Why I sold my Tesla Model 3 Performance & went back to gas

[Thumper]

Anyone else feel that waiting for 20-30minutes for a charge is terrible or am I in the minority and hating too hard? Obviously not at home, but when you're out on the road.

Anyone that says standing around for 20-30 minutes every 200-250 miles is fine is;
A) a drooling moron
B) Greta


Technology is supposed to ADVANCE, it is supposed to make life easier and better. They didn't invent the microwave and give it to housewifes saying "You know that roast it used to take you 8 hours to cook in the oven, now it takes 16 hours!!! Awesome right?!?" Were they massively sized? Yes. Were they expensive? Yes. Did they improve life? YES. The internet; better. DSL modems; better. Fiber lines; just pure awesome. Smartphones? Oh come on, so much better than the Motorola brick flip phone. Technology moves FORWARD.

Let's apply the same to EVs. Expensive? The Cheapest EV is a Chevy Bolt at right about $30k, and no one in their right mind would want a Chevy EV, you are likely spending $35k+ for something decent. How about the "old" tech? For $16k you could get a Versa, a Rio, or a Mirage. Step up to $20k and there's dozens. Fuel savings are a joke, you just paid $15k more to "save" money. Even at today's prices that is about 5,000 gallons of gas. The Rio gets 36 MPG combined, that means you would have to drive the EV 180,000+ miles before you BREAK EVEN ON THE COST over buying the Rio. That's about 12 years at a national average of 15k miles a year. That is the WORST investment short of a Maddof scheme or BitCoin I have ever heard of, so yes, they meet the new tech expectation of being expensive. Also that is ignoring finance costs which widen the gap even more.

I filled up the Touareg yesterday, it's a big tank (26 gallons) and it was at 1/4 tank so it took just over 2 minutes. Computer says 705 miles to empty (I never run lower than 1/4 so my 'effective' range is right around 500 miles and I hand verify range). Oh, I also had NO problem finding a gas station with diesel, live in a small town and there are 4 stations just on my way to work, a dozen in the whole town and 4 more in the tiny town I work in. No lines at any of them. So yeah, 20-30 minutes (after waiting in line) to go 250-300 miles if you believe their marketing and drive like a grandma is NOT advanced technology. Sure, it's great if you just use it for a town runabout or short commute car only. But then you still need to buy a real car to go on trips and for weekend activities. I thought the point was 'saving the planet', use less, minimalist? Now you are buying TWO cars, using twice the resources. More actually since a normal ICE car doesn't require massive amounts of rare earth metals.

It's a fad and a pipe dream with a cult following. Smoke and mirrors they sell you snake oil with promises as long as you don't look behind the curtain at the ugly truth. Thanks to the dumbing down of society and the destruction of common sense and independent thought that part is getting easier. Somehow we're supposed to ignore that the "growing pains" and "early adopter" period for this tech has been 15 years if we're generous. Improvements are minimal the only real difference is the prices came down, but that's just because they are making more of them and threatening everyone with mandated purchases. The next "advancement" from these greenies will probably be Flintstone peddle cars and the masses will eat it up. Call me when EVs have battery packs that weigh half as much, use over-the-air charging, and the AVERAGE is 200k miles before a battery pack replacement (that does not cost the same as just buying a new car). That will be technology advancement improving life, until then EVs are just stuck in reverse.

 

[Cuzoe]

One port would be ideal. But I suppose I don't really care about needing an adapter. If the adapters are under 200 bucks and/or come with the vehicle I don't think it's an issue.

The issue is when s*** doesn't just work. I pull up to the charging station plug the car in and I'm good 99% of the time. By the time I get back in the car I can see that it's charging or by the time I've walked far enough away for the doors to lock I've got a notification that the car is charging.

My payment is already set up which makes it on par with getting gas, if you tap your phone or card to pay for gas. If you typically insert/swipe or (L. Ron forbid) pay cash then the way Tesla handles it is already better.

