Today marks the end of my first week owning a Tesla Model S, and I just wanted to share my experiences, thoughts, and impressions with it, so far.
In a word: Glorious.
There really isn't much beyond what I wrote about last week, but here are a few more thoughts...
All That Glass & Heat
The Model S, having an amazingly low drag coefficient, has a very broad and low windshield that gives it a sleek shape, but also allows plenty of sunshine to come in. Now, even though Tesla applies a metalized coating to the glass, you do still feel some heat coming in. And, you certainly feel heat through the side windows as much as with any other car. To be fair, though, the A/C (especially if you put it on recirculate) really is quite up to the task of cooling my all-black interior. However, if you put it on full-auto climate control, you will get waves of heat, periodically. Mainly because of this, I've decided to have all the windows tinted with a nano-ceramic film that blocks all infrared wavelengths (heat). That shall be done next Monday, and I expect it will help a LOT (with privacy, too). Interestingly, the pano roof allows only a tiny bit of heat through ~ I'm extremely impressed with that; but we'll see how drafty it is in the winter!
RIP, Radar Detector?
As mentioned, I knew the Model S had a metal film on the windshield that would prevent radar detectors from working; but I thought there would be a small area to the right of the mirror that it would work in (people have put their toll passes there). BUT~ my 2015 (VIN 97,XXX) Model S came with a solid black coated area to the right of the mirror, like I'd not seen before, and it doesn't seem to be able to work with my Beltronics. I definitely miss having it, especially with how easy it is to speed in this car. I must figure something out.... which brings me to.....
Speeding
This car is so ridiculously quiet and smooth (and quick) that you're 10 over the speed limit before you even realize it - and that's with predictable cruising courses. But, say you want to pass grandma doing 25 in a 30 on a country road? The Model S has you covered! You'll zip right around her and be back in your proper lane within 2-3 seconds, max. Oh, sure you might be hitting 70mph when you expected a more sane 40mph, but that's what brakes are for, right? -- That is NO exaggeration.
Autopilot
For the first time, behind some idiot on a 35mph parkway, I wished I had the traffic aware cruise control! Every once in a while, you get that person who just doesn't know how to pay attention or drive, and they are constantly fluctuating between 20 and 40mph. The TACC would have been a nicety to have on that 2 mile stretch. Maybe it will be a future gift to myself ~ after all, you can just buy and download the capability at any time.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
Dashcam Installation
As noted in a previous post, I finally got around to finishing the installation of my Blackvue 650 dual-channel dash-cam (or "blackbox" as the Konglish goes in Korea). In particular, I played it safe and also opted to install the Power Magic Pro, which will add an extra layer of assurance that I won't drain my 12v battery, and will allow me to record in "parking mode" while I'm away from the car.
God help the asshat that gives Miss T. her first scratch or dent! -- I digress.
The first and most simple step was to mount the cameras to the front and back windshields. The blackvue literature says to line the camera lens up with the center line of the windshield, but I suggest you actually mount the mount on the center-line. The reason is that the windshield, having a slight curve to it, will make the camera lens point slightly toward the right. I did also utilize the live view in the smartphone app, just to be safe, as well.
The next step was to route the wiring. But what I don't understand is that all the Tesla bloggers seem to have much more complicated how-to's than what I found out was really necessary. They were disassembling mirror surrounds, headliners, etc. In my case, I was simply able to run the cables along the inside of the window seals, using just my fingers and a credit card. And along the windshield, there was adequate space to stuff the cable along the top headliner. Maybe over time, the cables might become exposed or drop out (I doubt it), but so far, so good. I did, however decide to run the rear-camera cable down along the side-floorboard / step-plate (as shown in step #1 in this blog), so as not to interfere with the side-curtain airbag. Note that my 2015 Model S was only slightly different than that blogger's, but the same method applied.
As for the power-cable routing, that was a bit more interesting. I opted to run the camera's power cable along the passenger side headliner, across and down the underside of the A-pillar (the wide gasket), across toward the door hinge area, between the rubber seal and metal frame from the interior toward the front (that was tricky), through the narrow split between the body's A-pillar and quarter panel (had to be very careful not to scratch the paint or damage the wire), route it through the under-workings of the frunk hood so the wire wouldn't be damaged by any mechanisms/hinges, and over toward the fuse box.
