Recent News

 Planning another road trip this weekend, so just some random thoughts to fill the time....

I did maintenance on the Model Y this past weekend. Added some windshield washer fluid. That's it. Oh, and I checked the air in the tires, using the function on the touchscreen.

I downloaded an app called Tezlab a couple of weeks ago, and ended up buying the Pro version ($50/year). This gives you a lot of detailed info - efficiency, charging details (cost, range added, projected range), efficiency vs temperature, detailed breakdowns for each trip, etc. Pretty interesting stuff. Here are some samples (note that these are since the date I downloaded the app, which was April 16) -

- Overall efficiency is 84% - given that a decent chunk of my mileage to date (2028 miles as I write this) has been highway miles, this isn't bad. Higher speeds = less range. Also, I like the acceleration, so that leads to lower efficiency.... ;-)

- The equivalent of MPG for an electric car is Wh/mi - watt hours per mile. Basically, how much energy you are using for each mile driven (some BEV's, like the Mustang Mach E, use a slightly different calculation of miles per watt hour, which is probably a more direct comparison to MPG). With Wh/mi, lower is better. My cumulative Wh/mi is 284, which isn't bad. In general, keeping below 300 Wh/mi is good. 

- Cost - this is the most interesting aspect - I only charge at night (off-peak rates are about 6 cents per kilowatt hour) and since April 16, my total cost to charge is $14.43 for 1,062 miles of range. As a rough comparison, if I was using regular gas and getting 22 mpg around town (like my Mazda CX-5) I would have spent around $135 (using $2.80 as the price of gas). 

One change I have made to the car is removing the aero wheel covers to uncover the attractive alloy wheels - see pics below for before and after. It will be interesting to compare the efficiency from my trip to Boston this weekend to my previous mostly-highway trip to Saratoga Springs a few weeks ago. It won't be a totally apples-to-apples comparison as temps are definitely higher than they were when we did the Saratoga trip, but it will be fun to compare anyway. I plan to do a writeup on that trip next week.

Stay tuned!

First Road Trip!

 

Road Trip to Saratoga Springs!

Our first road trip with Val was a long-awaited one - a visit to my parents in Upstate NY! Other than 20 minutes in their garage in early December, separated by 20 feet, I haven't seen them since the last weekend of February, 2020. So it was with much anticipation that we set out on Friday, April 9 to visit them!

I had planned to charge to 100% on Friday - 95% overnight and then 'top off' Friday morning. But when I started charging Friday morning, it said it would take well over an hour to go from 95% to 100%, so we ended up leaving at 96%. Tesla Navigation advised we should stop at the Kingston NY Supercharger station (located at a QuickCheck) for a few minutes, and we did, as it was a good stopping point for bio break and lunch. We arrived at about 45% State of Charge (SOC) and were asked to charge for about 6 minutes to 65%, which would have us arrive at my parents at 21% SOC. We ended up charging a little longer (about 20 minutes) while we ate lunch, so left there at 89%, arriving in Saratoga at 45% - using 44% of the battery in that stretch. If I did not have free Supercharger miles, that charge would have cost about $7.79*. 

I had brought my charging cable with me, as I wanted to plug in to my parent's 110v garage outlet just to see how long it would take to charge using that method (vs my 240v plug at home). I plugged the car in Saturday night at 32% SOC at 7:30 pm, and the power barely registered on the screen (see pic #4 below)! It would have taken 24+ hours to charge to the set limit of 95%.... When I unplugged at 9:30 am on Sunday, I was at 52% - so over the course of 14 hours, the battery add 20% of charge. Not very good - so I'm glad I decided to upgrade my outlet at home. My Dad said he'd send me the bill for the charge. 😏

As noted, we left their house on Sunday morning at 52%, with a planned stop at the Guilderland NY Supercharger station (Crossgates Mall). It wanted me to charge for 25 minutes and get to 90%, which would get us home with 12% SOC. I wasn't really comfortable with the buffer, as this was our first road trip, so we charged to about 85% there (after walking around the Mall for about 20 minutes) and planned to stop at the Kingston Supercharger station again for bio break and lunch at QuickCheck. When I plugged in there, I received a notification on my phone that they were only allowing charging up to 80%, as the SC station was busy (about half the 10 stations were currently in use). No big deal as 80% would easily get us home. Sure enough, after we got back in the car, it predicted we'd be at 31% when we arrived home. We actually went a slightly different way than the Nav sent us and got home at 30%. Cost of the 2 charges would have been about $10.67* + $2.90*, respectively.

