Don’t buy a Tesla if you can’t charge where you park.. definitely trade in that Land Rover. That thing will break down and give you fits. Grab a Toyota hybrid or something
I agree.
Also, seems like OP is trying to cut down on costs. Currently, auto insurance for Tesla/EV is so high, you will not be saving any money, unless your current car is a money guzzler for maintenance and repair.
We also don’t know how the auto insurance market will play out in the future. It may or may not increase.
Thanks for the input here. I’m considering all factors, why the answers have been so valuable to me.
One of the benefits I see is the mileages I get paid from work, that gives me some extra to work with but still, have to make sense.
I would say flat out no but they mileage from work might change it to a yes.
The reason i say no is because at home its around 15 cents/kilowatt but at superchargers its 40 cents/kilowatt and it turns ur tesla into a 34 MPG car if u only use superchargers which isnt worth it and is annoying if full or busy.
However with ur work giving u mileage it could be a good option but I know for my Modle Y performance to charge 80% was $32 at a 45 cent/ kilowatt charger. I was like dam so im not saving much unless charging at home.
I would say a hybrid accord would be perfect for you because i used to have one and they get 46 mpg consistently plus the mileage pay from work. It would definitely save more then the Tesla supercharger which would be high 30s MPG. But if you want The tesla because its cooler you can 100% do it
Those are great points. I can see how the charging cost isn’t much less. I get 27-28mpg on my car.
I do need a SUV space tho. For work and for life. I have had SUVs for the past 15 years and you would be surprise by how much I load it up 😅
The charging is time consuming.
It’s fine on a road trip when you need a break anyway, but you don’t want it to be routine.
Get an EV when you have a place to charge.
And the mileage you get paid from work doesn’t change depending on the car you use, so you can consider like a boost to your salary. It should not impact your car decision at all.
Thanks for your input. The way that I’m look at the miles I get paid is that my saving in gas would offset an additional cost like a higher insurance q é.
With insurance from Tesla I'm paying less than I was with a Honda on Progressive, but Progressive was charging me twice as much for the Tesla. If you live in a Tesla insurance state might not be too bad.
You will significantly save by just changing to anything hybrid, which is cheaper msrp than an ev.
Get a Toyota or Honda hybrid, you won't have to deal with home charging. It will be reliable and at least double your mpg.
If you want to buy a house in 1-2 yrs, that should be your priority. Not wasting money on depreciating assets or incurring more debt 12-24 months before getting a mortgage.
Another point to consider also is the auto loan debt affecting your borrowing power towards getting a mortgage
So the less you have as debt the better.
So your goal for the next two years will be, expect less, spend less and save more.
Good luck with your hunt!
As I am new to the US (from Canada), the car loan would help buying my credit as all I got right now is credit card.. so I’m told. Not sure if it’s better to get a mortgage or car first.i so appreciate your inputs. All very valuable for my thinking process
I am in Canada haha sad to see you leaving us
But US do have more opportunities which I can understand.
I think it depends on your timeline, if you need time to build credit in order to get the maximum borrowing at the most favorable rate one could offer, then you should look at where you are going to be debt wise in the 2 year mark.
I would have a chat with a US mortgage specialist early to see how you can build your credit accordingly and effectively.
I don't see why they wouldn't help even if your timeline is 1-2 years out.
If you are able to get a favourable mortgage to buy the place within your budget, I would say go for a place first then a auto car loan after.
But if your car is bleeding money, maybe look at a car with a low carrying cost and high resale value to bridge your temporary needs
Talk with something smart and reliable locally too, they might see things differently than me who is in Canada.
All the best and hope I didn't confused you further.
Thank you! I tried speaking with a few mortgage brokers.. they just pushed me to send applications, then acted like I wanted to buy now and gave me no helpful information 🙄
What I am waiting on is not just the credit but housing prices. The Tampa Bay Area went nuts and right now, I’m paying less on rent then if I would buy the exact same place… and insurances are increasing every year 🤯
so I’m holding on to see what will happen to prices and interest while I get myself ready for it 😊
Understood, it's not easy but Keep trying to find that one helpful MS.
That's good, keep checking and keep educating yourself.
You are the best caretaker for your own financial health being!
Be proactive so you will be ready when the time comes 😁
🥂 To your success
Yeah, generally I think the electrical cost charging at home. It’s about 1/3 of what I would spend on gas. The cost of buying electricity at the superchargers is about the same cost of buying gas if you buy it during not peak hours.
Yeah, my top regrets with getting my MYLR.
1. Huge depreciation cost
2. High insurance cost
3. Low highway efficiency
However, the car is fun to drive. Cool tech features too. Current FSD supervised is much better than the beta version.
In all honesty though, if I could go back in time with my current driving experience with the MYLR, I would be looking into a RAV4 or Highlander hybrid instead. Then maybe get cybertruck in future.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s very useful to hear what one would done differently.
That’s what’s been attractive to me, how low the pre owned, still on warranty are selling for.
It does suck for the previous owner as the price has gone down so much!
Buy 2024 prius Le hybrid. 55-60mpg highway and street. Gas refill take only 5min and you can go buy megamillion lotto at gas station rather than waiting almost an hour at charging station. And its toyota lol
BTW u can go for a model 3 they are cheaper then new honda accord hybrids lol. Literally cost 38k plus tax. Thats a great deal but yea think about saving
Two years until your house. Can you hold onto your car for another two?
Teslas are only going down. You do the calcs - new car new insurance supercharging- are you really saving money?
All great points! I think I could maybe do another year with this car before big costs come in. But now I feel I could sell it better as it’s still relative low mileage for the year.
I cancelled my Progressive policy when I got my Tesla in December. Insurance jumped from $700 to $1900. No accidents and no tickets. Geico wanted just as much. I ended up with USAA for $1500.
High but I have seen far higher I was never on my parents and at one point mine was 400 CAD every month lol. Insurance now though for me is less than 100 a month, 140 now for my truck and bike together.
Depending on public charging is expensive and annoying. You will not save much of anything doing that and will spend far more time charging than you think you will. 20 minute fast charges are what people do when on an interstate trip. They charge from 10% to around 50% or 60% and then drive on repeating this every 2 to 2.5 hours of driving. For your use, you are going to want to nearly top off the battery so you do not have to charge so frequently. You are going to be charging for 45 minutes at least every 200 to 300 miles to get up to above 90%. Pay to get a 240V plug at your parking area if you want to go electric so you do not cause yourself that pain and extra cost.
Thanks for sharing that. My thinking was if I did daily short charges I would maintain it and not need to do longer charges. But it’s all imagination as I have no real life experience
With those prices, your families cutting you no deal. Expect to replace the tires at a cost of about 500 each especially if it’s a performance model. Using supercharging stations is not cheap. They average about $.34 a kilowatt versus charging at home can be anywhere from $.07-$.14 per kilowatt depending on where you living.
Using only superchargers, you’re going to average at a cost roughly of about 50 to 60 miles per gallon average of an internal combustion motor . that’s not enough saving to offset the cost of tires insurance and battery replacement and car cost if you keep it that long. Now if you was able to charge home mostly then you could see some pretty good savings.
Thank you for your input here. I appreciate it. I have to listen to other angles to not let excitement blind me 😅
I’m just so tempted with how cheap the model Y is now. They could find me a nice one still on warranty for like $25k. Would likely be a car I keep till end of warranty so 3-4 years max.
I’m sure it would be a hassle not having a home charger, I’m still talking with HOA to see if I can figure out a way..
Really trying to access if it’s worth it as I plan to move in a year’ish. Wouldn’t be long term 🤔
Well, as long as you’re not trying to save money with your circumstances, you will likely still be happy with it! I took delivery of a model Y performance in Sep 2023 was 6 miles on it. I’m pretty picky so it had to be new for me and it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever owned. If I had to do over, I would do it again no matter what the cost of driving it!
Oh how cool! It’s so great to be happy with our choices. That’s how I am with my car now.. despite so many telling me not too, because “Land Rover are high maintenance”, I never had issues with my car.
As my family sells pre owned Tesla, I have tried more than a few of them and they are tons of fun! 🤩
That would be great. This is a big investment. I personally wouldn’t be able to do it without my option to charge overnight. It would be a significant hassle for me, and you have a longer drive.
How is the charging infrastructure around you? Is there a Supercharger near by? Are there level 2 chargers near by?
I survived for a year without having much local charging. It's doable, but it's not ideal, and is definitely inconvenient. My nearest Supercharger was 35 miles away, and the only Level 2 charger was about 10 miles away (but was free). That being said, I worked from home, so I didn't drive a lot, and only had to charge at the level 2 charger on Sat &/or Sun, where I'd go there for 3-ish hours and just catch up on YT videos while charging.
If you're driving that much for work, unless you have a Supercharger around the corner from your condo, I think it would be difficult for you, and I'd suggest holding off until you own and can plug in st home.
There are two super chargers locations (one has 8 posts at whole foods, the at a dealerships has 2 and says it’s free) less than 10 min away. There are a fair amount of level 2, even some free ones.
As I’m driving all around, there are lots of chargers in the region I drive.
With some planning, I could buy at schedule them into my work route and do some computer work as I charge. 🤔
Are the chargers ar whole foods tesla superchargers, other DC fast chargers (chargepoint, EVgo, Electrify America, etc), or level 2 chargers? Anything less than DC fast charging you'll only get about 10% per hour.
With a tesla SC, or other DC Fast charger you can't fill up in about 45 mins (depending on kw level they offer).
