The-Protomolecule t1_iu2n9xu wrote on October 28, 2022 at 2:27 AM

ITT: People without electricity at home.

JaredBanyard t1_iu550gd wrote on October 28, 2022 at 4:54 PM

Yup. It's crazy how much misunderstanding there is around EVs, especially Teslas. My home charger gives me about 30 miles an hour and the car is always plugged in. I almost always leave my house with a full charge of ~250 miles. If you have to charge on the road, the computer will tell you where and when to supercharge. Superchargers are capable of up to 200 miles in 15 minutes (250kw models). V4 superchargers are coming out soon and will be even faster. I only supercharge on the occasional road trip, it's vastly more convenient than gas on a day to day basis.

Edit: let me add that putting in a plug or Tesla charger can be very cheap depending on your electrical situation. I've had a NEMA 14-50 put in for as little as $250. But if you need a service upgrade, sub panels, or a long run, it obviously can grow.

Rainbowrobb t1_iu5wle6 wrote on October 28, 2022 at 8:00 PM

So genuine question from someone who sees an EV as a perfect primary or secondary car for a two car household in the US.

Background. We regularly go on road trips and drive straight through 350 miles to Pittsburgh or go camping in the Adirondacks where there's barely cell service. However, I do commute into Newark several times per week, where I have dozens of free chargers available at my work. And like most people, 90% of the time I drive fewer than 100 miles per day.

Do you have a non EV? And what was the difference in your car insurance?

JaredBanyard t1_iu5zr61 wrote on October 28, 2022 at 8:21 PM

Hey there! So first you can find the supercharger map here, that area is heavily populated and you would easily find superchargers along the way and at the destination. You would only need to charge once on the way and probably top off close to your destination (depending on the Tesla model). Your daily would be no problem assuming you're always plugged in at home.

I don't have a non-ev and found I don't need it. My insurance was basically no different from my wrx from years ago. Tesla has the top rated safety of any vehicle on the market which helps.

Did that cover it?

Rainbowrobb t1_iu6ikhl wrote on October 28, 2022 at 10:40 PM

Mostly. I appreciate your perspective as a Tesla owner. Our Accord will hit 200k trouble free miles this year's, but we know those days are numbered. We are more of a "use it until it no longer can be reasonably repaired in my driveway" sort of green household. My newest cars are 10yo and my oldest is 33yo. We wouldn't personally pick a Tesla so the charging infrastructure isn't as important as it would be largely a commuting appliance. There isn't presently an EV that can replace our CR-V. But I understand that I am the exception and I am excited for the future of EVs. Especially if solid state batteries can be made a practical option.