We jokingly refer to it as "The parasite car". The last bill from Fjellinjen was only NOK 56.
It costs us a small smile to have been able to buy a car with almost 500 HP completely tax-free, and cruise freely around the country while others pay the bill. Tesla has recently announced that they have lowered the price by 35 and are also equipping new cars with a heat pump. If you are considering buying an electric car, it might be a good idea not to wait too long. It is probably only a matter of time before the authorities introduce VAT on electric cars.
Range
We have just been on a trip Oslo-Tønsberg-Oslo. The most expensive expense was parking. Tønsberg municipality has decided that all cars must pay the same parking fee – including electric cars. Electricity consumption and tolls are not much to talk about. It's just change. In contrast, practical range is of greater interest. Although the Tesla Model 3 Long Range has a battery capacity that others can envy, the practical range varies quite a bit.
| Capacity at start | Capacity at end | Estimated range | Km driven | Driving route | Temperature | Lead | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 % | 19 % | 510 | 286 | Fornebu-Skien return | 17-18 | Dry | Calm |
| 83 % | 33 % | 420 | 210 | Fornebu Islands | 12-14 | Dry | fast |
| 90 % | 44 % | 433 | 199 | Fornebu-Kongsberg and surroundings return | 7-10 | Dry | Normal |
| 90 % | 36 % | 370 | 200 | Fornebu-Tønsberg return | 8-10 | Rain | fast |
| 98 % | 61 % | 400 | 148 | Fornebu-Eidanger | 9-10 | Partially wet/dry | fast |
We clearly see that the range decreases if you keep to 110-120 instead of 80-90 km/h. If we enter figures for driving over 20 miles, we discover something interesting. You get there faster if you "take it easy" and fast-charge along the way instead of maintaining truck-train speed. Over a stretch of 20 miles, you save 30 minutes if it is possible to maintain an average speed of 100 instead of 80 km/h. Then there is more than enough time to quickly charge the batteries up to the same level you had at the start.
Tesla's Superchargers
Tesla's charging network is one of the reasons to choose Tesla over other electric cars. The Tesla 3 can use the latest Superchargers (labeled "Model 3 Priority"). If you enter a Tesla charging station as a destination on the navigation system, the car will automatically warm up the batteries before you arrive. Then they take an optimal charge right away. Shorter charging time and less queuing. Tesla does not want charging queues. If you stand at the charging station after the car is fully charged, you have to pay an additional fee - and you get angry messages on your mobile.
Tricky with downtime
At Tesla's charging stations, you don't need a charging chip, app or payment card. The system knows who you are when you plug the charging connector into the car. Payment is made automatically. But - as we also experienced during the purchase process - Tesla's Norwegian systems are not particularly reliable. Already after two recharges, we were bombarded with messages that we had not paid and were banned from future recharges. One of the systems in Norway was down, and no one fixed it until the next day. Quite tricky if you are on a long trip.
Smile at hidden Teslacam!
Fortunately, the software inside the car works better. It is impressive that you can follow on your mobile where the car is at any time, how fast it is going and how much electricity is left in the batteries. Nice when you borrow the car. The built-in cameras around the car are also quite unique for Tesla. Tesla must be every private investigator's dream. No point in hiding with a telephoto lens. You can easily film everything without those around you knowing about it - and without being present yourself. The cameras can be started with the mobile phone. Just make sure the lenses are clean.
A small TeslaCam film from a visit to Tønsberg with Slottsfjellet in focus.
The Sentry feature
Best of all is Tesla's Sentry function, which detects if someone slams the door into the side of the car, or dents. You can also click the camera button manually, should something happen on the road. Film footage from the last minute is then saved, so you can study the film from all four sides of the car at your leisure. The only thing you need is a memory stick. Select "Security" in the menu and you can format the memory and decide when and where you want to take pictures.
Own dog mode
Another great Tesla feature is Dog Mode, which keeps the air conditioning running while the dog is alone inside a locked car. After you lock the car, a message appears on the screen explaining to passers-by that the air conditioning is on and that the owner will be back soon. By all means, don't forget to switch on Dog Mode even if you're only going out on a short errand. If you lock the car without having set it to Dog Mode, the car alarm will go off as soon as the dog starts to move.
Two to do list
Buy and install wheel covers for the winter tyres. They look extremely "sloppy", but extend the range at a time of year when every km counts.
Buy an adapter for jack mounts and a new garage jack to make it possible to change the wheels yourself. Tesla does not deliver winter tires with the car, but distributes them via a tire hotel.
Fit the mud flaps we got when we picked up the car. They are supposed to be a must on bad roads. Several Tesla owners have had their paintwork damaged due to mud and gravel from the wheels.
Buy a larger memory stick to be able to store more Tesla recordings from our trips.
Maybe it can be fun entertainment on dark winter evenings?
See
Tesla.no
