February 10, 2018 we took delivery of our RWD LR Tesla Model 3. We were fortunate enough to have a friend who was a first day reservation holder from April 2016 and who didn’t want to wait two years. He instead bought a Model S and just recently upgraded to a new Model S.
So he gave us his spot in line. And after almost two years, we were able to order our car, which we named Scarlett. We found if you buy a Tesla, you have to name your car. And since we went red, Scarlett was a natural choice.
Our move to completely electric was probably as big a shift as our move to have just one car. When we moved downtown in 2015, we committed to use just one car. It actually was pretty easy. When we committed to go all-electric, the shift was equally easy. Things like range anxiety, etc. simply didn’t materialize. We’ve never “run out of electricity.” And that’s because of a) charging at home (just like your cell phone) and b) Tesla’s robust supercharging network for our road trips and travels.
As I’ve done in previous years, I look back on our experiences going 100% electric and abandoning gas stations completely (except for ice tea and bathroom breaks). So here’s my four year update.
We’ve driven just under 42,000 miles. Most has been around town, but we’ve taken several road trips of 1,000 to 3,000 miles. We’ve used just over 10,000 kWh of electricity and probably spent just a little over $1,000 on “fuel.” About $20/month on average. The equivalent of 138 miles per gallon. At $0.61 per gallon.
Our original 100% charge range was 310 miles. It has dropped to about 308-309. That’s about 0.6% battery degradation over four years. Our battery has an 8 year warranty. I think we’ll be fine.
We’ve spent $176 in regular maintenance (cabin air filter, tire rotation, wiper fluid and wiper blades). Total. And we’ve replaced the tires at a cost of just under $1,200.
Really, nothing to add. We still love driving her.