In terms of my free Supercharger miles, I was charged with using 202 miles between the three stops. Total cost would have been about $21.36* without the freebies. 

Ok, the * next to the charges - these are estimated, as I won't receive a monthly statement from Tesla until early May. The on-line billing statement just indicates these are free charges, using my 1000 free Supercharger miles I got when I used a friend's referral code when buying the car. I'll update this when I can see what the actual charges would have been. I'd expect them to be slightly less. Unfortunately, you can't make a direct comparison to this and the amount of gas I would have used, as I have no cost of charging at home (the initial 95%) or the 20% I did at my parents yet. However, just to give a sense - using our 2014 Mazda CX-5, I would have filled my tank at home prior to leaving which would have cost me approximately $33 (15.3 gallon gas tank, filling it from 1/4 tank to full, gas current price of $2.89). I would have used about 3/4 of a tank on the drive).Assuming the same going home, another $33. So $66 based on today's prices - using 3/4 of a tank twice. 

Enough of the numbers - how was the car? It drove beautifully! I found the ride to be very comfortable, and the seats are excellent - soft but very supportive. At speed, you do get wind and road noise, probably similar to our previous car - actually, probably a bit less as we have no roof rack on the Y and the drag is probably less. You might just notice it more because there is no engine noise. The Traffic-Aware Cruse Control is really great - it maintains a set distance from the car in front of you (you can adjust it) and then goes back up to speed when you pull out to pass. And it works down to zero so can be used in stop-and-go traffic! It did brake sharply when the cars in front of us did at one point, then went back up to speed as they did. Very neat.

I did use the Autosteer function on some stretches of the NYS Thruway. It does a great job of keeping between the lines, so with that function and the TACC, the drive is pretty effortless (you are required to put a little torque on the wheel every 20 - 25 seconds or so, to indicate you're paying attention). I did not use it in heavy traffic as Autosteer does keep you planted in the center of your lane and if someone kind of drifts over to the edge of their lane, it made me a little nervous - especially if it was a truck.. I'm not sure whether it would adjust by moving you to the opposite side of your lane. Will have to test that out. 

We did run into some raining heading home and the auto wipers are great, although they do jump into high-speed mode a little sooner than I prefer. But I also liked that the headlights come on automatically with the wipers. Since that's the law in many states, I don't know why all cars don't do that. 

In summary, I'd have to say the trip was pretty much effortless - a little longer than with our previous gas car, but probably more relaxing due to stopping and eating. There are accommodations to be made when traveling in an EV but only very small ones - and frankly, if I'm not in a hurry, what's the big deal with an extra stop? I'm looking forward to our next trip! It may be a trip to visit family in the Boston area in May. 

Charge status at home before heading out - actually charged up to 96%.

Charging at Kingston NY on the way to Saratoga.

Watching the charger ramp up!

Plugged in to 110v at my parents - this is gonna take a while!

Fast charging at Guilderland SC!

Back at Kingston on Sunday, much busier - limited to 80%.

Back home and plugged in, 500 miles later!

Tesla Model Y One Month Report

 

It's been exactly one month since I picked up my Tesla Model Y - christened 'Val' due to the build date of February 14 - and I have to say, as a quick summary - it has exceeded all of my expectations to date!

I guess that is kind of a boring take, and frankly, there are a few things I don't like about the car - or, maybe I should say 'like less' because there isn't much to dislike about it. I'll also note that this early update is before I've taken any road trips - we do have one scheduled to Upstate NY this coming weekend, and I figured that would be worth it's own report. 

