Model S
Here’s my honest review after 14.000km with a Model S Plaid. Get buckled up!
Hot It Came About
Order Process
I created a small script that informed me automatically when a Model S Plaid in the correct color for a reduced showed up on the Tesla website. This was the case end of October 2023. The order process is straight forward. You simply reserve. And then pay. The car was in Mannheim (800km away from where I live) - but that’s fine.
Delivery
Because of some work assignments and the train connections I had to pick up the car during the nighttime. The Tesla Mannheim team made this possible. Amazing!
I was able to log into my car from home. Then simply go to the Tesla center. Search for my car. But the number plates on it and drive away.
Exactly the experience I am looking for. I don’t need any stupid delivery dance. No wine and no ceremony. Great!
Delivery - and a Bad Surprise
The whole deliver experience was facilitated by the app. You were guided through the process. I was even guided to my car. And I was able to open it. Really nice experience.
But when I first sat in my car the monitors in the middle showed a large warning sign “tire pressure too low - please inflate”.
Wait.
How can it be that a car is being prepared for handover - and the large warning sign is was not being noticed?
I then walked around the car and spotted some other strange things:
- The caps on two tires were missing
- The driver’s door was not closing easily (all other doors closed nicely)
- There were decor parts that were not properly fixed to the chassis
- I found a lighter in the rear passenger’s seat
- In the inner side the driver’s door did not really align nicely with the front part of the chassis. But again only left. Right was perfect. Hmm.
Yea. Ok. I picked up the car and drove off. My next stop was a gas station where I inflated the tires and the warning sign went away. Ok. I also again went around the car and though. Well. For all these small things I have to arrange a service appointment with the service center in my hometown.
Why was neither Tesla able to deliver a working car - nor Tesla Mannheim being able to deliver and fix the car in a bug-free state? Nobody knows. But it is strange.
Range Anxiety - Part I
I have to be honest. I just bought the car. I never thought about electric cars or any challenges. The car was advertised as having a range of 679km. That’s way more than enough for me.
But reality kicked in. During my maiden drive I had to first go to Frankfurt and then to Regensburg. And I had to charge three times.
I had the 679km in mind. And with 697 I was not
Supercharger experiecen
pricing in general good – Germany’s energy prices are anyway fucked
generally nice!
but wathc out for slow charger…
only use one etc
can be expensive
Build Quality Continued
- Delivered in really bad shape
- Interior quality so so
- lip underneath the silver lining
I picked my Model S up in Mannheim.
Yoke…
- The massively best compromise between extreme power and a car you can use every day – everything works. Not dangerous to drive.
I got my delivery in Winter.
Not expensive to run – In the city during summer around 15 kwh per 100km
Easy likeable
Autopilot works nicely
Car works nicely
Entertainment works
Storage:
- Huge. Trunk, Frunk, Subtrunk.
Updates are cool
- More solent air conditioning
- Matrix lights enabled (work nicely)
- New functionality for rear monitor
- Vosualization of sourroungind (as replacement for ultrasound) - well. It does not really work.
Charging:
- Not really a problem. Still charging with the supplied 230V device. There is no need for a wallbox. I am using a larger outlet to not overheat anything.
No breakdowns so far.
After 14000km it still works.
Parking is difficult as you don’t have ultrasound sensors any more…
It’s silent
The range. That’s another discussion over here.
Sold with 690 of range. Well this is true. Under extreme conditions. In reality on the Autobahn - in Winter - expect half of it. And this feels unfair.
Range
- slow driving: – 15 kw
– normal driving on autobahn 130km/h – 21 kw…
You can’t charge to 100% usually…
Winter:
Summer
You can charge but you have to plan
- Eg going to Poland
Tesla model S
