Thứ Năm, 5 tháng 1, 2017

Tips for new Tesla owners. part 2

  • May 15, 2016
    beantobe
    It is rated for outdoor use.
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  • May 15, 2016
    gregd
    A couple of comments on the earlier comments...

    The UMC in the picture (the one found) is for the Roadster. Interestingly, it's got a lot of warning text on the back, but nothing regarding indoor/outdoor use. Seems pretty well built, however, I've only used mine indoors, with the 10-30 pigtail (240v / 24a dryer plug). Works flawlessly, but I am very careful to not bang it around (I don't have a wall charger). This UMC doesn't lock, but that's a Roadster thing. The MS and MX, I believe, do lock the cord to the car, regardless of what's on the other end of the cable.

    The deal with maintaining healthy batteries, from what I've gathered, is that besides being happiest between 20% and 80%, they withstand high loads best when more fully charged. So if you're playing with Ludicrous mode, or generally hot-rodding around, do it at the 80% end of the charge spectrum, not the 20%. I try to keep my Roadster above 50%, as it's hard not to punch it from time to time. I'm very lucky to have L2 charging at the office, so I charge there most of the time (commute is 60 miles of range, round trip), and using the home charging Friday evening for weekend excursions.

    A cool (not ice cold) battery is also a happy battery, so I also give the car a 30-45 minute "Range mode" charge when I get home in the summer. For the Roadster, this helps it actively cool the battery, though I expect the M3 will not need this sort of manual treatment. The point is, that leaving the car plugged in whenever possible will give the car's internal maintenance capabilities the maximum flexibility to keep everything running at its best.
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  • May 16, 2016
    jerry33
    Yes, the HPWC is rated for outdoor use
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  • May 22, 2016
    mzairboy
    The Tesla website says the wall charging unit is rated for outdoor use. I am considering purchasing one, but it would be mounted outdoors in a dusty environment. I assume it would be good practice to clean the part that plugs into the vehicle often?

    Is the UMC also rated for outdoor use? It does not say on the website. I don't want to have my car plugged in outside and a rainstorm ruins the unit.

    I'm basically looking for real life scenarios on how people charge their car. I've seen some nifty setups with suspended charging cables in the garage, but I don't currently have a garage.
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  • May 22, 2016
    cpa
    For protection of the HPWC, you could always place the plug in a plastic baggie secured by a rubber band or a bakery-bag type tie. I have used my UMC outdoors several times when I have charged at campgrounds or similar locations. However, I have never kept the UMC outdoors. I have always replaced it inside the trunk when done charging.
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  • May 22, 2016
    GoTslaGo
    If you use the hpwc it plugs right into the tesla. No umc needed.

    Umc for other power outlet options (14-50 etc...).
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  • May 22, 2016
    timk225
    One thing I am thinking of doing with my Model 3 when I get it is running a long, heavy duty, possibly custom made extension cord from my apartment, 30-40 feet to the car, and have the cord go into the trunk which stays LOCKED. Only problem is that I need a gap somewhere large enough to run the extension cord IN and the charging cable OUT to plug into the side of the car.

    And it needs to be easily accessible enough to be convenient and no more than a 30 second disruption to unplug everything when I am coming out of the apartment on my way to work. Open trunk, 2 unplugs, close trunk, hang the extension cord up on a hanger on the side of my apartment, go.
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  • May 22, 2016
    timk225
    And who can tell me something about the battery heating system, to keep it warmed up overnight in sub-freezing winter weather? I presume the battery has an internal heating system that draws power from itself and circulated heat through the whole battery pack?

    And this amount of heat can be regulated through the smartphone app or touch screen in the car?
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  • May 22, 2016
    mblakele
    By design the TMS battery pack controls its temperature without user intervention. You can enable "smart preconditioning", but you may find it counterproductive. You can warm the cabin from the app, and the manual says that this affects the battery (p47 in my copy). Most of the advice in the manual amounts to "keep it plugged in whenever possible".
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  • May 23, 2016
    JeffK
    When it's plugged in overnight and you use the app the heat the car before you leave, the battery will warm itself up using power from the house instead of draining your battery.
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  • May 23, 2016
    jerry33
    Set the timer so that the charge finished about the time you start to drive. About thirty minutes before driving start the preconditioning from the app. The cabin temperature can be set from the App. Preconditioning draws power from the wall when the car is plugged in.
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  • May 23, 2016
    eisbock
    This is exactly along the lines of what I was thinking, but I doubt we're gonna find any gaps. This would not be good for rain and you'd more than likely have to modify the trunk yourself. Not looking forward to beating up my new car so soon!