Next, I would need to wire up the Power Magic Pro to the fuse box. My task was to find a fuse with a constant electrical supply and another fuse with a switched electrical supply, so the Power Magic Pro can tap into them. I don't know, off-hand, why it needs both; but I found them. In my case, I just tapped into the fuses by pulling them, wrapping the wire around the fuse leg, and pushing the fuse back in. For good measure, I secured them with electrical tape. My equipment from Pittasoft has an inline fuse, so I didn't need to add an extra one. I secured the ground wire under the bolt-head for the frunk hood's hydraulic raise piston (there are two bolts, so just barely loosening one to the
The final step was just to run both the camera's power cable and the power-manager's wires to someplace safe and dry. I opted to just go under the weather seal and enter into the frunk space. That way, the Power Magic Pro is accessible, but out of sight (I think under-dash installations don't look good) and is protected from the elements. I'll also note that anywhere the wires would have pinch points, I wrapped them in generous amounts of electrical tape to protect them. I also notched out anything on the car, where necessary to avoid pinching the wires too much (like the edge of the fuse box cover and frunk liner).
As a final setting, I set the Power Magic Pro to cut off power if the battery reaches 12v (instead of 11.8v), just to be safe since I heard lots of bad news about the Model S' 12v battery life and vampire drain.
In the end, total install time took about 3 hours and only required the most basic tools.
God help the asshat that gives Miss T. her first scratch or dent! -- I digress.
 |
| My awesome graphical exaggeration of center line mounting options. |
The next step was to route the wiring. But what I don't understand is that all the Tesla bloggers seem to have much more complicated how-to's than what I found out was really necessary. They were disassembling mirror surrounds, headliners, etc. In my case, I was simply able to run the cables along the inside of the window seals, using just my fingers and a credit card. And along the windshield, there was adequate space to stuff the cable along the top headliner. Maybe over time, the cables might become exposed or drop out (I doubt it), but so far, so good. I did, however decide to run the rear-camera cable down along the side-floorboard / step-plate (as shown in step #1 in this blog), so as not to interfere with the side-curtain airbag. Note that my 2015 Model S was only slightly different than that blogger's, but the same method applied.
As for the power-cable routing, that was a bit more interesting. I opted to run the camera's power cable along the passenger side headliner, across and down the underside of the A-pillar (the wide gasket), across toward the door hinge area, between the rubber seal and metal frame from the interior toward the front (that was tricky), through the narrow split between the body's A-pillar and quarter panel (had to be very careful not to scratch the paint or damage the wire), route it through the under-workings of the frunk hood so the wire wouldn't be damaged by any mechanisms/hinges, and over toward the fuse box.
 |
| In my 2015 Model S... A = Switched Power / B = Constant Power |
As a final setting, I set the Power Magic Pro to cut off power if the battery reaches 12v (instead of 11.8v), just to be safe since I heard lots of bad news about the Model S' 12v battery life and vampire drain.
In the end, total install time took about 3 hours and only required the most basic tools.
Friday, August 7, 2015
First Days & Initial Impressions
I'm two full days into ownership now, and I can't honestly think of any negatives. Well~ there is one big negative; but it's not Tesla-specific: I find it very hard to comfortably leave the car anywhere alone (like parking lots)!
Daily commuting and driving is no longer a chore, but rather, the complete opposite: a joy. I find myself actually wanting to get out of bed and DRIVE to work. And, yes, I am looking for any excuse to drive and run errands.
Just a few select pickings and standout thoughts at the moment...
Sound System
Much better than I thought. I ordered just the standard (no sub, no XM, fewer speakers & watts), because I couldn't tell much difference between them during test drives; however, that thought was always in the back of my mind, about whether I'd miss the low frequencies. So far, though, it is more than adequate. Actually, I can easily enjoy it. A year or two down the road, I may install a sub, though. A HUGE bonus is the 4 years of Slacker Pro that come included.
Smartphone App & Pre-conditioning
Being able to start cooling down the car a half hour before I leave work, after it's been in the baking sun, and have it be nice and chilled inside by the time I step into it... priceless. I assume the same will hold true in the winter time with the heat. Other than that, monitoring the car with my phone at any time (temperature, charge status, location, etc.) is not only cool, but also provides peace of mind.
