I was initially skeptical electric cars would catch on when the Model S was released back in 2012, and didn't see myself in one until I felt the charging network was sufficiently built out. Well I found myself needing a larger vehicle this year and after contemplating other 7-seater options ultimately found myself in a Model X LR.
It's been an interesting experience owning a Tesla. I think my biggest issue is the displayed range is very misleading because it depletes faster than the actual miles you've driven. For example: I leave home in the Bay Area with a full charge of 335 miles, and arrive at my mom's house outside of Sacramento with about 130 miles on the battery display. However, the actual distance is only 117 miles.
It can be a bit daunting to do a road trip. Living in Norcal, there are plenty of charging options within a few miles of my home including a Tesla delivery center. But even when I go to visit my mom, the nearest charging station is about 10 minutes away, and that spot is often full (only a few stations) so the next closest one is about another 10 minutes. I'm still adjusting to the car so I often get range anxiety, especially when my kids are with me so I try not to drive it on longer trips like Tahoe or SoCal for fear of getting stranded.
The build and paint quality is almost laughable considering the price of the car. I know folks that work in the factory, one worked for GM before and he's shocked at the tolerances and general lack of QC. I get it, you're paying for the technology etc etc but the panel fitments and paint quality are worthy of a car costing much less. My ppf installer found a bunch of these, and I was able to get the more obvious ones fixed by Tesla without much issue.
But I have to say the driving experience is pretty cool. I tell my friends its like driving an iPhone. My other cars are a 6pM2C and a Land Rover Discovery Sport (company vehicle) so those 2 satisfy my ICE needs. But my kids love the music streaming and fancy tech features, and joyfully play the built in games when I need to use a supercharger. So it's a great car for use as a local general purpose family vehicle (grocery shopping, mall, etc). The gull wing doors definitely make an impression in places where Teslas are relatively scarce.
Not sure how long I will keep the MX, but i'm fairly certain I will always have at least 1 electric or alternative fuel vehicle going forward (but not to the exclusion of a RWD 6sp fun car
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