Soon-To-Be Roadster Owner in 2015

[DeedWest]

Thank you guys so much for the input! I've heard great things about OMVS, and am dying to dig into what it's really about & what it takes to install it.

@Djp - I thank you for making my heart explode with joy. That's one of the most beautiful photos I've seen. Is that yours?

@GVTesla - Given that I'm in Dallas, my search has been anywhere only in the U.S. for quite awhile now. I really appreciate the thought, although I'm fairly sure most of the EU cars are right hand drive (can someone confirm?). But no worries, really! I'm highly patient (yet very impatient) on waiting for my perfect match to show up in the Roadster market.

As for the charging, I'm hoping with at least the 240V connector, I could get decent charging time relevant to my average driving distance daily, at least until I can find a Roadster HPWC / they're magically back in stock someday. Has anyone had a 240V plug installed in their garage to use the 240 mobile connector as a main charger?

 

[dhrivnak]

Has anyone had a 240V plug installed in their garage to use the 240 mobile connector as a main charger?

I did this and when I later got a HPC rather than wire directly I wired a plug and use the outlet I initially put in for the mobile connector.

 

[wiztecy]

I converted a 30 amp dryer outlet to a 50 amp / nema 14-50 (240V) outlet (done to code). I use my MC240 tank of a mobile charger that came with my 1.5 which charges @ 30amps as my dedicated home charging station. I picked up a less UMC charger (less durable) that's stashed in the Roadster as my mobile charging solution.

 

[ecarfan]

I'm fairly sure most of the EU cars are right hand drive (can someone confirm?).

I believe the only European Roadsters that would be right hand drive were sold in Britain.

 

[djp]

@Djp - I thank you for making my heart explode with joy. That's one of the most beautiful photos I've seen. Is that yours?

As for the charging, I'm hoping with at least the 240V connector, I could get decent charging time relevant to my average driving distance daily, at least until I can find a Roadster HPWC / they're magically back in stock someday. Has anyone had a 240V plug installed in their garage to use the 240 mobile connector as a main charger?

Yes, that's VIN939 on a rainy fall day in Toronto. A photogtapher on the street caught me as I was making a left hand turn and posted it to his Tumblr.

I'm using the UMC on a NEMA 14-50 outlet as my primary charger. I'd guess that the majority of Roadster owners do the same.

 

[GVTesla]

Although I'm fairly sure most of the EU cars are right hand drive (can someone confirm?). But no worries, really! I'm highly patient (yet very impatient) on waiting for my perfect match to show up in the Roadster market.

As for the charging, I'm hoping with at least the 240V connector, I could get decent charging time relevant to my average driving distance daily, at least until I can find a Roadster HPWC / they're magically back in stock someday. Has anyone had a 240V plug installed in their garage to use the 240 mobile connector as a main charger?

Most EU cars are left hand drive. Only UK-spec is right hand.

@ Charging I use both the spare (230V/13A) and the mobile charger as main charger (230V/24A and 32A). At public stations I use a Roadster to Mennekes 32A cable. No HPWC here, never missed it too.

 

[DeedWest]

That's awesome to hear regarding the NEMA 14-50. I am currently looking at a 2.5 that comes with said cable, and it seems like it'd be perfect for me to use at home.

Question for Roadster 2.5 owners with Electronics Group - does the Alpine navigation unit have an AUX cord input? For the life of me, I can't find the answer to this.

Question for owners of Very Orange color: have any of you had raised insurance due to the color? Thanks in advance!

 

[adiggs]

Yes, that's VIN939 on a rainy fall day in Toronto. A photogtapher on the street caught me as I was making a left hand turn and posted it to his Tumblr.

I'm using the UMC on a NEMA 14-50 outlet as my primary charger. I'd guess that the majority of Roadster owners do the same.

I'm one of those number - making use of a NEMA 14-50 outlet in the garage and the UMC as my primary charger. Seems like the lowest angst route to achieving the objective, and we've got the cable rigged up so its hanging right there next to where we park the car, ready to be plugged in.

 

[hcsharp]

That's awesome to hear regarding the NEMA 14-50. I am currently looking at a 2.5 that comes with said cable, and it seems like it'd be perfect for me to use at home.

Question for Roadster 2.5 owners with Electronics Group - does the Alpine navigation unit have an AUX cord input? For the life of me, I can't find the answer to this.

Question for owners of Very Orange color: have any of you had raised insurance due to the color? Thanks in advance!

My Alpine unit has a USB input that is normally connected to an older-style iPhone cable. You can connect almost anything to the USB cable. You can also stream via Bluetooth.

