This fifth report on our 2020 Tesla 3 Standard Range Plus includes: 1. Miles Per Gallon Gasoline Equivalent (MPGe); 2. Minute-by-minute energy usage at home; 3.
Tesla Depreciation; 4. Rear view cameras; 5. Tesla 3 Crumple Zone; 6. Mileage comparison of dual motor to single motor Tesla 3. 7. "We drove these electric cars until they died." 8. Over The Air (OTA) Software upgrades for our Tesla 3. 9. Safer than a human. 10. iWatch for Tesla App.
Of
course, every car owner wants to know what kind of mileage they are
getting whether it is Miles Per Gallon (MPG) or Miles Per Gallon
Gasoline Equivalent (MPGe).
Notice in the illustration above, that the car like ours, 2020 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus, is rated as 141 MPGe with 250 miles of range. Of further interest is that the City MPGe is better, 148, than highway, 132. At my retired age, most of my driving with be suburban, so more than 141 MPGe. YouTubers report that on long trips, when they get into a traffic jam on an Interstate, they get better mileage. The base price in 2020 ($35,000) is less than in 2019 as well. (Interesting that the newer Tesla Model 3 gets better MPGe and range than last year's model with the same battery.)
Tesla Depreciation
Since I had a classic car that appreciated over $500 a year for 22 years (above), I found this article on how little a Tesla 3 depreciated after 3 years if it had been in a lease program:
Model 3 is No. 7 above and our Model 3 below.
After 46 days of ownership of our Model 3, I am still learning new things each day by either watching YouTubers like "Tesla3Man" or "Now You Know" or "The Frugal Tesla Guy" or reading "Electrek" articles, or asking questions of Siri, which usually finds the answer in the Owner's Manual. If those references do not satisfy my curiosity, I have the occasional OTA Software updates.
If you have questions about a Model 3, please e-mail me at Carl@TeslaTouring.com
My Referral Number is https://ts.la/carl41979 Just click the URL to the left to go to the Tesla.com site that will explain the benefits of using a referral number:
Notice in the illustration above, that the car like ours, 2020 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus, is rated as 141 MPGe with 250 miles of range. Of further interest is that the City MPGe is better, 148, than highway, 132. At my retired age, most of my driving with be suburban, so more than 141 MPGe. YouTubers report that on long trips, when they get into a traffic jam on an Interstate, they get better mileage. The base price in 2020 ($35,000) is less than in 2019 as well. (Interesting that the newer Tesla Model 3 gets better MPGe and range than last year's model with the same battery.)
We
have had 16 solar panels for 10 years and our electricity bill looks as
above. The minus numbers are the times when we produce more
electricity than we are using. I wondered how we could produce
more energy than we use in Super off peak, but I realized it must be
after sunrise and before we rise. You can see above, under "Net
Generation," that we do produce more than we use in On-, Off-, and
Super-off peak. However, having a new EV, I wondered how much it
was costing to charge it. My monthly electric bill only told
total charge.
Minute-by-minute energy usage at home.
My solution was minute-by-minute results, through the Emporia Vue Smart Home Energy Monitor at Amazon for $39.99, and related free app that reads my electric meter through wifi. SCE will give me a $25 rebate.
The app gives only total energy usage, but minute by minute, so you can turn on a dishwasher and note the energy use over the regular use at the time. Or turn on the A/C, etc. I always charge the car, starting at 12:30 a.m. so it is easy to check the next day how much it costs to charge.
Above, charging the EV starting at 12:30 a.m. at an average of only $.82 per hour,
and I could see how long it charged and how many miles it charged for cents per mile of charge.
As it turned out, it costs 3 cents per mile to charge.
Above, A time when we are producing more than we are using.
Above, During the day when we are producing electricity beyond usage (green),
and the air conditioner comes on (blue).
Minute-by-minute energy usage at home.
My solution was minute-by-minute results, through the Emporia Vue Smart Home Energy Monitor at Amazon for $39.99, and related free app that reads my electric meter through wifi. SCE will give me a $25 rebate.
