Tesla Model S waffling

[ZBB]

Originally Posted by robg

Curious -how well does the AC work?

My e92's AC barely keeps up in 90 degree weather.

It works great... I had it set to 71 and was getting cold yesterday -- so bumped it to 72...

You can also turn on the AC from the iPhone app. I did that yesterday before we left from dinner. It pulled power from the wall to run the AC. we only let it run for about 2 min, but it cooled the interior down 10 degrees before we left...

[ZBB]

So we did the first road trip in the Tesla today.

As I posted in the Yarnell thread, we drove with my mom up to Congress to see the procession for the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Nice drive for a somber moment, and the Tesla did well on the ~150 mile round trip.

Once you get out of the Phoenix metro area, there are no public chargers, so planning ahead is necessary. There are some RV parks near Wickenburg that have 50-amp outlets, and some public chargers in Surprise, AZ (NW corner of the Phoenix area) -- so I noted them just in case we had a problem.

I did a max charge for the first time -- so it had 208 miles of range. I also pre-cooled the car before we left, which cooled it down in the garage using "shore power", and put the car into Range Mode, which reduces HVAC power.

Overall results were:
153.2 miles driven-- mostly kept cruise control about 5 over the posted limit.
43.7kWh used
286 Wh/mile (so under the EPA rating of 300 Wh/mi).
Temps were 99-103 on the way there. 108-112 on the way back. HVAC still kept the cabin nice and cool.

49 miles remaining range when we arrived home. So we "lost" ~6 miles of range, about half of which was while parked (and we sat in the car with the A/C on for about 10 minutes, which cost us 1 mile of range), and the other 3 were likely due to a mix of altitude gain/loss and HVAC.

I did get one warning on the dash -- on the way up to Congress, the tire pressure system warned that it had failed and to contact Tesla service. But it went away after we parked at a grocery store -- and hasn't come back. I've read about the error -- seems to be common and may not be an actual failure...

[kognito]

Wow, you got all the way to Australia on one charge???? (hehe)

[Plaz]

Excellent -- happy for the success!

Originally Posted by kognito

Wow, you got all the way to Australia on one charge???? (hehe)

[JST]

[ZBB]

Looks like Top Gear USA will have a Model S in an episode this summer...

http://forums.finalgear.com/top-gear...to-know-56180/

[ZBB]

So... I heard someone had a Tesla test drive today... How'd it go?

[JST]

Originally Posted by ZBB

So... I heard someone had a Tesla test drive today... How'd it go?

Impressive. Perhaps not quite as mind-blowing as the first one, but that's because I knew what to expect. Even still, the acceleration was unreal. After turning a corner, getting on it, and releasing an involuntary string of curse words at how violent the result was, the dealer looks over at me laughing and says "that never gets old."

My main goal was to try a car with the steel springs rather than the air suspension. The difference is noticeable (though it's been, what, two months since my last drive), with the steel suspension feeling stiffer. But it's fine, even on potholed city streets, and feels just as composed overall.

I think my dynamic questions are all answered. At this point, it's all about whether I can overcome the lingering range anxiety issues. We shall see.

[Plaz]

Originally Posted by JST

After turning a corner, getting on it, and releasing an involuntary string of curse words at how violent the result was, the dealer looks over at me laughing and says "that never gets old."

Awesome.

[zach]

Originally Posted by JST

Impressive. Perhaps not quite as mind-blowing as the first one, but that's because I knew what to expect. Even still, the acceleration was unreal. After turning a corner, getting on it, and releasing an involuntary string of curse words at how violent the result was, the dealer looks over at me laughing and says "that never gets old."

My main goal was to try a car with the steel springs rather than the air suspension. The difference is noticeable (though it's been, what, two months since my last drive), with the steel suspension feeling stiffer. But it's fine, even on potholed city streets, and feels just as composed overall.

I think my dynamic questions are all answered. At this point, it's all about whether I can overcome the lingering range anxiety issues. We shall see.

Can I assume that you'll go with the blue paint?