I don't think Very Orange comes with higher insurance cost but it has been known to keep people awake at night.:biggrin:

 

[DeedWest]

Haha. I can see that! I must say...I never expected potentially I'd end up with an orange one, but I really can't say there's a single Roadster color I DON'T like, especially in the 2.5.

Are there any active Roadster owners on here in the Houston area willing to check out my potential new car for me? I'm interested to see the CAC, and check anything else that would be imperative to look at before signing the dotted line. I'd hate to ask, but it would be tough to make it down there on my own, as I'm planning on having the car shipped up to Dallas.

 

[ecarfan]

Question for owners of Very Orange color: have any of you had raised insurance due to the color? Thanks in advance!

This is a serious question?

My insurance company did not ask me the color of my Roadster before quoting me a price for my Very Orange Roadster. They really don't care what color the car is.

 

[DeedWest]

I'm mainly kidding. I truly am, however, curious of the bump (or not) in insurance for this car. Please excuse all of my new guy questions!

 

[jimmyz80]

Mine isn't Very Orange but it's also a very loud color being Fusion Red. My insurance company never asked what color it was, and my insurance ended up only being about $30/mo more than it was for the Nissan LEAF it replaced.

 

[hcsharp]

My insurance company asked how much the car cost. In that respect some colors increase your insurance because they were optional and cost more. Very Orange was one of those. In person it's a beautiful color with lots of depth. Pictures don't do it justice.

 

[heychubs]

Haha. I can see that! I must say...I never expected potentially I'd end up with an orange one, but I really can't say there's a single Roadster color I DON'T like, especially in the 2.5.

Excellent choices in color! You'll enjoy this picture. My sister was kind enough to loan me her Very Orange 2.5 Sport for several weeks before mine came. I snapped this grainy cell phone picture in my garage a couple months back, as soon as mine came.

 

[DeedWest]

That is exactly what I wanted to know. Thanks guys! I really appreciate it.

And @heychubs - AAHHHHH! That's the most wonderful photo ever. Completely relevant to my story here. Do you mind if I save that to my camera roll? Also, how great was it to drive around a 2.5 Sport for awhile before yours came?

 

[heychubs]

@heychubs - AAHHHHH! That's the most wonderful photo ever. Completely relevant to my story here. Do you mind if I save that to my camera roll? Also, how great was it to drive around a 2.5 Sport for awhile before yours came?

Sure, you can save the pics. It was fantastic to drive! She told me it was because she felt bad for my commute (bay area, CA traffic is really bad), but secretly I think it's because she wanted me to join her in the Roadster owners club by knowing that once I drove it, I would want one. haha

 

[DeedWest]

Haha that's the best plan of all! I hope to infect everyone I take for a drive with what I call "Roadsteritis" when mine arrives. And man, I wish my sister was cool like that. She just picked up one of less than five Dodge Challenger Hellcats in the DFW area yesterday with her boyfriend. Cool cars no doubt, but I'm polar opposite in my taste. She also drives a Raptor. I look forward to taking photos of the Roadster next to that giant eyesore of a truck...haha.

 

[ecarfan]

I'm mainly kidding. I truly am, however, curious of the bump (or not) in insurance for this car. Please excuse all of my new guy questions!

No worries, and my apologies

My insurance increased by $80/month compared to what I was paying to insure a 2009 Porsche Cayman (which I sold just before getting the Roadster). I have USAA.

Obviously that's a big increase! I was told the new rate was primarily based on the original price of the Roadster when new. When new it was almost twice the price of the Cayman.

Yes I could find cheaper insurance, but I don't think it would be as good as USAA.

 

[wiztecy]

No worries, and my apologies 

I was told the new rate was primarily based on the original price of the Roadster when new. When new it was almost twice the price of the Cayman.

So does that mean if the Roadster is totaled, they'll comp you the full price of what the Roadster was new? If not it sounds a little scam-ish, meaning why pay a price of what the car was new for insurance when they'd only pay you today's market due to depreciation which would be close to half?

Also if it does not get totaled do you have a say to say hey, I want you to own the car now since I payed full price based on what the car was new? I want to be paid full price of what the Roadster cost new.

With insurance, shop around. My Roadster is fully covered and I have my full size 4wd pickup as well as my 4wd jeep covered with only liability for $800 for all (Liberty Mutual). Before that my insurance broker said my insurance would only go up $400 to fully cover the Roadster, up from $600. Then I got my bill, they wanted $1700 for only 6 months for just the Roadster.