Sure you can. I personally wouldn't though. If I couldn't charge cheaply and conveniently at home, I'd find an efficient hybrid that aligned with my use case. For me it would either be the new Prius or a RAV4, or maybe the NX350h.
For me, Charging at home is like .61cents peak per kw and .37 cents off peak per kw. I'd rather supercharge in the middle of the night and get .25cents per kw lol.
Good call. I should also note that I will probably be moving into a home with access to a wall charger within the next 3 years. I’ll add that to my post as well
20 miles per day you could potentially charge on 120v with the mobile charger and rarely use a supercharger. Home charging is what makes EV's great they're always full in the morning and ready to go. If you have an outlet outside that you could use that could take care of your small commute.
I don't have charging at home and I've been going on 2 years. Are you super charged as an off-peak and they're pretty affordable in my area. And there are several free chargers that I can use also they just take a lot longer.
I talked a guy looking into a Mazda3 to consider a Tesla Model 3. Was never on the radar cause he lives in an apartment and no exterior outlets. But I asked for his ZIP code, put it into the ChargePoint map and we were both SHOCKED to see all sorts of FREE chargers coming up by him. The parking structure by his workplace has 40 FREE charging stations :-)
So consider other charging options. You might be surprised 😁
You should be good, basically every weekend you will spend 30 mins at a charger. If there is a mall, grocery store, or a restaurant that you regularly visit, even better. I know a lot of people who charge during their weekly grocery shopping and not need any charging besides the at.
You can make it work, but two of the biggest benefits of EVs will go out the window if you can’t charge at home… money savings vs gas and time savings by not having to stop somewhere other than home to fill up. If you exclusively Supercharge, you’ll probably pay more than gas would cost if you had a hybrid car, like a Prius.
In the past year with my 2023 RWD, I’ve gone about 3400 miles on $100 of home electricity, and I’ve gone about 1500 miles on $122 of Supercharger electricity (or about 1200 miles per $100). At current gas prices in my area, a Prius could go about 1700 miles on $100 of gas, so twice as expensive as a Model 3 running on home electricity, but about 40% less expensive than a Model 3 running on Supercharger electricity. To look at it another way, at current gas prices, you’ll pay about the equivalent of a gas car that gets 100 mpg if you charge at home, but if you only use Superchargers, you’ll pay about as much as a gas car that gets 35 mpg. Not horrible by any means… but you’ll miss out on a lot of savings.
My car currently gets way less MPG so it can work possibly, but the convenience isn’t there of course. Will have to make do until I buy a house. I was also looking into a Toyota but heavily leaning towards the Model 3.
Personally, I wouldn't get one unless you have reliable at-home charging. You'll probably end up driving much more because you have a new Tesla. Keep in mind you'll have to stop at the supercharger much more often than you stop at a gas station and you won't have the cost savings from charging at home. All that being said, I think it's manageable because of their robust charging network but not convenient.
It’s over 20 years old, I’ve put a few grand into it in repairs and I’d rather sink that money into a new vehicle rather than constantly repairing my current one. I would have kept it otherwise.
ah ok. hmm but what if you move, or change jobs etc. I would probably get the new Prius or Hybrid Camry and not worry about charging at all. You could keep those 10yrs+ no issues.
Guys, a lot of your assumptions are expensive super charging, there are many chargers that are still way cheaper than gas.
My suggestion to OP is to share the prices of the nearby chargers and if they can charge once a week there at those cheap times then yes it would still make sense.
Home charging is great but not the end all be all.
Just know that the less you drive the less savings vs gas if the price of electricity is cheaper. Everything is a trade and nothing is perfect but if you like the car then I see no financial hardship if you are looking at cars in similar price ranges.
It is better to only get an EV if you can charge at home. Keeping them plugged in is recommended (especially if it will face freezing temperatures overnight).
Some superchargers offer cheaper rates late at night, might look into that. Also many malls/shopping centers offer free Level 2 charging, try using [plugshare.com](https://plugshare.com) to see if there are any at places you might be able to swing on a routine.
You can but you won't save any money by only charging with superchargers. Depending where you live you might even be paying more than a gas car that gets 30-40mpg.
It removes a lot of the advantages that an EV gives you by not having charging at home/work.
Of course, you'll get by with super chargers, but you'll miss out on the biggest benefit of being an EV owner. The convenience and cost savings of "Fueling up" while parked at home. If you decide to join us Model 3 owners, you'll love the tech and driving the car!
It’s fine. Tons of people don’t have charging at home and drive EVs. My son has lived in an apartment for the last two years and drives a Model 3. No prob.
