So, we put down a deposit for an R1S that should be delivered sometime in 2022. We've never owned an EV and are wondering what were the biggest adjustments those of you who have owned an EV had to make. We will still have two ICE vehicles. Besides potentially charging it every night (although I now read that you don't want to fully charge it), what other adjustments did y'all have to make. Plus, did your insurance rates go up? Also, our biggest reason for choosing the R1S is because we wanted a 3-row SUV. So, that brings up the next question as to why we chose the R1S over the Model X? We like the shape better and it is less expensive. Assuming we get the option for the 180 kw battery and it is a $10k premium, we are still looking around $90k, which is the starting price of the Model X. I'm wondering why y'all made the decision if you were also considering a Model X. Frankly, we are still thinking about it as Tesla is more established and our little ones would get a kick out of the falcon doors. But, patience is a virtue.
Biggest adjustment for me was having to do a bit more planning before longer trips. EVTripPlanner was a huge help in that regard. We now also have ABetterRoutePlanner. You can’t just get in your car and start driving and then stop at any exit to refuel. I’m a bit on the anal side, so the planning part was actually part of the experience for me. Others may see it as an annoyance. I bought in 2015 in NC and the charging infrastructure was not nearly what it is today, so it sometimes required some creative route planning in the early days as well.
Over time you’ll learn to convert “rated miles” to actual miles since they are often not the same based on your driving conditions.
There were chargers at my work, plus I put one in my garage (that I hardly ever used), so local stuff was never a problem.
As for insurance, mine was surprisingly lower at first given that I traded in a $60k Audi that was depreciated down to a $30k trade for a $100k+ Tesla. But they creeped up over time once the insurance companies figured out that the safety benefits of Tesla were outweighed by the exorbitant repair costs. It’ll be interesting to see what rates for Rivian are.
I wanted AWD, so my original plan was to wait for initial Model X. But they they announced AWD Model S, so I jumped on that immediately. I never really liked the aesthetics of the X vs. S. But due to location and lifestyle change, I now
need an offroad capable vehicle. So I begrudgingly now have both the Model S and a 4Runner after swearing I’d never own another ICE. But there simply wasn’t anything on the market to fill that need. Model X is not an offroad capable vehicle, IMO. Now there is! I went with Rivian because the styling is good, it seems like a very capable truck, and the company viability is there. I’d prefer something a little more “offroad” looking, but the other options that are (Bollinger or Hummer EV) are far more expensive and will ship later. I reserved a CyberTruck, but never could get past the looks of it. So I’m all in on Rivian.