Considering an M3 - wondering if I'll need a couple more solar panels

I'm really starting to think seriously about getting a Model 3 next year if I can save up enough to have a small car payment. The main thing I wonder about is if I have enough solar power capacity or will need to expand a little bit.

Financially, I really can't justify doing this. The Prime runs great and I only buy gas a couple times a year except when we take it for a trip. But the tech in the M3 is putting some kind of spell on me. And it has some safety features that really do make it a good thing to replace the Prime, but maybe not with a $40,000+ car. Still, sometimes you just want it for the fun factor and it sure does sound like a fun car.

I've only had the solar on line now for four months and those have been months when we're been away from home more than usual, but it looks like we sized our system about right (a little more than needed). This makes me wonder; everything else being equal, will I be using significantly more electricity charging an M3 than I do charging my Prime?

When I look at fueleconomy dot gov, it says the standard range is 142 MPGe, which is 24 kWh/100 miles (4.17 m/kWh) and is better than the Prime's 133 MPGe claim but not as good as my actual 20kWh/100 miles (5.0 m/kWh).

So I'd like to ask those of you who have already switched from a Prime to a Model 3 SR+, how does the efficiency compare? If you got a long-range AWD, I wonder about that, too, but I'll probably have to get the standard range to keep the budget from exploding in my face. I've seen some reports of one-time trip efficiency, but I'm wondering about day-to-day long-term driving. I know there's no way to be sure ahead of time, but it would be nice to have some sort of idea of what to expect. And then again, it won't hurt much to have to buy a few kWh a year.

 

Thanks, Bob. You are one of the ones I was hoping would chime in.

It looks like I drive a lot more EV than you did in your Prime (over 90%). My cost, outside of road trips, varies from $1.03-$2.98 per 100 miles on my Prime. That smaller number was my first and only daily commute tank so far since getting solar power. (I figure 3 cents/ kWh since that's what the utility will pay me for the electricity I send them over and above what I use.)

But, I see that the SuperCharger costs less than gas does for road trips. That's good! With my Prime in my normal at-home driving, I average 5 m/kWh. So, 20 times that at the 12 cents I used to pay would be $2.40 per 100 miles in the Prime if I didn't have solar. Slightly cheaper than your SR Model 3, but I'm sure there are differences in driving conditions.

It might fit into my solar production capabilities. At worst, I'd need to add one or two panels, and I have plenty of room for that. But then again, with retirement at the end of this year, I really don't know what will happen to my driving patterns or our home energy usage.

Thanks, Mike. That's mighty close to my lifetime average in the Prime of 5.0 m/kWh.

I saw that. It looks encouraging. Did they do anything by way of OTA updates to the older M3s to boost their efficiency?

I'll bet!!

 

Pretty much what I'm expecting. Just looking for other experiences to see if my expectations are reasonable.

 

Actually, if you mean adding more panels when you say adding "as much energy as you use," I can add as many panels as I want -- within reason. But it's not cost-effective to add too much since the electric company doesn't pay very much for excess production. But, as I re-read what you wrote, I see what you mean. Yes, that's kind of obvious. I'm just wondering how much I'll actually use. I guess I'll find out after I do the deed.

It is looking like both cars are pretty even in the m/kWh department with the Tesla maybe having a slight lead. As I mentioned, most of my driving is EV. I think it's right at 90%. I do about 10 miles a week on a regular basis that's beyond battery range, so I will use a little more juice with the Tesla if I get it. I'll have a better idea of my PV production by the end of the year. But it's looking pretty promising now. Even with all the rain over the past few weeks, I've made about 800 kWh more than I've used since the panels went on line in May.

I guess it's a matter of figuring out when to order it and have it all work out with the knee preplacement that's coming up whenever they get the anti-vaxers out of the hospitals. Sooner is probably better for my trade-in value, but I'm wondering if some new incentive or price reduction might come along if I wait a few more months. I've never bought a new car in my life and I've been driving for about 50 years, so this is pretty exciting.

 

It might be a while. Definitely not this year. Maybe next spring. But if you're still on the hunt then, I'll let you know. Don't wait for me. In Florida you only pay sales tax on the difference between the car you buy and what the dealer gives you on trade, so it's often a better deal to let the dealer have the old car. Then again, if I know it's going to a good home, that's a real plus.

Just for the fun of it, I speced one out and it said delivery would be in January. Might have had something to do with wanting the white interior. We both HATE black interiors.

That's pretty amazing. We also needed new shingles but just because they were getting old. So, since it was part of the solar project, they get counted in the tax benefits. We paid cash for our roof. The loan for the solar equipment was only 0.99% interest and the payment is $82/month, which is less than our average electric bill over the past year. But it's a 20-year loan. A 10-year loan would be a payment much higher than our electric bill. At less than one percent interest, I'd much rather leave the money in my investments which have been growing at about 14% annually for the past 10 years.

Batteries would be nice, but with our extended rainy periods, it would take a LOT of capacity. Better for us to just use the car to power the fridge and a couple lights and fans if power goes out. But since we moved to this house seven years ago, we've only had a few blips and one outage that was less than a half hour.

Edit to add: The wife is digging in her heels a bit, so that's another thing that will slow down the buying process. With only 57k miles on the Prime and only having had it for 2-1/2 years, now is a little soon to be trading. But then again, one of these idiots I have to share the road with could change everything at any time. It wouldn't be a first.

 

Even if I didn't need to wait till next year, it's definitely a good time to wait and see what happens with this proposal:
Dems propose new $12,500 electric car rebate, Tesla left with $4,500 disadvantage - Electrek
It's all subject to change of course, and there is one HUGE change I'd like to see. (The penalty against companies whose employees don't feel they've been treated badly enough to need a union.)

 

I just test drove an Ioniq 5. I really like that thing. I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet, but want to get the lay of the land. It was almost dead silent. Reasonable acceleration. Very legible display. Not a long enough drive to get the whole picture, but I like what I saw except for no spare tire and no good place for one. But that's no worse than my Prime.

Really comfortable seats, roomy back seat. Driver interface will take some learning, that's for sure!

Edit to add that they had several cars in stock of each trim level. I was impressed!!!

 

I just finished watching the first half of that video just now while I was icing my knee. He really seemed impressed with the fit & finish.

 

Weeeeellll, it's time to hit the pause button on a new car/EV. Elon keeps raising prices, which started me looking at alternatives. I'm flat out in love with the Ioniq 5. I took my wife for a test drive in the SEL trim that I'd like to get. She likes it except that the steep and narrow bolster on the edge of the front passenger seat makes it a little hard for her to get her short legs out and get her feet on the ground. (The price you pay for more than 4.8" of ground clearance, I guess.)

And then I found out that there's a $3,000 markup on it after all, despite being originally told there was none. Looking online, I see the the same prices at other dealerships.

As I was thinking about it this morning on my daily perambulation, that markup broke the spell and I actually got a a little ticked off. I remembered that they need me; I don't need them. And yet they want me to pay bribe money for the privilege of keeping them in business. Sorry, but that's "bass ackwards" as my mom used to say. My Prime is still a great car, even if it's not everything I'd like it to be. It's paid for and runs almost for free. And with Russia and Ukraine getting ready to have a war that's starting drain my retirement account like a round from an M1A1 Abrams hitting a water ballon, I've decided to be content with what I have for another year or so at least.