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> Charging a Model S over an american household plug takes 3 days. … from zero to full. If you just want to top up the 30-40 miles that are driven in a day, t

by csa 4y ago

> Charging a Model S over an american household plug takes 3 days. … from zero to full. If you just want to top up the 30-40 miles that are driven in a day, then 10-12 hours overnight is fine with a regular plug. People ask me all the time about how long it takes me to charge my tesla. I tell them that it’s a different mentality than ICE cars: 1. Instead of a cycle of low/empty —> full —> low/empty, it’s a cycle of use —> top up when not using —> use. For most people, a regular wall outlet is fine. 2. If a regular wall outlet is used as the main charging source, then a supercharger may need to be used after long trips to top up. If you have days when you don’t drive much or at all (e.g., if you work from home or have a short commute), then even this can be skipped since you will eventually get full. 3. For road trips, something people seem to think requires long wait times, aim to keep the battery in approximately the 20-60% charge range. This allows for two hour recurring range with a margin for error while maximizing battery charge speed at super chargers. Typical charging time will be the amount of time it takes to go to the bathroom and get something to drink plus maybe a short stretch if those things go very fast. For me personally, bathroom and drink of some sort at a nearby Starbucks (which are frequently near superchargers) is almost perfect timing. 4. The only genuinely sucky thing about EV charging is road trips during peak travel times, especially holidays. The current infrastructure doesn’t handle peak demand well, but I think that will be fixed over time.

Gordonjcp 4y ago
> If you just want to top up the 30-40 miles that are driven in a day, then 10-12 hours overnight is fine with a regular plug. Okay, but you probably live in a city in the US, where you don't really drive. I live in Scotland, and I use my vehicle for work. I don't think I've done less than 100 miles any time I've put the keys in the ignition in years, and quite often I fill the tank a couple of times a day (dual-fuel LPG and petrol) or just burn the dirty stuff. I don't really "get" what Teslas are for. I don't need something that can accelerate to 60mph faster than if it had been thrown off a cliff - I can't imagine why you'd ever need to accelerate to 60mph flat out - and I don't really have a use for something that'll get me to work and then need charged for three days. Also given that with the cost of electricity and the cost of propane the way it is, it's actually cheaper to drive a V8 Range Rover than a Telsa, I'm just not convinced.
- csa 4y ago
  Maybe all of these things are true in Scotland, especially your part of Scotland. In your particular use case, it would be prudent to have a faster charger installed at your home. It’s an additional expense, but your use case is not typical, so I don’t think that’s unreasonable. With a slightly faster charger, you can go from low to full overnight. I have a $20 adapter that can plug into my dryer outlet (which is next to my garage) for days I take long day trips. The only folks I know who drive over 100 miles minimum every time they drive is folks with long commutes, salespeople, and folks who live in extremely rural areas. For some of those folks, EVs may not be the right car for them. That’s ok — different people have different needs in vehicles. The reasons I like my Tesla: - I live in a relatively small beach town/city, so almost everyone drives. Some things are close. Others are not. 10 miles to the center of town. - very low maintenance. Just tires, windshield wiper fluid, and air filter. Maybe brakes after 5-7 years (probably will not own it then). - no gas stations while starting each day at full. It’s easy to charge in my garage. Not everyone has a garage, but superchargers are very common where I am, and it’s easy to charge while shopping if necessary. - it’s relatively quiet in the car - the ride is smooth - the acceleration is good on a few short on ramps that are unfortunately too common in my part of California. Otherwise, I drive fairly conservatively. - I love the clean dash design. I also love the voice controls and screen controls (when needed, which is rare). - the autopilot is very useful for my use case. - overall a very positive driving experience. It’s just fun to drive. - Total cost of ownership is relatively low, although the purchase price is high. When I bought my model y, the purchase price was comparable to a highlander hybrid, but the cost of ownership after purchase is much lower for the Tesla (mainly due to less maintenance). Overall, my comment to people is that you will be miserable if you bring an ICE mentality to an EV. But the opposite is also true — bringing an EV mentality to an ICE vehicle will be a miserable experience. ICE and EVs just have different patterns of use, especially regarding refueling/recharging and maintenance.

by csa 4y ago

Gordonjcp 4y ago

> If you just want to top up the 30-40 miles that are driven in a day, then 10-12 hours overnight is fine with a regular plug. Okay, but you probably live in a city in the US, where you don't really drive. I live in Scotland, and I use my vehicle for work. I don't think I've done less than 100 miles any time I've put the keys in the ignition in years, and quite often I fill the tank a couple of times a day (dual-fuel LPG and petrol) or just burn the dirty stuff. I don't really "get" what Teslas are for. I don't need something that can accelerate to 60mph faster than if it had been thrown off a cliff - I can't imagine why you'd ever need to accelerate to 60mph flat out - and I don't really have a use for something that'll get me to work and then need charged for three days. Also given that with the cost of electricity and the cost of propane the way it is, it's actually cheaper to drive a V8 Range Rover than a Telsa, I'm just not convinced.

csa 4y ago
Maybe all of these things are true in Scotland, especially your part of Scotland. In your particular use case, it would be prudent to have a faster charger installed at your home. It’s an additional expense, but your use case is not typical, so I don’t think that’s unreasonable. With a slightly faster charger, you can go from low to full overnight. I have a $20 adapter that can plug into my dryer outlet (which is next to my garage) for days I take long day trips. The only folks I know who drive over 100 miles minimum every time they drive is folks with long commutes, salespeople, and folks who live in extremely rural areas. For some of those folks, EVs may not be the right car for them. That’s ok — different people have different needs in vehicles. The reasons I like my Tesla: - I live in a relatively small beach town/city, so almost everyone drives. Some things are close. Others are not. 10 miles to the center of town. - very low maintenance. Just tires, windshield wiper fluid, and air filter. Maybe brakes after 5-7 years (probably will not own it then). - no gas stations while starting each day at full. It’s easy to charge in my garage. Not everyone has a garage, but superchargers are very common where I am, and it’s easy to charge while shopping if necessary. - it’s relatively quiet in the car - the ride is smooth - the acceleration is good on a few short on ramps that are unfortunately too common in my part of California. Otherwise, I drive fairly conservatively. - I love the clean dash design. I also love the voice controls and screen controls (when needed, which is rare). - the autopilot is very useful for my use case. - overall a very positive driving experience. It’s just fun to drive. - Total cost of ownership is relatively low, although the purchase price is high. When I bought my model y, the purchase price was comparable to a highlander hybrid, but the cost of ownership after purchase is much lower for the Tesla (mainly due to less maintenance). Overall, my comment to people is that you will be miserable if you bring an ICE mentality to an EV. But the opposite is also true — bringing an EV mentality to an ICE vehicle will be a miserable experience. ICE and EVs just have different patterns of use, especially regarding refueling/recharging and maintenance.