[eschaider]

The wife has had two Tesla's and the charging performance of the two is noticeably different. The first had an 85KW battery and the second has a 100 KW battery. The installer set our home charger for a charging amperage of 64 AMPS. The charger was attached to a 240V 200 AMP service. I asked why he chose 64 AMPS and got an unintelligible answer. I asked if a 200 amp service would support the top 80 amp charging available on the unit. The answer was a clear yes. When I asked him to use the 80 amp setting, we were again back to the unintelligible communication mode of operation.

I used it at the 64 amp setting for a month or so and was not particularly impressed with charging speed. I elected to open the wall unit and reset the controls for 80 amp service — big difference in time to charge. Instead of a nearly all-night charge time, it dropped to a done by about 3 AM or so performance with an 11:30 PM start time.

When she got the new Tesla, even with the service on the wall device set to 80 amps, the car would only use 72 amps and the charge time predictably was proportionally longer.

The highly touted gas savings that EV vehicles provide is not as significant as it seems pre-purchase. Until gas prices went crazy, my 520HP BMW only ran about $150 to $190 per month — about $2000 or so for a yearly high water mark. With Biden's gasoline pricing, that is obviously different, but with normal gasoline pricing, the fuel cost incentive to buy an electric vehicle is simply not there.

While Tesla has significantly improved the driving experience with respect to vehicle handling since the early vehicles, it is still not what the BMW is, and the fit, finish, and creature comforts of the BMW far exceed the TESLA. At least as of right now, a dollar spent on a non-electric vehicle buys you a better driving experience at a small (pre-Biden) increase in fuel cost than the same dollar spent on an EV. Even with the post-Biden gasoline pricing, the non-EV alternative still looks pretty good to me.

Parting thought, an interesting observation about car performance, the Tesla is a close but not quite an even match for the BMW from a dead stop. From a roll like you might experience, passing on the highway, there is no comparison. The BMW wins, hands down.

From a creature comfort, performance, and cost of operation perspective, EVs are close but not quite there yet.