wilber1 wrote:
I think it depends a lot on where you live, the type of driving you do and climate. I know of a person who had a Model S. Getting it serviced was OK as long as he lived in the Vancouver area but as soon as he moved to Vancouver Island, service was unavailable and when you have a car that needs things like its computers recalibrated by Tesla when you install snow tires, that is a major PITA if you live in a colder climate. This will be a major problem for Tesla if they can't provide service outside of major centres and an advantage that major car makers building electrics will have for some time. He also found there was a noticeable loss of battery life after two years resulting in a loss of range and longer charging times. This was compounded by, unless it was parked in a heated garage, there were additional losses as soon as the temperature dropped a couple of degrees below freezing
There were a lot of things he did like about the car but got rid of it for those reasons.
Personally, if a car can't get me from my place to the Okanagan Valley in the winter without refueling, it isn't for me.
I wonder how many of those folks who camped out to put a deposit down on a car they might get in 2018, are the same ones you see camped outside of APPLE stores to get its latest piece of gear.
We notice a loss in range when the temperature gets colder. Maybe as much as a quarter depending on how much you use the heater or electric seats etc. For us it just doesn't matter. We use ours as a commuter and the range could be half and still suit our needs. We need a reliable 40 to 50 KM. About a third of the range under normal conditions and about half under not so good. Everybody has different needs. Present electric vehicles are not for everybodies needs but certainly work well for many. A truck would be a disaster for me but works well for my brother for example.
