'You Could Not Get Me To Do That Every Three Days': Man Buys New Tesla. A Year Later, These Are Three Things He Wishes He Knew

A one-year Tesla owner says that there are three things he wishes he knew about his Model 3 prior to purchasing it.

Joey Zabaglo (@joeyzabaglo) posted a TikTok delineating a trio of talking points focused on charging, range, and insurance costs. He begins his video speaking into the camera while seated in his EV.

“These are three things I wish I knew about my car," he says. "It’s been about a year since I acquired my Tesla. Back when I was looking at getting the vehicle, I was looking through everything online to see what could go wrong."

Tesla Home Charging

“I have the Long Range Model 3," he said. "I had the home charger installed by an electrician.”

According to Zabaglo, if you don’t have the capacity to charge your EV at home with a Level 2 charger, he strongly advises against purchasing an EV.

“If you for whatever reason, can’t do that, I do not recommend this car," he said. "No, do not get this car. Supercharging already when you’re on a road trip cause you have to wait 15, 25, 30 minutes between each stop. However, you could not get me to do that every three days.”

Tesla is known for having one of the most expansive fast-charging networks on Earth, and by far the easiest to use. It's a seamless experience where drivers plug in their cars and do little else. There are so many Tesla Superchargers out there that more and more automakers are joining the network as well, allowing their EVs to access it with an adapter or a native Tesla-style plug. 

However, even those can be a real pain sometimes. In areas with higher concentrations of Tesla owners, drivers have found themselves waiting up to 90 minutes just to juice up. That, coupled with congestion pricing at peak hours, could mean that your shiny EV will cost more to power than filling up with gas.

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Of course, there are numerous factors that play into the cost of recharging your EV’s battery. Supercharging at off-peak hours could help you save money in the long run. Moreover, using a combination of Level 2, or even Level 1 wall charging if your vehicle’s going to be idle for a long time, can also help mitigate expenditures, too. Depending on your driving habits and home energy costs, and the cost of third-party charging in your area, these prices can fluctuate.

Additionally, Zabaglo states that the quoted range estimate for his Model 3 vastly differed from real-world driving. In fact, he says that the actual range estimate is about 75% of that advertised figure. “Now, and I don’t care what Tesla says, that this vehicle is gonna go 300 mile[s]...I don’t care. That is not true. Whatever number they give you and tell you that this is the range of the vehicle, take 25% off of that number immediately," he says. He may want to check his own driving style here too. 

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What To Know About Tesla Insurance

The second thing the TikToker says he wishes he knew prior to buying his Tesla was the low cost of Tesla’s Insurance plan.

“I wish I knew the insurance was gonna be so cheap," he said. "I was so scared because I could not afford the regular insurance. Because of my age, I was quoted at about $1,000 a month. For just regular, like, Progressive insurance. I don’t even know why you would drive at that point. And so my only option was Tesla Insurance.”

At first, he was leery of signing up for the automaker’s branded insurance policy due to how it scans driver behaviors. He believed that he’d get marks against his driving style that would ultimately ascertain he was a high-risk client. Thus, increasing his monthly coverage costs. However, Zabaglo goes on to state that this wasn’t the case.

“I was so scared because if you don’t know, Tesla insurance basically tracks the vehicle and how you drive. So if you turn too quickly, if you’re braking too hard, that all affects your safety score. And then your safety score is used to determine the amount per month you’re paying,” he states.

The TikToker continued, “I was so scared and I almost didn’t get the car because of that. But if I knew, I pay like $130 dollars a month for insurance. It does fluctuate between $5-$10 per month. But my insurance is cheaper than if I just got a gas car.”

He does state that he has yet to file a claim on his insurance plan. Consequently, he worries that perhaps the EV manufacturer might not be so generous when it comes to vehicle payouts. “Now, the one thing I’m still nervous about is [that] I have not yet filed a claim with Tesla insurance. So I am hoping…they pay out and don’t just say no, but we’ll see.”

A Tesla Is Like ‘A Driving iPhone’

Zabaglo also expressed how happy he was with the number of service appointments he needed to maintain his Tesla. That’s because they were effectively zero in the year that he’s owned it.

“I have not done a single lick of maintenance since I’ve gotten this car. That actually is a lie. I did put windshield wiper fluid in the front. But with my old car just the constant oil changes, stupid engine and transmission stuff. This car literally acts like a phone. Like it is a driving iPhone,” the TikToker said.

While it’s true that Teslas and other EVs don’t require oil and transmission fluid changes, there are other expenditures to consider. Due to the increased weight of electric vehicles because of their large lithium-ion battery packs, tires tend to wear more quickly. This Tesla driver posted on the Tesla Motors Club forum that they were shocked to see how much of their tires’ tread was worn down after just 18,600 miles of driving. EV Parts Online recommends that drivers of electric vehicles replace their tires every 20,000 to 40,000 miles. However, these estimates vary greatly and are contingent upon driving styles and conditions that the vehicle faces.

Model 3 owners have also been urged to proactively address possible front control arm replacements on their vehicles, as per Drive Tesla. InsideEVs has previously reported on this “chronic defect” with the Model 3. Tesla does state that it offers a 50,000-mile basic vehicle warranty on its vehicles that covers most parts, including control arms.

So if you own a Tesla and are coming up on the 50,000-mile mark, you may want to get your car assessed and have any parts that are known to go bad swapped out.

Commenters React

Numerous commenters had varying opinions in response to Zabaglo’s video. One person (sarcastically, maybe) opined that “going to charge is such a vibe!” However, many more seemed unaffected by constant Supercharging.

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Someone even questioned why Zabaglo wasn’t performing regular tire rotations on his vehicle. “No tire rotations?” they asked. Tesla service recommends that drivers rotate the tires on their cars every 6,250 miles.

InsideEVs has reached out to Zabaglo via TikTok comment for further information.

 

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