Heck I've had to fight the stupid gas pump handle here in California because I didn't have it pressed in far enough . Of course that's just me being dumb. But sticking the pump in or plugging up the charger is the same thing.

 

[SnailPower]

It's not terrible. Watch some Netflix/Hulu/YouTube or whatever for a bit. Lots of the big charging stations are (or are starting to be) located near malls/shopping centers etc. and others are having those things built around them so you don't have to sit in your car. Budget your time like you would anything else. Maybe it takes some more planning for a road trip. Although to be fair I don't believe "time is money" when you're on a road trip. And if you're at a low state of charge you don't have the ability to spur of the moment jump in the car to start a 500 mile trip without stopping to charge at some point. But I don't know how many people are really doing that anyway. It seems, to me, that a lot of the people that say the charging time is too long/too inconvenient/would never work for them/etc. only choose examples where that charging time is an actual problem.

I'm speaking only of Tesla superchargers by the way... the rest of the charging infrastructure can f*** all the way off (right now). I don't mind putting in a destination 350 miles away and our car (Model 3 LR) says I should stop at supercharger xx for 25 minutes in order to arrive at my destination with 100 miles of range left (you can choose this, if I'm going home I can choose to arrive with much less range and save time en-route). I have confidence that when I pull up to the supercharger and plug-in my shit is going to charge at near the rate those chargers are advertised at. All that other non-sense of downloading an app, hoping the kiosk accepts the CC, hoping it gives me a decent charge rate, half the spots being inop (and not advertised as inop, which you can see with the superchargers) is bull jive. The actual act of charging should be on par with getting gas (arguably it's easier with the supercharger network) even though the charge/fill time does not have parity.

Nah man, that sounds like a, feel better about the situation scenario. I don't want to watch netflixs or go shopping while it's charging. I want to plug in, be full in like 2 minutes, and continue on my way. Perhaps since I'm in Jersey and don't even need to leave my car for gas, it makes it all that more obvious that having to get out and find something to do while it's charging, sounds like an annoyance.

Granted, the shopping aspect makes great sense if I HAD to shop and while doing so, I was also refueling my car. That's not a bad deal in that scenario. (though don't you have to make sure you're back in time so another person can charge?)

 

[mwoodski]

Nah man, that sounds like a, feel better about the situation scenario. I don't want to watch netflixs or go shopping while it's charging. I want to plug in, be full in like 2 minutes, and continue on my way. Perhaps since I'm in Jersey and don't even need to leave my car for gas, it makes it all that more obvious that having to get out and find something to do while it's charging, sounds like an annoyance.

Granted, the shopping aspect makes great sense if I HAD to shop and while doing so, I was also refueling my car. That's not a bad deal in that scenario. (though don't you have to make sure you're back in time so another person can charge?)

all opinions invalid tbh.

 

[Cuzoe]

Nah man, that sounds like a, feel better about the situation scenario. I don't want to watch netflixs or go shopping while it's charging. I want to plug in, be full in like 2 minutes, and continue on my way. Perhaps since I'm in Jersey and don't even need to leave my car for gas, it makes it all that more obvious that having to get out and find something to do while it's charging, sounds like an annoyance.

Granted, the shopping aspect makes great sense if I HAD to shop and while doing so, I was also refueling my car. That's not a bad deal in that scenario. (though don't you have to make sure you're back in time so another person can charge?)

It's not like my other cars don't make fine road trip vehicles (well, not the 2006 corolla, haha). So I don't have any pressing need to "feel better about the situation/scenario." If waiting for a charge was such a problem I would just drive one of the other cars .

 

[bentin]

There's a first, someone having a favorable experience in Jersey.

 

[Salami]

There's a first, someone having a favorable experience in Jersey.

Well Jersey used to have Action Park. But there were a decent amount of people that died there. So basically you had a good experience at Action Park or you died.

 

[Cuzoe]

I knew nothing of Action Park until the documentary but... incredible, and incredibly sad in many cases.

