Things have changed since I reserved the TMS. I've met a great girl, with two kids, and we're getting a house, which costs about NOK 4 mill (USD 700.000) around here. So my plan to cash out a P85 needs to be reconsidered. I really want to get the Model S, and the time to finalize is rapidly approaching, but there's so much to figure out before I can sign those papers.
Financial incentives are pretty much clear.
In Norway there's an annual tax for just owning a car, which for an EV is NOK 415 (USD 70), compared to NOK 2940 (USD 440) for an ICE: That's an annual saving of NOK 2525 (USD 370). For me personally I'll save about NOK 980 (USD 170) pr month in gas, using Teslas own calculator. There's also a toll road where I'll save about NOK 6000 (USD 1050) pr year. No bus lanes up here.
Total annual saving for me personally: NOK 20.285 (USD 3540).
Insurance costs
Any norwegians out there who can tell me what the Tesla Model S is comparable to regarding insurance?
Financing
The financing option launched for US-customers seems too good to be true. Around 2 % interest a year (from what some are posting)? If they can offer something like that in Norway they'll soon have enough orders to keep them busy until 2017.
Servicing options
NOK 24.000 (USD 4200) for the 4-year plan w/ unlimited ranger visits seems like a significant cost. But I've never owned a newer car, so I don't know what annual service usually costs. Anyway, I thought EV's didn't need much servicing.... The unlimited ranger options seems like the only one to get, living 700 km (435 miles) from the nearest service center. And I don't know when that center's opening either (Trondheim).
Build quality
A lot of issues have been reported, making me glad my res.number is pretty high. But is EU P2206 high enough to escape those early model glitches?
Wheels
Unless they include the 19" wheels when opting for the 21"s, I don't see the point of chosing the 21"s. Looking at the US-prices: The 19"s are free, and worth NOK 13750 according to Tesla with tires, and you'll save about NOK 6000 (USD 1050) if chosing the 19"s and ordering the 21"s later for NOK 29775. But then there's shipping costs of course.
I'd also need to get my car delivered on winter tyres.
Performance or not.
We all know the price-difference P vs non-P, about NOK 90.000. I really want it: Alcantara headlining, alcantara side-cushions on the seats, metal pedals instead of rubber, carbonfiber interior, supercar acceleration. I don't much care for the piping on the leather seats, look pretty stupid to me. Colored stitching would be a lot better, even if the seats look anything but "performance". The option to chose grey performance wheels means nothing to me. If they were black that would be a different story. So, is it worth it to cash out for the P? My current cars are 260 hp and 170 hp. I've been looking at power-to-weight ratios, my cars are 203 and 161 respectively, but comparing an EV with instant torque from 0 rpm to an ICE in this way seems pretty pointless. Model S power-to-weight ratios are not impressive: 65:143. 85:172. P85: 197. Maybe I should recalculate using torque instead....
The way I drive I'd use that extra P85-power all the time... and isn't it important to increase the wow-factor for the passengers as well?
Battery size - 60 kwh or 85 kwh?
At the moment I live 3 floors above the offices where I work, meaning that my daily commute is 30 seconds on foot! When getting a house it will be 10 km each way. The longest trip I regularly do is to our summer house 130km away. Do I need the 85 kwh? I figure yes, for the performance boost only.
Saving money by deleting options?
The tech-package is a must have, and I'm talking about Xenon headlamps, electric rear gate and not having to press the keyfob, in particular. I don't use the navigation. Could I upgrade to navigation software at a later point, for instance if selling the car to someone who wants that?
The air-suspension is also a must-have as the road and snow conditions can be pretty bad, so a little more ground clearance on demand is welcome.
I don't think rare woods of any kind belongs in a car that's supposed to save the world. I'm not a great fan of piano black either, but I could get those surfaces wrapped with CF film later.
And if I'm taking the ECO-theme to the extreme I'd have to say leather is a pretty questionable choice too. The textile seats look a lot better than I feared, though I've only seen pictures so far. Is the lumbar adjustments still removed for the textile seats? The norwegian site says both types have 12-way adjustment. The big question is of course how textile vs leather wears over the years. Tan leather is out of the question. It looks delicious and creamy when new, but pretty awful after a few years.