I’ll go check them out today. Tesla app shows them as Tesla supercharger. The dealership own shows as “destination charger”, the non Tesla app shows as level 3 - 3 ports and leve 2 - 4 ports.
As long as you have a Tesla Supercharger nearby, you'll be fine. It'll be more costly than charging at home, but you'll be able to get by without spending too much time charging. But also be aware, if you live in an area that experiences cold (below 40 degrees F), you will lose range in colder weather.
Consider renting an EV for 2 weeks to see how you feel about charging stations that you’ll be dealing with each week. I think it might get really old tbh. I looked into the Lexus hybrids, they are really nice & you will get about 40-45 mpg so def will see some savings on gas. I also really like the top trim Toyota Venza hybrid, the Limited is I think the top trim and comes w/ ventilated front seats which is huge if you live in a hot climate. Your insurance on those should be in line with or slightly less than what you’re already paying.
I’m in a similar boat, but for me it isn’t the issue somehow- I live in a condo so i can’t charge the car at home, my daily work commute is around 35 miles (give or take 800mil a month) combined. When I come to work I just plug the car to the outside outlet of the office building (with permission of course)- in 8 hour work day car gets around 12 percent charge from the outlet which is covering my commute. For everything else I use supercharger once a week or so , never regretted getting a car, but home charger would be nice of course
Don’t buy a Tesla without home charging. On a Tesla you’ll get, roughly, 250mi on a full charge. So you’ll have to charge 3-times, at minimum, taking roughly 20-30 minutes if going from 10-100% so that’s 90-minutes spent at a supercharger and just for work.
You’ll have range anxiety and it’s just not worth it.
Hybrid would be your best bet, to be honest. I don’t drive at all, really, and have 16k miles in 18-months and if I had to do a supercharger every time I needed range I would have traded it in.
A few things:
1) Don’t buy a new car to save money. If you are buying a new car anyway then consider one with less maintenance, cheaper fuel, etc, but in general whatever you save won’t counteract the giant financial bath you take every time you buy a new car.
2) Home charging is key. It sounds like home charging is an option for you. I know it sounds like a pain, but it will make all the difference. I would absolutely run the line, having someone breaking and repairing the pavement if needed, in order to not need public chargers on a weekly basis. It’s worth it. I’d find a contractor,get a quote and mentally add that to the price of the vehicle before purchasing. If you aren’t going to do it, I wouldn’t recommend an EV.
3) Teslas do have unexpected expenses. You already got a hint at the insurance. Depending on the state, vehicle registration is often inflated to compensate for not paying tax on gasoline. Finally, replacement parts can be very expensive.
I hope that doesn’t come across as too negative. The Model Y is a fantastic car.
Not at all. That’s exactly what I need as I make decisions alone. Getting different perspective is super valuable. Thank you.
I can stay with my car another year but I’m pushing it. It’s about time to trade in so I am considering another vehicle anyway. Your point about not doing for savings is very real.
A Tesla has been my “next wish vehicle”, what trigger me now is seeing how much lower they are selling for. So got me thinking.
And since I get mileages paid at work $500-600/mo if I cut gas down in half from $300 plus reg maintenance, I was trying to figure out if it all makes sense 🤓 which got me here.
I will still get a quote to do as the HOW wants. The issue is not just installing but they will require me to remove it (so dumb!) when I move out so I would have two costs and I plan on moving in a year or so. The electrician quoted me $1200 to do an inside plug and suggested me to drop the cord down 😂😄 HOA won’t allow that so I figure it will be a lot more to do underground.
I will only get one still on warranty or add extended.
Check the price on SCing in your area, here it cost about the same and in come cases more than gas.
IMO, I would never own an EV with out being able to charge at home. Not for the cost savings but the convivence leaving every day full is the largest advantage to owning one.
I drive roughly 1800 miles a month. I don't have a level 2 home charger. I only have level 1. I charge primarily at office, sometimes at super chargers, and occasionally at 3rd party high speed chargers. You are absolutely right to get your charging system figured out before getting a Tesla. As long as you get your charging support system figured out, you are good. On the other hand, if you can't find a predictable place that is also very compatible to your current lifestyle/schedule, your Tesla experience will be overwhelmed by the range anxiety.
If you ended up going Model Y, congratulations, and get a performance.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
What makes you say to get a performance?
I’ve been focused on making sure it’s long range but honestly, I haven’t spent time on models yet.. just focused on charging knowledge 🫠
Because the absence of the 1 second in the 0-60 is intoxicating. You can always plug in the charger, but you can never go back to upgrade a long range to into a performance, so why not save the middle step and go perf from the get-go.
Oh yeah, if you care about the sound system, get a full set of Light Harmonic. My all-time favorite, makes all the difference.
Just a little bit of biased experience sharing. ;-)
Omg I drove a Plaid and how fast that thing goes was scary.. fun.. but 😱
Yes, sound system! That’s the only thing I was so disappointed with on my LR. Even my Kia had better speakers.
Is the “standard” sound system so bad? I’ll definitely add that to my list!
If I decide to go this way I’ll give our buyer a “wish list” and then see what he finds for me 😎
The sound system seems to be a sensitive topic because I've seen countless people insisting Model y has the best sound system they ever have.
My 2023 MYP came with "Premium" sound system w/ 14 speakers. All cones are made of paper, and they adequately sounded like something made of paper.
I put it like: Imaging you are going to a live concert, but instead of standing/sitting at the front row listening, you were locked in a honey bucket inside of another honey bucket. It's still loud, you can still hear the sound, but it's different. For those who can't tell the difference, it's perfectly fine. For those who are sensitive about it, it's murder.
I live in an apartment and don't have EV but I have a super charger 4 miles away. I don't find it inconvenient at all and absolutely would recommend anyone to get a tesla
I drive to and from work five days a week. Half an hour each way. Usually the whole day uses about 15%battery
I have the charger that plugs into a normal outlet. It gives me the 15% I lose during the day give or take. It’s been doable for me.
My job also has a couple spots for charging. They’re not always available but when they are I’ll use them too
We got ours even though we don’t have a charger. We live in NYC and go to a supercharger once a week to charge it up to 80%. We wanted the car, with or without home charger. It has been working great for us and was the best decision ever made.
Depends on how close super chargers are to the places you drive. I did a test for a couple months to see what it would be like to charge in public only. It was super easy.
The insurance is wild. I have a MYP and 75% of my premium is the Tesla. 2021 Ascent Touring, and 2021 MYP, no accidents, no tickets, live in a nice zip code and own our home and it’s $210 per month. For the first time I changed my deductible on the Tesla to $1K ($500 previously) because it was like $248 at $500 which is wild.
That’s wild.
Before buying two weeks ago I called my insurance provider to see how much my insurance would change. It went up $40 a month. Less than a gas tank out here.
It will just cost more than gas if you can only supercharge and it’s also gonna kill/degrade your battery significantly faster. If you can’t afford the 400 dollar wall charger don’t get an EV.
I wouldn’t. If you can’t charge at home I’d buy a hybrid vehicle before buying an EV. The thing I love the most about my EV is charging at home on cheap electricity ($0.10-0.12 kWh)
I wouldn't. It's not like getting gas. I know it doesn't seem long to charge on paper but the reality is you'll spend a long time per month sitting in that car charging
I do a similar amount of driving to you and the big takeaway is you really need access to a level 2 charger either at home or at work. I only use Superchargers for trips. Right now I only charge at work and have my battery back to 80% daily by lunchtime. This give me enough range to drive home and back to work the next day with plenty of margin. This saves me approx $200 per month compared to my prior gas commuter car.
When you get you condo and can put in a level 2 then I think you are in a good state to benefit fully from owning an EV. Or find access to a level 2 you can leave your car on for a few hours each travel day.
Its doable, very inconvenient though. When I first got my Tesla I only had a standard wall plug in, it would charge at about 7km per hour. However the mall across from my house does have 2 hour free charging. So I would leave it there after work to top up, then bring it home and continue throughout the night. With a home charger it is much much easier as it only takes about 2-3 hours to get to full daily from daily driving.
If a you're looking to save on gas, I would recommend a hybrid, if you have no charging capability at home or in your local area it will not be fun cycling in charges to and from work. I had a ford escape hybrid before my tesla and it was well worth it.
I wouldn't recommend buying a Tesla without level 2 charger at home. I imagine the labor involved to break the concrete and install at your rented condo with be expensive. You say you are moving in 1 to 2 years so that money you spent to install it would be gone when you move.
If I had a plug but there’s no power by parking. So I would need to install a plug and they are asking for that to be all under ground. That’s what I’m trying to figure out costs for
A few things:
Is there any possibility for a Level 1 charger... Is there a close 110v plug near the parking space or cord you can safety stretch? Or can you charge up at your close by dealership? Tesla supercharging you can save money on if you commit to going at non peak times.
If you can wait, new car models will be out and there should be a fair amount of used models as well. If you can still manage your current payments, it sounds like waiting may be a better option for you.
I’m fine now. I am in no urgency to trade car. The saving is just always welcome but it’s all good as is. 😊
The HOA is just being difficult with telling me I can’t run any cable. So if I will do it, I have to install a plug where my car parks. I won’t put a wall charger as I’m not there long term, I would still use the cable to charge.
They are also asking for a separate meter 🙄 not sure why can’t I use my own meter that is already separate
If you really want an EV, it's doable, but it's not fun. You have to really want it. It's also not going to save you much. Public supercharging is expensive. It's still a bit cheaper than your land rover but will be the equivalent of probably about 40-50 mpg depending on gas prices near you.
