "Can I ride in the frunk?" "Can dad still find the music I like to hear to get pumped up before my baseball games?" "How do you play movies in it?" "Can I bring the xbox and play it in the car?" You know, the hard-hitting questions.

The wife will ask: "What happens if I get stranded?" and "No, really. I need to know what happens if I get stranded."

Leads me to a question: How many of you use AAA for roadside assistance? Or do the service plans include Tesla roadside assistance? Getting AAA is pretty cheap and it could provide her with the peace of mind in case, well, you know. She gets stranded.

- - - Updated - - -



Do you know what the different rates are? Is the cost savings really that dramatic?

It varies a bit summer/winter, but super off peak is around 5cents/kWh and peak is 13cents/kWh. The standard retail rate is 11cents/kWh. If you do the math you'll likely find that it would take years to recoup the difference of the second charger. But I didn't care

There have also been times where I've had to quickly recharge in the middle of the day when my plans changed and I had only charged to 70% overnight. I'm very happy I have twin chargers.

As they say, your mileage may vary. Ha-ha.

 

[hsctiger93]

Yes... if your electricity provider is Virginia Dominion Power:

Electric Vehicle Pricing Plan

There is more than one plan. I chose to a have a separate meter since switching my whole house to variable rate would not work out for me.

On Schedule EV, super off peak is roughly less than 6 cents per kWh and runs from 1am to 5am. They require a "dedicated hard wired circuit" installation, which I initially interpreted as requiring an EVSE, but after going through it, interpret that as you will. The primary intent to just to make sure you don't use the circuit for something else. It is a pilot program and is subject to change. At the moment, the program is authorized through November 30, 2016. Whether or not this works for you comes down to EVSE + installation costs vs. energy consumption + possibility that the plan ends.

Thanks! Oh, and we actually use Davis and Green for our electrician too, so it's nice to see another satisfied customer.

 

[apvbguy]

What makes more sense is getting the ChaDeMo adapter. There are quite a few out there already and they seem to growing in numbers. Chances you find one of those out on the road are much higher than an 80 Amp L2. And the ChaDeMo will charge 2-3 times faster than the dual charger option.

fwiw;
Shop Tesla Gear CHAdeMO Adapter

 

[jerry33]

ChaDeMo is a DC charger, just like SuperChargers. You need to have Supercharging enabled to support ChaDeMo. You specifically don't need a dual charger for full speed ChaDeMo - just like you don't need a dual charger (or any charger for that matter) to do full speed Supercharging.

Right. I guess I wasn't quite awake. :redface:

 

[ABVA]

2. I live in Richmond, VA which is over 100 miles from any SC (Cary, NC and MD are the two closest to me- I'd probably use Cary to avoid DC traffic). For those of you who have a similar situation, what service plan did you get and why? How do you manage "routine" maintenance like tire rotation? While I think I've read perhaps 5 posts since December where someone said they got stranded because their car shut down, I will admit this is the one thing my wife fears more than anything (well, other than clowns). Can anyone who got stranded share their experience, how long it took for ranger service to show up or a tow truck?

Supercharger is in your hometown suburb "Glen Allen". I will be there on Feb. 15 to join up with Tesla owners from FL, SC, NC, TN and Norfolk for "@TeslaRoadTrip 2014 - All Superchargers Lead to DC" event in DC. PM me if you would like to meet us at Glen Allen. Supercharger is next to Men's Wearhouse at "9970 Brook Road, Glen Allen, VA". I plan to be at SC around 9 a.m.

 

[GregH]

What an incredibly thoughtful reply, yobigd20. Well played.

 

[DavidM]

Yup, I was at the Glen Allen VA supercharger station too, just to scope it out. Several empty bays just waiting for you. I couldn't resist shopping at the Mens Wearhouse, right across the parking lot. Great selection and friendly staff. A great way to spend 30 minutes.

 

[hsctiger93]

Supercharger is in your hometown suburb "Glen Allen". I will be there on Feb. 15 to join up with Tesla owners from FL, SC, NC, TN and Norfolk for "@TeslaRoadTrip 2014 - All Superchargers Lead to DC" event in DC. PM me if you would like to meet us at Glen Allen. Supercharger is next to Men's Wearhouse at "9970 Brook Road, Glen Allen, VA". I plan to be at SC around 9 a.m.

Yes, I'm aware of the Glen Allen supercharger. A college buddy of mine texted me a picture of it right after the grand opening. He drives by it a lot and says it's often empty. Probably won't be able to make the 15th due to kid taxi duties between basketball in Midlothian at 9 and baseball around Lakeside at 10. Well.... maybe I can convince my older kid to take a little detour from home around lunch time. I'll PM you if I can make it work or you'll just notice me sticking out like a sore thumb with the 11 year old BMW juxtaposed to all of your great looking Teslas...

So... if you don't buy the 2nd cable/charger/whatever how do you manage charging the car on road trips that don't take you near a supercharger? I'm specifically thinking about my 2x/year trips to VA Beach (250 miles round trip), 1x per year to Bald Head Island (~300 miles one way), stuff like that. Do you bring your cable with you? I've read about mobile apps that help locate chargers. Are those reliable?

 

[JohnQ]

Yes, I'm aware of the Glen Allen supercharger. A college buddy of mine texted me a picture of it right after the grand opening. He drives by it a lot and says it's often empty. Probably won't be able to make the 15th due to kid taxi duties between basketball in Midlothian at 9 and baseball around Lakeside at 10. Well.... maybe I can convince my older kid to take a little detour from home around lunch time. I'll PM you if I can make it work or you'll just notice me sticking out like a sore thumb with the 11 year old BMW juxtaposed to all of your great looking Teslas...

So... if you don't buy the 2nd cable/charger/whatever how do you manage charging the car on road trips that don't take you near a supercharger? I'm specifically thinking about my 2x/year trips to VA Beach (250 miles round trip), 1x per year to Bald Head Island (~300 miles one way), stuff like that. Do you bring your cable with you? I've read about mobile apps that help locate chargers. Are those reliable?

If there are multiple charging stations at my destination (such as my frequent 170 mile each way Boston trips) then I leave my UMC at home. There are enough options that it won't be an issue. If there aren't, or I need to plug into an outlet, then I just unplug the UMC in the garage and toss it in the car. Had to do that on my trip to TN and only used it to charge at my in-laws house. Will do the same thing for my trip to the Outer Banks. These trips don't happen frequently enough for me to purchase a second UMC.

 

[ABVA]

Yes, I'm aware of the Glen Allen supercharger. A college buddy of mine texted me a picture of it right after the grand opening. He drives by it a lot and says it's often empty. Probably won't be able to make the 15th due to kid taxi duties between basketball in Midlothian at 9 and baseball around Lakeside at 10. Well.... maybe I can convince my older kid to take a little detour from home around lunch time. I'll PM you if I can make it work or you'll just notice me sticking out like a sore thumb with the 11 year old BMW juxtaposed to all of your great looking Teslas...

I consider anybody who is interested in Tesla to be a part of Tesla community.
All of us are definitely going to be at Glen Allen through lunch i.e. 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. possibly 2:00 p.m. depending upon when the last long distance (Supercharged) participants arrives and is fully charged. It will be great if you could make it.