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?

VW Announces ID.4 BEV, Available in 2021

 On September 22, VW officially announced their newest battery-electric vehicle, the ID.4, intended to dramatically expand the VW group's range of BEV's, currently consisting of the Audi E-Tron, Porsche Taycan and the VW ID.3 (Europe-only). They have slowly but surely been releasing pictures of the car and now we can finally see the entire thing.

In lieu of retyping an entire article, let me simply link you to a good one from The Verge - https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21444141/volkswagen-vw-id4-electric-suv-price-range-specs - and give you my thoughts on the car. You can also check out the VW.com ID.4 page here - https://www.vw.com/models/id4/section/colors/

The exterior styling, frankly, is disappointing to me. I can easily envisage an ICE drivetrain underneath the bland exterior. I prefer an electric vehicle that doesn't look like an ICE car - they stand out because of their drivetrain and should stand out with their styling as well, especially given the freedom designers should have without a bulky powertrain taking up space down the center of the car. The ID.4 is very much in the 'compact generic CUV/SUV' mold of the RAV4, Escape, CR-V, Forester, etc. (Only the Mazda CX-5 really stands out among this group of ICE vehicles). Maybe this is part of VW's strategy to sell hundreds of thousands of ID.4's over the next couple of years, but it seems too safe a play to me.

The interior, on the other hand, is very nice. I am a big fan of the uncluttered look of the Tesla Model 3 and Y, but do acknowledge that it might be a big adjustment for a lot of folks. Having a small instrument binnacle directly in front of the driver provides a little 'normalcy' that might make for an easier transition to a BEV. I do think, however, that the cowl is higher than necessary, again, going back to the conservative exterior look. The seats appear to be cloth but if they do offer leather, that is something you can't get in a Model Y. I also like the relative lack of buttons - essentially none on the dash panel - but the steering wheel is too cluttered - again, ICE-like.

I have to say, however, that the 'Play' and 'Pause' markings on the accelerator and brake pedals is really stupid - and shouldn't it be 'Stop', not 'Pause' on the brake?! I also dislike the little 'blister' that sticks out from the right side of the driver's screen, which appears to hold the shift functions. My OCD doesn't appreciate the unbalanced look (I didn't like the asymmetrical doors on the AMC Pacer either!).

And then there is the range of the early-release models - 250 miles (pre-EPA rating). In real-world terms, this would be more like 225-230 miles, in all likelihood. Higher-level models that will be available later will apparently have ratings above 300 miles, but I think VW should have eliminated range-anxiety earlier. And this is an RWD model, so if they add AWD as an option, the range will be lower with the same size battery pack.

As far as charging, the ID.4 obviously won't be using the Tesla Supercharger network, which is a weak point for any BEV besides Tesla. There are plenty of Level 2 charging options out there, but they tend to be less consistent in terms of availability (i.e., working) and you generally don't know if they ARE working until you get to a location (although some companies are now making that info available through their apps). And we don't know at this point if stations are integrated into the ID.4 navigation software or whether you need to use an app like PlugShare to find one.

Price-wise, the ID.4 versions available next year will start at just under $40,000 but with federal and state rebates, could be as low as $27,500 here in New Jersey ($7500 Fed and $5000 NJ rebates applied). Tesla no longer qualifies for the Federal rebate, and in NJ, their least expensive Model 3 (which is a sedan) would still be over $30,000 with the $5,000 NJ rebate. Of course, these rebates are all after-purchase, and could take several months to arrive - so you do pay full-price up front. And for the ID.4, this doesn't include any dealer mark-up (read: pure profit) that may occur.

Overall, I think this will be a success - assuming they don't have the software issues that plagued the early ID.3 vehicles - especially once the Tennessee factory opens in 2022 and starts producing for the American market. The size is good, the styling is conservative enough that it won't scare away people unsure about switching to an EV and I think in VW's major markets today, the charging network will be large enough to not scare people away from a major change in their vehicle fueling habits. And the pricing is low enough that people could buy this as their second, around-town car without having to worry about taking it on a long trip. They can have their Tiguan for that.

Vaporware

 There are a number of BEV/alternate fuel start-ups out there - companies like Rivian, Lucid, Lordstown Motors, Nio - all trying to become the next Tesla. Those 3 all seem poised to actually manufacture a mostly-in-house BEV sometime in the next year to 18 months. There are others - like Nikola and Faraday Future - that seem destined to be the next Theranos or Dale. 