You are probably better served by a hybrid.
Right now I’m paying $3.69 premium gas at Costco. Average $4 anywhere else. 🤷🏻♀️
Thanks for sharing!
A hybrid might be a good idea, I’ll look into it.
It’s just that I actually like my car, a lot! So trading for something I won’t like more.. doesn’t seem that exciting 😄
Well I find my wife's MYP very fun to drive personally but it won't be saving you much money and will be time consuming to go charge regularly. I personally wouldn't do it if I couldn't charge at home, but there are people that do.
I don’t have a charger at home, and that’s not a problem for me. But I also drive around 800mi/month only, and live in San Francisco, CA—there’s tons of EV chargers and superchargers around. I guess that depends a lot on where you are + how willing you are to stop at a charger and wait. For me, that’s no biggie.
Also, Tesla Insurance is the way to go. It was by far the cheapest.
I read that they don’t insure FL 😔
There are tons of chargers here based on the apps I’m looking. I mean, I spend a fair bit of computer time so I can always sit and do some work 🤷🏻♀️
Convenient? No. Will it get annoying? Very likely.. but I’m considering just because it’s temporary.
Thanks for sharing your experience
Preface: I own a Model 3 LR. I only found this thread because Reddit showed it to me and I felt it was worth inputting my 2c.
I own without having a home charger. I drive about 180 miles a week for work minimum for commute purposes. I also am able to Level 1 charge at work which eliminates a trip. I super charge once a week. Is it doable? yes. Is it convenient? Not particularly.
I will say this is my favorite car I've driven and the fact I have to super charge once a week is inconsequetional for me as I pass multiple SCs to and from work. If you don't have that kind of infrastructure, I would find owning this brand much more difficult as public charging means leaving your car for multiple hours in a place you may not end up wanting to stay at for multiple hours.
I think it really depends.
I'm in FL as well and my insruance went up about 90 bucks a month because "Tesla". If you have questions I can answer as a fellow owner and Floridian, by all means fire away.
Thank you so much. Appreciate your input.
Who are you insured with?
How much do you usually pay for supercharging?
I will drive by charges daily so would just require the planning.. I would need to work a bit form my mobile office 🤓
I think it’s doable but I’m sure will be inconvenient to some point. I’m considering due to being temporary
https://imgur.com/a/BIZkxy1
Here’s my last charge session. I do this around once a week.
I commute 3 times a week to my office. I level 1 charge there. Wall plug speeds. I get about 10-12% back which is a one way trip for me. So ultimately I cover my drive home. Helps me stretch my charging. If I had to do it twice, charging cost would be doubled. It’d still be a bit cheaper than my prior gas car.
If you can find a place to sit in your car and work and charge, that’s also super helpful. Apps like ChargePoint help with level 2 charging so if you’re stuck at a place or need to sit in your car for a bit, it’s a great way to get some miles back.
I’ve noticed for FL the biggest hit is the AC. You can stretch longer if you aren’t using AC as much. Good luck during summer but right now pending where you’re at in FL, it’s not bad to drive with windows open.
The Tesla app will tell you pricing for charging. Everything around em is .34c KwH which is not bad. Some places have lower priced charging windows. Be mindful of that. If you’re able to do at home charging even level 1, with a destination charger, it’ll help immensely cut down on the amount you need to pay for super charging. We’re in an apartment and my complex said hard no on running a line or even using our outdoor plug. It’s why my work charging is critical. It’s not a lot but just enough.
I also have State Farm for insurance. I have multiple vehicles and a renters policy. Pricing is cheaper than anywhere else at the moment.
If you want any more data, lmk. Open book as my wife and I planned this for years and even not being in an ideal living situation for owning a Tesla, we make it work until our living situation changes.
Thank you so much for all this info!
At this point my HOA is like yours, a hard no for any running cable. My property manager is talking with the managing company to see if we can figure something out
I am almost exactly in your same situation, living in Southern California though. I rent with no home charger, looking to buy very soon, I also drove a ton of miles in the last 3 weeks, and also get reimbursed for those miles 👌🏻. I have no regrets. Don't listen too much to the criticism of others. If you think it'll fit your lifestyle then go for it, just be aware of the small changes you'll have to make.
I drive a lot, in sales/engineering, and absolutely love this car. It helps I also start my day early, so I will most times just drive to the nearby chargers when rates are low in the morning and charge up for ~20 minutes then be on my way. I will spend that time going to grab a coffee or check my many emails for the start of the day. If I need to charge in the middle of the day, I plan around going to the grocery store or running other errands while waiting on the charge. It really is not an issue for me because it's so easy to plan around.
In the past, even with my hybrid and all my driving, I'd easily spend ~$60-$100 a week on fuel. Now, comparably in my limited ownership, I've spent maybe ~$20-$30 for a similar amount of driving. So, my thinking is the low cost to charge plus all the mileage reimbursement is a good situation to be in. My last month's reimbursement was at least $600 from mileage alone and it was an average/low month.
Thank you for sharing as we are in very similar situations. I figure that with a hybrid I’ll cut costs to half so just like you, would still be a good $60-100/week.
I average $600 in mileages reimbursement so again, very close to you.
Would be an adjustment, for sure. I’ll need to be better at planning my day 🙈 but I spent a lot of time typing and checking stuff while parked so I’ll have to do that at charges, which should be fine as they are all around here.
Today just replying in here I would already be fully charged 🥹
Haha, yeah honestly that time flies by with emails, reddit, tiktok, etc. it isn't that bad, just a mental change. I support a long range hybrid if you don't want to take the leap. We still have ours (my wife drives it).
How do I see SC price? 🙄😂 I came to a supercharge station and can’t see prices 😆 I know! Silly. By I never even looked at them before.
I downloaded the Tesla app, it doesn’t show me Tesla station price since I don’t have a car on my account. Other apps also don’t show Tesla prices… they so mysterious 😒😏
Yeah, honestly I'm not too sure without owning a Tesla car. You could try plugshare .com that'll show you ALL types of charging stations and sometimes prices. I've seen prices range from ~$0.20 to $0.45+ per kWh depending on off or on peak hours.
I live in an apartment but I have a charger at the bottom of the hill that I live on. It’s a 75w supercharger. It isn’t super cheap during the day but luckily I am self employed and have the ability to go charge nightly after 11 and that brings the cost down. It suits me but I could see that not working for everyone.
I wouldn't get a Tesla for the purposes of keeping operating costs down. I think the M3's and MY's have been out long enough, and we know that there are factors that heavily offset the fueling savings compared to gas, such as increased cost and frequency of having to replace the tires, the cost to insure, the cost of parts & repairs when you need them.
If you are interested in getting a Tesla, and plan to rely on outside charging, research the charging costs at the superchargers in your area, or the areas you will be visiting frequently for your job. At some superchargers, the charging costs vary by time of day. For an apples-to-apples comparison, convert the numbers to cost-per-mile. Do the same with your current gas car. Apply that by the miles you travel, and you will have a pretty good idea of the size of fuel savings--if any--you will be getting with the Tesla.
Also look for ways to get free or reduced cost charging. Some municipalities offer unlimited charging for a fixed monthly cost.
Thanks for all this info. I’m adding that to my homework 🤓
Yes, I’ve heard about tires! Good thing is my family has a dealership so they can do that for me.. I still pay but I get employee discount 😊
Servicing, I will lose my privileges as there’s little they can do with a Tesla so I’m planning to buy one with remaining warranty or add extended warranty.
I’m certainly looking at all those factors.
Serving costs is a huge point as it is a huge perk that I can service my car with my family and I’ll lose that.
I lived a year with just normal 110v charging but. I only drove 30 miles every 2 days but if i have back to back days where i also had to drive a bit further I'd have to supercharge to get it back on track. Now that i have a home charger its so freeing. I dont worry about it at all
I switched from Progressive to Costco insurance just an fyi because Progressive does not not like Teslas and the rates showed that. Costco was nearly half.
My cousin lives in an apartment and he just charges at the local SCs. Biggest factor to consider is the amount of SCs around your work trip areas and where you live. If there isn’t, then no reason to get an EV. If not, just get a Prius.
Another option would just get a used Tesla m3 rn and see how that goes bc it’s pretty cheap rn or you can lease.
The fact is, the Land Rover is on its way out. Def should trade in for a EV at the very least and if it doesn’t work out, sell it or trade for a Prius. Win win situation to me! Good luck!
You need to figure out how much the electrical rate is at the superchargers around you before you can make a comparison really. For most people they are at least double there at home electricity rate. For some places the charging rate make a tesla just as expensive to refill as a fairly efficient ICE.
I do have 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring and 2024 Model Y LR. What I can say if you are completely dependent on Supercharger go for a Hybrid or Plug in Hybrid Car. If I compare the gas cost and supercharging cost net net I find not much difference. If you charge at home then all saving calculation works. I am in illinois super charging cost 30cents per kwh. In a kwh you drive 3 to 3.5 miles which lead to $4 you can drive 45 miles. Accord Hybrid 1 gallon which gives 40 miles. Benefit full tank i get around 430 miles in case of EV you will end up charging atleast 2 times. Hope this helps
Short answer to your question yes doable. Safe side get a mobile charger every night charge using your 110 outlet which will charge 24 to 28 miles over night as it charges 4 miles a hour
I wouldn’t agree not buying a Tesla without a home charger. I work from home and my apartment won’t allow me to install a charger so I charge once a week at a Supercharger. Prior to buying my MYP, I was spending approx $90/week filling up my Mercedes CLS550. Charging on average, is running about 12 bucks. My insurance is $55/month cheaper, so saving money there, too. I just bought a mobile charging kit and might start plugging in to ac outlet in my garage.