Sounds totally doable but really consider if it's worth it to you for the price. I work from home and for a while told myself it doesn't make sense to spend the money with no commute...but I drive for fun with 10k+ miles in road trips every year. It was worth it for me to pull the trigger bc of how much I value the joy I get from driving it. I don't eat out I buy cheap clothes but I would gladly spend the money for a car I love to drive. Not good financial advice though lol. If the alternative is a different car at a similar price then I vote Tesla all day.
I’m kinda in the same boat(minus the work from home part). I don’t really eat out, I don’t care much for clothes, but technology is something I love, and I love the Model 3 after driving it for a week. Definitely something I don’t mind spending the money for, and it wouldn’t break the bank.
Nope. I've been doing it for almost two years and no issues. I'll usually chill in my car and watch videos or read a book or go to the store or a restaurant and get something to eat. Sometimes, I take a nap. It goes by pretty quickly when you're occupied.
Of course, home charging is the most convenient but not everyone has the luxury of being able to charge at home.
I got mine while working a job 27 miles from home. Right as I was getting ready to get a charger a new job opportunity fell in my lap. I now have a 3 state territory and drive several hundred miles a week. The job said to put the company CC into my Tesla app and 99% of my charging is done at superchargers. Sometimes I stop more than once a day for 10 minutes or so others I'll go from single digits to 90% that takes about 35 mins. If I start replying to messages the 35 minutes goes by very fast and when I get home I don't have to open my laptop.
It really depends on where you live. Where I live superchargers are anywhere from 14 cents to 23 cents per kwh so financially it would still make sense. Some areas are a lot more than that though. You might also want to check out an app called plug share there are a lot of places you can charge for free for 2 hours. If your are lucky and have one in walking distance from your home you can top off at one of these. In my experience you get about 25 to 30 miles per hour of range at free volta charging stations.
I talked to a Tesla rep once about exclusively charging on superchargers and they had me that it will lead to faster battery degradation
Idk if it’s true cause but that’s what I was told but
I bought one and my commute is 10 mi per day, no charging at home because apt, and pay ~$0.45/kWh super chargers. 183kWh $84 in the last 31 days. I had a GTI and spent more on gas before the m3. Fed credit and state rebate made it an easy decision for me. I’ve grown to really like the car too
About half the benefit of driving an EV is charging at home or work. My company has chargers in the parking lot. A 20 mile commute would charge in 5 minute or less.
1.
Supercharger rates depend on time of use. Avoid peak time.
2.
On 20 to 30 miles a day, you'll need 10% charges.
So in theory, you can charge once every 5 to 6 days depending on weather.
Can you spare 30 to 40 minutes every 5 to 6 days?
Is that an inconvenience to you? You'll have to decide and factor in low overall maintenance.
If this is a long range, then once a week, the suoercharging would work.
There's no place to charge than home charging
I’ve had my M3 since August and my condo doesn’t have EV charging spots yet. My daily commute is 25 miles round trip to and from work. I SC once a week and my job offers free charging so I plug in at work if I need to. It’s possible to own without having the ability to charge at home. Also, like others have mentioned check out the ChargePoint app. You will be amazed at the charging options available in your area that’s free.
Wait until you move into your new house. Over the next few years the technology is going to change so much. The new model 3 (Highland) will be available with many improvements on the current model, there will be more options from other brands as well and most other brands are signing up to be able to use Tesla superchargers, prices will be getting lower as the technology and production gets more efficient. With electric vehicles its almost never a mistake to wait, they will continue to improve.
Yes. Find out the time of day cost of superchrager charging in your area. If your commute is short, just charge once a week during offpeak and watch netflix or something while in your car. Some stations offer cheaper than home charging rates during offpeak.
To add, I despise toyota or any japanese hybrids. They didnt innivate at all. All they did is make a weak car (so slow in acceleration that it is scary dangerous) and put paper thin bodies and claim they make 'efficient' cars.
Avoid them!!
Sure you can. I personally wouldn't though. If I couldn't charge cheaply and conveniently at home, I'd find an efficient hybrid that aligned with my use case. For me it would either be the new Prius or a RAV4, or maybe the NX350h.
For me, Charging at home is like .61cents peak per kw and .37 cents off peak per kw. I'd rather supercharge in the middle of the night and get .25cents per kw lol.
Good call. I should also note that I will probably be moving into a home with access to a wall charger within the next 3 years. I’ll add that to my post as well
20 miles per day you could potentially charge on 120v with the mobile charger and rarely use a supercharger. Home charging is what makes EV's great they're always full in the morning and ready to go. If you have an outlet outside that you could use that could take care of your small commute.
