Used Tesla S with free supercharging
Discussion
I've been looking at Model S, which has free supercharging. The reason is that I work 60 miles from my office and WFH 4 out of 5 days. Work is now pushing for 2 out of 5 in the office. I currently commute in my V60 T6 which is lovely but very thirsty, costs £20 to £24 per day. My thinking is to sell the V60 and get a loan to get a Model S around the £25k mark with free supercharging as there is one near the office. I would then need to do around the 240 miles and charge once a week. I could only charge at home over a regular plug as my house is old and the electrics are shocking until I re-wire the house.
My question is, what have I missed? At the moment, it seems too good to be true. Is buying at £25k S going to be a world of hurt? What are the alternatives? A normal car?
My question is, what have I missed? At the moment, it seems too good to be true. Is buying at £25k S going to be a world of hurt? What are the alternatives? A normal car?
You'll be charging more than once a week, as the range drops when doing multiple cold starts and Tesla have parasitic losses even when parked up.
The issue with an older Model S is simply time to repair. Even something minor could mean a few weeks off road either to repair or pass an MOT.
The issue with an older Model S is simply time to repair. Even something minor could mean a few weeks off road either to repair or pass an MOT.
ChocolateFrog said:
That's probably what I'd do.
I'd always be suspicious that Musk will switch off the perk but even charging at home it's going to be a good bet.
This is a concern because the public charging points are more than fuel on an MPG basis. They only make sense if you can charge at home. I'd always be suspicious that Musk will switch off the perk but even charging at home it's going to be a good bet.
It's a spreadsheet job. How much is the premium on an S with free supercharging etc but I'm assuming you can't home charge? In which case, it's about whether picking up a slightly old and frugal 'station' diesel and using that until work fits employee chargers is going to be a lot cheaper than borrowing £25k for an aged S.
Personally, I'd look at things like a diesel Golf just to run as a stopgap while the world catches up around you re things like work charging if you don't have home charging and not go taking on a slug of debt.
Personally, I'd look at things like a diesel Golf just to run as a stopgap while the world catches up around you re things like work charging if you don't have home charging and not go taking on a slug of debt.
DonkeyApple said:
It's a spreadsheet job. How much is the premium on an S with free supercharging etc but I'm assuming you can't home charge? In which case, it's about whether picking up a slightly old and frugal 'station' diesel and using that until work fits employee chargers is going to be a lot cheaper than borrowing £25k for an aged S.
Personally, I'd look at things like a diesel Golf just to run as a stopgap while the world catches up around you re things like work charging if you don't have home charging and not go taking on a slug of debt.
I can charge my car at home over a plug, but it's insanely slow. That being said, it's not unusual for the car not to move for three days once it has been to work so that may not be an issue. Personally, I'd look at things like a diesel Golf just to run as a stopgap while the world catches up around you re things like work charging if you don't have home charging and not go taking on a slug of debt.
But yes, the diesel is probably the best bet. I got my V60 because, at the time, I couldn't afford a ULEZ-compatible diesel that fitted my needs and was a bit interesting; that's not so much the case now.
BlackTails said:
Bobtherallyfan said:
Got to love the man maths….save £160 a month by taking out a loan on £25K car.
That’s how I see it too. Big outlay to “save” a small regular payment. It doesn’t make sense to me. Type R Tom said:
So, what would you do? Would you change my V60, which costs about £24 a day, to something that costs £12 per day to commute without borrowing money?
Well my starting point, and I say this as someone who window shops a lot of cars, is that the cheapest car is usually the one you already own. I’d work out how much I could sell the V60 for, how much extra I’d have to pay out to buy the Tesla and then how long it would take me to recoup the additional cost of driving the V60 vs driving the Tesla. Then work out their comparative running costs, and factor that in.
Unless, of course, I was fed up with the V60, fancied a change and fancied that change to be a Tesla. In which case I’d say “f
k it, I’m getting the Tesla”, and do just that. BlackTails said:
Type R Tom said:
So, what would you do? Would you change my V60, which costs about £24 a day, to something that costs £12 per day to commute without borrowing money?
Well my starting point, and I say this as someone who window shops a lot of cars, is that the cheapest car is usually the one you already own. I’d work out how much I could sell the V60 for, how much extra I’d have to pay out to buy the Tesla and then how long it would take me to recoup the additional cost of driving the V60 vs driving the Tesla. Then work out their comparative running costs, and factor that in.
Unless, of course, I was fed up with the V60, fancied a change and fancied that change to be a Tesla. In which case I’d say “f
k it, I’m getting the Tesla”, and do just that. k it, let's just burn through the fuel on something I know and trust."Much of it comes from being asked to go to work more and doubling my fuel costs. So, exploring options, the problem is I want some interesting as well as practical, that can fit the family and camping kit and a few other considerations.
BlackTails said:
Type R Tom said:
So, what would you do? Would you change my V60, which costs about £24 a day, to something that costs £12 per day to commute without borrowing money?
Well my starting point, and I say this as someone who window shops a lot of cars, is that the cheapest car is usually the one you already own. I’d work out how much I could sell the V60 for, how much extra I’d have to pay out to buy the Tesla and then how long it would take me to recoup the additional cost of driving the V60 vs driving the Tesla. Then work out their comparative running costs, and factor that in.