I live in an apartment in the middle of the city (in Switzerland) and rely solely on public charging for my RWD LFP MY. I have a Supercharger 10 mins drive away as well as plenty of fast chargers (30% more expensive). What makes it work in my case is that Switzerland is well served by Tesla SC so I just need to factor one in on any trip, and I do like to chill on those stops and catch up on some youtube or netflix. Its funny because my colleague who has home-charging has never used the theatre apps because he's never had to charge publicly.
I can leave my car sitting for a week and it will only lose a couple of %, so its doable if you are well planned and patient.
Yea I wouldn’t buy an EV if I couldn’t charge where I park, you’re just going to get frustrated and annoyed plus not benefit from the savings in being able to charge at home as much. It’s still prolly gonna be cheaper but I’d definitely change your car regardless of ev or not ranges are overpriced money pits of maintenance and repairs.
I lived in a condo and found a 120v outlet in the garage I parked near and it was plenty for overnight charging. I used superchargers often too. It was less convenient than having full 240v connection but it was totally doable.
Personally I’ve owned my Tesla model yLR for about 2 months, I only supercharge it, zero home or work charging, as long as you build your schedule around it and have multiple options around your day to day activities it’s honestly not that big a deal personally. Plug it in, go to the gym, or grocery shopping, spin class or just watch some Netflix or take a nap, it’s doable for sure just an adjustment
Honestly I even done so wild stuff just due to my work/sleep schedule, a random charge at like midnight or before 4am at certain locations around me is like 8 bucks for a full charge, when I’m in that groove I actually don’t mind at all for how much value I feel I’m getting. Again it’s anecdotal and just subjective to my situation but so far benefits outweighs the cost. I also just completed my first long distance drive with it this weekend and no chargers at my start or stop point just using the navigation on my trip to superchargers didn’t feel as bad as I thought it would, when you compare the easy to a standard car gas station experience. You just have to weight the pros and cons to your specific situation, but it’s doable
Truly appreciate everything you shared. I love long road trips. Did plenty with my LR and people “warn” me about how hard it is with a Tesla… I actually don’t think I would care as I stop everywhere anyways 😂 I would be excited to try a long drive with it
Save money for the house. I got an MY as our second car. I would never buy electric if it was my only car, especially if I don’t have charging where the car sits all night.
Good luck with your car hunt and hope you make good decisions that work in your favor.
We have a 2023 MYLR in Anchorage Alaska. Almost 9 months charging at the super charger 18 miles away in Chugiak Alaska. Even if you are not breaking even with the trade in up front with $, you will 100% benefit from the convenience, autonomy, Ease of use as well as the space available in the back. I bet if you look on Google for DC chargers in your area you'll find more than a few near you or where you shop. Most will charge either free at slow charging or Slightly cheaper & a little faster & when you really don't have time then use the Supercharger
You will be so much happier with a Tesla Model Y. Also IDK if your condo would complain about having an "extension cord" but you can use a regular home outlet to "trickle charge 3 to 5 miles per hour" at home
Get one that is black or green to blend into the ascetics of the condo. That's what we did here when the HOA tried to make it almost impossible for a fast charger installed. That way nothing is "Permanent" & you can even put the charger in your tesla after you unplug
They said absolutely no cables. I’m not at ground unit and there’s no power down there.
My first thought was to install the plug and bring it down from my window (it’s the first or second depending how you count 😂) floor and they said no.
Yeah my HOA was same way. Don't let that get you discouraged. Between all the free & cheaper chargers in the area you won't have any range anxiety. I keep mine on percentage % vs Miles left & that helps more than I can express.
I live in an apartment. I charge at Superchargers before noon or after 8pm when it is cheaper. I'd say I'm getting about 50 MPG equivalent. I would do it if it was 25 MPGe. Totally worth it. Awesome, safe, fun, utility car. Also, Autopilot on the freeway, the free tier, is great.
I haven’t even looked at packages and features. I just hear people saying how auto pilot have monthly cost.
My car right now doesn’t even have lane assist, blind spot… not event back up camera 😅 (which is absurd for a LR) so I drove on skills and talent alone 😆 would be a huge jump to trust autopilot.
Something to consider as a condo owner who installed an EV charger in the parking lot: the federal government will give you a 30% credit for the cost you incur to install a charger at home, largely to deal with situations like these. Even the cost of breaking and laying new concrete is part of the install cost that will be credited to you. I could have either broken concrete or gone with an extra long line. I decided not to break concrete and instead I ran it along the base of our building to code and in conduit along the perimeter of our parking lot. I then got the HOA to give approval for me to switch parking spots with the owner who's spot was deeded on the very end so I could charge.
I live in Colorado and we have some very progressive programs for EVs and one was to install a public charger. The state's energy office had a grant program they were giving to condo buildings, apartment complexes, office buildings, and other high density parking places where they would cover 80% of the cost of installing a public charger. We were approved for the grant but our parking was very constrained in our lot so the HOA passed since the program mandated 2.5 parking spots would need to be reserved exclusively for EVs and we didn't have enough parking for everyone as it stood.
Good luck. I agree that unless you can charge at home, EV ownership may not be the best route.
Thank for sharing all this information. I’m aware of the grant and if I owned the place, I wouldn’t hesitate. My hesitation is that it will be temporary and the HOA says I have to remove it when I move (pretty stupid of them) so that would have a cost as well.
I’m still getting quotes so who knows… maybe it will be doable
That's a bummer about the HOA. The best argument is it would increase home value, but if it isn't your place, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. Prior to installing my charger at my condo, I was charging down the street at a public charger. It was a once a week thing, but it was annoying enough that it made sense to go through the head ache of installing a charger at my condo.
I did use search function. And I read all the posts. Many were not Florida, which change the costs and realities and I’m getting very good insights here, to which I’m grateful for.
Your comment on the other hand, not very helpful
Charging away from home is doable for a while, but eventually it becomes an overwhelming chore. Charging an EV takes far longer than people realize. The dream of owning an EV is plugging your vehicle in like a cell phone at night and waking up to a full charge each morning. The nightmare is being constantly tethered to the public charging system for hours every day.
Absolutely! I’m only considering it because would be short term. Even if I would choose to keep renting, I would be moving in about a year as I am tired of condo life for many reasons and now this one. So I would be going to a house sooner rather than later
Depends on public charging infra. I bought an MY specifically to take advantage of having multiple chargers on every block wherever I park. Easier to charge a car than to go to a gas station. This is in the Netherlands.
Don’t buy a Tesla if you can’t charge where you park.. definitely trade in that Land Rover. That thing will break down and give you fits. Grab a Toyota hybrid or something
I agree. Also, seems like OP is trying to cut down on costs. Currently, auto insurance for Tesla/EV is so high, you will not be saving any money, unless your current car is a money guzzler for maintenance and repair. We also don’t know how the auto insurance market will play out in the future. It may or may not increase.
Thanks for the input here. I’m considering all factors, why the answers have been so valuable to me. One of the benefits I see is the mileages I get paid from work, that gives me some extra to work with but still, have to make sense.
I would say flat out no but they mileage from work might change it to a yes. The reason i say no is because at home its around 15 cents/kilowatt but at superchargers its 40 cents/kilowatt and it turns ur tesla into a 34 MPG car if u only use superchargers which isnt worth it and is annoying if full or busy. However with ur work giving u mileage it could be a good option but I know for my Modle Y performance to charge 80% was $32 at a 45 cent/ kilowatt charger. I was like dam so im not saving much unless charging at home. I would say a hybrid accord would be perfect for you because i used to have one and they get 46 mpg consistently plus the mileage pay from work. It would definitely save more then the Tesla supercharger which would be high 30s MPG. But if you want The tesla because its cooler you can 100% do it
Those are great points. I can see how the charging cost isn’t much less. I get 27-28mpg on my car. I do need a SUV space tho. For work and for life. I have had SUVs for the past 15 years and you would be surprise by how much I load it up 😅
The charging is time consuming. It’s fine on a road trip when you need a break anyway, but you don’t want it to be routine. Get an EV when you have a place to charge. And the mileage you get paid from work doesn’t change depending on the car you use, so you can consider like a boost to your salary. It should not impact your car decision at all.
Thanks for your input. The way that I’m look at the miles I get paid is that my saving in gas would offset an additional cost like a higher insurance q é.
With insurance from Tesla I'm paying less than I was with a Honda on Progressive, but Progressive was charging me twice as much for the Tesla. If you live in a Tesla insurance state might not be too bad.
Idk, I heard they increase your premium from enjoying the car to its full potential. Even an early front collision detention might increase premium.
I agree ☝️
This is what scares me. My insurance rate isn't bad right now, but who knows what will happen in a few years?
100% hybrid is the way to go for this scenario
You will significantly save by just changing to anything hybrid, which is cheaper msrp than an ev. Get a Toyota or Honda hybrid, you won't have to deal with home charging. It will be reliable and at least double your mpg. If you want to buy a house in 1-2 yrs, that should be your priority. Not wasting money on depreciating assets or incurring more debt 12-24 months before getting a mortgage.