    I suppose maybe a lockbox that houses the UMC + the UMC/Ext cord connection would suffice. Then shove that under your car out of the way. It's not perfect, and if somebody really wants to steal your *sugar*, they will, but maybe if you're worried about that, you should move somewhere else.
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  • May 23, 2016
    setheryb
    Over here on the other side of the state, my rates are 'massively' cheaper than yours at $0.06/KWh ;) It is one of the advantages of our area. That and the lack of sales tax on EVs up to $35k
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  • May 23, 2016
    setheryb
    Question...so we've put $1000 to reserve our spot for the 3. And then when it comes time to order we have to put another $2,500 to place the order, correct?

    So does that mean that when we go to lease or finance the car, that $3,500 we've already paid will be taken from the final price?
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  • May 23, 2016
    Boourns
    ^ Not sure where you are getting the extra $2500. It is possible I missed it, though.

    But generally, yes, whatever money you have put down to reserve the car will be taken off the final price.
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  • May 23, 2016
    setheryb
    I got the $2,500 from this How ordering works
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  • May 23, 2016
    setheryb
    Though maybe it's not an additional $2,500 but only $1,500 for a total of $2,500
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  • May 23, 2016
    melindav
    The first $32k is sales tax exempt - not $35k. Until the law was modified earlier this year, an EV up to $35k was tax free ($35k+ full tax rate). When they updated it, cars (base MSRP) $35,000-$42,500 now qualify for no tax on the first $32,000.
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  • May 23, 2016
    nd4spd569
    That's just for ordering an S/X. It's like a down payment to get your car built.

    Who knows if there will be an additional requirement for when you configure your 3. Most likely not and your full payment is due on delivery.
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  • May 23, 2016
    wdolson
    It might help Model 3 buyers, but it does nothing for Model S and X buyers.

    Washington does have no sales tax on batteries for EVs and equipment that will improve EV infrastructure.
    Incentive Programs: Deferrals, Exemptions, and Credits

    I wish Tesla would sell me the battery for my Model S separately. That would save me around $1000 in sales tax.
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  • May 24, 2016
    Boourns
    My bet is that our $1000 reservation deposit is converted to an order payment once we configure and sign the purchase agreement. At that time it will become non-refundable.
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  • May 24, 2016
    eisbock
    This is what happened with S/X reservations, no?
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  • May 24, 2016
    setheryb
    Why wouldn't it help S or X buyers? It wouldn't eliminate their sales tax, but would reduce it wouldn't it?
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  • May 24, 2016
    melindav
    You don't qualify unless the base MSRP is under $42,500.
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  • May 24, 2016
    setheryb
    So the modification to WA EV legislation hasn't been sent to the governor yet, but the Senate is proposing limiting the sales tax exemption to the first $40k, while the House wants to restrict it to only under $35.

    Hoping the Senate at least wins out.
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  • May 24, 2016
    wdolson
    Right now there is no sales tax exemption if the car is worth more than $35K. I haven't seen a proposal that would give any sales tax exemption for Model S or X sales, they all have maximum MSRP caps that are way below the Model S and X base prices.
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  • May 24, 2016
    setheryb
  • May 24, 2016
    melindav
    @setheryb & @wdolson
    the revised tax exempt law was signed by Gov Inslee for the car segment between $35k-$42,500 April 18, 2016 (to begin July 2016).
    Originally WA permitted any EV/Alt fuel vehicle to qualify to be tax exempt. Then (in 2015?) it was reduced to only allow cars up to $35,000. Lawmakers made this change specifically to exclude the luxury car buyers from the tax exemption.
    The Puget Sound area EV community rallied to get the law revised to give cars up to $42,500 (in order to include both the Model 3 and the BMW). The consolation was cars between $35k-$42,500 only have the first $32k tax free. It is HIGHLY unlikely it will be reversed any further to include the higher priced luxury car buyers.
    Also, the law will be phased out after a specific number of car buyers receive the credit (don't recall the exact), but it is estimated it will go until about mid 2019.
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  • May 24, 2016
    Tiberius
    The increasing problem with this forum is that there is too much excitement and not enough info.