But let's start with the good stuff..... I did a lot of research prior to purchasing this car, leading to a reasonable (but high) set of expectations going in. I had read about the quality issues (panel gaps, paint issues, dirt/smudges from factory handling) as well as the range "issues" (I put that in quotes because people had unrealistic expectations that the car would match the EPA rating of 326 miles, when in reality very few cars match their ratings, ICE or otherwise). I also made sure that I had a home charging set-up as well as some key accessories ordered (floor mats, jacking pucks, shelves for the console, front license plate holder).So I felt fully prepared for the car.

I have to say that my expectation level has been blown away! Upon pickup, after a scan of the exterior and interior, I have to say that the panel gaps were all perfect, no dirty spots in the interior and the paint quality seems very good to me. The color is fabulous! So the initial impression was great!

The driving experience is way beyond anything I expected, even after 2 test drives. The car is totally silent and the wind and tire noise is much less than anticipated. The acceleration is addicting. The technology, in most cases, is very easy to access and works well. Having Spotify available 'in the car' vs streaming from the phone is great, although I wish we also had Sirius/XM in the same format. (See below for some comments on how this all works - this is one of the 'less liked' features of the car.) The sound system is very good to my ears - good bass levels out of the box, and better when pumped up a bit, like I prefer. The voice commands seem pretty comprehensive as well, although I am still learning them. One strange omission seems to be the ability to turn on all of the exterior lights via voice. But maybe it's there and I haven't used the correct command. 

There are a lot of things you can tailor to your preference - the usual seat/mirror/steering wheel position (which are saved in your driver profile) but also driving mode (Chill/Standard/Sport) as well as steering effort (Comfort/Standard/Sport) Driving mode affects the acceleration and regen braking (tones both down a bit). I've been doing Standard and Sport and that seems to be good for me.

I've also tested out the Traffic Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer. TACC essentially allows you to set a following distance from another vehicle and the car will maintain that distance when in cruise control, and when you pull out to pass will accelerate back up to your set speed. Autosteer - which is an additional function - keeps the car centered in it's lane while using TACC. Pretty cool and it seems to work pretty well in the few times I've engaged it. You can use TACC without Autosteer but not vice versa. This is the standard Autopilot suite that comes with the car.

I did run the battery down to about 25% a couple of weeks ago, so I could check out the Supercharging experience. I went to the location in North Brunswick, 10 minutes from my home. It charged from 25% to 50% in about 11 minutes, adding 48 miles of range in that time. It charged at up to 115 kW, which is below the rated speed of 150 kW at that location - but the temp was only 40 degrees so that probably impacted it. But the process is the same as at home - pull up, park, plug. No big deal. And if I didn't have the free miles, it would have cost me about $5.00. So pretty cheap. The next test will be to try out a non-Tesla charging point - I set up accounts with ChargePoint, Electrify America and EVgo and will try one of those that is close to my home next week.

I mentioned earlier some of the foibles of the sound system - Spotify is included on the car and you can easily stream anything from your phone. For example, SiriusXM - you can stream from the phone but it's occasionally a little clunky - if you exit the car and then come back in, taking the phone with you, it takes a few minutes (literally) to reconnect. And with Spotify, if you leave that to listen to another format (FM radio or stream from the phone), the playlist goes back to the very beginning and then will shuffle from there. Ideally, it should simply pick up where it left off until you change the playlist. Maybe in a future software release. 

I've also had an intermittent issue with the car connecting to the home Wifi network. Most of the time it works fine but a couple of times I've had to reboot the screen to get it to work. That's important because the car won't download a software update unless connected to Wifi. I will say that since the last time I did this 2 weeks ago it's been fine.

The final 'complaint' is that the 2 USB-C ports on the back of the console, intended for rear seat passengers, don't seem to be working. I'm sure those can be fixed with mobile service, but I'm not going to have them come out for just that.

So that's it for now. Next update will be after our first road trip!

Delivery Day!!!

 

Delivery Day!!!!

The big day finally arrived! Saturday, March 6 at 5:00 pm was the date we had to get the new Model Y! It was tough waiting all day, monitoring the sky for rain or snow, and just generally filling the time..... But it all worked out great, there was plenty of light for the inspection and pick-up process, and we drove it back home 30 minutes after we arrived!