Unless, of course, I was fed up with the V60, fancied a change and fancied that change to be a Tesla. In which case I’d say “f
k it, I’m getting the Tesla”, and do just that. Build a spreadsheet if you’re that way inclined. I find that a decent spreadsheet will give you clarity either way.
Type R Tom said:
I completely agree with the cheapest comment; I have indeed done the maths on any new car that requires finance or some other financial consideration and thought, "fk it, let's just burn through the fuel on something I know and trust."
Much of it comes from being asked to go to work more and doubling my fuel costs. So, exploring options, the problem is I want some interesting as well as practical, that can fit the family and camping kit and a few other considerations.
That's your spanner in the works really. Alongside wanting a frugal commute box to also be an 'interesting and inspiring steer' k it, let's just burn through the fuel on something I know and trust."Much of it comes from being asked to go to work more and doubling my fuel costs. So, exploring options, the problem is I want some interesting as well as practical, that can fit the family and camping kit and a few other considerations.
You're being driven to considering change specifically due to money so any viable plan has to very clearly deliver monetary results.
The Tesla S idea gives you one's big barge but the flipside is that you are buying £25k worth of depreciation and having to use a £10k slug of debt with which to purchase that liability. And all to save money on petrol. It doesn't add up financially.
Taking on debt very rarely does so any logical starting point needs to ideally avoid it.
The second car solution looks to be out just because the amount of money that you're seeking to save in fuel costs is so small that the expenditure and operational costs of even a shed is likely to surpass it.
So the most likely solution is to swap the Volvo for something of equal or most logically lower value that is tailored to fit the 2 core daily requirement of your car usage which is 1) to be as frugal as practical during the commute and 2) to not be bleeding capital and costs when stationary in your driveway. You then fit your more anomalous usage requirements around that. For example, camping equipment can fit in a roof box. And a roof box and fitting kit for anomalous use is going to be far cheaper than purchasing an impractical daily solution just for those few use cases.
Finally, there is the other side of the equation to consider which is that instead of changing your car to fit your income you change your income to fit your car. Ie, you approach HR with regards to your employers desire for you to now being in the office for 100% more time per week and explain that this is something that you really want to be doing but that it has considerable personal costs attached to it during the height of a cost of living crisis and what can your employer do to enable you to ci play with their wishes?
Personally, my first port of call would be sitting down with HR and asking them how they were going to meet their obligations with regards to helping you help their employers. They do have to be reasonable and work around two core understandings which is that employees have had to adjust their lives to fit with WFH and to now seek to start reversing that carries the same obligations and responsibilities, plus, they know that the financial environment today is very different from just a couple of years ago.
maz8062 said:
This. I’d also factor in that Model S that still have the free Supercharging for life are at the point where the battery could be on its last legs, so look out for one that’s had a replacement battery with a warranty. Insurance on the Model S will be higher than your V60.
Build a spreadsheet if you’re that way inclined. I find that a decent spreadsheet will give you clarity either way.
My understanding is that Tesla warranty-replacement batteries aren't new, and are instead refurbished batteries intended to get you to the end of the warranty period. Build a spreadsheet if you’re that way inclined. I find that a decent spreadsheet will give you clarity either way.
NDNDNDND said:
My understanding is that Tesla warranty-replacement batteries aren't new, and are instead refurbished batteries intended to get you to the end of the warranty period.
"If your Battery or Drive Unit requires warranty repair, Tesla will repair the unit, or replace it with a new, reconditioned or re-manufactured part at the sole discretion of Tesla. The warranty replacement may not restore the vehicle to a 'like new' condition, but when replacing a Battery, Tesla will ensure that the
energy capacity of the replacement Battery is at least equal to that of the original Battery before the failure occurred while taking into consideration other factors, including the age and mileage of the vehicle."
https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/support/vehicle-warran...
I'd be wary of assuming you'll be okay charging at home if your house has relatively old electrics.
It's a sustained 10A load through potentially old wiring, my house was built in the 50s so I had to upgrade the circuit that the socket I charge the car was situated on as the wiring wasn't the correct thickness.
That being said... I commute to the office 3 days a week - 30 miles away from my house. I charge my model 3 solely on the 3 pin charger and I'm rarely below 50% battery. I charge it on the 5 hour nightly 'low rate' tariff window, so the full month (~1100 miles) costs me about £50 in electricity.
Supercharger costs vary per unit but I'd hazard a guess you'd be better off with a fuel efficient diesel if you're planning to rely solely on public chargers.
Also, re: reliability/repairs - the big ticket items like the battery and motors have a long warranty which is 8 years I believe. Suspension, brakes etc can be maintained by any competent garage. My only worry on an older one would be the computer.
It's a sustained 10A load through potentially old wiring, my house was built in the 50s so I had to upgrade the circuit that the socket I charge the car was situated on as the wiring wasn't the correct thickness.
That being said... I commute to the office 3 days a week - 30 miles away from my house. I charge my model 3 solely on the 3 pin charger and I'm rarely below 50% battery. I charge it on the 5 hour nightly 'low rate' tariff window, so the full month (~1100 miles) costs me about £50 in electricity.
Supercharger costs vary per unit but I'd hazard a guess you'd be better off with a fuel efficient diesel if you're planning to rely solely on public chargers.
Also, re: reliability/repairs - the big ticket items like the battery and motors have a long warranty which is 8 years I believe. Suspension, brakes etc can be maintained by any competent garage. My only worry on an older one would be the computer.
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