It’s been a year since I got the Model Y, and I’ve driven 16,000 kilometers, spending a total of 4 weeks in the car. Overall, I’m very satisfied, despite some minor issues. This article will discuss my experiences and cost analysis over the past year.
Why Choose Model Y
Why choose Model Y? It all comes down to budget and car usage:
- Budget: Overall 300,000 RMB (if it were a gasoline car, we would have to subtract 100,000 RMB for the license plate fee);
- Car usage: Family trips, commuting, and annual trips back home for Chinese New Year (800km).
- Other considerations: Good safety performance, not too small space.
Initially, we considered a gasoline car for long-distance driving, but after half a year of unsuccessful attempts to get a license plate (even with a broker), we finally chose an electric car. At that time, the only options were Tesla and others. After two test drives, we decisively ordered the Model Y.
User Experience
First, let’s talk about the positives:
- Powerful, good handling, very responsive;
- Hassle-free, over the year, besides adding windshield washer fluid, doing a tire rotation, and changing the air conditioning filter myself, there was no other maintenance;
- Spacious, can really pack a lot of stuff, especially during Chinese New Year when we packed a car full of food;
- Safety: There were two memorable instances, once on the highway when I didn’t fully check before changing lanes, a car appeared on the left, and Tesla steered me back; another time, a car invaded my lane, and Tesla steered away. Without the car’s intervention, it could have been problematic.
- Simple interior: I prefer a simple car interior, and Tesla delivers on that.
Now, the drawbacks:
- Hard suspension, really bumpy on bad roads;
- Rims are easily scratched, on the first day, I scratched them against the curb, felt bad at first, but got used to it over time;
- Occasional minor issues (a few times the screen went black during driving, but it didn’t affect driving; once the charging port wouldn’t stay open, called Tesla, and they told me to hold it open manually a few times, and it fixed itself).
Long-Distance Experience and Costs
Over the year, I took two long trips, one 1000 kilometers and one 600 kilometers. Overall, it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. Let’s talk about the 1000-kilometer trip.
Started with a full charge from Shanghai, charged three times along the way, total trip time was 13 hours, driving time was 11 hours, and arrived with 38% battery left. The first leg from 99% to 21% covered 250 kilometers; the second leg from 100% to 16% covered 249 kilometers; the third leg from 100% to 9% covered 308 kilometers; the last leg from 100% to 38% covered 197 kilometers. Besides encountering fog and a highway closure, the rest of the trip was smooth, driving slightly above the speed limit.
Since it was winter and using the heater, the overall energy consumption (177-204wh/km) was quite high, needing to charge every 250 kilometers. Especially during the Chinese New Year travel rush, it’s better to find Tesla superchargers or other charging stations off the highway to avoid long queues at service areas.
The cost was around 370 RMB, similar to a gasoline car (used Tesla superchargers twice, which are expensive).
Cost Summary
Let’s talk about the total cost of buying and using the car over the year.
| Item | Cost | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| Car purchase | ¥264650 | Original price ¥266400, white color +¥8000, subsidy -¥8000, referral -¥1750 |
| Floor mats, etc. | ¥940 | Bought front and rear floor mats, trunk mats, license plate frames, 4 door sill protectors, 2 pillows, 2 headrests, 2 trunk storage boxes, 2 under-seat storage boxes, center console cup holder, split sunshade, total 17 items, under ¥1000, used for a year without issues, 1688 is really cost-effective |
| Other small accessories | ¥225 | Besides the above, only bought a phone holder and a small table for the car |
| Insurance | ¥7576 | Insurance and driver accident insurance (first year bought from Tesla, a bit expensive, second year ¥5600) |
| Electricity | ¥3500 | No home charging, mostly used superchargers |
| Parking space | ¥1800 | Old neighborhood, parking is a bit tight, sometimes have to search for a spot |
| Air conditioning filter | ¥518 | Bought a set of Mann filters and replaced them myself |
| Car wash | ¥400 | Not very frequent, less than 10 times a year |
| Tire rotation | ¥124 | Tesla recommends rotating tires every 10,000 kilometers, did it once at the service center |
| In-car entertainment service package | ¥120 | ¥9.9 per month, used for navigation and listening to podcasts |
| Charging membership | ¥120 | Charging membership offers good discounts |
| Bailian membership | ¥79 | Frequent Bailian visitor, membership offers a few hours of free parking each month |
| Windshield washer fluid | ¥19.9 | Added twice, bought from Sam’s Club, works well |
Besides these summarized costs, there are some other miscellaneous costs:
- Parking fees: Parking fees in some Shanghai malls are really high, 10-20 RMB per hour, sometimes half a day of shopping costs 50 RMB in parking fees;
- Repair costs: Two weeks after getting the car, ran over a nail, 100 RMB to fix it; a few months later, the same tire blew out on the highway, 1000 RMB for a new tire (luckily, the highway tow service in Zhejiang is free);
- Toll fees: Frequent trips around the area accumulate toll fees.
Overall, besides the one-time costs of buying the car and accessories, other costs are around 20,000 RMB. Considering the 16,000 kilometers driven, it’s acceptable.
For electricity costs alone, 0.2 RMB per kilometer is cheaper than a gasoline car, and with home charging, it would be even cheaper.
- Charging Overview
- Accessories under 1000 RMB
Battery Degradation
When I first got the car, a full charge was 435 kilometers, now it’s around 426 kilometers, a loss of 9 kilometers, which is consistent with the reported calendar degradation of 0.8 kilometers per month. This degradation rate is acceptable, and I’ve heard that the degradation rate of lithium iron phosphate batteries slows down over time, so it should be fine for a few years.
Conclusion
Looking back over the past year, this Model Y has indeed brought great convenience to our family trips, whether it’s for nearby outings, rainy day trips, or rushing to the hospital when the child is sick. Behind this convenience is the reduced cost of using an electric car, making trips less burdensome. Sometimes, for a 3-5 kilometer trip, we wouldn’t hesitate to drive.
Overall, I’m very satisfied with this Model Y. This year, I hope to drive more and explore places in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai with my family.
Others
Looking back at the photo album, I found some other bits and pieces to share.
- The only gift from Tesla, did you peel it off?
- First time running over a nail (be mindful of road conditions, avoid construction areas…)
- Applied for a free ETC, stuck a coin, and put it in the glove box.
- Highway blowout, experienced free towing in Zhejiang
- Replaced the air conditioning filter myself, this panel requires some skill and strength