The pick-up process is pretty simple. You sign a few papers, which they give to you and ask you to sit in the car to sign (a good opportunity to inspect the interior), turn over the payment and you're done! I did take the opportunity to examine the exterior as well, and am happy to say that there were no panel gap or (obvious) paint issues - the quality of the cars has absolutely improved since the early days. And the interior was fine as well - no dirt or smudges. Overall, the quality was as it should be for a $50k car!

And the driving experience was just as I remembered it from the test drives - fabulous! You have to adjust to the one-pedal driving style (see here for explanation) but it really isn't difficult. I think in the 10 days that I've had the car, I've used the brakes maybe 5 times. It's really incredible.

And the acceleration - wow! Pushes you back in your seat and does it silently, which still boggles my mind.... Friends like it too, very addictive. And I'm loving the minimalist interior - between the automatic functions for the lights, wipers and high beams, and good voice controls, there really isn't a lot you need to access on the touchscreen while driving. And connectivity with my Spotify account and Sirius streaming through my phone is excellent. As is the sound from the 11-speaker sound system.

I had a 14-50 NEMA (240v) outlet installed in my garage and the charging works perfectly. The car was at about 89% state of charge when I picked it up, which was nice. I have the cable snaked under the garage door and a hook in the side of the door opening to hang the charger when I'm not using it - but the car stays plugged in whenever I am home. I set the limit to 80%. I'm actually running it down to around 20% now, so I can try out the local Supercharger in North Brunswick, just to see how that works. Next task is to set a schedule so that I'm only charging during off-peak times.

Overall, after 215 miles, I have to say that the car beats all of my expectations. It's solid, quiet, fast, handles and rides very well.... And while very high-tech, it's also relatively easy to access all of the functionality of the car. Looking forward to the first road trip next month - going to visit my parents in Upstate New York, now that we're all vaccinated!

Ordering Update

 

I thought it might be a good idea to give an update on what I've been doing Tesla-wise since I ordered my new Model Y on January 30.... I've been ordering some accessories as well as getting a charging set-up ordered. Here's where I'm at....

I made the decision a while ago that I wasn't going to get an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment - home charger*, essentially). Many folks purchase the Tesla Home Charger or another brand, to provide additional charging power to the car. Doing that can get you upwards of 40 - 50 miles per hour of range. Cost is generally around $500, plus installation. I decided to go with a simple 240v outlet (officially called a 14-50 NEMA outlet) that is similar to a dryer outlet. This will provide somewhere between 25 - 30 miles of range per hour, depending on conditions (less if colder, more if warmer). I can always add an EVSE later; it would simply plug into this outlet and would be 'mobile' if I moved. The cost to install this will be $800, which includes a run of wire of about 40 feet from the electrical panel in my basement (opposite corner from the garage, of course). New Jersey may offer a rebate of up to $500 for home charger installations; I'll revisit at that point.

*Just a semantical thing - the actual 'charger' is in the car. The EVSE simply ramps up the available power from the outlet as the car can take in more than is typically provided by a NEMA 14-50 outlet. The EVSE does that.

As far as accessories, I've ordered the following -

- All-weather floor and trunk mats from Tesmanian

- Jacking pucks also from Tesmanian

- From Tesla, I ordered a NEMA 14-50 adapter for the mobile connector and cable organizer

    system for the mobile connector

- Front license plate holder from SnapPlate, as well as small tools to easily remove the tow

    hitch cover (which can be a little fiddly)

These items should get me started. Other things to consider -

- Matte finish screen protector - to reduce glare

- Wheel cap set - if I decide to remove the full aero wheels covers

- An adapter for other charging stations, if needed (like CCS, when it becomes available)

- Sunshade for the glass roof if it seems to be too hot in the summer

- Rear cargo cover

- If car doesn't have the new console, maybe a matter finish wrap kit for the piano black

    console

- Mud flaps to cut down on road debris damage

I'm also looking at getting at least a partial PPF application on the front end and in front of the rear wheel wells, to protect from paint chips. Teslas seem to have 'soft' paint that chips easily, and the aerodynamic styling seems to send road debris into the area of the lower rear doors in front of the rear wheel wells.

