@AG_PhamD @cloudflare420
Since you asked, I figured I'd just post here ...
Where I wound up is a funny path. I started converting lawn gear over to battery stuff, initially just a Greenwise blower (Dad's Day gift), then when I saw you could score other tools without the battery making them super inexpensive I was like OK, this makes even more sense, a single pack is easily shared. At some point I needed to mow, no gas, and I was thought, I'd just check out some other options - I hit up Woot.com and they had a Greenworks mower, two packs, another charger for about 60% off (new, free shipping). Got that, and it's glorious - no smell, much less noise, no fluids/mess, and with 3 packs and two chargers, everything can be run anytime. It makes sense.
The wife's DD/RT lease came up, we wanted to try something different, decided we: 1) didn't need 3 rows and 2) that we both always wanted a Wrangler. We wound up buying the lease out at the end and turning right around and selling it to Carvana, paid $30K, sold it for $41K, so that was a pretty sweet score. FWIW, the lease couldn't be bought out directly under 30 days of it ending, and in the time it took to buy it and get the title (~3 weeks) that price actually went up like $2000.
Anyway, the new 4xe Wrangler was just getting released (this was April '21), that as you may know was Jeep's new PHEV, I'm like OK, that's neat, 25-30 miles on battery only, 375HP / 470 ft-lbs TQ, plus all the regular Wrangler features like the removable roof, a killer 4WD. We get one of the first batch, it's discounted $2K, and we get the $7500 Fed Tax credit right up front against the lease! It winds up being $200/month lower than the DD/RT, same out of pocket and it's a $5K more expensive car. Since then the 4xe has gone up several thousand and discounts have pretty much dried up, so our timing was excellent.
The 120v/15a supplied charger is slow, so we get a LEFANEV 32A (N6-50), and in the same order I also pick up an N10-30 to N6-50 adapter cable. It works, we're not driving that much so shuffling between the dryer and charger is __OK__. The EVSE itself is decent, there's a ton of the same sort of price/class chargers that look like this. The cable is 18' so it doesn't reach if I back the Jeep in, so I start thinking about getting a different product, and about that same time start thinking about one with higher output, you know, in case we added another EV that could use more than 32a
We totally love it - and again, it makes so much sense. My original thought was start with a PHEV, but once I had a taste of fast home charging, and a month where we used 2 gallons of gas, my perspective starts to change.
Then I get a 50a circuit installed, replace the 32a charger with a killer unit made my Grizzl-E. It's a beefy product built in Canada, 24' cables, modular power/charge cable, all metal construction/all weather, WiFi/OCPP compatible. Now charging is ultra-simplified, no swapping outlets with the dryer, and now I'm also getting the full 32a (the dryer outlet only allowed for 24a).
The lights really go on in my head so to speak - once you get the difference in how you use/"fuel" an EV vs. an ICE, it's such a "Oh, now I get it" moment.
I install an electric hoist, the top comes off the Wrangler, hahaha, and pretty much stays off. So now we've got two "convertibles", the GT doesn't make a ton of sense as the "extra car". I start thinking about alternatives in terms of features: solid performance, roomy, and something that we could use for road trips or a quick trip in town when it's raining and putting the top back on the Wrangler isn't a quick process.
And I have a 40a charger right in the garage ...
And I'm completely digging on the EV concept ...
I make the decision: a Tesla.
I won't get into the decision process too much in this post, only that my desire for performance, an extensive charging network and tech - significant research - combined with lots of personal insight to the vehicles through owner friends - informed my choice.
I sell the GT convertible, also to Carvana - not the deal like the DD/RT, but the same I paid 2 years ago, so I guess driving for "free" wasn't bad - I also swapped back most of the aftermarket parts, sold them, easily broke even
On June 11, Friday, I place my order: Model 3 Performance, MSM exterior, white premium interior. Saturday I complete all the required paperwork, by Sunday my EDD is moved up weeks - by Monday I'm getting prompted to select a delivery date June 18 - June 21. Seriously, one week from order to 1st available pickup date. I wind up selecting June 20 since that a Sunday and Dad's Day, figured it would fun and semi-quiet for the drive home.
Ours was delivered pretty much perfect: solid paint, no defects, no issues, no janky panels, and zero operational issues. For that matter the 4xe has been pretty perfect too, we took it in for a recall check, no biggie, got all new firmware, no charge, dealer is < 10 miles away.
The Model 3 Performance is quiet, comfortable, roomy, has a spectacular audio system, killer electronics/remote/mobile systems, a stellar AWD system and outstanding visibility.
Best of all, it's
super quick while also being inexpensive to operate
and super convenient.
About a month after I owned it, I snuck over the test/training area (also where the local A/X runs), nobody around, so I flipped on Track Mode, allows for full F/R bias control, selected the pre-configured "drift", got the rear end loose a couple of times
www.notateslaapp.com
teslalight.show