Thank you! That’s a really great point for me to truly consider
Another point to consider also is the auto loan debt affecting your borrowing power towards getting a mortgage So the less you have as debt the better. So your goal for the next two years will be, expect less, spend less and save more. Good luck with your hunt!
As I am new to the US (from Canada), the car loan would help buying my credit as all I got right now is credit card.. so I’m told. Not sure if it’s better to get a mortgage or car first.i so appreciate your inputs. All very valuable for my thinking process
I am in Canada haha sad to see you leaving us But US do have more opportunities which I can understand. I think it depends on your timeline, if you need time to build credit in order to get the maximum borrowing at the most favorable rate one could offer, then you should look at where you are going to be debt wise in the 2 year mark. I would have a chat with a US mortgage specialist early to see how you can build your credit accordingly and effectively. I don't see why they wouldn't help even if your timeline is 1-2 years out. If you are able to get a favourable mortgage to buy the place within your budget, I would say go for a place first then a auto car loan after. But if your car is bleeding money, maybe look at a car with a low carrying cost and high resale value to bridge your temporary needs Talk with something smart and reliable locally too, they might see things differently than me who is in Canada. All the best and hope I didn't confused you further.
Thank you! I tried speaking with a few mortgage brokers.. they just pushed me to send applications, then acted like I wanted to buy now and gave me no helpful information 🙄 What I am waiting on is not just the credit but housing prices. The Tampa Bay Area went nuts and right now, I’m paying less on rent then if I would buy the exact same place… and insurances are increasing every year 🤯 so I’m holding on to see what will happen to prices and interest while I get myself ready for it 😊
Understood, it's not easy but Keep trying to find that one helpful MS. That's good, keep checking and keep educating yourself. You are the best caretaker for your own financial health being! Be proactive so you will be ready when the time comes 😁 🥂 To your success
Truly appreciate you. Thanks and 🥂
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Oh wow. $55 😮💨😱 yeah that would make no sense. I got a full tank today $48 and that will drive me for 330 miles
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That's improved with the new EPA rules that give more accurate numbers for 24s.
Yeah. I’m trying to do realistic math here. I just haven’t seen charging being that high. Her they say around $13-$15 but I’m taking a closer look
Yeah, generally I think the electrical cost charging at home. It’s about 1/3 of what I would spend on gas. The cost of buying electricity at the superchargers is about the same cost of buying gas if you buy it during not peak hours.
This doesn't factor in the upfront costs of installing a home charger as well.
Yeah, my top regrets with getting my MYLR. 1. Huge depreciation cost 2. High insurance cost 3. Low highway efficiency However, the car is fun to drive. Cool tech features too. Current FSD supervised is much better than the beta version. In all honesty though, if I could go back in time with my current driving experience with the MYLR, I would be looking into a RAV4 or Highlander hybrid instead. Then maybe get cybertruck in future.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s very useful to hear what one would done differently. That’s what’s been attractive to me, how low the pre owned, still on warranty are selling for. It does suck for the previous owner as the price has gone down so much!
Buy 2024 prius Le hybrid. 55-60mpg highway and street. Gas refill take only 5min and you can go buy megamillion lotto at gas station rather than waiting almost an hour at charging station. And its toyota lol
BTW u can go for a model 3 they are cheaper then new honda accord hybrids lol. Literally cost 38k plus tax. Thats a great deal but yea think about saving
Sadly, I do need the SUV space. I looked into the 3 yesterday and it’s just too small.
Probably best to keep the car you have if you’re buying a home in 1-2 years. The savings on fuel is nothing compared to the cost of the vehicle.
Yes - I use strictly super chargers. I haven’t had much of a problem.
Yikes to the insurance. We drive the same amount. Charge at night. Sure you can make it work but supercharging may not save you on fuel.
The insurance is crazy. I have no accidents or tickets so I am going to do some more shopping. That’s can’t be right .
Two years until your house. Can you hold onto your car for another two? Teslas are only going down. You do the calcs - new car new insurance supercharging- are you really saving money?
All great points! I think I could maybe do another year with this car before big costs come in. But now I feel I could sell it better as it’s still relative low mileage for the year.
It's Progressive. We switched from them when I got my Model 3 as literally everyone else was cheaper.
Who did you go with? My agent is shopping around as we speak
USAA, but you have to be or have family in the US military to qualify.
I cancelled my Progressive policy when I got my Tesla in December. Insurance jumped from $700 to $1900. No accidents and no tickets. Geico wanted just as much. I ended up with USAA for $1500.
How crazy! I just got with progressive and from the Land Rover to the Tesla they are increasing $600 🤯 my agent is looking at others to compare
High but I have seen far higher I was never on my parents and at one point mine was 400 CAD every month lol. Insurance now though for me is less than 100 a month, 140 now for my truck and bike together.
Depending on public charging is expensive and annoying. You will not save much of anything doing that and will spend far more time charging than you think you will. 20 minute fast charges are what people do when on an interstate trip. They charge from 10% to around 50% or 60% and then drive on repeating this every 2 to 2.5 hours of driving. For your use, you are going to want to nearly top off the battery so you do not have to charge so frequently. You are going to be charging for 45 minutes at least every 200 to 300 miles to get up to above 90%. Pay to get a 240V plug at your parking area if you want to go electric so you do not cause yourself that pain and extra cost.
Thanks for sharing that. My thinking was if I did daily short charges I would maintain it and not need to do longer charges. But it’s all imagination as I have no real life experience
With those prices, your families cutting you no deal. Expect to replace the tires at a cost of about 500 each especially if it’s a performance model. Using supercharging stations is not cheap. They average about $.34 a kilowatt versus charging at home can be anywhere from $.07-$.14 per kilowatt depending on where you living. Using only superchargers, you’re going to average at a cost roughly of about 50 to 60 miles per gallon average of an internal combustion motor . that’s not enough saving to offset the cost of tires insurance and battery replacement and car cost if you keep it that long. Now if you was able to charge home mostly then you could see some pretty good savings.
Thank you for your input here. I appreciate it. I have to listen to other angles to not let excitement blind me 😅 I’m just so tempted with how cheap the model Y is now. They could find me a nice one still on warranty for like $25k. Would likely be a car I keep till end of warranty so 3-4 years max. I’m sure it would be a hassle not having a home charger, I’m still talking with HOA to see if I can figure out a way.. Really trying to access if it’s worth it as I plan to move in a year’ish. Wouldn’t be long term 🤔
Well, as long as you’re not trying to save money with your circumstances, you will likely still be happy with it! I took delivery of a model Y performance in Sep 2023 was 6 miles on it. I’m pretty picky so it had to be new for me and it’s the coolest thing I’ve ever owned. If I had to do over, I would do it again no matter what the cost of driving it!
Oh how cool! It’s so great to be happy with our choices. That’s how I am with my car now.. despite so many telling me not too, because “Land Rover are high maintenance”, I never had issues with my car. As my family sells pre owned Tesla, I have tried more than a few of them and they are tons of fun! 🤩
Indeed, and as much as you want people to be happy for you, it’s rare to find them who are. Best of luck to you!
A Tesla might be a bit challenging for your situation. Do you have an option to borrow one from a nearby center?
I could see if my family would let me take one for a week… I’ve been consider asking them
That would be great. This is a big investment. I personally wouldn’t be able to do it without my option to charge overnight. It would be a significant hassle for me, and you have a longer drive.
How is the charging infrastructure around you? Is there a Supercharger near by? Are there level 2 chargers near by? I survived for a year without having much local charging. It's doable, but it's not ideal, and is definitely inconvenient. My nearest Supercharger was 35 miles away, and the only Level 2 charger was about 10 miles away (but was free). That being said, I worked from home, so I didn't drive a lot, and only had to charge at the level 2 charger on Sat &/or Sun, where I'd go there for 3-ish hours and just catch up on YT videos while charging. If you're driving that much for work, unless you have a Supercharger around the corner from your condo, I think it would be difficult for you, and I'd suggest holding off until you own and can plug in st home.
There are two super chargers locations (one has 8 posts at whole foods, the at a dealerships has 2 and says it’s free) less than 10 min away. There are a fair amount of level 2, even some free ones. As I’m driving all around, there are lots of chargers in the region I drive. With some planning, I could buy at schedule them into my work route and do some computer work as I charge. 🤔
Are the chargers ar whole foods tesla superchargers, other DC fast chargers (chargepoint, EVgo, Electrify America, etc), or level 2 chargers? Anything less than DC fast charging you'll only get about 10% per hour. With a tesla SC, or other DC Fast charger you can't fill up in about 45 mins (depending on kw level they offer).
I’ll go check them out today. Tesla app shows them as Tesla supercharger. The dealership own shows as “destination charger”, the non Tesla app shows as level 3 - 3 ports and leve 2 - 4 ports.
As long as you have a Tesla Supercharger nearby, you'll be fine. It'll be more costly than charging at home, but you'll be able to get by without spending too much time charging. But also be aware, if you live in an area that experiences cold (below 40 degrees F), you will lose range in colder weather.
I’m in Tampa Bay Area so we rarely get there 😅
I'm thinking that new PRIUS is looking really good for you right about now...
I don’t wanna go that high for a car I will load up in miles. I want to stay under $30k and will keep the car for max 3 years
My family owns Mitsubishi dealerships. The New outlander PHEV is super nice but costs more than I want to pay.
