Tesla Charging Prices - Not excited as others

[boggle]

You're not supposed to live off DCFC.

That being said, our at-home rates also suck in New England.

Gas around me is currently $3.20, break even for my Lightning @ 2.2mi/kWh against an Ecoboost F150 with 22 MPG combined is about $0.32/kWh. Which is about the current electric rate for supply + delivery.

TLDR: Eversource can get bent.

Sponsored

 

[Daragh]

I might be an outlier but I didn't buy my Lightning to save money! Didn't buy it to waste money either just to head off all the cynics out there. I bought it cause it's a fantastic product (software updates not withstanding!!), worth the running costs and ironically given I charge 99% of the time at home on L2 for me it is cheaper! Even when I take the odd road trip (coming up over the summer months) my previous trucks were all Diesel, that's running about $4.30 a gallon on average here in NC right now and my old truck got on average (no towing) of 17 MPG. so even on Superchargers for me its cheaper. I only ever plan on using the superchargers when needed, i.e. on road trips.

 

[Newton]

Gas is $4.50 here and has hit near $6.00 in the past. The oil companies are not your friend.

Getting an EV is just the start. If you get solar panels charging is free. In some states you can charge off peak for a few cents/kWh. I like the independence or potential independence. I also find it way more convenient to charge at home. On one trip I spilled diesel over my clothes far from home, never again will I breathe those fumes.

The longest trip I want to take involves two fast charging stops, that is driving all day. I do it rarely so neither EA nor Tesla will get much of my money. Pre retirement I had a whopping two weeks off so it is hard to imagine I would have spent much money at a charger. Give me enough range for a day trip and I’m good.

 

[Newton]

And that far from home trip was 285 miles from my house. You long range trucks might not have even had to charge by then. When you start looking at the actual miles we drive the numbers are smaller than you think at least for the majority of us who live in more populated areas. It just feels longer with traffic and road conditions.

 

[Joe.....Montana]

Gas is $4.50 here and has hit near $6.00 in the past. The oil companies are not your friend.

Getting an EV is just the start. If you get solar panels charging is free. In some states you can charge off peak for a few cents/kWh. I like the independence or potential independence. I also find it way more convenient to charge at home. On one trip I spilled diesel over my clothes far from home, never again will I breathe those fumes.

The longest trip I want to take involves two fast charging stops, that is driving all day. I do it rarely so neither EA nor Tesla will get much of my money. Pre retirement I had a whopping two weeks off so it is hard to imagine I would have spent much money at a charger. Give me enough range for a day trip and I’m good.

I live in Montana where one electric company (essentially) has a monopoly. There is a Public Service Commission that is suppose to protect consumers...unfortunately they are pretty well in the back pocket of the utility company. It is not uncommon for the utility company to get 15-28% rate hikes A YEAR. When we moved back to Montana and bought a house we installed solar. Now we drive our lightning around with power from the sun. Not to mention (although numbers vary) solar adds about 80% (of cost) value to your home. I have yet to receive 80% equity on a tank of gas we put in our hybrid.

Solar is costly (and exorbitant in some states - luckily it hasn't taken off as much in Montana so it is "cheaper") but if you're able to install as part of a larger electrification of your life, the long term savings are incredible.

 

[hturnerfamily]

Good analysis. There are many advantages with electric vehicles. Using any truck with 1 ton capacity to drive across the country will cost you regardless of fuel, using a light economical vehicle to drive across the country will save you money, but cost in comfort and safety.

Either way if the vehicle is electric we can smile because we are doing the right thing.

agreed: and...


'GRUMPY' is my name, too. At least that's what my new granddaughter will 'call' me : )

 

[hturnerfamily]

and

the real general consensus should be to buy what YOU like, not what us or anyone else 'tells' you to buy, or to stay away from.


a short story:

We decided to take our two youngest boys, at the time 10 and 12, and travel the U.S. in a motorhome for a year. Crazy, yes.
My first 'to do' on the list was to actually FIND a motorhome, preferably in a 'price range' that would not break the bank.
My and the boys took a look at a Coachmen MIRADA, amongst several others. It had everything we needed.

Of course, the VERY FIRST thing out of my own father's mouth when he heard the news was:
"Oh No, NEVER buy a COACHMEN, they are the WORST!"....


really??

well, his 'time' with Coachmen, as a brand, was 40 year PRIOR to this, and held onto that same mentality 40 years later, REGARDLESS of whether the 'brand' had changed, improved, was under new ownership, or anything else set in Reality. He was 'stuck' in his ways. Oh well.

we enjoyed that motorhome for many years...

 

[hturnerfamily]

As a LIGHTNING owner, and a KIA EV9 brand new owner, and a former owner of several original Nissan LEAFS, and two sons now with CHEVY BOLTS... I really don't care what anyone else 'thinks'... this works for me, works for us, and we will never go 'back' to gas and oil, no matter the 'cost' of DC Fast Charging, or the 'lack' of infrastructure - we have dealt with it, and will continue to, even if it is improving, or not.

 

[JRT]

The best advantages of Tesla vs EA and most others is reliability and actual locations with some thought to having options for shopping, food and pharmacy. Seriously last Dec Trip to FL and back all we saw was Walmart parking lots and some remote locations with no facilities around. Worst was being constantly Chevy Bolt blocked and ridiculously poorly maintained chargers. It was painful and required far to much effort. My hope is access to Tesla will help with many of these issues and I'll gladly pay more.

 

[shutterbug]

The best advantages of Tesla vs EA and most others is reliability and actual locations with some thought to having options for shopping, food and pharmacy.

I think that the best part of supercharger locations is number of plugs. For example, in Quartzite, AZ, the EA location has 4 plugs, while nearby Tesla has 84. Even if a few of the were out of order (it does happen), you still have a bunch available. Even if they are busy, the wait time should be shorter.

 

[TheBigBezo]

I don't mind paying extra to go to Tesla Superchargers, they work and are placed more conveniently around me. I'm tired of parking at sometimes sketchy Walmart parking lots getting panhandled for money which I've had the displeasure of encountering a couple of times already. Tesla seems to be in nicer areas, and it really just does work. I don't mind paying extra for that: works the first time, and feels safe.

 

[metroshot]

Must be nice to pay for gas under $4.

So Calif has been for the longest time $5 and this month it's up at $5.50 / gallon.

I joined Tesla membership because I have been fast charging.

Cheaper than EVGo membership - time of day peak hours.

$0.34 / kWh membership rate at peak time is very low!

 

[Heliian]

Ecoboost F150 with 22 MPG

C'mon,maybe downhill with a tail wind. Realistically it's like 18mpg.

 

[carys98]

C'mon,maybe downhill with a tail wind. Realistically it's like 18mpg.

Four years with my 2018 I had a lifetime average of 17.

 

[CarJunky]

Yeah, doesn't make sense for everyone. I live in CA - where gas is $5.50+ / gallon and my overnight KW cost is about $.10. So - I'm getting about 130+ miles for $5.50. Also - I road trip for less than 1% of the time...which is comparable in cost to an ICE.

Anyway - different strokes for different folks. EV trucks don't make sense universally (though EV cars do...aside from driving a prius prime....which sux).

Sponsored