Electric Vehicles: General topics

[diamond.g]

Some of the confusion is around the term FSD, which isn't a specific feature, it's a package of features (and related hardware).

Full Self-Driving Capability (FSD)

Includes:

Navigate on Autopilot (NoA)
Auto Lane Change
Autopark
Summon
Full Self-Driving Computer
Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control

Yeah, everything up to the last two lines USED to be called Enhanced Autopilot. Then Tesla listened to ”people” and instead of having that whole packge for 5k they took Autosteer and TACC out and made it 3k (and the rest of the features got lumped under FSD for 5k on top of the 3k). THEN folks complained about that so they increased the price of the cars and made AP (Autosteer and TACC) ”standard”. All in the span of a month or two IIRC.

THEN they started the price spiraling.

 

[diamond.g]

Even more confusing with an international audience is that these features are spread differently, if you buy a Tesla in a country like the UK, for example.

Yeah Europe I think still gets Enhanced Autopilot because reasons (really because it is less likely FSD will get approved there anytime soon).

 

[User.168]

.

 

[diamond.g]

View attachment 11195

Oh snap! Well there you go and it also shows why no one in their right mind would pay 6800GBP for it…

 

[Eric]

Turns out all but one of the screws holding the temporary rear paper temporary license plate came loose and fell out and the plate is now gone after my latest trip. Didn't think I should've had to check that but it is what it is. Using the second one now and ordering new replacement screws from Amazon, just hoping someone doesn't steal/use the other one to avoid tolls, something huge in the Bay Area.

 

[Eric]

I can go well above 5 over the limit on autopilot. Just turn that option off.

With autosteer?

No shit? Okay, I'll have to look for that setting, I can't stand that it penalizes me like that and have just leaned to keep my foot off the gas.

Edit: where is this setting?

Yep. I have set 10-15 MPH over without issues.

Got nailed again for this yesterday. @quagmire or @DT how do I change this setting?

 

[DT]

Got nailed again for this yesterday. @quagmire or @DT how do I change this setting?

I think it's all in these controls in the Autopilot config:

 

[BigMcGuire]

Been meaning to get involved here because my wife and I want to get an electric vehicle.

A bit of off topic - my friend has a Tesla (series 3) is currently without power and has been been for 3 days since we had some high winds here in southern CA. He has a Jackery 1000 that he charges with his Tesla, then uses that to keep his refrigerator/devices charged, then heads off to the super charger to charge his Tesla. A near full Jackery charge takes his Tesla down from 250 miles to 225 miles.

That's some pretty great utility there. He showed me a video of him watching some TV on his Tesla screen too.

My wife and I have 2 civics - almost completely paid off - I think our payments together are in the high $700s (total, for both cars). We spend about $150-$160/mo on gas. (Used to be 2.5x but I don't drive anymore). So $860/mo - if we got rid of our cars, got an electric vehicle - I think the $ would work.

 

[diamond.g]

Been meaning to get involved here because my wife and I want to get an electric vehicle.

A bit of off topic - my friend has a Tesla (series 3) is currently without power and has been been for 3 days since we had some high winds here in southern CA. He has a Jackery 1000 that he charges with his Tesla, then uses that to keep his refrigerator/devices charged, then heads off to the super charger to charge his Tesla. A near full Jackery charge takes his Tesla down from 250 miles to 225 miles.

That's some pretty great utility there. He showed me a video of him watching some TV on his Tesla screen too.

My wife and I have 2 civics - almost completely paid off - I think our payments together are in the high $700s (total, for both cars). We spend about $150-$160/mo on gas. (Used to be 2.5x but I don't drive anymore). So $860/mo - if we got rid of our cars, got an electric vehicle - I think the $ would work.

I wouldn't buy a EV to save money on fuel.

 

[Eric]

I wouldn't buy a EV to save money on fuel.

But you will save on it, unless gas prices go way down. Additionally, if you have a home charging solution you'll never look back. It's both cheaper and more convenient.

 

[DT]

Been meaning to get involved here because my wife and I want to get an electric vehicle.

A bit of off topic - my friend has a Tesla (series 3) is currently without power and has been been for 3 days since we had some high winds here in southern CA. He has a Jackery 1000 that he charges with his Tesla, then uses that to keep his refrigerator/devices charged, then heads off to the super charger to charge his Tesla. A near full Jackery charge takes his Tesla down from 250 miles to 225 miles.

That's some pretty great utility there. He showed me a video of him watching some TV on his Tesla screen too.

