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You will drive roughly double the number of miles you drove last year
Scotland road trip? Sure why not, Monte Carlo via the Swiss Alps? Sure why not, 200 miles to go for a spot of lunch? OK, why not. My point is that we’ve easily doubled the miles we drive each year since buying the Tesla. Driving it long distance just isn’t an issue, sure it probably takes 5 minutes extra to plan a long trip (abetterrouteplanner or Tesla Go Anywhere are superb for this) but it’s so easy anyone could do it… except maybe Jeremy Clarkson, he appears to have an issue with common sense & electric cars! (Two great photos from recent trips just for the hell of it)
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The way you think about energy, how it’s produced & also how it’s wasted will change
Before I owned a Tesla I didn’t know (or frankly care about) renewable energy, carbon density, kWhs or kWs, the cost to the environment to refine petrol etc… but then you jump two feet into this new world and it’s actually quite interesting (feel free to think otherwise) to see and learn when the Grid is at it’s greenest and change your charging plans (can be done automatically) so the car charges when it’s sunny and windy. I now love to think of the sun hitting my solar panels and going into my car (or Powerwall) without some big oil executive sitting in his office with a cigar in his mouth watching the profit roll in, something I simply didn’t even consider 5 years ago. Thankfully learning all of this & getting excited by a renewable energy powered planet isn’t needed, as you just get in the car and drive, then plug it in when you get home and it’s back to fully charged the next morning!
Learn more: Bulb | GridCarbon app | kWh Vs kW | Tesla Glossary aka my cheat sheet
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You realise the car isn’t just a car, it really does change far more in your life.
**Pulls out the tissue box** 😂 – I’ve made around 25 close friends thanks to owning this car…and they’re not all 70-year-olds that go out for Sunday morning drives! The community behind the cars really is something special, from organising the purchase and delivery of over 100 mini Tesla toy cars to children’s hospices across the UK to sticking two fingers up at the oil industry by giving over 10,000 test drive experiences to people at the largest classic internal combustion engined car event in Europe!
Learn more: Silverstone Classic | RadioFlyer Tesla Children’s Hospice appeal
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You start to feel smug every time you see a petrol station with a big queue or smell petrol fumes
The thing that most people forget is that every day most Tesla owners wake up with a fully charged Tesla (~300 miles) as they have their own personal petrol pump charger at home that fills up their car with
fuelelectric overnight automatically without you having to do anything other than plug it in. So when someone says it takes ages to fill up an electric car it’s pretty laughable really as unless you drive crazy miles each day you will actually spend less time filling up your Tesla than you did your old petrol car.
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Charging is a bit of a faff unless you setup a few things in advance
Having a home charger is a MUST in my opinion or failing that a rapid charger nearby (e.g. at your gym, supermarket etc) or workplace charging, as waking up with a full charge really makes an EV far more enjoyable than having to go and charge once a week etc. Apps like PlugShare or websites like Zap-Map are a great place to start. A home charge will set you back £200-£1000.
Learn more: Home Charging Explained
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Your home electricity bills will go up (but only slightly) and you will most likely start to consider solar and a Powerwall
Obviously with your petrol costs dropping to £0 your home charging costs will increase your electricity bills, for me, it costs around £4-£6 to fill up our car every time it’s low but obviously, this cost will vary depending on the number of miles you drive and how often you frequent 3rd party charging companies.
Learn more: Get £50 off Bulb renewable energy | Compare all electric prices
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How do you know someone drives an electric car? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you!
It’s true, I’ve become as bad as most vegans…
Photo: My Model S next to the first Model 3 in the UK.
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It’s definitely a £50,000 car with a £30,000 battery instead of a £80,000 car
These American built cars don’t compare to Ferrari, Porsche, McLaren, Lamborghini etc in the built quality or interior quality side of things but what it lacks in this area it certainly makes up for in power, torque, acceleration and technology which isn’t bad for a potential 5 seater family car! This is another reason why Model 3 & Model S 75D are such superb value! It’s important to remember that Tesla will and do fix any issues you have with the car without question so if there is ever an actual major issue with the build quality etc then they will fix it.
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In winter months you start to race your neighbours to defrost the car, except you do it via the app and CCTV!
It’s actually surprisingly good fun, especially if you have two electric vehicles on the driveway! I hope my neighbour doesn’t read this!
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You realise petrol/gas cars really are dead…
Thinking of buying a Tesla? Use my referral code – either click the link or give a staff member this referral code: william9175 to get special perks on your order & be sure to contact me after ordering as I’d love to chat and thank you.