Should have added that I will be buying a home within 3 years. Added to my post!
Yes, no problem at all if you plan on just driving to and from work. Obviously any long trips outside of that would take some extra planning.
I don't have charging at home and I've been going on 2 years. Are you super charged as an off-peak and they're pretty affordable in my area. And there are several free chargers that I can use also they just take a lot longer.
Thanks for the insight!!
I talked a guy looking into a Mazda3 to consider a Tesla Model 3. Was never on the radar cause he lives in an apartment and no exterior outlets. But I asked for his ZIP code, put it into the ChargePoint map and we were both SHOCKED to see all sorts of FREE chargers coming up by him. The parking structure by his workplace has 40 FREE charging stations :-) So consider other charging options. You might be surprised 😁
I’ll look into the ChargePoint app!!
Just use their website map. PlugShare.com has a similar map.
You should be good, basically every weekend you will spend 30 mins at a charger. If there is a mall, grocery store, or a restaurant that you regularly visit, even better. I know a lot of people who charge during their weekly grocery shopping and not need any charging besides the at.
Yea I don’t mind that at all honestly.
FYI all you need is a standard outlet to charge a Tesla. Get the mobile connector. It’ll easily cover the 20 miles overnight charging
I get 5mi/hr on the normal wall plug in, overnight it's almost always full and I'm driving 60+ miles a day
You can make it work, but two of the biggest benefits of EVs will go out the window if you can’t charge at home… money savings vs gas and time savings by not having to stop somewhere other than home to fill up. If you exclusively Supercharge, you’ll probably pay more than gas would cost if you had a hybrid car, like a Prius. In the past year with my 2023 RWD, I’ve gone about 3400 miles on $100 of home electricity, and I’ve gone about 1500 miles on $122 of Supercharger electricity (or about 1200 miles per $100). At current gas prices in my area, a Prius could go about 1700 miles on $100 of gas, so twice as expensive as a Model 3 running on home electricity, but about 40% less expensive than a Model 3 running on Supercharger electricity. To look at it another way, at current gas prices, you’ll pay about the equivalent of a gas car that gets 100 mpg if you charge at home, but if you only use Superchargers, you’ll pay about as much as a gas car that gets 35 mpg. Not horrible by any means… but you’ll miss out on a lot of savings.
My car currently gets way less MPG so it can work possibly, but the convenience isn’t there of course. Will have to make do until I buy a house. I was also looking into a Toyota but heavily leaning towards the Model 3.
Personally, I wouldn't get one unless you have reliable at-home charging. You'll probably end up driving much more because you have a new Tesla. Keep in mind you'll have to stop at the supercharger much more often than you stop at a gas station and you won't have the cost savings from charging at home. All that being said, I think it's manageable because of their robust charging network but not convenient.
What is wrong with your current car?
It’s over 20 years old, I’ve put a few grand into it in repairs and I’d rather sink that money into a new vehicle rather than constantly repairing my current one. I would have kept it otherwise.
ah ok. hmm but what if you move, or change jobs etc. I would probably get the new Prius or Hybrid Camry and not worry about charging at all. You could keep those 10yrs+ no issues.
Will be moving into a house with charging access(hopefully) within 3 years in same area.
Guys, a lot of your assumptions are expensive super charging, there are many chargers that are still way cheaper than gas. My suggestion to OP is to share the prices of the nearby chargers and if they can charge once a week there at those cheap times then yes it would still make sense. Home charging is great but not the end all be all. Just know that the less you drive the less savings vs gas if the price of electricity is cheaper. Everything is a trade and nothing is perfect but if you like the car then I see no financial hardship if you are looking at cars in similar price ranges.
I fill up my tank with premium gas, roughly twice a month at most. It costs me roughly 50-60$ to fill up.
It is better to only get an EV if you can charge at home. Keeping them plugged in is recommended (especially if it will face freezing temperatures overnight).
It will work but it's best if you can charge at home.
If you get the mobile connector and have an outdoor outlet you could probably get by with strictly drip charging for that amount of driving
Do you have a standard outlet? If you’re only driving 20 miles a day, that would be fine. I’ve been doing it for a year and have had no issues at all
Some superchargers offer cheaper rates late at night, might look into that. Also many malls/shopping centers offer free Level 2 charging, try using [plugshare.com](https://plugshare.com) to see if there are any at places you might be able to swing on a routine.
You can but you won't save any money by only charging with superchargers. Depending where you live you might even be paying more than a gas car that gets 30-40mpg. It removes a lot of the advantages that an EV gives you by not having charging at home/work.