So that's about it for now. The outlet will be installed sometime late in February, so perhaps I'll report back on that when it's completed. Then, stay tuned for an update on the actual car!

 

Ordered!

 

Well, I did it! I ordered my 2021 Tesla Model Y on Saturday! Great birthday present for sure. I ordered the Long Range AWD version, in Deep Metallic Blue with a black interior. I decided to go with the standard 19" Gemini wheels (aerodynamic wheel covers over attractive alloy wheels). I also got the tow hitch for a bike rack. MSRP is $51,990. The outlook on delivery is 2 - 6 weeks*. Psyched!

I decided against the Full Self Driving package at this time. It's an additional $10,000, and doesn't have a ton of additional functionality at the moment (besides Summon, which is a really cool feature - the car will come to you autonomously in a parking lot!). Elon Musk has talked about having a subscription service for FSD, which I would try out. You can also buy it post-purchase for the same $10,000.

I've been looking forward to this since I test drove the Performance version in July of last year. In the time since, I've done a lot of reading on Tesla forums and viewed a lot of videos on YouTube, so I feel pretty confident that the model I got will suit my needs. I'm also prepared to make the accommodations necessary to drive a BEV (route planning, understanding range variances, etc). It's a good step towards reducing my personal carbon footprint. 

Ok, why the * next to the delivery dates above? I was actually assigned a VIN and delivery date of between February 11 and 17 on Sunday! The VIN was 114xxx, so in all likelihood has the heated steering wheel, which is the expected update that I really wanted. But I don't want to take delivery in February (as I sit here in my study while a snowstorm rages outside). I'd prefer to get mostly through winter, especially as the MY will have to sit outside in the driveway until I get the garage situation straightened out. I also need to get an electrician in to put a 240v plug in my garage for charging. I hope to get some estimates late this week on that. 

I have some accessories I want to order as well. Rubber floor mats, wheel caps and lug nut covers (if I decide to remove the wheel covers), front license plate holder, jacking pucks and a support for the mobile connector are the main items I want to get first. 

So off we go!

Tesla Model Y Test Drive #2

In July of 2020, I test drove a Tesla Model Y as soon as the local store had a tester available (see my review here). It was the Performance MY, which is not the model I am interested in. So, while the drive was great, I really felt like I needed to drive the Long Range AWD model as well, which is what I plan to order. I was finally able to do this on January 15, and it was even my preferred colors of blue and black nd had the 19 inch Gemini wheels. The only thing I'd add is the tow hitch (for a bike rack).

I went into this drive wanting to determine a couple of things - how the ride quality was with the 19" wheels and tires, how the performance was compared to the MYP and to have my wife drive it! All three aims were accomplished......

I never felt that the ride of the Performance model was terrible. It is definitely stiffer than the LR AWD model, as the 21 inch performance tires have a rubberband-like sidewall height. The MY does have a reputation as a vehicle with not-the-smoothest ride, but I prefer it firm to loose. The LR AWD with the 19" tires was perfect, to my mind. Firm but still a bit more cushy than the Performance model. And handling is great, with the low center of gravity and really quick steering (even on Standard mode). So one box checked.

Performance is basically stunning with either MY. It wasn't a totally fair comparison, as the MYP was set to 'Chill' mode which softens performance a bit, which the LR AWD was set to Standard. But the acceleration pushes you back in your seat in either car, and the .5 second difference to 60 mph isn't really noticed, at least not by me. It's fun! So another check box.

My wife Kathleen did get a chance to drive it and she also loved it. Took her a few minutes to adjust to the quick steering (as it did me) as well as the regenerative braking (more about that in a minute) but she had no complai9nts about the car at all. 

Mission accomplished!

I mentioned the regen braking - when we picked up the car, it had 310 miles of range indicated so about 95% state of charge. Typically, at a high SOC, regen braking is eliminated or reduced. Since the regen puts energy back into the battery, at a high SOC, there is no room for that energy to go back, so the car automatically reduces the amount of regen available, and you need to use the friction brakes more than you might with, say, a 50% SOC. So the regen was basically non-existent until we drove the car a bit and the SOV went down. So Kathleen didn't get the full 'one pedal driving' experience. When I drove the MYP last summer, the SOC was more like 30%, so plenty of regen was available. It makes a big difference in the driving experience.

