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My Prime lease is ending and I'm going Tesla Model 3.

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by ed4271, Mar 2, 2019.

  1. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Why? Bob and others are trading their Primes for the Model 3, so they're are obviously in the same category to at least some people.

    They aren't to me because a Model 3 is so much less capable than a Prime.
     
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  2. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    Agree that the comparison is appropriate, especially in this thread.
    That said, fuel costs depend largely on how often you charge away from home. For me, fuel costs for the Model 3 will be one half cent/mile for the next 33 years or so. If I charge on the occasional trip, the lifetime costs may average 1 or 2 cents/mile.

    Fuel costs are highly dependent upon the user.

    However, even if the fuel costs in my Model 3 was the same, or more than a Prime, the Model 3 is far more capable than the Prime, so I will stick with it ;)
     
  3. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    Fuel cost for me in the Prime is extremely cheap since I get 2/3 or so of my electricity for free from work and pay 11 cents at home.

    Your cost at home is highly subsidized. Mine is not. The real cost of the electricity you use is much higher than what you are paying.
     
  4. litesong

    litesong Active Member

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    When you use worst & best case scenerios, you can turn stats upside down, fer sure.
    Our western Washington never saw less than a spot price of $2.25 a gallon & many prices have now bounced up to $2.35 to $2.45+ per gallon. Even with cheap gas prices, Miles/gallon are still 7-10 cents per mile for regular vehicles (more for pickups, SUVs & leadfooters). Home price for electricity is under 10 cents per kWhr & featherfooting EV drivers can get 5 miles per kWhr with more efficient EVs. Efficient EV travel cost is 2 cents per kWhr. Plus, there are still a few inconvenient road chargers that are free.
     
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  5. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    No, I was using like-for-like, for long-distance travel on the open road. The Prime is every bit as efficient, if not more efficient than the Model 3 for in-town electric-only driving. My long-term average is 5 miles/kWh. But you do a lot worse at 75 on the interstate, especially if there's wind. My friend has a Model S 90D and he told me he gets about 2.8 miles/kWh on the open road. I realize that the Model 3 is better but it's unlikely to be 4 miles/kWh at 75 on the open road. So I was giving it the benefit of the best-case.
     
  6. litesong

    litesong Active Member

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    Again, you're an efficient driver (not the American norm with an inefficient vehicle) & your friend isn't efficient. Any EV I eventually get & drive, will average 5Miles/kWhr, & probably considerably over that. & chuck those Super-chargers.... just one of the American ways to kill EV charging cycles by many thousands & abuse battery packs.
     
  7. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    My 5 miles/kWh is in-town. His 2.8 is with autopilot driving across I-80 and I-70. There's not much way to be efficient or inefficient when you're just at a constant speed for 600 miles.

    Without superchargers, there's no practical way to go cross-country.
     
  8. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    I look forward to doing ‘Bob’ studies.

    Bob Wilson
     
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  9. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    57% of US households have two or more cars. Considering car ownership costs increase with each car added to the household, current prices for all available plug ins, and the requirements for home charging, there is probably sizeable overlap between households with a plug in and ones with more than one car.

    So a Tesla owner also having a gas car really tells us nothing.

    The Rise of the One Car Family
    Which sucks for those few Tesla owners that can only charge at Superchargers.

    Great, that you found a car that works for you, but just like there are reasons a Tesla won't work for you, there are reasons a Prime won't work for everybody. Its EV range doesn't cover my commute, so over half my daily miles would be on the more expensive gasoline.
     
  10. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

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    I feel badly for people who have long commutes. I'm fortunate to have never had to deal with that.

    We have 23 people at my office who have purchased EVs for their commutes. As far as I know, all buy one has a gas car for road trips.

    One guy has a 100 mile commute each way. He has a Bolt.
    One other guy has a roughly 25 mile commute each way to and from the mountains. He has a Volt and a Bolt.
    One girl has a Fiat. I don't know the length of her commute.
    The other twenty people have Leafs, which at times could be had for around $10-12k brand new with the tax credits and discounts.
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    electricity here is .24/kwh, and gas is $2.50

    they don't want anyone switching fuels
     
    #71 bisco, Mar 4, 2019
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2019
  12. Primedp

    Primedp Junior Member

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    My round trip work commute is 20 miles daily.
     
  13. benagi

    benagi Active Member

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    So is mine. That’s why I’m getting approx 1000 miles to the gallon. I love my Prime.
     
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  14. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Wait, you have the 2017 model. Doesn't yours max out at 199 mpg? I thought 999 mpg was for 2018 and later models.
     
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  15. benagi

    benagi Active Member

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    Correct. When I did my first fillup, it only took 6.5 us gal. with 6800 miles on the odometer.
     
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  16. smyles

    smyles Active Member

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    You don't have life outside work? Most humans do....
     
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  17. VTBIGDOG

    VTBIGDOG Active Member

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    Maybe, but you are factoring in the dealer discount, massive rebates and the $4502 tax credit into those figures. You will pay more tax on the Tesla because it costs more, so that it a wash in my opinion along with title fees

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  18. bruceha_2000

    bruceha_2000 Senior Member

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    Shall I ASSUME you have an existing solar array that is producing more than you were using before getting the Model 3 by enough that you are essentially charging for free? I find it unlikely that your electric company charges only $0.02/kWh (assuming 4 mile/kWh).
     
  19. pghyndman

    pghyndman Active Member

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  20. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    The half cent/mile is from solar.
    We calculated it by adding up all costs, including maintenance, subtracting rebates and such, and dividing by the expected lifetime production.

    Solar makes EVs a really good deal ;)