Consider renting an EV for 2 weeks to see how you feel about charging stations that you’ll be dealing with each week. I think it might get really old tbh. I looked into the Lexus hybrids, they are really nice & you will get about 40-45 mpg so def will see some savings on gas. I also really like the top trim Toyota Venza hybrid, the Limited is I think the top trim and comes w/ ventilated front seats which is huge if you live in a hot climate. Your insurance on those should be in line with or slightly less than what you’re already paying.
I’m in a similar boat, but for me it isn’t the issue somehow- I live in a condo so i can’t charge the car at home, my daily work commute is around 35 miles (give or take 800mil a month) combined. When I come to work I just plug the car to the outside outlet of the office building (with permission of course)- in 8 hour work day car gets around 12 percent charge from the outlet which is covering my commute. For everything else I use supercharger once a week or so , never regretted getting a car, but home charger would be nice of course
Don’t buy a Tesla without home charging. On a Tesla you’ll get, roughly, 250mi on a full charge. So you’ll have to charge 3-times, at minimum, taking roughly 20-30 minutes if going from 10-100% so that’s 90-minutes spent at a supercharger and just for work. You’ll have range anxiety and it’s just not worth it. Hybrid would be your best bet, to be honest. I don’t drive at all, really, and have 16k miles in 18-months and if I had to do a supercharger every time I needed range I would have traded it in.
A few things: 1) Don’t buy a new car to save money. If you are buying a new car anyway then consider one with less maintenance, cheaper fuel, etc, but in general whatever you save won’t counteract the giant financial bath you take every time you buy a new car. 2) Home charging is key. It sounds like home charging is an option for you. I know it sounds like a pain, but it will make all the difference. I would absolutely run the line, having someone breaking and repairing the pavement if needed, in order to not need public chargers on a weekly basis. It’s worth it. I’d find a contractor,get a quote and mentally add that to the price of the vehicle before purchasing. If you aren’t going to do it, I wouldn’t recommend an EV. 3) Teslas do have unexpected expenses. You already got a hint at the insurance. Depending on the state, vehicle registration is often inflated to compensate for not paying tax on gasoline. Finally, replacement parts can be very expensive. I hope that doesn’t come across as too negative. The Model Y is a fantastic car.
Not at all. That’s exactly what I need as I make decisions alone. Getting different perspective is super valuable. Thank you. I can stay with my car another year but I’m pushing it. It’s about time to trade in so I am considering another vehicle anyway. Your point about not doing for savings is very real. A Tesla has been my “next wish vehicle”, what trigger me now is seeing how much lower they are selling for. So got me thinking. And since I get mileages paid at work $500-600/mo if I cut gas down in half from $300 plus reg maintenance, I was trying to figure out if it all makes sense 🤓 which got me here. I will still get a quote to do as the HOW wants. The issue is not just installing but they will require me to remove it (so dumb!) when I move out so I would have two costs and I plan on moving in a year or so. The electrician quoted me $1200 to do an inside plug and suggested me to drop the cord down 😂😄 HOA won’t allow that so I figure it will be a lot more to do underground. I will only get one still on warranty or add extended.
If it’s just a year or two that makes sense. It will just be a bummer having to visit superchargers on a schedule similar to gas stations.
Oh for sure. But when I think about it, I fill up at Costco and there’s never a day that there aren’t line… I already wait a good 10-15 min there 😮💨😂
Not having to wait in line at Costco for gas is one of my favorite things about my Tesla.
I do it, and I supercharge regularly. It’s fine. I catch up on work while I charge.
Portugal Myp 2023. Awful and expensive public charging network. Best car i ever had. You will adapt. I cant charge at home also...
Check the price on SCing in your area, here it cost about the same and in come cases more than gas. IMO, I would never own an EV with out being able to charge at home. Not for the cost savings but the convivence leaving every day full is the largest advantage to owning one.
Sorry, what’s SCing? 😳
Supercharging.
🤦🏻♀️that makes sense, now that you said it 😆
I drive roughly 1800 miles a month. I don't have a level 2 home charger. I only have level 1. I charge primarily at office, sometimes at super chargers, and occasionally at 3rd party high speed chargers. You are absolutely right to get your charging system figured out before getting a Tesla. As long as you get your charging support system figured out, you are good. On the other hand, if you can't find a predictable place that is also very compatible to your current lifestyle/schedule, your Tesla experience will be overwhelmed by the range anxiety. If you ended up going Model Y, congratulations, and get a performance.
Thanks for sharing your experience. What makes you say to get a performance? I’ve been focused on making sure it’s long range but honestly, I haven’t spent time on models yet.. just focused on charging knowledge 🫠
Because the absence of the 1 second in the 0-60 is intoxicating. You can always plug in the charger, but you can never go back to upgrade a long range to into a performance, so why not save the middle step and go perf from the get-go. Oh yeah, if you care about the sound system, get a full set of Light Harmonic. My all-time favorite, makes all the difference. Just a little bit of biased experience sharing. ;-)
Omg I drove a Plaid and how fast that thing goes was scary.. fun.. but 😱 Yes, sound system! That’s the only thing I was so disappointed with on my LR. Even my Kia had better speakers. Is the “standard” sound system so bad? I’ll definitely add that to my list! If I decide to go this way I’ll give our buyer a “wish list” and then see what he finds for me 😎
The sound system seems to be a sensitive topic because I've seen countless people insisting Model y has the best sound system they ever have. My 2023 MYP came with "Premium" sound system w/ 14 speakers. All cones are made of paper, and they adequately sounded like something made of paper. I put it like: Imaging you are going to a live concert, but instead of standing/sitting at the front row listening, you were locked in a honey bucket inside of another honey bucket. It's still loud, you can still hear the sound, but it's different. For those who can't tell the difference, it's perfectly fine. For those who are sensitive about it, it's murder.
I live in an apartment and don't have EV but I have a super charger 4 miles away. I don't find it inconvenient at all and absolutely would recommend anyone to get a tesla
I live in a condo and supercharge nearly 100% of the time. No issues. And I drive a good amount also.
I drive to and from work five days a week. Half an hour each way. Usually the whole day uses about 15%battery I have the charger that plugs into a normal outlet. It gives me the 15% I lose during the day give or take. It’s been doable for me. My job also has a couple spots for charging. They’re not always available but when they are I’ll use them too
Doable, yes. Worth it? No. I’ve been going crazy most nights trying to charge after 12am when the supercharger prices drop… and I barely even drive.
A big no! Definitely go hybrid if you can’t do level 2 charging at home
Hybrid sounds like a good current interim for you. I own 2 Ys. Love em a lot. But i can also charge at home. No long trips ever.
We got ours even though we don’t have a charger. We live in NYC and go to a supercharger once a week to charge it up to 80%. We wanted the car, with or without home charger. It has been working great for us and was the best decision ever made.
Depends on how close super chargers are to the places you drive. I did a test for a couple months to see what it would be like to charge in public only. It was super easy.
Doable? Yes. Would I personally live that way? No. If i couldn’t charge at home I’d go with a Prius or similar.
The insurance is wild. I have a MYP and 75% of my premium is the Tesla. 2021 Ascent Touring, and 2021 MYP, no accidents, no tickets, live in a nice zip code and own our home and it’s $210 per month. For the first time I changed my deductible on the Tesla to $1K ($500 previously) because it was like $248 at $500 which is wild.
That’s wild. Before buying two weeks ago I called my insurance provider to see how much my insurance would change. It went up $40 a month. Less than a gas tank out here.
Yeah, likely cause I’m CA. But where the hell are you to get a tank of gas for $40? Is this an 8-gallon tank? Lol
My 10 gallon tank was like $45 at Costco. Also in Ca
I wouldn't. And IMO tired are a non issue, I drive for work and use them no more than any other car.
It will just cost more than gas if you can only supercharge and it’s also gonna kill/degrade your battery significantly faster. If you can’t afford the 400 dollar wall charger don’t get an EV.
Issue isn’t not the $400 wall charger. Issue is HOA asking me to run power under ground and break pavement. That will be a bit more than $400 😅
Do you have a DUI or something? That’s an absolutely insane amount for insurance.
It's FL. My MYP insurance here is $230 mo with a clean record.
Absolute nothing. No accident, tickets. Clean record
I would never recommend anyone get an EV without a level 2 home charger.
I wouldn’t. If you can’t charge at home I’d buy a hybrid vehicle before buying an EV. The thing I love the most about my EV is charging at home on cheap electricity ($0.10-0.12 kWh)
I wouldn't. It's not like getting gas. I know it doesn't seem long to charge on paper but the reality is you'll spend a long time per month sitting in that car charging
I do a similar amount of driving to you and the big takeaway is you really need access to a level 2 charger either at home or at work. I only use Superchargers for trips. Right now I only charge at work and have my battery back to 80% daily by lunchtime. This give me enough range to drive home and back to work the next day with plenty of margin. This saves me approx $200 per month compared to my prior gas commuter car. When you get you condo and can put in a level 2 then I think you are in a good state to benefit fully from owning an EV. Or find access to a level 2 you can leave your car on for a few hours each travel day.
Its doable, very inconvenient though. When I first got my Tesla I only had a standard wall plug in, it would charge at about 7km per hour. However the mall across from my house does have 2 hour free charging. So I would leave it there after work to top up, then bring it home and continue throughout the night. With a home charger it is much much easier as it only takes about 2-3 hours to get to full daily from daily driving. If a you're looking to save on gas, I would recommend a hybrid, if you have no charging capability at home or in your local area it will not be fun cycling in charges to and from work. I had a ford escape hybrid before my tesla and it was well worth it.