A couple of other notes. The car we drove was VIN #66xxx, so a likely September build car. It did have the double-paned windows but did not have the updated steering wheel or USB port in the glovebox. A little irritating the way Tesla just trickles the updates out. New builds have the steering wheel and glovebox USB port, and are just starting to come out with the heated steering wheel. New Model 3 cars are coming with updated headlights; haven't seen either those or the updated console on the new MY yet. I'd like those things.

I'm up in the air on the wheels, to be honest. To cover or not to cover. There was a MY in the showroom that had the wheel covers installed on one side, and the naked alloy wheels on the other. I haven't seen any definitive info on range impact without the covers, although some have suggested a 1 - 2% hit (which would be between 3 and 7 miles). Doesn't seem like much, although I suspect that it might be more at highway speeds. I'll probably start out keeping them on and test the range and without.

Right now, my plan is to order on January 30 - my birthday! Hoping for early March delivery. Can't wait!

Tesla Model Y FOMO!

 FOMO - Fear of Missing Out!

Spend any time on forums like the Tesla Motors Club or Facebook groups dedicated to Tesla, and you'll come across many threads or conversations along the lines of 'Should I wait for this feature or that feature before I order?'... Lately, the subject has been the Tesla Model Y, and whether to wait for such features as an updated center console, new headlights, heated steering wheel, HEPA filter, restyled interior.... All of these items are now available on the brand new Made-In-China MY, so the 'assumption' is that they will make their way to the US. However, Tesla never announces when new features or changes will be available, and very rarely makes note of it when they are. Case in point, on Thursday night, January 7, the MY Standard Range RWD model popped up in the Tesla on-line configurator, as did the long-awaited third row seating. No announcement, no notification. They just appeared! Elon Musk will occasionally talk up coming enhancements on Twitter, but these have tended to be more software-focused recently. 

Prior to the items mentioned above, the wait was for items that became available on the Model 3 - double-pane front windows, a USB port (with Tesla-branded USB stick) in the glovebox (to secure your Sentry footage), an updated steering wheel with metal-look added to the scroll wheels, and the aforementioned updated console. All of these items were added to the M3 in the mid-October timeframe (no announcements) so naturally folks wanted these on the MY as well, and it seems reasonable as the M3 and MY share about 75% of their parts. All but the new console have been added in the US MY as of now.

I have been planning on ordering a MY LR AWD this month (on my birthday!) and hoping to get a March delivery. I was hoping to get the new console and heated wheel, but I didn't consider them showstoppers. But the more I think about it, the more FOMO kicks and and not I really WANT those items! Fortunately, I have a couple of weeks before I had planned to order, and don't really have an issue putting it off a bit. 

Aha, an update - there are postings on Twitter and Reddit that show a MY Standard Range RWD (the one just announced last week) with a heated wheel, so looks like one item is available now. So FOMO has been reduced a bit. Now just need the console, new lights and HEPA filter! 

Ford Mustang Mach-E EV Preview

On Saturday, October 24, I had a chance to preview the Mustang Mach-E at Haldeman Ford in East Windsor, NJ. Ford has a bunch of pre-production models touring the country to allow current reservation holders and potential customers the opportunity to check them out prior to demos being available at some point later this year. They had 2 cars available to view, one an all-black Premium AWD model and one a medium blue model - not sure of the trim level.

First, a couple of general comments. The gentleman showing me the car said he was the 'lead' for the Mach-E at this dealership, but didn't know when they would have a demo in. He also was unsure of the charging standard that the Mach-E uses (appears to be J1772). He did advise that they would have a 'service' loaner Mach-E 'soon' and that I could bring my current car in for an oil change and ask for that as a loaner - that's how I could get a test drive.... When I asked about the range of this particular model he didn't really answer but talked about the extended range battery available for about $5,000 more (it's estimated at 270 miles with extended battery and AWD). So, typical dealer nonsense - I mean, you KNOW you're getting 2 of these new vehicles in for people to check out - and there WERE quite a few people there - but your lead guy doesn't know the specs inside and out? 