    It seems like there's at least one new thread for every active person here, instead of one or two threads per TOPIC which is how it should be. It wasn't so bad at first but now most of the threads are pointless and filled with previously answered or unanswerable questions. I'm glad you're excited but I've run in to most of the answers you're looking for by accident.

    Since the 3 isn't even out yet, the model S/X owners are the experts on non-3 specific questions anyway so you should read those sections as well.

    I can't wait until tesla really starts releasing more facts. Hopefully then this will become less of a BS factory and more of a place of meaningful discussion.
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  • May 24, 2016
    ModelNforNerd
    It will just become a wall of threads all covering the same thing. Need proof? Next time Elon even remotely mentions the 3 on Twitter, check in on here....you'll see 5 different people, all with < 50 posts, all posting in all caps and exclamation points!
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  • May 24, 2016
    Tiberius
    Excellent point... Maybe I should move my expectations back to 1-2 years after release.

    It's funny how different forums can be based on the topics. My first forum was for off-roading. Everyone poking fun at each other and awesome write-ups, tips, etc. It was perfect.

    Mustang forums are full of scumbags, Kawasaki forums were pretty fun, Ducati forums are full of people who love the bikes but are clueless when it comes to wrenching, Lexus forums were young and douchey (as expected) with awful mods.... etc.

    Here it's 90% yuppies with diarhea of the mouth lol. At least advertising isn't out of control but here's hoping it gets better in time.
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  • May 25, 2016
    ModelNforNerd

    Well, I can't get too mad at "yuppies"...I suppose technically I am one.

    I'm also in an Audi forum right now (as that is what I am currently driving), and it's a different tone. Mostly because everyone knows the lineup and specs, and we're not guessing about anything.

    but here, everyone wants to be the first one to break the news....except most of us get twitter alerts, track the stock, etc etc. so by the time I log in here, I'm just coming to see the reactions, the only "new" information I've been getting off the boards here is a lot of the tips and tricks from S/X owners.
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  • May 25, 2016
    JeffK
    That age thread showed that not all of us are young urban professionals... I'm not sure what the word is for older urban professionals or retirees?
    "former yuppies"?
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  • May 25, 2016
    ModelNforNerd

    Ruppies? Retired Urban Professionals?

    hahaha, I think when you're retired, that's your label: retired.

    Only 18 years to go.............
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  • May 25, 2016
    dgpcolorado
    Hmm. I guess I must be part of the other 10%:
    Young? Nope.
    Urban? Hardly. My entire mountain county has a population of 4500 and the nearest freeway is 100 miles away.
    Professional? Not unless you consider "early retirement" a profession.
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  • May 25, 2016
    lianregnif
    I remember the days of getting a new ICE car, people kept the rev's below a minimum.

    Is there a "break in" period for an EV?
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  • May 25, 2016
    JeffK
    Break in period wouldn't make sense for an EV plus it's stress tested at the Fremont factory.
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  • May 25, 2016
    wdolson
    An ICE is a much more complex mechanism than an EV. With an ICE there are many moving parts that need to get fully lubricated with oil as it circulates around and the moving parts need to fully mesh with one another.

    When my SO got her 2013 Subaru Impreza, I noted the break in instructions were not as extensive as I've seen before. With today's stricter tolerances in car manufacturing, the parts settle in more easily with less slop than they used to.

    I wouldn't expect there to be as much break in for an EV.
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  • May 25, 2016
    jerry33
    The only break in period for an EV is for the tires and brakes. It's a good idea not to do any emergency braking for the first 500 km or so.
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  • May 25, 2016
    JeffK
    I think by definition an emergency is an emergency.
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  • May 25, 2016
    jerry33
    True, which is why you should take it easy at first so you don't have an emergency (or when you put on a new set of pads or tires).
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  • Jun 23, 2016
    mzairboy
    I currently rotate the tires on my Jeep every 1k miles. I switch out the full size spare tire when doing this to extend the life of all the tires. 37" tires aren't cheap, but I'm finding that the tires for the Tesla could be the same price, or more expensive! I understand the Tesla most likely won't have a spare tire. Should I be rotating the tires every few thousand miles so they wear evenly, or is this something you don't even have to worry about?