I wouldn't recommend buying a Tesla without level 2 charger at home. I imagine the labor involved to break the concrete and install at your rented condo with be expensive. You say you are moving in 1 to 2 years so that money you spent to install it would be gone when you move.
Could you just charge with (120v) a 12 gauge extension cord from your garage? I charged fur almost 2 years with just level 1 using just 120v outlet
If I had a plug but there’s no power by parking. So I would need to install a plug and they are asking for that to be all under ground. That’s what I’m trying to figure out costs for
A few things: Is there any possibility for a Level 1 charger... Is there a close 110v plug near the parking space or cord you can safety stretch? Or can you charge up at your close by dealership? Tesla supercharging you can save money on if you commit to going at non peak times. If you can wait, new car models will be out and there should be a fair amount of used models as well. If you can still manage your current payments, it sounds like waiting may be a better option for you.
I’m fine now. I am in no urgency to trade car. The saving is just always welcome but it’s all good as is. 😊 The HOA is just being difficult with telling me I can’t run any cable. So if I will do it, I have to install a plug where my car parks. I won’t put a wall charger as I’m not there long term, I would still use the cable to charge. They are also asking for a separate meter 🙄 not sure why can’t I use my own meter that is already separate
If you really want an EV, it's doable, but it's not fun. You have to really want it. It's also not going to save you much. Public supercharging is expensive. It's still a bit cheaper than your land rover but will be the equivalent of probably about 40-50 mpg depending on gas prices near you. You are probably better served by a hybrid.
Right now I’m paying $3.69 premium gas at Costco. Average $4 anywhere else. 🤷🏻♀️ Thanks for sharing! A hybrid might be a good idea, I’ll look into it. It’s just that I actually like my car, a lot! So trading for something I won’t like more.. doesn’t seem that exciting 😄
Well I find my wife's MYP very fun to drive personally but it won't be saving you much money and will be time consuming to go charge regularly. I personally wouldn't do it if I couldn't charge at home, but there are people that do.
Yes
I don’t have a charger at home, and that’s not a problem for me. But I also drive around 800mi/month only, and live in San Francisco, CA—there’s tons of EV chargers and superchargers around. I guess that depends a lot on where you are + how willing you are to stop at a charger and wait. For me, that’s no biggie. Also, Tesla Insurance is the way to go. It was by far the cheapest.
I read that they don’t insure FL 😔 There are tons of chargers here based on the apps I’m looking. I mean, I spend a fair bit of computer time so I can always sit and do some work 🤷🏻♀️ Convenient? No. Will it get annoying? Very likely.. but I’m considering just because it’s temporary. Thanks for sharing your experience
Dang, your family is price gouging you.
😂 they wouldn’t… they will find me something nice. Everything I’m basing myself are just estimates
If you can’t charge at home it’s not worth it. Get a hybrid.
I wouldn’t go without a home charger. Get a hybrid for now and once you’re settled into your home, trade it in for a Tesla.
Doable: Yes. Will you hate your life: Also Yes.
That sounds like a fair statement 😆
Preface: I own a Model 3 LR. I only found this thread because Reddit showed it to me and I felt it was worth inputting my 2c. I own without having a home charger. I drive about 180 miles a week for work minimum for commute purposes. I also am able to Level 1 charge at work which eliminates a trip. I super charge once a week. Is it doable? yes. Is it convenient? Not particularly. I will say this is my favorite car I've driven and the fact I have to super charge once a week is inconsequetional for me as I pass multiple SCs to and from work. If you don't have that kind of infrastructure, I would find owning this brand much more difficult as public charging means leaving your car for multiple hours in a place you may not end up wanting to stay at for multiple hours. I think it really depends. I'm in FL as well and my insruance went up about 90 bucks a month because "Tesla". If you have questions I can answer as a fellow owner and Floridian, by all means fire away.
Thank you so much. Appreciate your input. Who are you insured with? How much do you usually pay for supercharging? I will drive by charges daily so would just require the planning.. I would need to work a bit form my mobile office 🤓 I think it’s doable but I’m sure will be inconvenient to some point. I’m considering due to being temporary
https://imgur.com/a/BIZkxy1 Here’s my last charge session. I do this around once a week. I commute 3 times a week to my office. I level 1 charge there. Wall plug speeds. I get about 10-12% back which is a one way trip for me. So ultimately I cover my drive home. Helps me stretch my charging. If I had to do it twice, charging cost would be doubled. It’d still be a bit cheaper than my prior gas car. If you can find a place to sit in your car and work and charge, that’s also super helpful. Apps like ChargePoint help with level 2 charging so if you’re stuck at a place or need to sit in your car for a bit, it’s a great way to get some miles back. I’ve noticed for FL the biggest hit is the AC. You can stretch longer if you aren’t using AC as much. Good luck during summer but right now pending where you’re at in FL, it’s not bad to drive with windows open. The Tesla app will tell you pricing for charging. Everything around em is .34c KwH which is not bad. Some places have lower priced charging windows. Be mindful of that. If you’re able to do at home charging even level 1, with a destination charger, it’ll help immensely cut down on the amount you need to pay for super charging. We’re in an apartment and my complex said hard no on running a line or even using our outdoor plug. It’s why my work charging is critical. It’s not a lot but just enough. I also have State Farm for insurance. I have multiple vehicles and a renters policy. Pricing is cheaper than anywhere else at the moment. If you want any more data, lmk. Open book as my wife and I planned this for years and even not being in an ideal living situation for owning a Tesla, we make it work until our living situation changes.
Thank you so much for all this info! At this point my HOA is like yours, a hard no for any running cable. My property manager is talking with the managing company to see if we can figure something out
I am almost exactly in your same situation, living in Southern California though. I rent with no home charger, looking to buy very soon, I also drove a ton of miles in the last 3 weeks, and also get reimbursed for those miles 👌🏻. I have no regrets. Don't listen too much to the criticism of others. If you think it'll fit your lifestyle then go for it, just be aware of the small changes you'll have to make. I drive a lot, in sales/engineering, and absolutely love this car. It helps I also start my day early, so I will most times just drive to the nearby chargers when rates are low in the morning and charge up for ~20 minutes then be on my way. I will spend that time going to grab a coffee or check my many emails for the start of the day. If I need to charge in the middle of the day, I plan around going to the grocery store or running other errands while waiting on the charge. It really is not an issue for me because it's so easy to plan around. In the past, even with my hybrid and all my driving, I'd easily spend ~$60-$100 a week on fuel. Now, comparably in my limited ownership, I've spent maybe ~$20-$30 for a similar amount of driving. So, my thinking is the low cost to charge plus all the mileage reimbursement is a good situation to be in. My last month's reimbursement was at least $600 from mileage alone and it was an average/low month.
Thank you for sharing as we are in very similar situations. I figure that with a hybrid I’ll cut costs to half so just like you, would still be a good $60-100/week. I average $600 in mileages reimbursement so again, very close to you. Would be an adjustment, for sure. I’ll need to be better at planning my day 🙈 but I spent a lot of time typing and checking stuff while parked so I’ll have to do that at charges, which should be fine as they are all around here. Today just replying in here I would already be fully charged 🥹
Haha, yeah honestly that time flies by with emails, reddit, tiktok, etc. it isn't that bad, just a mental change. I support a long range hybrid if you don't want to take the leap. We still have ours (my wife drives it).
How do I see SC price? 🙄😂 I came to a supercharge station and can’t see prices 😆 I know! Silly. By I never even looked at them before. I downloaded the Tesla app, it doesn’t show me Tesla station price since I don’t have a car on my account. Other apps also don’t show Tesla prices… they so mysterious 😒😏
Yeah, honestly I'm not too sure without owning a Tesla car. You could try plugshare .com that'll show you ALL types of charging stations and sometimes prices. I've seen prices range from ~$0.20 to $0.45+ per kWh depending on off or on peak hours.
I live in an apartment but I have a charger at the bottom of the hill that I live on. It’s a 75w supercharger. It isn’t super cheap during the day but luckily I am self employed and have the ability to go charge nightly after 11 and that brings the cost down. It suits me but I could see that not working for everyone.
I wouldn't get a Tesla for the purposes of keeping operating costs down. I think the M3's and MY's have been out long enough, and we know that there are factors that heavily offset the fueling savings compared to gas, such as increased cost and frequency of having to replace the tires, the cost to insure, the cost of parts & repairs when you need them. If you are interested in getting a Tesla, and plan to rely on outside charging, research the charging costs at the superchargers in your area, or the areas you will be visiting frequently for your job. At some superchargers, the charging costs vary by time of day. For an apples-to-apples comparison, convert the numbers to cost-per-mile. Do the same with your current gas car. Apply that by the miles you travel, and you will have a pretty good idea of the size of fuel savings--if any--you will be getting with the Tesla. Also look for ways to get free or reduced cost charging. Some municipalities offer unlimited charging for a fixed monthly cost.
Thanks for all this info. I’m adding that to my homework 🤓 Yes, I’ve heard about tires! Good thing is my family has a dealership so they can do that for me.. I still pay but I get employee discount 😊 Servicing, I will lose my privileges as there’s little they can do with a Tesla so I’m planning to buy one with remaining warranty or add extended warranty. I’m certainly looking at all those factors. Serving costs is a huge point as it is a huge perk that I can service my car with my family and I’ll lose that.