The hardest thing of all will be to chose the color, but not much use discussing that here
Financial incentives are pretty much clear.
In Norway there's an annual tax for just owning a car, which for an EV is NOK 415 (USD 70), compared to NOK 2940 (USD 440) for an ICE: That's an annual saving of NOK 2525 (USD 370). For me personally I'll save about NOK 980 (USD 170) pr month in gas, using Teslas own calculator. There's also a toll road where I'll save about NOK 6000 (USD 1050) pr year. No bus lanes up here.
Total annual saving for me personally: NOK 20.285 (USD 3540).
Insurance costs
Any norwegians out there who can tell me what the Tesla Model S is comparable to regarding insurance?
Financing
The financing option launched for US-customers seems too good to be true. Around 2 % interest a year (from what some are posting)? If they can offer something like that in Norway they'll soon have enough orders to keep them busy until 2017.
Servicing options
NOK 24.000 (USD 4200) for the 4-year plan w/ unlimited ranger visits seems like a significant cost. But I've never owned a newer car, so I don't know what annual service usually costs. Anyway, I thought EV's didn't need much servicing.... The unlimited ranger options seems like the only one to get, living 700 km (435 miles) from the nearest service center. And I don't know when that center's opening either (Trondheim).
Build quality
A lot of issues have been reported, making me glad my res.number is pretty high. But is EU P2206 high enough to escape those early model glitches?
Wheels
Unless they include the 19" wheels when opting for the 21"s, I don't see the point of chosing the 21"s. Looking at the US-prices: The 19"s are free, and worth NOK 13750 according to Tesla with tires, and you'll save about NOK 6000 (USD 1050) if chosing the 19"s and ordering the 21"s later for NOK 29775. But then there's shipping costs of course.
I'd also need to get my car delivered on winter tyres.
Performance or not.
We all know the price-difference P vs non-P, about NOK 90.000. I really want it: Alcantara headlining, alcantara side-cushions on the seats, metal pedals instead of rubber, carbonfiber interior, supercar acceleration. I don't much care for the piping on the leather seats, look pretty stupid to me. Colored stitching would be a lot better, even if the seats look anything but "performance". The option to chose grey performance wheels means nothing to me. If they were black that would be a different story. So, is it worth it to cash out for the P? My current cars are 260 hp and 170 hp. I've been looking at power-to-weight ratios, my cars are 203 and 161 respectively, but comparing an EV with instant torque from 0 rpm to an ICE in this way seems pretty pointless. Model S power-to-weight ratios are not impressive: 65:143. 85:172. P85: 197. Maybe I should recalculate using torque instead....
The way I drive I'd use that extra P85-power all the time... and isn't it important to increase the wow-factor for the passengers as well?
Battery size - 60 kwh or 85 kwh?
At the moment I live 3 floors above the offices where I work, meaning that my daily commute is 30 seconds on foot! When getting a house it will be 10 km each way. The longest trip I regularly do is to our summer house 130km away. Do I need the 85 kwh? I figure yes, for the performance boost only.
Saving money by deleting options?
The tech-package is a must have, and I'm talking about Xenon headlamps, electric rear gate and not having to press the keyfob, in particular. I don't use the navigation. Could I upgrade to navigation software at a later point, for instance if selling the car to someone who wants that?
The air-suspension is also a must-have as the road and snow conditions can be pretty bad, so a little more ground clearance on demand is welcome.
I don't think rare woods of any kind belongs in a car that's supposed to save the world. I'm not a great fan of piano black either, but I could get those surfaces wrapped with CF film later.
And if I'm taking the ECO-theme to the extreme I'd have to say leather is a pretty questionable choice too. The textile seats look a lot better than I feared, though I've only seen pictures so far. Is the lumbar adjustments still removed for the textile seats? The norwegian site says both types have 12-way adjustment. The big question is of course how textile vs leather wears over the years. Tan leather is out of the question. It looks delicious and creamy when new, but pretty awful after a few years.
The hardest thing of all will be to chose the color, but not much use discussing that here