    Also, can someone help me out with CHAdeMO? I know it is a type of charging standard, but that's about it. Is it a quick charge version for other EV's? Is it faster than a 14-50 or HPWC? I see you can buy an adapter for Tesla. I'll probably never use one, but I'd like to know more about CHAdeMO incase there is a destination charger somewhere I might go in the future.
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  • Jun 23, 2016
    S'toon
    CHAdeMO is a DC fast charging system that's faster than 14-50 or HPWC, but slower than Tesla Superchargers. The 3 main DC fast charging systems are CCS, CHAdeMO, and of course Tesla. CCS, and CHAdeMO both have 25KW and 50KW rates, whereas Tesla is 135KW.

    Of the battle of standards, CHAdeMO seems to be losing, as more and more manufacturers are abandoning it in favour of CCS.





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  • Jun 23, 2016
    melindav
    CHAdeMO is a trademarked high speed charger. Depending on your area, there may be many or none. check out one of the EV charger maps to get an idea if it would be useful for you.
    The rate of charge from it would be more than a 14-50, and could be comparable with a higher amp HPWC. I think in the 60A range... but just like the higher amp HPWCs, if you only have the on-board smaller (or is it slower?) charger, you likely will not be able to take advantage of the amps beyond the 40A-ish range except when Supercharging (which bypasses the on-board charger).
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  • Jun 23, 2016
    wdolson
  • Jun 24, 2016
    jerry33
    1. CHAdeMO also bypasses the onboard charger. It's direct DC charging. It's much faster than any HPWC but slower than a Supercharger.

    2. Unless you don't have home charging, CHAdeMO is for trips as you'll likely never charge away from home except on trips. So what you want to check is if there are CHAdeMOs (and no Superchargers) where you frequently travel.
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  • Jun 24, 2016
    melindav
    Thanks for the correction
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  • Jun 24, 2016
    eisbock
    Haha what?

    I'd rather just get new tires at 30-40k miles than deal with having to rotate them every 2-3 weeks. Damn.
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  • Jun 24, 2016
    L-P-G
    1. Charging: Should I plug in often, or run the battery down some? Is it better for a modern battery to be recharged often? Does Tesla explain all this when you purchase the car? I have about 6 miles to drive to work. Is it a good idea to charge every day, or drive the battery down half way before charging, or it doesn't really matter?

    Lithium Ion batteries should not be fully discharged too often, as a matter of of fact if you discharge a Li battery too much you damage it (you can't do this on a Tesla because the computer keeps you from bricking the battery). At the same time they don't like to stay 100% charged all of the time. The car lets you select to what percentage you want to charge and when it gets there it stops charging. 70%-80% is the sweet spot for daily driving, I only use 100% for road trips and never leave it at 100% overnight

    2. Insurance: Good insurance companies for better rates? Things to be aware of?

    Shop around and get multiple quotes, I was paying close to $1k/6 Months on my ICE, I got a quote from my agent on the S and they wanted $1.6k, I got quotes from multiple places and now I pay $760/6 Months on the S. also P = Higher insurance

    3. Air suspension vs regular suspension: This is a question I have. Is the air suspension that much better? I'm used to a bumpy Jeep suspension so I assume the regular coils will be an improvement than what I am used to.

    Air feels cloudy as in very soft, think back to big caddys, it's mostly a preference thing or if you have a driveway that your 3 won't clear. Keep in mind more moving parts to fix and a lot of S owners have mentioned servicing needing to be done around the 3 year mark.

    4. Sound system: I figure that since I will be driving a vehicle with virtually no noise, I will listen to the radio more often. Can guys with the premium upgrade chime in on if it is an impressive improvement over the regular sound options?

    This is very much a personal thing, I was on the same boat so I asked to sit in an S with UHF and one without. With: highs are clear and crisp lacks a little base. Without: highs are a little baffled, lacks a lot of base. keep in mind they may change this in the 3.