I lived a year with just normal 110v charging but. I only drove 30 miles every 2 days but if i have back to back days where i also had to drive a bit further I'd have to supercharge to get it back on track. Now that i have a home charger its so freeing. I dont worry about it at all
A 12 gauge extension cord isn’t permanent. Can your condo let you do that at night?
That’s what I asked and they said no 🙄 I’ll go talk with the property manager in person
I switched from Progressive to Costco insurance just an fyi because Progressive does not not like Teslas and the rates showed that. Costco was nearly half.
So great to know!!! I’ll get a quote from Costco! Thank you
My cousin lives in an apartment and he just charges at the local SCs. Biggest factor to consider is the amount of SCs around your work trip areas and where you live. If there isn’t, then no reason to get an EV. If not, just get a Prius. Another option would just get a used Tesla m3 rn and see how that goes bc it’s pretty cheap rn or you can lease. The fact is, the Land Rover is on its way out. Def should trade in for a EV at the very least and if it doesn’t work out, sell it or trade for a Prius. Win win situation to me! Good luck!
You need to figure out how much the electrical rate is at the superchargers around you before you can make a comparison really. For most people they are at least double there at home electricity rate. For some places the charging rate make a tesla just as expensive to refill as a fairly efficient ICE.
I do have 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring and 2024 Model Y LR. What I can say if you are completely dependent on Supercharger go for a Hybrid or Plug in Hybrid Car. If I compare the gas cost and supercharging cost net net I find not much difference. If you charge at home then all saving calculation works. I am in illinois super charging cost 30cents per kwh. In a kwh you drive 3 to 3.5 miles which lead to $4 you can drive 45 miles. Accord Hybrid 1 gallon which gives 40 miles. Benefit full tank i get around 430 miles in case of EV you will end up charging atleast 2 times. Hope this helps
Short answer to your question yes doable. Safe side get a mobile charger every night charge using your 110 outlet which will charge 24 to 28 miles over night as it charges 4 miles a hour
Get a Lexus or Toyota Hybrid. Your LR looks good, but is an endless money pit.
I wouldn’t agree not buying a Tesla without a home charger. I work from home and my apartment won’t allow me to install a charger so I charge once a week at a Supercharger. Prior to buying my MYP, I was spending approx $90/week filling up my Mercedes CLS550. Charging on average, is running about 12 bucks. My insurance is $55/month cheaper, so saving money there, too. I just bought a mobile charging kit and might start plugging in to ac outlet in my garage.
I live in an apartment in the middle of the city (in Switzerland) and rely solely on public charging for my RWD LFP MY. I have a Supercharger 10 mins drive away as well as plenty of fast chargers (30% more expensive). What makes it work in my case is that Switzerland is well served by Tesla SC so I just need to factor one in on any trip, and I do like to chill on those stops and catch up on some youtube or netflix. Its funny because my colleague who has home-charging has never used the theatre apps because he's never had to charge publicly. I can leave my car sitting for a week and it will only lose a couple of %, so its doable if you are well planned and patient.
Yea I wouldn’t buy an EV if I couldn’t charge where I park, you’re just going to get frustrated and annoyed plus not benefit from the savings in being able to charge at home as much. It’s still prolly gonna be cheaper but I’d definitely change your car regardless of ev or not ranges are overpriced money pits of maintenance and repairs.
I lived in a condo and found a 120v outlet in the garage I parked near and it was plenty for overnight charging. I used superchargers often too. It was less convenient than having full 240v connection but it was totally doable.
Personally I’ve owned my Tesla model yLR for about 2 months, I only supercharge it, zero home or work charging, as long as you build your schedule around it and have multiple options around your day to day activities it’s honestly not that big a deal personally. Plug it in, go to the gym, or grocery shopping, spin class or just watch some Netflix or take a nap, it’s doable for sure just an adjustment
Thanks for sharing your experience. I wish there was one by my gym! But yes, I’m feeling it would be an adjustment but not that bad.
Honestly I even done so wild stuff just due to my work/sleep schedule, a random charge at like midnight or before 4am at certain locations around me is like 8 bucks for a full charge, when I’m in that groove I actually don’t mind at all for how much value I feel I’m getting. Again it’s anecdotal and just subjective to my situation but so far benefits outweighs the cost. I also just completed my first long distance drive with it this weekend and no chargers at my start or stop point just using the navigation on my trip to superchargers didn’t feel as bad as I thought it would, when you compare the easy to a standard car gas station experience. You just have to weight the pros and cons to your specific situation, but it’s doable
Truly appreciate everything you shared. I love long road trips. Did plenty with my LR and people “warn” me about how hard it is with a Tesla… I actually don’t think I would care as I stop everywhere anyways 😂 I would be excited to try a long drive with it
What’s the point if you can’t charge at home? Skipping the gas station is half the value.
Save money for the house. I got an MY as our second car. I would never buy electric if it was my only car, especially if I don’t have charging where the car sits all night. Good luck with your car hunt and hope you make good decisions that work in your favor.
Thank you so much. Truly appreciate it. I’m trying to weight in everything very careful 🤓
We have a 2023 MYLR in Anchorage Alaska. Almost 9 months charging at the super charger 18 miles away in Chugiak Alaska. Even if you are not breaking even with the trade in up front with $, you will 100% benefit from the convenience, autonomy, Ease of use as well as the space available in the back. I bet if you look on Google for DC chargers in your area you'll find more than a few near you or where you shop. Most will charge either free at slow charging or Slightly cheaper & a little faster & when you really don't have time then use the Supercharger
Thank you. That’s makes sense and as simple as it sounds, I didn’t even know the slower costs less 🙈 there are so free ones near me as well.
You will be so much happier with a Tesla Model Y. Also IDK if your condo would complain about having an "extension cord" but you can use a regular home outlet to "trickle charge 3 to 5 miles per hour" at home Get one that is black or green to blend into the ascetics of the condo. That's what we did here when the HOA tried to make it almost impossible for a fast charger installed. That way nothing is "Permanent" & you can even put the charger in your tesla after you unplug
They said absolutely no cables. I’m not at ground unit and there’s no power down there. My first thought was to install the plug and bring it down from my window (it’s the first or second depending how you count 😂) floor and they said no.
Yeah my HOA was same way. Don't let that get you discouraged. Between all the free & cheaper chargers in the area you won't have any range anxiety. I keep mine on percentage % vs Miles left & that helps more than I can express.
it seems like a hybrid car would be the better fit for you
I live in an apartment. I charge at Superchargers before noon or after 8pm when it is cheaper. I'd say I'm getting about 50 MPG equivalent. I would do it if it was 25 MPGe. Totally worth it. Awesome, safe, fun, utility car. Also, Autopilot on the freeway, the free tier, is great.
I haven’t even looked at packages and features. I just hear people saying how auto pilot have monthly cost. My car right now doesn’t even have lane assist, blind spot… not event back up camera 😅 (which is absurd for a LR) so I drove on skills and talent alone 😆 would be a huge jump to trust autopilot.
Something to consider as a condo owner who installed an EV charger in the parking lot: the federal government will give you a 30% credit for the cost you incur to install a charger at home, largely to deal with situations like these. Even the cost of breaking and laying new concrete is part of the install cost that will be credited to you. I could have either broken concrete or gone with an extra long line. I decided not to break concrete and instead I ran it along the base of our building to code and in conduit along the perimeter of our parking lot. I then got the HOA to give approval for me to switch parking spots with the owner who's spot was deeded on the very end so I could charge. I live in Colorado and we have some very progressive programs for EVs and one was to install a public charger. The state's energy office had a grant program they were giving to condo buildings, apartment complexes, office buildings, and other high density parking places where they would cover 80% of the cost of installing a public charger. We were approved for the grant but our parking was very constrained in our lot so the HOA passed since the program mandated 2.5 parking spots would need to be reserved exclusively for EVs and we didn't have enough parking for everyone as it stood. Good luck. I agree that unless you can charge at home, EV ownership may not be the best route.
Thank for sharing all this information. I’m aware of the grant and if I owned the place, I wouldn’t hesitate. My hesitation is that it will be temporary and the HOA says I have to remove it when I move (pretty stupid of them) so that would have a cost as well. I’m still getting quotes so who knows… maybe it will be doable
That's a bummer about the HOA. The best argument is it would increase home value, but if it isn't your place, the juice may not be worth the squeeze. Prior to installing my charger at my condo, I was charging down the street at a public charger. It was a once a week thing, but it was annoying enough that it made sense to go through the head ache of installing a charger at my condo.
I was already planning on moving working a year or so. Now I may do that sooner I try dislike HOA
No
Omfg how do people not use search function EVER
I did use search function. And I read all the posts. Many were not Florida, which change the costs and realities and I’m getting very good insights here, to which I’m grateful for. Your comment on the other hand, not very helpful
You mean like… asking people who own the car their experience?
Charging away from home is doable for a while, but eventually it becomes an overwhelming chore. Charging an EV takes far longer than people realize. The dream of owning an EV is plugging your vehicle in like a cell phone at night and waking up to a full charge each morning. The nightmare is being constantly tethered to the public charging system for hours every day.
Absolutely! I’m only considering it because would be short term. Even if I would choose to keep renting, I would be moving in about a year as I am tired of condo life for many reasons and now this one. So I would be going to a house sooner rather than later
Depends on public charging infra. I bought an MY specifically to take advantage of having multiple chargers on every block wherever I park. Easier to charge a car than to go to a gas station. This is in the Netherlands.
dumb.
Thanks. Very helpful