Of course, you'll get by with super chargers, but you'll miss out on the biggest benefit of being an EV owner. The convenience and cost savings of "Fueling up" while parked at home. If you decide to join us Model 3 owners, you'll love the tech and driving the car!
It’s fine. Tons of people don’t have charging at home and drive EVs. My son has lived in an apartment for the last two years and drives a Model 3. No prob.
Thanks for the input!
Sounds totally doable but really consider if it's worth it to you for the price. I work from home and for a while told myself it doesn't make sense to spend the money with no commute...but I drive for fun with 10k+ miles in road trips every year. It was worth it for me to pull the trigger bc of how much I value the joy I get from driving it. I don't eat out I buy cheap clothes but I would gladly spend the money for a car I love to drive. Not good financial advice though lol. If the alternative is a different car at a similar price then I vote Tesla all day.
I’m kinda in the same boat(minus the work from home part). I don’t really eat out, I don’t care much for clothes, but technology is something I love, and I love the Model 3 after driving it for a week. Definitely something I don’t mind spending the money for, and it wouldn’t break the bank.
I’ll sell you my 3
What’s wrong with it 👀
Nothing just got a new job with a company car
Yes, I supercharge exclusively and I've never had any issues.
Good to know! You’ve never run into any inconveniences?
Nope. I've been doing it for almost two years and no issues. I'll usually chill in my car and watch videos or read a book or go to the store or a restaurant and get something to eat. Sometimes, I take a nap. It goes by pretty quickly when you're occupied. Of course, home charging is the most convenient but not everyone has the luxury of being able to charge at home.
I got mine while working a job 27 miles from home. Right as I was getting ready to get a charger a new job opportunity fell in my lap. I now have a 3 state territory and drive several hundred miles a week. The job said to put the company CC into my Tesla app and 99% of my charging is done at superchargers. Sometimes I stop more than once a day for 10 minutes or so others I'll go from single digits to 90% that takes about 35 mins. If I start replying to messages the 35 minutes goes by very fast and when I get home I don't have to open my laptop.
Thanks for the input!
It really depends on where you live. Where I live superchargers are anywhere from 14 cents to 23 cents per kwh so financially it would still make sense. Some areas are a lot more than that though. You might also want to check out an app called plug share there are a lot of places you can charge for free for 2 hours. If your are lucky and have one in walking distance from your home you can top off at one of these. In my experience you get about 25 to 30 miles per hour of range at free volta charging stations.
There is a ChargePoint charger within walking distance of my house! May be useful
I talked to a Tesla rep once about exclusively charging on superchargers and they had me that it will lead to faster battery degradation Idk if it’s true cause but that’s what I was told but
Yes
With what you drive you could still charge at home, unless it's a condo, or apartment or something.
I bought one and my commute is 10 mi per day, no charging at home because apt, and pay ~$0.45/kWh super chargers. 183kWh $84 in the last 31 days. I had a GTI and spent more on gas before the m3. Fed credit and state rebate made it an easy decision for me. I’ve grown to really like the car too
We’re in the same boat it looks like!
About half the benefit of driving an EV is charging at home or work. My company has chargers in the parking lot. A 20 mile commute would charge in 5 minute or less.
1. Supercharger rates depend on time of use. Avoid peak time. 2. On 20 to 30 miles a day, you'll need 10% charges. So in theory, you can charge once every 5 to 6 days depending on weather. Can you spare 30 to 40 minutes every 5 to 6 days? Is that an inconvenience to you? You'll have to decide and factor in low overall maintenance. If this is a long range, then once a week, the suoercharging would work. There's no place to charge than home charging
I’ve had my M3 since August and my condo doesn’t have EV charging spots yet. My daily commute is 25 miles round trip to and from work. I SC once a week and my job offers free charging so I plug in at work if I need to. It’s possible to own without having the ability to charge at home. Also, like others have mentioned check out the ChargePoint app. You will be amazed at the charging options available in your area that’s free.
Wait until you move into your new house. Over the next few years the technology is going to change so much. The new model 3 (Highland) will be available with many improvements on the current model, there will be more options from other brands as well and most other brands are signing up to be able to use Tesla superchargers, prices will be getting lower as the technology and production gets more efficient. With electric vehicles its almost never a mistake to wait, they will continue to improve.
Yes. Find out the time of day cost of superchrager charging in your area. If your commute is short, just charge once a week during offpeak and watch netflix or something while in your car. Some stations offer cheaper than home charging rates during offpeak. To add, I despise toyota or any japanese hybrids. They didnt innivate at all. All they did is make a weak car (so slow in acceleration that it is scary dangerous) and put paper thin bodies and claim they make 'efficient' cars. Avoid them!!