Q&A With a Tesla Owner

For all the hype they’ve received, plug-in electric cars like the Mini E and Tesla Roadster have made only slight inroads among U.S. drivers. California-based Tesla — and its Roadster that retails for $109,000 — is among the more prominent examples, with the likes of talk-show host Jay Leno and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger seen taking a spin in it.

What’s it like to actually own one? Carl Walters of Palatine, Ill., took delivery of his Tesla in July. We spoke with Walters — a 74-year-old retired electrical engineer who admits he’s not a sports-car guy — about his ownership experience thus far. Read on for excerpts.

KM: Take me through the process of deciding to purchase an electric car. Did you think about hybrids at first?
CW: No, I had not planned on a hybrid at all. I had never even thought of a hybrid. Number one, I was in an electrical business all my life. It was my bread and butter for all those years, and when I found out that Tesla was thinking about an electric car … I just said, ‘Oh, I’ve got to have me one of those. So, the next day I called Tesla … and asked where I could see the car. They said they were opening a showroom in L.A. — in Santa Monica — … and I could go out there and see it and drive it. … I made a reservation and went out there in June [2008] to look at the car and drive it, and eventually put a down payment on it.

KM: Where do you plug the Tesla in? Does it require a specialized outlet? How long does it take to charge?
CW: It’s a 220 [volt]. I have it on a 40 [amp] breaker, which is not the top end. If you buy their large charging unit, which is quite expensive, you can go up to 70 amps, but I had no need for a quick charge. … I use a 40-amp, which gives me a nice charge and keeps the battery longevity, which is important. I want to keep these batteries a long time.

KM: Is it better to charge in the middle of the night, during off-peak hours?
CW: It matters not to me. … I don’t believe [Commonwealth] Edison here in Chicago has a different rate anyway for an EV, so I just do that because obviously [with] off-peak hours I’m not putting the grid at any strain. … In the middle of the night, it’s the best time for me to charge.

KM: How far can you drive on a full charge? Does that range feel constraining?
CW: [Tesla] has on their site 244 miles. I believe about 220 is more realistic. Obviously, you never want to run a battery all the way down because then you’re in dead trouble. There are three modes you can put your car in. … Standard mode is about 195 miles. If I put it in Range mode and charge it the night before — if I know I’m going on a longer trip — I can get up to about 220 miles.

KM: The advantage of Standard mode is it’s better for the battery?
CW: Yeah. … My range around here is usually around 100 miles, at most, in a day.

KM: Have you seen a major increase in your electricity bills?
CW: I haven’t had it long enough to really do that, but I can’t believe — because what little charging I’ve had in kilowatts — [it’s going] to have a major change. … I’ve had it less than a month.

KM: You mentioned a bit about the buying process. Tell me more. You flew out to Santa Monica?
CW: That’s correct. They had their showroom all put together at that time, and I took one of the demo cars out there. We took it out on [U.S. Highway] 101, which is right next to the showroom, so I got to really kick it up and do some high-speed driving. … [Then we] got into some actual city-type driving.

KM: Where does this car excel? At higher speeds or in the city?
CW: All I can tell you, Kelsey, is it drives like a dream. I wasn’t a supercar person — like, I didn’t have Corvettes or anything like that before. I bought this car because it was electric. It just happened to be a roadster. … Every aspect of the car — from low speed to high speed — it’s just a dream to drive. It’s got instant power, and you know that, and it’s just there for you.

KM: Compare the sensation of driving the Tesla to a car with an internal combustion engine.
CW: Number one, it is totally silent. So the only thing you get here is a slight purr and maybe some wind noise with the top down. I’ve never had the top on it yet. Secondly, it has instant power from zero all the way up through any range you want to go. … It just goes zero to 60 in such a short period of time. … Most of the people who I drive [in] it say it’s like a roller coaster.

KM: I understand Tesla delivered this car to you. How long did it take between you settling a down payment to delivery?
CW: Fourteen months.

KM: Was there a waiting list?
CW: Oh, there was a waiting list. My VIN number is 539, which means I’m the 539th car they built, of which 500 were 2008s. And they skipped 2009 because they had some delivery problems, and then they went to 2010. … I know they’ve got reservations for 1,000 or more, maybe 1,400.

KM: Have you had any reliability issues so far? How has Tesla responded?
CW: They’re great. I mean, they’re just beyond belief. When I first got the car, I noticed on the second day that one of the doors doesn’t quite shut properly, it might drop a quarter-inch. … [Plus] there’s a sensor on one of the tires that I noticed is not sensing both temperature and PSI on one tire. … Really about the only two issues I’ve found so far. … They will send somebody right to your house. See, their showroom isn’t open here in Chicago yet. It will be open I think mid-September or so.

KM: Then at that point, servicing the car will be more like a regular vehicle? You’d just take it into the dealership?
CW: Yes, downtown.

KM: How do bystanders react when they see you driving around? Any memorable instances?
CW: Well, many stories. I mean, you just have – anywhere you go — the car is a stopper. … You get both sides of the story, from people who are knowledgeable to those who are totally unfamiliar with the car. But I get beeps and people pull up along side of me. And people say, ‘What is it?’ or, ‘Wow how do you like it?’ Everywhere we go, it’s a show-stopper.

KM: Doesn’t that get old after a while, having to explain things again and again?
CW: No, not at all. I’m probably a great salesman for Tesla. I’m so excited to have the car, and I’m so excited to share the knowledge with anyone I can, in hopes that someday this can be a car that we’re all driving. Or this type of car. … Anybody that bought a [Tesla] Roadster, I would say, is a pioneer. … They’re investing in a future that will hopefully bring the electric car to the forefront.

KM: Did you get any sort of federal incentive to buy the car?
CW: The federal government does give us a tax credit. It’s $7,500.

KM: At the end of the day, what’s your favorite and least favorite thing about the car?
CW: Styling is absolutely awesome. It’s just a very beautiful-looking car. And, of course, acceleration. And I say that in just the fact that when you put your foot on the accelerator, this thing just purrs up to whatever speed you want it to go. Least favorite? I’m 74 and a half, and I’m not a young chip, and getting in and out is not the easiest thing in the world. … But I’ve had some fairly large people in that car, and they all get in and out. But it is low to the ground, obviously.

KM: At the end of the day, can this car viably meet all your needs?
CW: No, it would not be the only car I could have. At this point, you would need another car.

KM: Why?
CW: This is a fun car. This is like owning a Corvette or a Porsche or any other car. This is not a car that you’re going to haul dogs and cats in — which I have both — or haul groceries. Well, I do grocery shopping because I get enough in there myself. I know that some owners actually use it as their daily commuting car and love them. … I don’t know if I want to drive this thing in the middle of the winter here, either.

KM: Do you find the technology viable, though, aside from the type of car it is? Suppose they could engineer a sedan or SUV like this. Would it be viable then?
CW: If they get the range higher and they’re supposed to. The sedan [Tesla is] coming out with is supposed to have a 300-mile range, which isn’t bad.

KM: Where can you charge these cars, though? Is it only in your own garage?
CW: I am investigating some sites. … Madison is going to put on some sort of EV sites. … But, as of yet, [charge locations are] very nil. Even in Chicago, I know that there are a few sites where you can go down and plug in. It’s coming. … There are actually groups out there that are trying to communicate that we need more EV plug-ins.