2024 Tesla Model Y

It's a new way of thinking about automotive transportation but we took the plunge and in February 2024 we went to Liberty Lake, WA and picked up this Tesla Model Y.

Sarah had been looking into a replacement for our aging 1999 Suburban and after looking at Class B motor homes and a variety of standard SUVs, she decided on the Model Y. Not only would it meet the need but it was an adventure into a new way of doing things.

The car was ordered online and instead of having one built, one that met the specs was found in Utah. Before we placed the order, that one disappeared but another showed up in Liberty Lake, WA which is also our nearest service center. A hold was placed, a delvery appointment was made, and on Monday we headed over in the Suburban with Bart the Dog. The drive was fine even though we were between storms and with the time change we arrived about 3:30 in the afternoon. Instead of heading to our motel we went right to Tesla to ask about the chance of taking delivery that afternoon rather than 10am the next day. No, problem and after about 45 minutes during which some paperwork was done, we walked outside and saw our car.

The sales rep sat in the car with us and went through all the initial set up which gets the app on our phone connected to the car and then she went over some of the operational basics. After that, we were off to the motel, just a few miles away. I drove it and it was quite the experience. It's very quiet, powerful, and the regenerative braking was a new experience.

We got up early and wanted to head back to Billings but first we wanted to top off the charge. We went back to Tesla and used the SuperCharger there to bring the battery up to 90%. That didn't take long and we then hopped back on I-90 and headed to our first recharge stop in Superior, MT. I'd just told the navigation system to take me home and it plots a course and tells me where to stop for charges. In Superior it was about a 35-40 minute stop and that gave me a chance to take a break and to explore some of the many options on the view screen.

The next stops were shorter, about 15-minutes each, in Missoula, Butte, Big Timber, Belgrade, and finally in Laural where I waited a little longer to "top it up."

It's a real pleasure to drive and there is quite a bit to learn in order to take advanatage of all the features it has. It's going to be quite the adventure.


Charging in Missoula.

With a nice moon in the background

Color matches my motorcycle.

Click on an image to enlarge it.


Updated March 2024.

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