All-glass Panoramic Roof
I'm enjoying this much more than I had thought I would. I'd never used sunroofs too much before; and honestly, they seemed like a gimmick (especially since they're not really large, typically). But the Model S' pano roof is massive. It's the closest you'll get to a convertible, IMHO. And the sun/heat is so far not even a factor, since it's tinted / coated well. It also adds a lot to the roominess and spacious sense.
Exterior and Interior Lighting
Much better than expected. Very bright and attention-grabbing... sexy, yet utilitarian. The recent/newer year models have the warm-white LED dome lighting, which is nice. The premium lighting adds a nice classy touch, and I'm glad I opted for it. I do kind of wish we had the LED (or even laser) headlights, but the HID / Xenons put out a nice pure bright white light, providing excellent illumination (especially given how low the car sits). I live in a semi-rural area, and have NO problems seeing a great distance. The trunk/frunk illumination really is a bit dim, but that will be remedied with some LED strips I plan to install later. I also wish the side turn markers were LED (to match the rest of the car), but I suppose they may need to be DOT compliant or something... or perhaps some research I don't know about suggests it's more noticeable or something. I may upgrade those, though.
Next Generation Seats
SO glad I got these. They hug you nicely when corning, but are completely unobtrusive. Plenty comfortable for the 2 hour drive back home, too. They are, however, not-vented; so if it gets very warm, you may find a bit of sweat trying to materialize on your back. Probably won't be an issue as long as I can pre-cool the car (and I will).
Charging
I guess I'm lucky enough to have a newer electrical service; and I can actually gain ~31 miles of range per hour of charging, rather than the official 29 miles. I'll note that it provides 246~249 volts at the full 40 amps. After an hour of charging, I did, however, notice the cable and "brick" (on the UMC) was decently warm. Now, that is normal; but with my computer/electronic hardware background, I know it's never a great idea to run electrics at full-tilt because it will at least decrease lifespan and dependability. For example, if you built a PC, you should get a power supply that will supply twice the wattage of what you really need. So, for my needs, I just reduced the current to half (around 20 Amps), and the cable isn't even warm. I *think* this will be easier on the charging equipment in the car and the battery, over the long run. And it still gives me like 15~19 miles per hour of charging.
Driving
Need I even say more? Really?
I find myself trying to learn the one-pedal technique and the regenerative braking; and it's not that hard. Actually, I caught myself subconsciously doing it while drifting off to sleep. You know... how you feel like you're bobbing/drifting after you get off a boat... or how you "see" Tetris in your mind after you stopped playing for a long time? Yeah.. that. Additionally, merging and getting in/around traffic is completely effortless. It's crazy how fun and easy driving can actually be. It's ridiculous!
SO much more.
I cannot quickly write all the positives.
More to come...
Daily commuting and driving is no longer a chore, but rather, the complete opposite: a joy. I find myself actually wanting to get out of bed and DRIVE to work. And, yes, I am looking for any excuse to drive and run errands.
Just a few select pickings and standout thoughts at the moment...
Sound System
Much better than I thought. I ordered just the standard (no sub, no XM, fewer speakers & watts), because I couldn't tell much difference between them during test drives; however, that thought was always in the back of my mind, about whether I'd miss the low frequencies. So far, though, it is more than adequate. Actually, I can easily enjoy it. A year or two down the road, I may install a sub, though. A HUGE bonus is the 4 years of Slacker Pro that come included.
Smartphone App & Pre-conditioning
Being able to start cooling down the car a half hour before I leave work, after it's been in the baking sun, and have it be nice and chilled inside by the time I step into it... priceless. I assume the same will hold true in the winter time with the heat. Other than that, monitoring the car with my phone at any time (temperature, charge status, location, etc.) is not only cool, but also provides peace of mind.
All-glass Panoramic Roof
I'm enjoying this much more than I had thought I would. I'd never used sunroofs too much before; and honestly, they seemed like a gimmick (especially since they're not really large, typically). But the Model S' pano roof is massive. It's the closest you'll get to a convertible, IMHO. And the sun/heat is so far not even a factor, since it's tinted / coated well. It also adds a lot to the roominess and spacious sense.