    5. Service: Nearest Tesla station is over an hour away. I won't need to go probably more than once a year? Do you recommend prepaying for a service plan?

    Again personal preference here, you do save some money but trust me when I tell you this, when you get a Tesla you find reasons to drive it

    6. Warranty: I'm buying this Tesla expecting a premium car. What can I expect for warranty? I heard Tesla is very good with customer service, but I hear this from guys who have multiple Tesla vehicles. Of course they will get top notch service. Can I expect this with an M3?

    All my services have been covered under warranty, for the most part I've had a good experience. I say for the most part because the Orlando SC is known to have personnel issues, but a simple bad survey (which you get after every service) and they try their best to ensure you are happy

    7. Tesla App: I have a Windows 10 smartphone. Not interested in switching to iOS or Android at this time. I don't expect an app to be made for Windows. Will I be missing some awesome features by not having an app?

    You'll miss out on convenience, being able to vent and start the AC on a hot day before you get to the car, seeing if it's done charging while traveling, using it as a key when you forgot your key and are too lazy to walk back in the house. If you have a programming background take a look at the REST API thread, lots of people willing to help, I built and Android and Wear app because I didn't like the official app, I also built a PowerShell script that data mines the API for stuff like kW/H used per month, miles driven, etc. There is also web services like TeslaLog, TeslaFi and EVmote for most of those features, the ladder even has IFTTT integration so you can control the car from any service available via IFTTT (SMS, email, prox, bluetooth, possibilities are endless)

    8. Charging Cables: I have a 110 outlet outside my office at work. Anything wrong with charging this way with a regular extension cord? Remember, I only have a short drive to work. At home I have a 220 plug. Is it necessary to purchase a Tesla wall charger, or can I just plug into that?

    [email�protected] will give you a very slow charge of 2-3 miles per hour, however being that you're driving 24 miles to work, in 8 hours you'd have more than enough. being that you have a 220v at home you don't even have to charge at work, 24mi round trip will be put back into the battery in about an hour at [email�protected] as for extensions they induce resistance in the form of heat so don't get a dinky extension cord, get something rated for more than you will be pulling through it, for example if you are planning on charging at [email�protected] get a 20A rated one, secondly resistance on top of creating heat will lower the Amps that get to your battery so somewhat slower charge. Lastly you don't need a wall charger unless you're planning on charging at a higher amperage than your 220V@? can provide, as of now Tesla gives you 2 adapters, a normal NEMA 5-15([email�protected]) and a NEMA 14-50([email�protected]), the wall charger can provide up to 100A charge (this requires a car with dual chargers which is an extra $$ option during your build and a 100A breaker in your panel)

    9. Cold weather package: What is this exactly? Is it necessary for PA winters? I sometimes scrape ice off the INSIDE of my Wrangler windshield, so I'm used to the cold weather with a softop vehicle.

    I live in FL so I don't know what snow is, however cold weather is a heated steering wheel, windshield, and all seats (vs only heated front seats which is the standard)


    10. Vehicle SIM Card: Would the M3 have a SIM card in it so it is always connected? Who pays for this data? Is it built into the price of the car?

    The Tesla MCU has a SIM card in it but you have to remove the computer to get to it, if you search the forums a couple guys have take the module out and found the WWLAN card and SIM, yes the car is always connected for Nav (using Google maps) internet radio, slacker, and most importantly updates. The jury is still out on who will end up paying for the data on it, but as of now Tesla pays for it, SCs say that Tesla pays for it forever, some press releases say Tesla pays for it for 2 years, but I have yet to see a single owner that has has to pay for theirs after 2 years.


    Hope that helps.
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  • Jun 25, 2016
    mzairboy
    Thank You, that was very helpful!
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  • Jun 25, 2016
    mzairboy
    Thanks for all that helpful info!
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  • Jun 25, 2016
    mzairboy
    With the amount of driving I do with that vehicle, I only rotate them about once a month. At 130lbs each, they are heavy! Since it is 4wd, the tires wear more, and the terrain I drive on helps with that. I prefer to help them wear evenly so the spare tire tread matches all the rest.
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  • Jun 25, 2016
    jerry33
    Right. Rotation is about having all the tires wear out evenly. This provides the best handling experience. A lot depends on your driving conditions.
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  • Jun 25, 2016
    mzairboy
    Driving conditions...PA roads are terrible.