Anyway, on to the car. Overall, I was very impressed with the vehicle. Size-wise, it seems a little smaller than the Model Y - especially in the storage, both trunk and frunk - and the interior seems a little more crowded. More on par with the Polestar 2 than the MY. (See me Polestart 2 test drive here) The black car had a black and ivory interior that was very attractive, and the dash - which is mostly one long soundbar - had a small display in front of the driver, about 2 inches tall and 9 inches wide - for various functions. Kind of reminded me of the horizontal speedometers from '60's cars. Very nice and doesn't block the exterior view at all. Also mounted on the dash is a large portrait-oriented touchscreen with a large knob in the middle bottom. The knob can be used to scroll through menus or adjust radio volume. Probably more functions as well. I did find that the screen was almost too vertically mounted - a few degrees of tilt might have made it a bit easier to use, although perhaps it is mounted like that to avoid reflections in the windshield. 

The seats were very comfortable and the legroom in the rear was sufficient. This particular car had a panoramic glass roof (fixed) that is part of the Premium trim level. Like the Model Y, I wonder about the heat coming through them in a New Jersey summer and making the A/C work that much harder thus negatively impacting range. There are aftermarket solutions for the MY (tinting and headliners) that I assume will also be available for the Mach-E. But polarized or not, my experience with the panoramic sunroof in our MINI Cooper makes me wish for a more conventional roof with maybe a smaller sunroof option on both cars. The Ford has a higher cowl than they Model Y, and the Model Y feels more roomy inside. It's a difference of 'airiness' in the MY and 'cocoon' in the Mach-E. The Model Y is something different from the norm; the Mach-E could be an ICE vehicle inside. The gear selection duties are handled by the same style of rotary knob on the console that exists in other Ford products.

Styling-wise, the Mach-E is definitely Mustang-like, from the front end to the pair of triple-vertical taillights. It's not bad looking by any means, but this tie to the Mustang brand doesn't really make sense to me. Obviously, someone deep in the Ford marketing department feels like this will be attractive to consumers looking for a medium-sized CUV (along with the incessant harping on 0-60 times, also echoed by the salesman). But I think they would have been better served to market it as an all-new vehicle not tied to ancient Mustang technology. Just another example of legacy automakers unwilling to let go of ICE marketing schemes. But the car looks very good, especially in black.

In terms of storage space, the Mach-E definitely has less than the Model Y, although we don't have numbers to prove it yet. The height of the trunk floor is more mid-thigh than knee height, and the under-trunk storage is shorter in depth. There are no side storage areas either. The frunk is smaller (the pictures show a probably-optional cargo management add-on) and not as deep. The MY benefits from a slightly longer length and width for more storage space, even though the wheelbase is about 3 inches less. I'm thinking that the packaging of the MY must be a little better than the Ford, as the Mach-E's higher cowl implies more space up front but doesn't deliver. But until we see some head-to-head comparisons we won't really know for sure. I haven't seen any interior passengers specs yet, to match up to the Tesla's but I suspect that the heavily styled Mach-E interior will have less volume - it certainly feels it.

Quality is one area where a number of folks are assuming that the Mach-E will be better then the Model Y. That's more a function of the hit-or-miss nature of the MY's panel gaps and alignment, paint quality and interior smudges, etc., than any inherent superiority of Ford quality, in my experience. The panel gaps and alignment looked ok on this car, but being that it was a pre-production vehicle, I didn't spend a lot of time looking for issues. I will say the front seats were comfortable but unless I was able to try the MY and Mach-E's seats back-to-back, it's hard to say whose are better.

As far as charging, the Mach-E comes with both 110v and 240v cables, and as noted above, appears to use the J1772 standard for fast charging. I did ask if there was any sort of free charging available, similar to what VW offers for the ID.4 and Lucid with their new Air (3 year free charging at Electrify America stations). The answer was, you can charge for free at the dealership from which you purchased the car. This dealership was 12 miles from my home, so not particularly useful. Maybe this will change.

