[Talking about Teslas and “EVs” as if they are the same category is like talking about Computer Science and “STEM” in a single category. Often disingenuous and draws the wrong conclusion.]
Meanwhile, while some folks have had issues with EA, I haven’t, and even if I did, I’d just use a Chargepoint, EVGo, Shell Recharge, or any number of other chargers as needed.
Not to mention that I can buy a Tesla charger adapter for like $60 that lets me use destination chargers at hotels, and that Tesla is opening up to CCS charging because they want that sweet federal money.
Basically: a Tesla is an EV, and Tesla is no longer on top of the EV game, as evidenced by the recent six price drops in the last year, because they are outinnovated and now trying to outprice their competition instead of innovating.
You let me know how your FSD, which is “coming by the end of the year,” does for you. I’ve got some bridges to sell in Brooklyn.
The expansion of superchargers to non-Teslas may indeed cause problems. So far I have seen perhaps one total non-Tesla vehicle. If anything, that should be a new point in favor of EVs compared to the time the author purchased their vehicle, which makes the article even further disingenuous.
I don’t know why you brought FSD into a very specific argument about EV ownership experience. I don’t disagree. Sounds like a canned message from a Tesla hater though.
Elon and the FSD nonsense is one such con. I only brought it up because he just promised it again by the end of this year, and it set off a spate of people going “Tesla is the best” when we’ve all seen this story before.
I credit Tesla with kicking off the revolution; I don’t even dislike their cars. I’ve enjoyed when I’ve rented them.
I just think they’ve stopped innovating in recent years, and frankly, I wish they would. More competition is always good.
Now when it comes to specific physical features on the car or something, I don’t know, haven’t been following that very closely.
FSD may or may not come eventually. I’m doubtful. But as it stands, other makers are improving rapidly and Tesla has produced little innovation to compete with them in recent years, instead choosing to focus on touting features that seldom come (2016 was the first year FSD was coming “by the end of the year”) and cost-cutting measure to improve profits at the cost of customer experience.
That’s not a jab on Tesla as a company as much as it is just disappointment. Their lead is dwindling, and I wish they’d focus on innovating instead of whatever else is happening right now.
Tesla needs to start building something new again, or improving their cars in meaningful ways, or their lead will dwindle.
And the cybertruck ain’t it. (I have a reservation for one, but there are better options now)
Tesla is still very much at the head of the pack for range, efficiency, and charging speed (thinking of the Model 3 and Y especially). These are the fundamental factors that probably matter the most in determining the convenience of a regular-use EV.
Some manufacturers (hat-tip to Hyundai in particular) are starting to come close or match them in some or all of these (which is great!) but it’s absolutely not the norm.
My point isn’t that Tesla sucks. It’s that they’re not inherently superior anymore.
(And yes, Hyundai and Kia are great. Merc and BMW are also giving them a run for their money, though I don’t like their styling.)
To your earlier point, I have literally never once had to wait to get a supercharger, the route planner takes number of open stalls into account. The non-Tesla experience, idk, and we only use them on road trips, so we’re generally not going to any inside big cities, so maybe that’s the difference. Also not in the Bay Area, so they’re not the local “Camry” yet.
I don't see their numbers growing as fast now as 3-4 years ago because there are so many more superchargers now that destination chargers don't give a hotel as much of a competitive advantage, except in places where there is still not a supercharger nearby.
Is the charger adapter that you plug in on a Tesla or a non-Tesla not standardized like USB-C to the point where you can go to any station (as long as you have any brand of EV and not an internal combustion engine gasoline/diesel car or whatever) and benefit from it/use it/plug it in? Sorry, out of the loop, I've dodged electric cars.
You can buy an adapter to use destination chargers (hotels, etc.) but not super chargers.
(The third major standard for DC fast charging, CHAdeMO, is unfortunately dying out even though it is in many ways technically superior to CCS. Tesla previously sold adaptors for CHAdeMO but no more.)
[0] https://shop.tesla.com/product/ccs-combo-1-adapter
EDIT: This adaptor only works on Tesla cars built after ~2020. Search "how do I determine whether my Tesla can support CCS" before buying the adaptor. The issue is about whether the car can speak the powerline carrier protocol that CCS uses.