The app gives only total energy usage, but minute by minute, so you can turn on a dishwasher and note the energy use over the regular use at the time. Or turn on the A/C, etc. I always charge the car, starting at 12:30 a.m. so it is easy to check the next day how much it costs to charge.
Above, charging the EV starting at 12:30 a.m. at an average of only $.82 per hour,
and I could see how long it charged and how many miles it charged for cents per mile of charge.
As it turned out, it costs 3 cents per mile to charge.
Above, A time when we are producing more than we are using.
Above, During the day when we are producing electricity beyond usage (green),
and the air conditioner comes on (blue).
Since I had a classic car that appreciated over $500 a year for 22 years (above), I found this article on how little a Tesla 3 depreciated after 3 years if it had been in a lease program:
Model 3 is No. 7 above and our Model 3 below.
*iSeeCars.com wrote
about Model 3:
“The
Tesla Model 3 is the vehicle with the lowest depreciation overall,
depreciating more than 5 times less than the average for the segment.
“The Tesla Model 3 is still very much in high demand since it started
production in 2017. Even though it doesn’t present a bargain compared
to its new car price, it offers consumers a more affordable option for
owning a Tesla.”
Source Electrek.com
Any
image with a neon border can be clicked for a larger copy.Rear
Camera in Tesla
Tesla 3's rear view camera from being parked in our garage - so wide you can see the white, temporary license place edges.
Tesla 3's rear view camera from being parked in our garage - so wide you can see the white, temporary license place edges.
Taken
inside our garage, showing the guide lines for backing up, the Tesla
3's rear view camera is full-screen. Realize that I am seated in
the driver's seat so the red car is on my left behind me. When
you back out and put it in Drive, the camera goes off. However,
you can turn it on all the time as a rear-view mirror. Since it
is such a wide angle, while driving, it eliminates the blind spot you
get in traditional side mirrors.
Over-the-Air Software Updates (OTA) via WiFi.
I had already heard from YouTubers about 2 software versions being out that were higher than my 2020.20....Version. Today, I received notice that version 2020.24.... was available and did I want it installed now or later. I chose now and 25 minutes later, I had several new features. Wondering why I had already heard about version 2020.24 and even 2020.28, I ran across this paragraph in the Owner's Manual which I will adjust now to get them quicker.
This would be our second update in the 44 days we have owned the Tesla.
I first heard about the OTA software upgrade with this notice on my phone.
One thing I noticed after I read the release notes and actually tried a couple of features, when I went to the iPhone app, it would not connect with the car. I had also used my iWatch to do a few things with the Tesla, so I thought it might have crashed the connection. I solved the iPhone connectivity issue by turning my iPhione off and restarting it.. I was very happy that I did not have to reboot the Tesla's computer. So, keep in mind that when you get an over the air update and your iPhone no longer connects, just restart our iPhone.
After market Rear and Front View Cameras
At Amazon search for : VanTop H610 10" 2.5K Mirror Dash Cam
This item comes with a promo. for a gift for writing a customer review.
The monitor fits over your regular rear-view mirror, but still gives a reflection. It is a much wider view than the built in monitor.
View of our Tesla, but still has distracting reflections of my and my phone.
Tesla 3 Crumple Zone
Under our Fronk lid, the crumple zone. A design created for the lunar lander.
Frontal Collision
Illustration: Tesla Model 3 Large Crumple Zone
(Image: Tesla, Illustrated by: Iqtidar Ali)
To return to this page after going to an external link, close, "X", that outside page to return here.
Here is a
short YouTube video of a guy using the back camera to back into his
garage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lhf15RYHiAOver-the-Air Software Updates (OTA) via WiFi.
I had already heard from YouTubers about 2 software versions being out that were higher than my 2020.20....Version. Today, I received notice that version 2020.24.... was available and did I want it installed now or later. I chose now and 25 minutes later, I had several new features. Wondering why I had already heard about version 2020.24 and even 2020.28, I ran across this paragraph in the Owner's Manual which I will adjust now to get them quicker.