Exterior and Interior Lighting
Much better than expected. Very bright and attention-grabbing... sexy, yet utilitarian. The recent/newer year models have the warm-white LED dome lighting, which is nice. The premium lighting adds a nice classy touch, and I'm glad I opted for it. I do kind of wish we had the LED (or even laser) headlights, but the HID / Xenons put out a nice pure bright white light, providing excellent illumination (especially given how low the car sits). I live in a semi-rural area, and have NO problems seeing a great distance. The trunk/frunk illumination really is a bit dim, but that will be remedied with some LED strips I plan to install later. I also wish the side turn markers were LED (to match the rest of the car), but I suppose they may need to be DOT compliant or something... or perhaps some research I don't know about suggests it's more noticeable or something. I may upgrade those, though.
Next Generation Seats
SO glad I got these. They hug you nicely when corning, but are completely unobtrusive. Plenty comfortable for the 2 hour drive back home, too. They are, however, not-vented; so if it gets very warm, you may find a bit of sweat trying to materialize on your back. Probably won't be an issue as long as I can pre-cool the car (and I will).
Charging
I guess I'm lucky enough to have a newer electrical service; and I can actually gain ~31 miles of range per hour of charging, rather than the official 29 miles. I'll note that it provides 246~249 volts at the full 40 amps. After an hour of charging, I did, however, notice the cable and "brick" (on the UMC) was decently warm. Now, that is normal; but with my computer/electronic hardware background, I know it's never a great idea to run electrics at full-tilt because it will at least decrease lifespan and dependability. For example, if you built a PC, you should get a power supply that will supply twice the wattage of what you really need. So, for my needs, I just reduced the current to half (around 20 Amps), and the cable isn't even warm. I *think* this will be easier on the charging equipment in the car and the battery, over the long run. And it still gives me like 15~19 miles per hour of charging.
Driving
Need I even say more? Really?
I find myself trying to learn the one-pedal technique and the regenerative braking; and it's not that hard. Actually, I caught myself subconsciously doing it while drifting off to sleep. You know... how you feel like you're bobbing/drifting after you get off a boat... or how you "see" Tetris in your mind after you stopped playing for a long time? Yeah.. that. Additionally, merging and getting in/around traffic is completely effortless. It's crazy how fun and easy driving can actually be. It's ridiculous!
SO much more.
I cannot quickly write all the positives.
More to come...
Thursday, August 6, 2015
The Pick-Up / Taking Delivery
Tesla arranged for my wife and I an Enterprise Rent-a-car to drive from Indianapolis to Cincinnati, so we could leave it there and then drive the Model S back home. There was just a slight confusion with the rental staff as to whether it was going to be returned or was a one-way rental; but after a quick email to my DS (and him calling Enterprise back while we were on the road), all of that was sorted out without my needing to worry about it. First point of the day scored by Tesla!
So after a couple of hours of driving through country where you're assaulted by "Jesus Lives" and other billboards threatening eternal damnation for people like me, we finally made it to the most progressive location in Ohio - the Tesla Service Center.
It's as everyone says: once you see your new car in person, it's just sexy. No pictures will ever do a Model S any amount of justice. Even the public notary they brought in for the signing was liking the look of it. It was just sitting there, charged and waiting. And if I had any 2nd thoughts about my options (e.g. all black, standard wheels), they vanished in an instant.
So, we took a walk around, basking in its radiant glory, and then sat down for the paperwork. That literally took like 3 minutes or so, and then I had the keys. Meanwhile, my wife was doing her thing, inspecting for damages and such. She actually found a few scuffs and imperfections - most of which they fixed right on the spot. A couple of very minor defects on the front bumper were a bit too deep to fix right there, so what did they immediately offer to do? Without any fuss, "ah, well, we'll just order you a new bumper and have someone come out and replace it for you." --- Damn. 2nd and 3rd points of the day scored by Tesla. They do NOT mess around!
I had also ordered the all-weather floor mats and brought those along; and they installed them for me right there. I'm glad they did, because there is apparently a bit of "screwing" involved with the anchors, and I'm glad they did that instead of me. Probably simple, but you never know. 4th score of the day.
Since I had pretty much exhausted the Internet's entire repository of Tesla videos, I was pretty familiar with how to operate the car; so the walk-through was abbreviated at my request, but they still answered any miscellaneous questions I had, expertly. All-in-all, the whole staff just seems to actually enjoy working with the brand... it's really like there is a real passion there. Fantastic experience, overall. Tesla experience is, so far, anything but run-of-the-mill.
So after a couple of hours of driving through country where you're assaulted by "Jesus Lives" and other billboards threatening eternal damnation for people like me, we finally made it to the most progressive location in Ohio - the Tesla Service Center.
