View Poll Results: Which do you value more in an EV?
Range
9
37.50%
Speed
1
4.17%
Tech
0
0%
None of the above
3
12.50%
All of the above
11
45.83%
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll
Which do you value more in an EV?
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
It is new section that just opened up this year. For many, it's the last stop before hitting NorCal, and also Harris Ranch is next door, known for its Steakhouse (and farms with thousands of cows....you can imagine the smell in the summer 
). It can get packed during holiday travels, so Tesla installed Diesel generators to handle the load of all those 250 kW chargers on days when its packed. Its literally in the middle of nowhere, the nearest city is an hour away so it makes sense. I'm sure they are going to eventually install solar panels like they have done on several of their other charing areas like Firebaugh and Kettleman City, which are further South off the 5 freeway
). It can get packed during holiday travels, so Tesla installed Diesel generators to handle the load of all those 250 kW chargers on days when its packed. Its literally in the middle of nowhere, the nearest city is an hour away so it makes sense. I'm sure they are going to eventually install solar panels like they have done on several of their other charing areas like Firebaugh and Kettleman City, which are further South off the 5 freeway
So here is an interesting take on this. I took a road trip yesterday which was 200 miles round trip and I left with 50% charge and i got to my destination with under 10% charge so I had to stop at a Tesla super charger and to get it back up to 50% it cost me $17. So to drive about 200 miles if I used a supercharger only it would have cost me $34.
My X7 can get about 430 miles of highway driving on a full tank which costs me $80 to fill up so to do the same trip it would have cost me $40. Not as much savings as one thinks on a road trip. Charging at home sure, but not solely on super chargers.
My X7 can get about 430 miles of highway driving on a full tank which costs me $80 to fill up so to do the same trip it would have cost me $40. Not as much savings as one thinks on a road trip. Charging at home sure, but not solely on super chargers.
trying to reconcile these two different anecdotes.
so Tesla installed Diesel generators to handle the load of all those 250 kW chargers on days when its packed. Its literally in the middle of nowhere, the nearest city is an hour away so it makes sense. I'm sure they are going to eventually install solar panels like they have done on several of their other charing areas like Firebaugh and Kettleman City, which are further South off the 5 freeway
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
so you're saying 380mi. trip costs you $100 more for gas than electric including supercharging cost.
so you're saying 200mi. trip costs you $6 more for gas than electric including supercharging cost.
trying to reconcile these two different anecdotes.
i'm sure you can do the math, but your home provides what, 12kW ? charging over several hours from your roof of solar cells, so providing 250kW to say 30 cars at once is 7500kW or 60x your home solar output, in other words, a huge solar farm. i don't see that happening. yes they can use batteries to store captured sunlight but that will be an enormous bank and cost.
so you're saying 200mi. trip costs you $6 more for gas than electric including supercharging cost.
trying to reconcile these two different anecdotes.
i'm sure you can do the math, but your home provides what, 12kW ? charging over several hours from your roof of solar cells, so providing 250kW to say 30 cars at once is 7500kW or 60x your home solar output, in other words, a huge solar farm. i don't see that happening. yes they can use batteries to store captured sunlight but that will be an enormous bank and cost.
It's not about generating electricity for real time charging, but storing energy for use during peak. They added solar for several of their other sites, I don't see why they wouldn't do it here
Last edited by AMIRZA786; Sep 10, 2023 at 07:03 PM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
For the heck of it, I went back and looked at my last two trips to SoCal, the first one was in May when my father passed away. We took our Sienna because my wife's aunt and her two daughters came with us. I spent a total of $133.41.
On June 23rd, we went back to SoCal for my dad's memorial in the Model Y, we spent a total of $83.17
On June 23rd, we went back to SoCal for my dad's memorial in the Model Y, we spent a total of $83.17
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
Just to add on to the above post, if you poll most EV owners on this forum (as well as the Polestar forum), most didn't buy an EV for the savings aspect. Performance would always rank at the top. Saving money is way down the line. Most of the savings is from home charging, those who public charge, the savings are still there, but not as significant. And they only exist at all because EV's are so efficient. If you were to convert the cost of kWh's to the cost of a gallon of gasoline, it would be something like $14 a gallon:
1 gallon of gasoline = 33.7 kWh
Average cost of public fast charging = .44 cents kWh
33.7 X .44 cents = $14.78
So even at $5 plus per gallon, gasoline per gallon is cheaper...the difference is EV's don't use as much energy, so if an EV had the ability to store 18 gallons worth of electricity, they would go over 1000 miles on a tank. Getting back to my original point, it's all about performance!
1 gallon of gasoline = 33.7 kWh
Average cost of public fast charging = .44 cents kWh
33.7 X .44 cents = $14.78
So even at $5 plus per gallon, gasoline per gallon is cheaper...the difference is EV's don't use as much energy, so if an EV had the ability to store 18 gallons worth of electricity, they would go over 1000 miles on a tank. Getting back to my original point, it's all about performance!
ha, well in the thread's poll there's only one vote for speed, so maybe not as big a factor as it is for you.
having just finished my rental in the standard range model 3, i found it to have more than enough "smooth buttery" performance. a performance model would be wasted on me.
having just finished my rental in the standard range model 3, i found it to have more than enough "smooth buttery" performance. a performance model would be wasted on me.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
ha, well in the thread's poll there's only one vote for speed, so maybe not as big a factor as it is for you.
having just finished my rental in the standard range model 3, i found it to have more than enough "smooth buttery" performance. a performance model would be wasted on me.
having just finished my rental in the standard range model 3, i found it to have more than enough "smooth buttery" performance. a performance model would be wasted on me.
I look forward to your review! Performance can never be a waste, but I know what you mean
. My brother in laws base Model 3 drives extremely well and does the job
Pole Position
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,614
Likes: 41
From: CA
I think, as a Tesla owner, the charging network is something that I completely take for granted. My brother in law picked a Rivian R1S last month, and he's already had a few bad experiences with EA chargers not working or being occupied where he can't charge. He is glad he kept his RR Sport to use for his family road trips.
Since I've had the Tesla for a while now, having access to a charger is just something I have come to expect with experience.
Since I've had the Tesla for a while now, having access to a charger is just something I have come to expect with experience.
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
I think, as a Tesla owner, the charging network is something that I completely take for granted. My brother in law picked a Rivian R1S last month, and he's already had a few bad experiences with EA chargers not working or being occupied where he can't charge. He is glad he kept his RR Sport to use for his family road trips.
Since I've had the Tesla for a while now, having access to a charger is just something I have come to expect with experience.
Since I've had the Tesla for a while now, having access to a charger is just something I have come to expect with experience.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 19,747
Likes: 3,776
From: California
I've never stopped at the Harris Ranch chargers. Usually Firebaugh or Kettleman City which is after Harris Ranch. Two trips so far, this upcoming one end of Sept will be #3, which is one reason I'm already at the 5K mark!
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