You
can adjust your software update preferences by tapping 'Controls' >
'Software' > 'Software Update Preference'. You can select between
'ADVANCED' or 'STANDARD.' Select 'ADVANCED' to receive software updates
as soon as they become available for your car configuration and region.
This feature is only available with software update 2019.16 or later.
This would be our second update in the 44 days we have owned the Tesla.
I first heard about the OTA software upgrade with this notice on my phone.
Being
a newbie to Tesla ownership, I knew the car was not plugged in, so I
went to the car, plugged it in and agreed to the update in the car, on
the screen. Since it is over the air, I would not have had to plug it in, it is over my WiFi at home.
After the update, two screens of "What's new in this update" are available on the car's screen.
View of the rear camera (above the rear license plate) with both side camera's showing a side view as I back out of the garage
After the update, two screens of "What's new in this update" are available on the car's screen.
View of the rear camera (above the rear license plate) with both side camera's showing a side view as I back out of the garage
The upgrade that I was most excited
about was the view from both side cameras with the guided backup view
from the back camera. I wanted this upgrade because it is quite
narrow backing out of our garage. As you can see in the two side
camera views above, the distance between the garage door frame
and the mirrors. Important since that is the part of the car that
would hit first.
Above, between the front tire well and the rear-view mirror is the rear-view camera in the chrome side trim.
Finally, I was asked if they could use data from the interior camera (previously unused to my knowledge) in case of an accident, and I replied Yes.
Above, between the front tire well and the rear-view mirror is the rear-view camera in the chrome side trim.
Finally, I was asked if they could use data from the interior camera (previously unused to my knowledge) in case of an accident, and I replied Yes.
Another new thing with this OTA software upgrade was that the Tesla navigation
system now shows alternative charging stations in addition to all the
Tesla charging stations. Perhaps they added this because their
competition of a routing system, A Better Route Planner. had the
alternative charging stations.
One thing I noticed after I read the release notes and actually tried a couple of features, when I went to the iPhone app, it would not connect with the car. I had also used my iWatch to do a few things with the Tesla, so I thought it might have crashed the connection. I solved the iPhone connectivity issue by turning my iPhione off and restarting it.. I was very happy that I did not have to reboot the Tesla's computer. So, keep in mind that when you get an over the air update and your iPhone no longer connects, just restart our iPhone.
After market Rear and Front View Cameras
At Amazon search for : VanTop H610 10" 2.5K Mirror Dash Cam
This item comes with a promo. for a gift for writing a customer review.
The monitor fits over your regular rear-view mirror, but still gives a reflection. It is a much wider view than the built in monitor.
View of our Tesla, but still has distracting reflections of my and my phone.
Tesla 3 Crumple Zone
Under our Fronk lid, the crumple zone. A design created for the lunar lander.
Frontal Collision
Due to the absence of an internal
combustion engine in the front of a Tesla, this frontal space serves as
a large crumple zone that absorbs the impact and it not only provides
added safety for vehicle occupants but also for pedestrians in an
incident.
Illustration: Tesla Model 3 Large Crumple Zone
(Image: Tesla, Illustrated by: Iqtidar Ali)
To return to this page after going to an external link, close, "X", that outside page to return here.
Mileage comparison of dual motor to single motor Tesla 3.
By: Wade Malone of InsideEVs.com
By: Wade Malone of InsideEVs.com
The
Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD and Performance models aren't as efficient
as the RWD model. But yet they have received the same advertised range.
We've
known for a while that the "Dual Motor" All Wheel Drive (AWD) and
Performance (P) models of the Model 3 would likely be less efficient
than the standard Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) model. Earlier this month,
documents from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) were leaked.
They showed that the RWD model has an extended driving range over AWD
under the Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) testing cycle. The
AWD/P models earned a 455-mile rating compared to 495 miles for the RWD
model...So for Model 3 buyers: RWD is the most efficient and will
result in the longest real-world driving range.
https://teslike.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/3-mi-912.png
Although
the first sentence above proves what I had suspected, that single motor
Tesla 3 gets better mileage than the dual motor. However, when I
found the table above, it further proves that slower speed is more
efficient than high speed (perhaps that is why Tesla will tell you on
the screen if you are not likely to get to the next Supercharger unless
you drive at XX miles per hour...nice to know!)