It's as everyone says: once you see your new car in person, it's just sexy. No pictures will ever do a Model S any amount of justice. Even the public notary they brought in for the signing was liking the look of it. It was just sitting there, charged and waiting. And if I had any 2nd thoughts about my options (e.g. all black, standard wheels), they vanished in an instant.
So, we took a walk around, basking in its radiant glory, and then sat down for the paperwork. That literally took like 3 minutes or so, and then I had the keys. Meanwhile, my wife was doing her thing, inspecting for damages and such. She actually found a few scuffs and imperfections - most of which they fixed right on the spot. A couple of very minor defects on the front bumper were a bit too deep to fix right there, so what did they immediately offer to do? Without any fuss, "ah, well, we'll just order you a new bumper and have someone come out and replace it for you." --- Damn. 2nd and 3rd points of the day scored by Tesla. They do NOT mess around!I had also ordered the all-weather floor mats and brought those along; and they installed them for me right there. I'm glad they did, because there is apparently a bit of "screwing" involved with the anchors, and I'm glad they did that instead of me. Probably simple, but you never know. 4th score of the day.
Since I had pretty much exhausted the Internet's entire repository of Tesla videos, I was pretty familiar with how to operate the car; so the walk-through was abbreviated at my request, but they still answered any miscellaneous questions I had, expertly. All-in-all, the whole staff just seems to actually enjoy working with the brand... it's really like there is a real passion there. Fantastic experience, overall. Tesla experience is, so far, anything but run-of-the-mill.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Today's the Day
T -5 hours.
I asked my DS if there's anything I need to bring. Nope.
I guess this really will be that easy.
The whole "dealership" experience can just go to Hell!
Cannot wait.
I asked my DS if there's anything I need to bring. Nope.
I guess this really will be that easy.
The whole "dealership" experience can just go to Hell!
Cannot wait.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Long Distance Pickup
In just one more day, I will FINALLY be able to take delivery of my new 85D... in Cincinnati... 2 hours away from where I live.
I was informed that due to the nature of my financing, they could not deliver it to Indianapolis or my house. I'm also thinking that as Tesla Motors transitions more to a mass-production company, the doorstep delivery of cars is fast becoming a thing of the past.
No matter... They are renting an Enterprise one-way rental car for me to drive to the service center for pickup. Supposedly, all I have to do is go pickup the rental car, and hit the road.
Besides, I'd rather not have the attraction and spectacle of a huge truck unloading an expensive looking car in my entry-level-home subdivision.
If there's anything of consequence with this, further, I'll edit and update.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Arrival & Pickup Scheduled!
Well, THE time has arrived...
I've finally got an appointment to pick up my new Tesla! Only 2 more days to suffer through.
And as a bonus, my DS was kind enough to take mercy on my pathetic begging (I really am beginning to think that us waiting Tesla owners are mentally ill), and sent me a teaser picture!
There she is, right off the delivery truck... dirty, but in full glory... sipping on her first refreshing supercharge.
I can't wait to see it, in person. As you may know, mere pictures certainly don't do a Tesla any justice, whatsoever.
As for the actual delivery, I was informed that it arrived on a truck (7 Model S's in total) in Cincinnati, bright and early at 8am this morning. I guess the driver brought it from the Joliet rail yard (Chicago) overnight sometime. Any later, and I might've had to wait until Thursday... whew.
I was really hoping for a Tuesday pickup; but with more cars than usual, they're probably very busy. So, the next step is to drive down there Wednesday afternoon (they will rent me a car to drive one-way, free of charge) and simply bring it home!
I've finally got an appointment to pick up my new Tesla! Only 2 more days to suffer through.
There she is, right off the delivery truck... dirty, but in full glory... sipping on her first refreshing supercharge.
I can't wait to see it, in person. As you may know, mere pictures certainly don't do a Tesla any justice, whatsoever.
As for the actual delivery, I was informed that it arrived on a truck (7 Model S's in total) in Cincinnati, bright and early at 8am this morning. I guess the driver brought it from the Joliet rail yard (Chicago) overnight sometime. Any later, and I might've had to wait until Thursday... whew.
I was really hoping for a Tuesday pickup; but with more cars than usual, they're probably very busy. So, the next step is to drive down there Wednesday afternoon (they will rent me a car to drive one-way, free of charge) and simply bring it home!
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