Long distance weekly commute - Model S LR plus

[mshao]

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum and would appreciate some advice regarding using a Model S LR + for long-distance weekly commuting.

I plan to be do a weekly commute from home in Chicago to work in Indianapolis on Mondays and back on Fridays. I've rented a studio in Indianapolis (for the weekdays) with Chargepoint EV charging. My wife and kids are well settled and we aren't ready for a move yet. The distance of the commute will be 205 miles to our house in the city or 250 miles to our lakehouse.

The 2020 Model S LR plus has a range of around 400 miles. And after doing some research, it seems real world range will be around 280 miles. So it seems that I could make it without stopping to charge. But there are plenty of superchargers along the route. Also it would seem that I can safely charge to 90% before the long commute without degrading the battery and still safely make the range. Thoughts?

I plan to install a level 2 charger at our Chicago city house and also at our lakehouse if feasible (older house with weird electrical - will need to have electrician check whether the current system can handle it). My wife has a BMW x5 plug-in hybrid, so we could both use the charger.

My main reasons for thinking of buy a used Tesla are:

1) save about $300 in gas per month (even with Costco gas)​

2) avoid putting 25k miles per year on my Jaguar F-type and running it into the ground. I feel that an ICE will age faster with the miles, but an EV could potentially last 200-400k miles and would be better long-term.​

3) autopilot or FSD mode in the Tesla to make the drive safer and easier​

4) I plan to get the aero wheel caps for 5-10% more range​

I would like to ask:

1) is my plan feasible and reasonable? Does it make sense?​

I have a friend who recommended getting a cheaper Honda Civic or Toyota Prius instead. I don't like the idea, since they will still use gas and an ICE will deteriorate faster than an EV. Also maintenance like oil changes. Also don't get the benefit of autopilot or FSD.​

2) I am considering buying a 2020 Model S LR (373 mile EPA range, 67k miles) from Tesla vs 2020 Model S LR plus (400 mile EP range, 55 miles) from an independent dealer. Similar price for both $37200. Buying from Tesla gets me 1 year/10k mile warranty and battery warranty to Dec 2027 / unlimited miles. Buying from indy dealer provides original battery warrantee of 8 years / 150k miles. Any recommendation one way or the other?​

​

Any advice is much appreciated since I am new to the Tesla world. Planning to make purchase in the next day or so. Thank you everyone!

 

[Raroia]

Hi Mshao,

1) Yes your plan is sensible. It makes sense and you will certainly be able to do both the 205 and the 250 mile trip with some planning with a long range model s without even stopping for a charge if you depart with 100% SOC. I highly recommend you use ABRP.com and try setting up your drives using the exact model you plan on purchasing to get a feel for how feasible the drive is. As you mentioned, there are plenty of superchargers in the area if ever you need to depart lower than 100% charge you can top up and take a quick break on your drive. I would highly recommend not getting a Toyota Prius or similar car, even though they are great cars they are not the fantastic highway machine a model S is. Comfort is also important for long drives and you will be much more comfortable and less fatigued in a model s (as you mention FSD/autopilot are a game changer for long drives).

2) I would say both are good options, if you can stretch your budget a bit higher it might be nice to purchase a mid 2021 or 2022 refreshed model as many people find it to be a much nicer car. They are hovering around low 50s and I have seen a few drop below 50$ recently. I would always recommend getting the latest model year you can as Tesla makes updates continuously to their vehicles and this gives you longer HV battery warranty coverage. For example, I would say one of the most important updates they have made are the Matrix LED headlights which I believe only started in late 2021 or 2022 for the model s.

General comments: I have owned many cars in my life ranging from honda civic to porsche 911 and anything in between. I have never been so happy driving a car daily and on roadtrips than I am with my model S. It is a fantastic vehicle. That being said I would highly recommend thoroughly inspecting and test driving any model s you are interested in as they seem to have some variation in noise and finish quality from one year to the other.

Final comment is that overnight level 2 charging is critical for full enjoyment of an EV. This way you start every day with a "full tank" and very rarely need to charge during the day unless you are on a roadtrip that exceeds your 100% range. With overnight charging you will in fact forget about ever needing to charge and spend much less time "filling" up than you would even in an ICE car. In your case it also allows you to arrive at a very low SOC at your home or work with no concern for having to travel somewhere to charge afterwards. There is a saying in the EV world "ABC" always be charging when the vehicle is not in use.

I will also say that in your case having unlimited mileage coverage on the HV battery could be a deciding factor based on your planned use and the mileage of the model s you are looking at.

 

[mshao]

Thank you Raroia very much for these insights! This is quite helpful and much appreciated!

 

[Leftlane22]

I have a 22 Plaid on 19” wheels that was originally rated for 396 miles. Almost every week I drive 300+ miles each way around Texas, and it has been a breeze. There are enough SC stations on all my routes, and I have a tiny bladder, so I would be stopping anyway. I do have a charger installed at home, and I charge to 100% overnight before I leave for the week, then to 80% at SCs as needed. I have had zero issues making it work and actually enjoy a little break from driving and not being in a rush. You can definitely do it and I don’t think it will even be a hassle.

 

[mshao]

Thank you @Leftlane22 !