Our Tesla 3 Standard Range plus (SR+ 19" wheels) is highlighted on the right with "<<". I specifically like the Column "30-minute Supercharge" which shows our car can be charged for 150 miles in 30 minutes. I can now use that as an example when people ask how long does it take to charge on a road trip.
The blue columns show what mileage one could get at driving at 55-, 60-, 65-, 70-, 75-, and 80-mph. On a long Interstate trip, you would probably get run over trying to drive less than the speed limit! In a recent trip on California Interstate 5 in Orange and San Diego Counties, the slow lane was going 72 mph. I saw a recent YouTube posting of a fellow that drove 2,000+ miles from Northern California to Michigan and his speed was 75 mph. That would be a maximum of 201 miles for our 255 miles rated Tesla 3. That falls in line with my experience that I get about 72 - 86% of what the "miles" say in charge. Bottom line for me on a trip: charge to 100% and count on 200 miles in range.
Troy lists other Teslas in his article as well at https://teslike.com/
Troy's suggestions to a blogger who asked him about driving 295 miles in rain and 40 Degrees (Neither of which we have in Southern California):
"We drove these electric cars until they DIED!"
Another experiment in England was done by Matt Watson of Carwow.co.uk, of driving several electric cars on the same trip. This involved several electric vehicles and each was to drive until they actually stopped running. They knew where the next charging stations were, so if they were nearly out of energy, they would circle near the charging station and see if they could push it by hand to the charge spot after it stopped. Some vehicles could be pushed (including the Tesla 3), but one would not move without someone in the passenger seat. Each reported what % of the mileage the car said it had at the start. All were between 70 and 90% of charge. Matt Watson, director of the experiment, drove the Tesla 3, which got 78% of "claimed range". The Tesla began shutting non-essential activities as it got low on energy, such as not providing internet connected navigation nor cell phone charging. He evaluated the Model 3 as he drove it on this 270 mile experiment and the only quote I worte down was, "quite compfy on the bum."
Safer than a human
Having owned the Model 3 for 44 days, I continue to find new safety features. Today, I backed out of our garage onto the slightly inclined driveway. I quickly jumped out of the car to do something and the car responded with something like, "Your car has been put into Park to eliminate rolling."
Driving on a two-lane highway with traffic aware cruise on 45 mph, ahead of me I saw a pickup starting to pull out onto the highway and the regenerative braking kicked in (like braking) and the car slowed considerably. I would not have let up on the gas at all, but it was nice to know it was keeping its eyes way up ahead.
Watch for Tesla App
I have not used my "Watch for Tesla App" very much and even forgot that I could unlock the car from my watch if I go to my car without my phone nor key card.
Screens of information on the app:
Above Left, Watchface w/miles in lower left, touch for screen 2. 2. Car's name, miles, etc. 3. 4 more controls 4. 4 more controls.
Above left, Charging information. 2. Where I can set % of charge rather than marks on a graph. 3. Never use nor No. 4.
Our Tesla 3 Standard Range plus (SR+ 19" wheels) is highlighted on the right with "<<". I specifically like the Column "30-minute Supercharge" which shows our car can be charged for 150 miles in 30 minutes. I can now use that as an example when people ask how long does it take to charge on a road trip.
The blue columns show what mileage one could get at driving at 55-, 60-, 65-, 70-, 75-, and 80-mph. On a long Interstate trip, you would probably get run over trying to drive less than the speed limit! In a recent trip on California Interstate 5 in Orange and San Diego Counties, the slow lane was going 72 mph. I saw a recent YouTube posting of a fellow that drove 2,000+ miles from Northern California to Michigan and his speed was 75 mph. That would be a maximum of 201 miles for our 255 miles rated Tesla 3. That falls in line with my experience that I get about 72 - 86% of what the "miles" say in charge. Bottom line for me on a trip: charge to 100% and count on 200 miles in range.