Nikola in particular seems ripe to be a flame-out. They purport to be developing a line of hydrogen fuel cell powered and battery-powered vehicles, led by a heavy semi truck, the NikolaOne and have made dramatic promises based on a series of (apparently) non-running prototypes (or 'pushers', meaning they have to be pushed around). For Nikola, which recently somehow inked a development deal with GM, it all seems to be coming apart at the seams, as a recent report by Hindenburg Research (an admitted short seller on the stock) regarding a series of alleged lies by Nikola CEO Trevor Milton. Among the allegations was that the main prototype of the NikolaOne truck - advertised by Milton as a working prototype - was filmed implying it was a running prototype, when it fact it was a 'pusher' that was actually filmed rolling down a hill with after having been towed to the top. Hindenburg also alleged that the power inverter in their vehicles is not developed in-house, as claimed by Milton, but in fact purchased from a third party vendor and with the name disguised by masking tape! The Nikola response, which seems to have been positively received by the stock market, doesn't actually answer any of these claims directly but is a masterful use of the English language to talk around these points!

I tend to take ALL claims by disclosed short sellers with a shaker of salt but it seems they have raised some valid issues here. Perhaps they bare trying to make up for losing their shirts shorting Tesla but their report can't be dismissed out of hand. Elon Musk has made a lot of outrageous claims for sure, but he has built a new car company that has produced over a million electric vehicles, sent men to the ISS with a start-up company, is developing a new space-based broadband provider and drilling tunnels to bypass traffic-choked cities in several locations...

At any rate, I really want ALL of these BEV / alternate fuel start-ups to succeed. While they may compete with each other, the larger opportunity is the ICE market, especially as BEV ranges increase and charging becomes more widely available and faster. Battery technology will continue to improve and recycling of used batteries will continue to expand, further reducing the carbon footprint of BEVs. 

Late breaking - as I was getting ready to publish this, I see that Trevor Milton, the CEO of Nikola, has resigned. It will be interesting to see what happens to the GM deal going forward as well as Nikola in general.

Polestar 2 Test Drive

I've been watching for other new mass-market BEV's that are coming on the market, defining mass-market as priced under around $65k. Polestar is essentially Volvo's electric car company (although Volvo is now owned by Geely Automotive of China). The released the Polestar 1 hybrid in 2017 as a small sports coupe, and now are preparing to manufacture the Polestar 2 BEV as a 2020 model with deliveries expected to start in November. I had the opportunity to test drive one on August 27 in New York City, and my impressions follow.

The Polestar 2 is smaller in person than it appears in pictures. It is shorter than the Tesla Model 3 by about 20 inches, narrower by 3 inches and height is less by about 3 inches. It is definitely smaller inside, with a larger center console and a tall body-short greenhouse look that somewhat limits outward visibility, especially to the rear. That said, I liked the styling a lot, having a definitely 'Volvo' look recognizable by those of us that have owned one - especially the C-pillar and upright front and rear - but updated in a 'Euro-sleek' way. The interior is also very nice, with what feels like high quality materials and vegan as well. It feels like it will wear very well but looks classy. I also liked the more traditional instrument panel, which combines an iPad-sized center screen with a panel in front of the driver that displays speed, navigation, charge status and a few other items. Buttons are few and mainly on the steering wheel for cruise control and phone, and the voice command is Google's Alexa-based. The main issue is that the view out the front is much more cluttered than the Tesla M3/Y, and raising the seat means that the roof gets closer - and I'm only 5' 8'. The roof is glass with a partition in the middle, like the M3, but seems to be tinted a bit darker. And exit and entry into the rear seats is compromised by the rear wheel well, although the room back there is good. You do feel the narrowness of the car; 3 across in back for a trip would be tight.

The Polestar 2 does have a hatchback, which is well disguised to look like a trunk. And unlike the Model Y, it has a cargo cover, a major lapse in the MY in my view. Cargo area is definitely less but could fit my open house signs which is my new standard for rear room. ;-) The space under the trunk floor is very small, and there is no spare tire. The frunk is also smaller than the Model 3/Y - not as big and not as deep. The showroom model had a charging cable in it and it took up much of the space (as seen in pic below).

