Tesla Model S: The Second Tesla Joins the Fleet
Adding a Model S to the garage alongside the Model 3 and what it means to go fully electric
I picked up a Tesla Model S last week, and the fleet is now officially two deep. A midnight silver Model 3, which has been my daily driver for the past year, and now a deep blue metallic Model S Long Range. Two Teslas in the garage. Two charging cables. Zero gas stations.
My wife pointed out that we now own more Teslas than we have drivers in the household. She has a point. But hear me out.
Why a Model S After the Model 3
The Model 3 is the car that converted me. Before it, I was skeptical about EVs. Range anxiety, charging infrastructure, the idea of a car that needed to be plugged in like a phone. All of those concerns evaporated within the first week of ownership. The instant torque, the silence, the simplicity of the drivetrain, and the over-the-air updates that kept adding features to a car I already owned. By month three, driving a gas car felt archaic.
The Model S was always the aspirational Tesla, the flagship sedan that proved electric vehicles could be desirable, not just responsible. When a used 2018 Long Range became available at a price that made sense, I could not pass it up.
The differences between the 3 and the S are more than size. The Model S has a more refined ride. The air suspension absorbs road imperfections that the Model 3's fixed suspension transmits directly into the cabin. Highway driving in the S is noticeably quieter, and on long drives that difference compounds into significantly less fatigue.
The interior is different in philosophy. The Model 3 went minimalist to an extreme: one screen, no instrument cluster, almost no physical controls. The Model S has a more traditional layout with an instrument cluster behind the steering wheel and a vertically oriented 17-inch touchscreen in the center. After living with the Model 3's single-screen approach, I appreciate having speed and navigation information directly in my line of sight without glancing right.
Living with Two EVs
The practical reality of owning two EVs in 2019 comes down to charging infrastructure. I had a NEMA 14-50 outlet installed in the garage when I got the Model 3, and it handles overnight charging for both cars without issue. The Model S charges at about 30 miles of range per hour on that outlet, and the Model 3 is similar. Since neither car drives more than 80 miles on an average day, overnight charging easily replenishes what was used.
My electricity bill went up by about $50 per month when I added the Model 3. I expect a similar increase with the Model S. Compare that to the $200 per month I used to spend on premium gasoline for the BMW I sold, and the economics are not even close.
The Tesla Supercharger network has matured considerably since I first started paying attention to it. My commute and daily driving are covered entirely by home charging, but for road trips, there are now enough Supercharger stations along major routes that range anxiety is a non-issue. I did a round trip last month with one Supercharger stop in each direction, 20 minutes each. Not quite as fast as a gas station stop, but close enough that it did not feel like a sacrifice.
The Software Experience
Tesla's over-the-air update model continues to be the most underappreciated aspect of owning these cars. Both vehicles have received meaningful software updates since purchase. The Model 3 gained Sentry Mode (using the external cameras as a dashcam and security system), Dog Mode (maintaining cabin temperature when the car is parked with a pet inside), and improvements to Autopilot's lane-keeping and navigation.
The Model S, despite being a year older, receives the same updates. The car I bought is literally more capable today than when it left the factory. Name another car manufacturer that can say that.
The Tesla mobile app ties everything together. I can check the charge level of both cars, start climate control before I walk to the garage, and receive alerts if either car is unplugged when the battery is low. It sounds like a small thing, but the connected-car experience changes your relationship with the vehicle. The car is not an appliance you interact with only when you are sitting in it; it is a device in your ecosystem, like a phone or a laptop.
What I Miss
Honesty requires acknowledging what the Tesla experience lacks.
Build quality is inconsistent. The Model 3 had panel gaps that I would not have accepted on a Honda Civic, and while they were eventually corrected under warranty, the fact that they existed on a new car was disappointing. The Model S, being a used purchase, had already been through its early-ownership issues, and the build quality is solid.
The service experience is frustrating. Tesla's service centers are overburdened. Scheduling a service appointment takes weeks, and mobile service, while a great concept, is not always available for the repair you need. Traditional dealerships have their own problems, but appointment availability is rarely one of them.
Interior materials in both cars are functional but not luxurious. The Model S costs as much as a Mercedes E-Class or BMW 5 Series, and the interior does not compete with either in terms of material quality. Tesla's strength is the technology and the drivetrain, not the leather and trim.
And CarPlay is not available. Tesla insists on its own infotainment system, which is good but not as polished as CarPlay for music and messaging. This is a deliberate choice by Tesla, and I understand the business reasoning, but as a user, I would prefer the option.
The Bigger Picture
Going fully electric was not a gradual transition. It was a switch. Once you drive electric, internal combustion feels like using a flip phone after owning a smartphone. The experience gap is that large.
The two-car Tesla household has a side effect I did not anticipate: it normalizes EVs for everyone who visits. Friends, family, neighbors, they all want to ride in one. They ask about range, charging, cost, and maintenance. And when they realize that the answers are "300 miles," "at home overnight," "cheaper than gas," and "almost none," the conversation shifts from curiosity to serious consideration.
I am not an evangelist by nature. I do not proselytize about my technology choices. But I have directly influenced at least three people in my circle to buy EVs this year, simply by letting them drive mine. The product sells itself.
Two Teslas might be excessive. But every time I silently accelerate onto the highway in the Model S, windows up, no engine noise, just the hum of electric motors and the faint whistle of wind, I am reminded that excess and joy are sometimes the same thing.