My wife and I have 2 civics - almost completely paid off - I think our payments together are in the high $700s (total, for both cars). We spend about $150-$160/mo on gas. (Used to be 2.5x but I don't drive anymore). So $860/mo - if we got rid of our cars, got an electric vehicle - I think the $ would work.

There are some new vehicles coming out that will have the capability to supply power back out. Like the upcoming Ford Lightning (truck) has an a connector option on the charger, that lets you connect the car and power your entire house! And keep in mind these vehicles have massive batteries, like that Jackery is 1kW vs. a Model 3 that has an 82kW battery

Gas savings can be pretty terrific, the thing that totally throws off the comparison is you can get an EV that's as fast as a high performance car, but has better consumables cost than a tiny econobox.

It's pretty easy to get a sense of the cost, savings, etc., just take a car like a Tesla Model LR, it's documented at 358 miles for a full charge, that's an EPA estimate, so just call it a nice even 300 to accommodate real world range (running the heater, etc.) With an 82 kWh battery, that's 300 miles at the cost of charging 82 kW, if your power rate is $0.11/kW (that's actually mine), that's ~$9 to go 300 miles - to think about it another way, if gas was $3/g, the ICE MPG equivalence would be 100MPG.

Of course that doesn't factor in the home charging convenience, the brisk performance, the quiet, emissions free operation, the superior design opportunities when you remove transmission, gas tanks, etc.

I see you're in CA, I think you have a lot of options for off peak charging at a notable cost reduction, and that's all easily coordinated through the car interface, smart charging, etc.

 

[SuperMatt]

I wouldn't buy a EV to save money on fuel.

I did this. I mentioned it elsewhere, but I got my EV for about $25K, and got the $7500 tax credit... so it cost the same as a “regular” car and I haven’t had to buy gas since 2016

 

[diamond.g]

I did this. I mentioned it elsewhere, but I got my EV for about $25K, and got the $7500 tax credit... so it cost the same as a “regular” car and I haven’t had to buy gas since 2016

Charging at home is great, but I have noticed DCFC abroad is getting more expensive. I drove to Orlando in 2019 and back to VA Beach for like 75 dollars round trip, I am pretty sure it isn't that cheap anymore.

 

[DT]

I did this. I mentioned it elsewhere, but I got my EV for about $25K, and got the $7500 tax credit... so it cost the same as a “regular” car and I haven’t had to buy gas since 2016

You should try to come up with an estimate of fuel savings. I know there's been a decent amount of gas price fluctuation over that time, but you could probably find some average prices in X for N year.

 

[Eric]

Charging at home is great, but I have noticed DCFC abroad is getting more expensive. I drove to Orlando in 2019 and back to VA Beach for like 75 dollars round trip, I am pretty sure it isn't that cheap anymore.

I'm paying .09 per kilowatt in CA between midnight and 6:00 AM, our power company subsidizes for the EV and we figure we're paying about 1/3 what we were at the pump when all is said and done. Not sure about other parts of the country but there is no question that it's way cheaper than gas at current prices.

 

[DT]

@diamond.g is talking specifically about DCFC (Superchargers), but I'd think even with those being closer to current gas prices, you still have to factor in the how much those are used vs. home charging. I can say, that in the ~3700 miles on our M3P that have included about 10 or so trips to Orlando (MCO and Universal, so about 250-260 mile round trip), could all have been done on home or (free) destination charging (I say "could" since I used those trips to burn some of my free SuC mileage )

At least in our case, even if we go down to The Keys, or make a road trip to PA, we'd still be like 95% home charging rates by mileage.

 

[quagmire]

Haven't supercharged at all so all 1300 miles have been home charging and only cost $43 for that miles.

 

[Herdfan]

He has a Jackery 1000 that he charges with his Tesla, then uses that to keep his refrigerator/devices charged, then heads off to the super charger to charge his Tesla. A near full Jackery charge takes his Tesla down from 250 miles to 225 miles.

That's some pretty great utility there. He showed me a video of him watching some TV on his Tesla screen too.

Wasn't it Tesla that was going to make 10K battery packs for the home to either store solar or replace backup generators.

 

[Herdfan]

the thing that totally throws off the comparison is you can get an EV that's as fast as a high performance car, but has better consumables cost than a tiny econobox.

No, what you really get is a family sedan than will smoke all but the $$$$$ supercars.

 

[quagmire]

Wasn't it Tesla that was going to make 10K battery packs for the home to either store solar or replace backup generators.

Yeah Tesla bought SolarCity was it? Called powerwalls though I believe they tied powerwalls to solar panel purchase and can no longer buy powerwalls separately.