    [?IMG]
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  • Jul 12, 2016
    GoTslaGo
    Had a thought about the regen on the accelerator pedal.

    Other Tesla owners I've talked to have pointed out that this is the most noticeable aspect of transitioning between an ICE and a Tesla. The fact that the regen "brakes" the car as soon as you let off the go pedal, whereas ICE cars, you have to hit the brakes.

    If you are used to driving manual transmission cars or grew up driving crappy 4 cylinders with limited gear ratios (like I did) then it's probably second nature to understand engine braking.

    If not, and you've been blessed with driving powerful cars with good gear ratios then I would suggest going Go-Karting before getting your Model 3. Key is doing the Go-Kart loops without ever touching your brakes. Just throttle on, and throttle off. Besides understanding the regen/engine braking aspect of this, it's lots of fun!
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  • Jul 13, 2016
    Dan Detweiler
    2 sets of jack stands and a decent jack makes rotating the tires a 10 minute job. No big deal and goes a long way towards maximizing the tire life on your car. Personal choice I guess.

    Dan
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  • Jul 13, 2016
    ArtC
    So, you've got your Tesla sooner than me. I think you said you'd give me a ride if you got yours first.;)
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  • Jul 14, 2016
    wdolson
    I wasn't sure you were still on the forum.

    PM sent.
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  • Jul 14, 2016
    mzairboy
    Regen is a feature I really like from my limited test drives of different Tesla models. I often engine brake with my 5 speed to save the brakes.
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  • Jul 31, 2016
    SuperOmega
    I get the appeal of XM/Sirius. In my current car, I just have HD Radio (and iPhone Ipod adapter). It's not perfect, but much better than standard radio, especially on an upgraded stereo system. :)
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  • Jul 31, 2016
    SuperOmega
    Great idea. There has to be some Wikis out there that serve a similar purpose.
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  • Jul 31, 2016
    jerry33
    Playing from a thumb drive with lossless music is far better than any over the air music.
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  • Aug 1, 2016
    garsh
    Your car plays FLAC files?
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  • Aug 1, 2016
    jerry33
    Certainly.
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  • Sep 11, 2016
    Big Virgil
    I plan on being a Tesla owner soon (yay for me). Anyway, reading through this thread I'm not sure my day time charging plan will work the way I thought it would. Plan on charging at work during the day using a standard outlet in my parking garage. It is cold as heck during the day in that garage in the winter, so I planned on charging using a standard outlet using a heavy duty extension cord so I don't have to transport the Tesla mobile connector daily. I may have a less than desirable set up at home for charging where carrying the mobile connector daily isn't feasible. Can I charge using only a heavy duty cord, on a 120 Volt outlet, or do I still need a mobile connector for the electrical "handshake"?

    The garage is so cold this will keep the car powered and cover 90 or 95% or my charging costs.
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  • Sep 11, 2016
    GoTslaGo
    Congrats!

    You will still need to use and bring your UMC (mobile connector). It will come with a 120v outlet adapter. The end that goes into the tesla is unique to tesla's.
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  • Sep 11, 2016
    Btrflyl8e
    In 2013, I plugged my 60 into a 110v in a parking garage in Ft Lauderdale. It was August...I noticed my car would stop charging at about noon, and wouldn't start charging again until around 6pm. Apparently there wasn't enough juice to charge AND operate battery temp management. I'm not sure if this is still the case. If it is, I'd assume the same could happen in low temps as well. Just something to be prepared for.
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  • Sep 12, 2016
    wdolson
    Even if it doesn't charge plugged in at work, at least the car will be using the outlet power to maintain its systems in the cold and won't be draining the battery.
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  • Sep 12, 2016
    Btrflyl8e
    Good point, that wasn't the case back in 2013. That was a software update, to allow it to use "shore power" when not charging.
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  • 1/1/2015
    guest
    Some folks here have reported that when it's cold enough you notice that charging is much slower than normally but you still get some charge from 230V/13A. So it uses portion of the power to heat up the battery.
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  • 1/1/2015
    guest
    Correct. The Tesla battery management system will cool or heat the battery to maintain optimum temperature for charging.
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