So, the bottom-line is that the Mach-E appears to be a good competitor to the Model Y, especially for those that think the 'Mustang' moniker means something and like Ford products. I will definitely try to drive one when demos are available and see how it feels. When it comes to new BEV's, especially from legacy manufacturers, the more the better.

Let's Talk About Range Anxiety

 R  A  N  G  E    A  N  X  I  E  T  Y  !

It's a real thing for many would-be (and, I suspect, current) owners of electric cars. The idea that you can be caught in the middle of nowhere while your charge level drops and drops, with no charger in site! And if you do coast into a charging station on 'fumes' (not sure what the electric equivalent of that is - suggestions?) only to find it filled, broken or - horrors! - ICE'd by some Neanderthal in a lifted pickup truck.... What now?! 

I also have had this concern as I contemplate buying a Tesla Model Y. Although I live in an area that is pretty saturated with charging stations, and most of my road trips involve I-95, which has plenty of Supercharging options, it's still a concern, simply because there are gas stations everywhere but charging options are so limited.... Right?

Well, in thinking about this issue, I've come to some conclusions.....

First, I've had range anxiety in my ICE vehicles plenty of times. Crossing the GW Bridge on a return trip from Cape Cod, with gas below a quarter of a tank and anxiously monitoring the 'Range' function on the trip computer.... I was stuck in traffic approaching the Holland Tunnel leaving NYC in July, with a quarter tank, and I sat for literally 30 minutes in the same place and wondered if I should have filled up before I drove into the city.... And the flip side is, there have been plenty of times when I've stopped to fill up with a half tank, knowing I had a trip coming up the next day - even one that I know would only take a quarter of a tank. So range anxiety is real for ICE vehicles too! 

Of course, the accessibility and frequency of of gas stations IS more than the charging network now, especially if you have a non-Tesla and cannot access the Supercharger network. (The SC network is limited to Tesla vehicles, but a Tesla can also use any other charger if you have an adapter). And you can't get full range in an EV with a 10-minute fill-up of gas. That is true - right now. But you CAN get a significant range increase in 30 minutes with many EV's, and frankly, aren't we in a bit too much of a hurry some times? I expect as battery technology improves you'll be able to get much more range in much less time, fairly soon. 

Second, when I take a road trip in my 2014 Mazda CX-5 SUV, our current road trip car, I can get 300 miles on a tank of gas - and maybe a little more if I'm willing to be a little anxious about fuel level.... So say 320 miles with no traffic, no headwind, etc. A Tesla Model Y Long Range is rated at 326 miles on a full charge, which translates to probably 280-285 miles real-world. So we're not talking about a lot more range in my Mazda than in a Model Y. At 65 miles an hour average, we're talking about the difference between around 5 hours and 4 1/3 hours. So not much difference - driving to Florida from NJ, for example, means maybe another 2 hours time difference, accounting for charging time. Both cars would take a little over 3 stops (in my Mazda or a rental car, we would typically make 3 stops - 2 for gas, one for lunch/gas) and roll into St Augustine very low on gas. I would probably make an additional stop with the Model Y, just to not roll into town low on electrons. And there are plenty of Supercharger stations along I95, so finding fuel isn't an issue. 

Third, I rarely drive more than 60 miles a day in my current job as a Realtor. I looked back over my mileage logs from the past three years, and the most I ever did in one day was 174 miles; only 4 other times in three years, did I do 100 miles or greater. So no issues with my normal driving, especially if I have charging capability at home - which I will.

Finally, I've been watching some YouTube videos about Tesla road trips - some with towing a trailer, which REALLY affects range (as it does with an ICE vehicle). And I've come to the conclusion that I could spend too much time worrying about range and not enough enjoying the ride. There is one video series where a guy (Brandon Flasch, the EV Nomad) has an old Model S 70D with a limited range (under 200 miles) and he took trips from Minneapolis to Phoenix via different routes, and had no issues stopping every couple of hours to charge (sometimes short stops, sometimes longer, depending on the next leg of his trip to the next Supercharger). He enjoyed the trip, got lots of bathroom breaks (important to me at my age!) and didn't worry about having to be anywhere at a specific time. And isn't that the point of a road trip?