 

[mwoodski]

Well Jersey used to have Action Park. But there were a decent amount of people that died there. So basically you had a good experience at Action Park or you died.

greatest place on earth

 

[JC_451]

Well Jersey used to have Action Park. But there were a decent amount of people that died there. So basically you had a good experience at Action Park or you died.

We used to call it Traction Park

I worked there after it became Mountain Creek. Amazing summer job, I saw such hilarious stuff there.

 

[SnailPower]

There's a first, someone having a favorable experience in Jersey.

Hey, let me grasp at anything I can. I'm not saying Jersey is in anyway the best state in the country. In fact, I'm not sure if it's still the highest state of folks leaving, but I think I had a valid reason as to why I might find sitting/standing around for 10+ minutes as a nuisance.

Though I'm not in anyway inexperienced with filling up on my own. My job sends me all over the country so I've dealt with it plenty. To that, I am happy Jersey let's us sit in our car so we do not have to get our hands on those grimey, dirty, covid bacteria covered pump handles which we then go into our car and put our hands all over the steering wheel and whatever else. Then you stop at Burger King to pick up their awesome spicy chicken sandwich from the drive thru, park your car, and proceed to chow down with everything that pump handle had on your chicken sandwich.

 

[MonkeyMD]

Hey, let me grasp at anything I can. I'm not saying Jersey is in anyway the best state in the country. In fact, I'm not sure if it's still the highest state of folks leaving, but I think I had a valid reason as to why I might find sitting/standing around for 10+ minutes as a nuisance.

Though I'm not in anyway inexperienced with filling up on my own. My job sends me all over the country so I've dealt with it plenty. To that, I am happy Jersey let's us sit in our car so we do not have to get our hands on those grimey, dirty, covid bacteria covered pump handles which we then go into our car and put our hands all over the steering wheel and whatever else. Then you stop at Burger King to pick up their awesome spicy chicken sandwich from the drive thru, park your car, and proceed to chow down with everything that pump handle had on your chicken sandwich.

Natural immunity ftw

 

[GIACUser]

Thread is a good read. Great comments and thoughtful observations. I think the post that hit home for me most dealt with the statement regarding the state of the technology. I would re-state that the adoption of electric autos is in its infancy and as a result is not yet for everybody. The infrastructure is not there, batteries are heavy, expensive and take too long to recharge to match the convenience of regular car fuel fill ups and like all new tech its is expensive. Keep in mind, the technology is in motion and over time it will get better, much better and prices will get better too.

At this time in the EV market, not everyone has to own one for them to be effective. By having a good chunk, not a majority of folks using electric vehicles it has a positive effect. To me, the target user would be someone that drives less than a 100 miles daily and returns home daily, also owns a petrol based car and has a 220v charger at home. That is not everyone by a long shot but enough folks to get things started. Commercially it would also make sense for many local delivery fleets of small trucks and vans that fit the mileage and nightly recharge model.

As someone whose career revolved around computing, networking and the internet over many years I am still amazed at how computing, networking and national high speed connectivity (infrastructure) has progressed in 30 years. The computers came first, then local networking, then connectivity to the internet. The progression of that market in many ways parallels the trajectory of the EV industry which is at the crawl stage wanting to walk with the desire to run. Lots of innovation is coming, which is good for the economy, which can be good financially for many of us.

 

[Diggs24]

I just keep hand sanitizer on me and use it after I put the handle back on the pump.

We'll need a new car soonish for my wife but it won't be electric. Her car is the trip-car so it needs range (and be able to cross Western KS). Electric isn't quite there yet to suit our needs.

 

[Acadia18]

I just keep hand sanitizer on me and use it after I put the handle back on the pump.

We'll need a new car soonish for my wife but it won't be electric. Her car is the trip-car so it needs range (and be able to cross Western KS). Electric isn't quite there yet to suit our needs.

Sure it is! Just stop every 350 miles and watch an episode of Seinfeld!