Tesla True Cost of Ownership

Imported

Lifer
Sep 2, 2000
14,679
23
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http://www.teslamotors.com/true-cost-of-ownership

Compared to your current cars.. how do you fare with the 85kWh model ($1199)?

$1061 here for a $130 savings but $800+ deficit after factoring in my currently monthly payment for the Prius.

I'm not even factoring in the "time spent in the HOV lane" or "time filing up gas" as I carpool already and I don't bill my time outside of work. Don't have a business so I had to uncheck that too.

Granted, if I was commuting in a car like a Tesla but it was gasoline powered, the numbers come out more favorable.

Now to play the 3 year waiting game and see if these depreciate 50% like the S-Class. :)
 
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tracerbullet

Golden Member
Feb 22, 2001
1,661
19
81
$1154 for an extra $600 over my 1-series BMW.

( I don't drive very many miles per year, probably tanked mine).

Neat link BTW.
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
81
At 3% financing it's double of what I'm paying; the rest of the stuff is a bit irrelevant since I don't drive to work.
 

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,536
938
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Its a great comparison if you are commuting in a 5-series, E -Class, Panamera or A6 - with premium fuel.

For those of us who have longer commutes, worried about EV range, the added cost of a $3000 high efficiency fast charger and install, and non-existent dealer network for repairs -

The tech is too new for us mere peons. I think you have to be making $300K+ a year to even consider a TESLA. I'd say the average buyer makes well over 7-figures.
 

Imported

Lifer
Sep 2, 2000
14,679
23
81
Its a great comparison if you are commuting in a 5-series, E -Class, Panamera or A6 - with premium fuel.

For those of us who have longer commutes, worried about EV range, the added cost of a $3000 high efficiency fast charger and install, and non-existent dealer network for repairs -

The tech is too new for us mere peons. I think you have to be making $300K+ a year to even consider a TESLA. I'd say the average buyer makes well over 7-figures.

Crazy how many are in the Bay Area though.. Palo Alto especially. I must see over 10 a day. Saw 6 just on my way to lunch and back today.
 

Dr. Detroit

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2004
8,536
938
126
Crazy how many are in the Bay Area though.. Palo Alto especially. I must see over 10 a day. Saw 6 just on my way to lunch and back today.

I too see them all the time. No surprise you see them in Palo Alto - probably all owned by the VC fund managers that invested in them. And whats the median price of a home in GoogleVille & FaceBookVille AKA - Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside? $1.5M+ now.

Once the Hollywood elite & super-wealthy have their cars -I don't see normal Amercia buying these cars. Just like the Nissan Leaf - sales have drastically fell off from the early adopters.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,482
17,952
126
Crazy how many are in the Bay Area though.. Palo Alto especially. I must see over 10 a day. Saw 6 just on my way to lunch and back today.

Bay area is the best source for second hand toy cars :biggrin:

<--- drives an 06 E350 4Matic. The math just doesn't work for Tesla.

I would imagine their depreciation is worse than MB

I have seen Fiskers and Teslas here in Toronto on the road.
 
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JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
985
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I followed one of these onto the freeway yesterday. It is a handsome looking car and pretty fast too. I like it.
 

*kjm

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 1999
2,222
6
81
1421 a month
My truck has been paid off for the last five years so that's zero cost and I fill up every two weeks at about $75 a pop so I would lose my butt. And I could not pick up 400 to 600 bft of lumber a year haul yard waste and hull my boat with it:whiste:
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
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lol, it won't let me put less than $10/hour for what my time is worth

And assumes $100/hr for time to fuel up?

Shit, I need to go earn $40/hr driving around putting gas in cars for rich people...they'll save more than they pay me!
 

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
It also has $5 as the default for gas over 3 years, but maybe that isn't terribly far off in California.

Form me this would cost an arm, but most people will be paying a premium to drive it. It sells itself on other things but saving money isn't really one of them.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
985
126
And assumes $100/hr for time to fuel up?

Shit, I need to go earn $40/hr driving around putting gas in cars for rich people...they'll save more than they pay me!

I liked the 15 minutes to drive to get gas. I usually stop to get gas when I'm on my way somewhere else. I almost never make a trip out just to fill up and even if I did the nearest gas station is always less than a mile away. Mayhe they assume everyone fills up at costco.
 

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
I liked the 15 minutes to drive to get gas. I usually stop to get gas when I'm on my way somewhere else. I almost never make a trip out just to fill up and even if I did the nearest gas station is always less than a mile away. Mayhe they assume everyone fills up at costco.
Pretty much nobody in the world makes trips out of the blue to get gas, it's pretty silly argument for sure.
 

GTaudiophile

Lifer
Oct 24, 2000
29,767
33
81
Crazy how many are in the Bay Area though.. Palo Alto especially. I must see over 10 a day. Saw 6 just on my way to lunch and back today.

Haha. I was out in the Bay Area a few weeks ago and saw a dozen in the San Mateo/Stanford/Palo Alto area just in 48 hours.
 

halik

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
25,696
1
81
Pretty much nobody in the world makes trips out of the blue to get gas, it's pretty silly argument for sure.

You'd think that skip that gimmick entirely, 1 hour of my time waiting for a tesla to charge up pays for all the gas I've used up that month...
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,584
985
126
I wanted to like the Nissan Leaf but it just doesn't have the range to make it a viable alternative. I'm wondering if this car gets anywhere near the claimed range.
 

bigi

Platinum Member
Aug 8, 2001
2,490
156
106
^ If you don't work for NYT nor are Clarkson it will get what is claimed. No worries here.
 

Brovane

Diamond Member
Dec 18, 2001
6,392
2,582
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I wanted to like the Nissan Leaf but it just doesn't have the range to make it a viable alternative. I'm wondering if this car gets anywhere near the claimed range.

Realistically it all depends on your driving. You speed and do sudden start and stopping driving your overall range will go down. However I suspect that even with this driving you could still get 180-200 miles of range. Also depending on the weather outside and if you are using the AC or Heat on the car and how much.
 

Mandres

Senior member
Jun 8, 2011
944
58
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I was talking with one of the Tesla people at the showroom in the Galleria in Houston last weekend (they have a model S setup there to checkout if anyone local is interested). Anyway she was telling me they're planning a 3-tier strategy

#1 supercar (roadster)
#2 luxury sedan (model S)
#3 compact, inexpensive commuter vehicle for the rest of America (???)

I think #3 is where it gets really interesting in the electric vehicle game.