But enough about static impressions, how did it drive? Like the Tesla Model Y, very impressively. I had the drive mode set to 'standard' and the braking mode set to 'Hold', which allows for one-pedal driving (see my last post for explanation, but essentially allows the car to use regenerative braking to slow the car to a stop and hold there). Since I was driving mid-afternoon in NYC, there wasn't really a lot opportunity to test the acceleration, but I did have the chance to floor it going up Park Ave with no traffic and several green lights ahead, and it was nice and smooth - and silent, of course. The sound insulation seemed pretty good as very little traffic noise made it's way into the interior. I did not listen to the radio but the sound system has gotten good reviews. I do like the navigation in front of you, especially when you're dodging double-parked cars, cabs scooting in and out and buses. Much easier to focus on the potential hazards and the navi when it's in front of you! Handling was difficult to judge other than when I swerved to avoid one of those articulated buses where the driver doesn't particularly care who is beside him.... The ride was very comfortable - more so than the MY I drove in July (but that, of course, was a MY Performance with a stiffened suspension - and I did not find that objectionable). Overall, the car felt 'of a piece' - maybe a bit more than the MY from that perspective. The 5-mile loop didn't really test the range, other than noting that it started at 180 miles and stayed there the entire time (was not fully charged). Given that the rated range is 275 miles, real world is probably more like 240 - 250, which is unfortunate. And the MSRP of $59,900 for the base model is problematic for me, as in addition to being more expensive than the MY, it would not qualify for the New Jersey $5k BEV rebate, meaning the price differential between a Long Range AWD MY and the Polestar 2 grows to almost $10k. Edit: It would probably qualify for a Federal rebate of $7500, assuming the government continues that program. So that would reduce the price discrepancy to around $3k.

Pros -

- Instrument panel in front of driver

- (Perceived) quality of the interior

- Styling, both interior and exterior and cool shifter

- Heated steering wheel

- Very solid feel

Cons -

- Visibility esp to the rear

- Range (rated 275 238 vs 316 for MY)

- Interior space

- Awkward access to rear seat

- Price 

- No Tesla Supercharger network

UPDATE 10/8/2020 - The EPA has released it's official range for the Polestar 2, and it is very disappointing - 238 miles, which means a real-world rating of more like 220 - 225. 

Pictures follow - I drove the light grey standard version car, the dark grey one on the showroom floor has the Performance Pack, a $5k upgrade.

Tesla Model Y Test Drive

 As I noted in my previous post, I've been a Tesla fan for a while. Tesla originally had 2 'stores' here in NJ, and neither were very close - one was in Cherry Hill and the other in Paramus, each about an hour away. In the spring, they opened a new store in Lawrenceville, only 20 minutes away (and with a Service Center as well). Once the Model Y came out, I decided to schedule a test drive, which I did on July 1.

In case you're not aware, these 'stores' are not traditional dealerships, but part of Tesla's direct sales model. You cannot walk into a store and have them order a car for you. All orders are done via Tesla's website. So the 'salespeople' aren't really that. Unlike a traditional dealership, where taking a test drive isn't a simple proposition, it's easy and fun with Tesla. No high pressure sales tactics are applied.

Because of COVID-19 precautions, the actual store itself isn't open (although the Service Center is). You call when you arrive and an associate meets you outside. They only had one MY tester available, so I had to book an appointment on-line. He spent a few minutes going over a few items - mirrors, seats, steering wheel adjustment - as well as driving modes. This particular car was a Performance model, which is about $10k more than the Long Range AWD (currently the 'base' model) and adds a lowered, tightened suspension, 21 inch 'Uberturbine' wheels in black, bigger brakes with red calipers, and a carbon fiber lip spoiler in the back. The car was also Deep Blue Metallic, which is how I would spec mine. The driving modes were set to 'Chill' for acceleration and 'Hold' for braking, which enables 'one pedal' driving mode.

I should explain about 'one pedal' mode. One of the benefits of an electric car is that there is minimal routine maintenance. No oil changes or tune-ups, and brakes generally last much longer due to regenerative braking. Essentially, when you take your foot off the accelerator, the electric motor provides braking power and that returns energy to the battery, providing a certain level of recharging. It's like engine braking with a manual transmission ICE vehicle. The amount of regen can be adjusted, to the point where the car will come to a complete stop (and will hold in place) without the driver touching the brake pedal. It's pretty cool to judge when to take your foot of the accelerator to come to a stop at a stop light or stop sign, right on the line! And it only takes a few stops to get the hang of it. Just don't forget that your ICE vehicle doesn't have this!

I mentioned that the drive mode was in 'Chill' - there is also standard and a sporty mode (can't recall it's name). That said, the acceleration was still amazing (just required a heavier foot than the other modes) and totally silent other than some wind noise. Really incredible and addicting.... I was able to test the car on all types of roads, including a stretch of Route 295 where I quickly got up to 85 without noticing.... The silence is really eerie, as my Mazda CX-5 is pretty noisy when accelerating quickly. The car feels very firm and stable, with the big tires and beefed-up suspension, and handled great. And the outward visibility to the front and sides is outstanding, with no instrument panel in front of you. Seating position is like a 'regular' SUV, higher than a sedan, and quite commanding, especially to the front. 

The lack of traditional instrumentation isn't really an issue. I mean, what do you normally look at in your car besides the speedometer? Speed is in the upper left-hand corner of the large touchscreen and is easily visible. And controls for the major functions like HVAC, defrost, seat heaters, etc are easily accessible along the bottom of the screen, although I did have to look at them to operate. Maybe they become second nature over time, like in my current car.

The MY is quite roomy, and of course, like other Teslas, has a 'frunk' in the front and a great amount of room in the rear, including a decent-sized space under the rear floor. The rear seat space is fine and with the panoramic glass roof, the feeling inside is definitely one of airiness, even with the black interior (which isn't really a 'dark' black but more of a charcoal color. 

I do have a concern with the glass roof and heating the interior of the car. There are solutions (sunscreen, tint) that could mitigate the heating. And I would want that heating during the winter for sure, as running the heater in an electric car has much more impact on range than running the A/C. But that's really a nit.

I am seriously interested in this car, and will probably wait to order until 1) the 3Q crunch is over and 2) the resolve some of the quality issues they are having with the car (panel fits, paint issues). 

I would spec mine as the Long Range AWD with a tow hitch (for a bike rack) and the Deep Blue Metallic color, with black interior (partial white is also available). The results in a MSRP of $51,990, which earns a $5,000 rebate in NJ for a BEV purchase. You also do not pay sales tax on an electric car, so there is another $3,400 that you save. And there is a rebate of $500 to install a home charger (which would typically cost about $1,000 installed). So there are good financial reasons to buy a BEV in NJ.

 

First Post!

 My intent in this blog is to document my process of buying an electric vehicle (ok, probably a Tesla Model Y) and what happens after..... Maybe this will help others in their decision to go with a BEV and forgo the ICE life.

As a car guy, I've been interested in battery electric vehicles for a while, but always viewed them as a sort of niche vehicle, not really suited for mainstream use. Tesla certainly changed that and over time, their cars have become more and more suitable for daily driver use, to the point where range of 400 miles is available in the Model S now. The Model Y I am looking at (the Long Range AWD) is rated by the EPA at 316 miles of range, more than enough for the usual daily running around that I do as a Realtor. And it makes it usable for the longer trips we take - to my parents in Upstate NY and family and vacation in the Boston area. Fast charging means that you can 'top up' the battery in a short stop of 20 minutes or less. And the technology available in the MY means that you can plan your road trips with stops at charging stations as needed, built into the navigation.  

Why a BEV? Well, given that they are more mainstream now, it makes sense to maybe give up a little flexibility / ease of use for the greater good. Without meaning to be too altruistic, I do believe we need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, and a BEV is great way for the average guy / gal to do that. You can argue that a lot of our electricity comes from fossil fuels, and that is still true today. But eliminating a big chunk of pollution and greenhouse gases caused by cars burning gas or diesel is a great way to start, and something that many of us can do now. And as more and more electricity is generated via solar, wind, thermal and water power, the effect will multiply. 

The Tesla, specifically, is loaded with technology that 'normal' cars don't offer. Over-the-air updates means constant improvement of your car, and the ability to buy additional features, such as the Full Self Driving package that is available now and being enhanced constantly. The AutoPilot feature which combines a lot of the various driver aid functions into an integrated package that allows a certain amount of semi-autonomous driving. The 'clean sheet' design of their vehicles, including things like eliminating the cluttered interiors we know today and integrating almost everything into a touch screen. The availability of mobile service for many issues. And certainly the revolutionary buying process the eliminates the most irritating part of buying a car, the dealer. So all of those things - and the acceleration! - combine to really pique my interest in becoming a Tesla owner.

The next blog post will cover my test drive of the Tesla Model Y!