CA built Tesla Model S is the 2nd best selling luxury car in the natipn (Los Angeles: rental car, appointed)

[18Montclair]

I do see them quite a bit.

Tesla outsells Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Lexus (with one caveat) - Silicon Valley Business Journal

[18Montclair]

It is a beautiful car...

[Ruth4Truth]

Cute! How far can it go on one charge, and how long does it take to charge at home? How much does it cost in electric bill to charge it?

[stan4]

My friend just bought one.
6 to 8 hours to charge (he had to have his outlet in the garage changed to 220 - new circuit dropped).
About 250 mile range.
Haven't seen the electric bill yet. Lol...

To me, the range is far too low. My round-trip commute is 57 miles.
The nearest towns to visit (Austin, Houston) are already on the edge of the range of that car (210+ miles).
Maybe if all you did was scoot around town in a very limited area, this would work. But then why do you need your 0 to 60 at 4.2 seconds?

That being said, the interior of this car is really something else. It's the future.

[ryuns]

It's a stunning car. I got to sit inside one at a car show, and monkey with the massive touch screen. The fit and finish is like no other car I've seen. Sure, there's a lot to break, but it's cool while it lasts. (Fun example, the door handles that retract until you approach the car, it senses you, and they extend.) It's a true luxury car, so as long as people compare it to other well-appointed sedans, it holds up really well.

Ruth, range is 200 to 300 miles or so, depending on options. Charging times range from pretty much all-day with a standard plug, to overnight with a 220V charger, down to a few hours with a special charger (and upgraded electric service at/to your house to accomodate the load). Total capacity is 60 or 85 kWh, depending on the size of the battery you choose. Cost depends on electricity rates, often around 10cents/kWh or less with an EV charging discount.

[ryuns]

Originally Posted by stan4

To me, the range is far too low. My round-trip commute is 57 miles.
The nearest towns to visit (Austin, Houston) are already on the edge of the range of that car (210+ miles).

At that commute, you're a better candidate for a Leaf or Focus EV or Fit EV (if they sold that in TX). Obviously not a solution for long-range trips, but most households have two cars anyway. Or, at least, access to rental cars for extended trip.

[DMenscha]

My son got to work for Tesla last summer for his summer job (Why yes it does pay to know someone high up in the company). I am hoping at some point to buy one of the Model X cars and hope there is an employee discount.

[Ruth4Truth]

They say it's a great car for tooling around town, but obviously, not a long-distance car. Pretty extravagant "shopping car", though--if all you can do with it is use it for grocery shopping and around-town errands.

Kind of irresistible, if you can afford it, though. I wonder how long the electronics remain functional? I spoke to someone who had a hybrid Honda, who said it's not worth it. So much of it is electronic, things start to go haywire pretty early on.

[JGC97]

That IS a nice looking car. Love the red, too.

[johninvegas]

We were talking about this car at work (in Las Vegas) one day. I challenged one of my co-workers to a race to Los Angeles (300 miles). Me in my wife's '97 Tacoma with a (realistic) top end of 70 mph and he in a Tesla. Guess who would win?

Personally, I think the Chevy Volt is a better option at this time. Use the electric most of the time, but if you need to travel, the small gas engine charges the electric motor so you can basically do unlimited travel.