Troy lists other Teslas in his article as well at https://teslike.com/
Troy's suggestions to a blogger who asked him about driving 295 miles in rain and 40 Degrees (Neither of which we have in Southern California):
If you take the 295 mile road trip regularly, here are some tips:
1. Leave with 100%
2. Charge to 100% just before you leave to heat up the battery. You could charge to 90% overnight and top up to 100% in the morning.
3. Ideally, arrive at the supercharger with low range because Supercharging will be faster when the battery is less full. Also, ideally, you want to avoid having to supercharge to over 90% because that last 10% is extremely slow.
4. You could calculate total trip time if you skip the first supercharger by driving slower to increase your range. Not sure if that's possible but worth considering.
By the way, the Model Y has better winter performance than Model 3, S or X because of the heat pump. So that's something to consider in the future if you decide to buy another Tesla.
1. Leave with 100%
2. Charge to 100% just before you leave to heat up the battery. You could charge to 90% overnight and top up to 100% in the morning.
3. Ideally, arrive at the supercharger with low range because Supercharging will be faster when the battery is less full. Also, ideally, you want to avoid having to supercharge to over 90% because that last 10% is extremely slow.
4. You could calculate total trip time if you skip the first supercharger by driving slower to increase your range. Not sure if that's possible but worth considering.
By the way, the Model Y has better winter performance than Model 3, S or X because of the heat pump. So that's something to consider in the future if you decide to buy another Tesla.
"We drove these electric cars until they DIED!"
Another experiment in England was done by Matt Watson of Carwow.co.uk, of driving several electric cars on the same trip. This involved several electric vehicles and each was to drive until they actually stopped running. They knew where the next charging stations were, so if they were nearly out of energy, they would circle near the charging station and see if they could push it by hand to the charge spot after it stopped. Some vehicles could be pushed (including the Tesla 3), but one would not move without someone in the passenger seat. Each reported what % of the mileage the car said it had at the start. All were between 70 and 90% of charge. Matt Watson, director of the experiment, drove the Tesla 3, which got 78% of "claimed range". The Tesla began shutting non-essential activities as it got low on energy, such as not providing internet connected navigation nor cell phone charging. He evaluated the Model 3 as he drove it on this 270 mile experiment and the only quote I worte down was, "quite compfy on the bum."
Safer than a human
Having owned the Model 3 for 44 days, I continue to find new safety features. Today, I backed out of our garage onto the slightly inclined driveway. I quickly jumped out of the car to do something and the car responded with something like, "Your car has been put into Park to eliminate rolling."
Driving on a two-lane highway with traffic aware cruise on 45 mph, ahead of me I saw a pickup starting to pull out onto the highway and the regenerative braking kicked in (like braking) and the car slowed considerably. I would not have let up on the gas at all, but it was nice to know it was keeping its eyes way up ahead.
Watch for Tesla App
I have not used my "Watch for Tesla App" very much and even forgot that I could unlock the car from my watch if I go to my car without my phone nor key card.
Screens of information on the app:
Above Left, Watchface w/miles in lower left, touch for screen 2. 2. Car's name, miles, etc. 3. 4 more controls 4. 4 more controls.
Above left, Charging information. 2. Where I can set % of charge rather than marks on a graph. 3. Never use nor No. 4.
I
went to the car with iWatch, but the iPhone was in the house. I
unlocked the charging port from the watch, honked the horn (extra
loud!), vented the windows, and set the % of charge. (I presume the phone was still close enough to receive the commands from the iPhone and send them to the car through wifi.)
Incidentally, the charger cannot be unplugged unless the owner is in
range, so no fear of someone unplugging the charger from the car if you
are out of sight.
After 46 days of ownership of our Model 3, I am still learning new things each day by either watching YouTubers like "Tesla3Man" or "Now You Know" or "The Frugal Tesla Guy" or reading "Electrek" articles, or asking questions of Siri, which usually finds the answer in the Owner's Manual. If those references do not satisfy my curiosity, I have the occasional OTA Software updates.
If you have questions about a Model 3, please e-mail me at Carl@TeslaTouring.com
My Referral Number is https://ts.la/carl41979 Just click the URL to the left to go to the Tesla.com site that will explain the benefits of using a referral number: