There are definitely some pros and cons of being an electric vehicle owner in Tampa Bay. While Florida is way behind other states in offering incentives to go electric, EV life here is pretty decent. We don’t get extreme cold. There are plenty of places to charge. And we have our own Tesla facilities to buy one or get it serviced. But do you really save money? How much does your electric bill go up? How long will the car last? All those questions I’ll do my best to answer here.
I’m now 2 months in as a Tesla owner. The honeymoon phase is over. I don’t park a mile away anymore when I go to Publix to avoid getting my car door hit. I don’t handwash the car every 3 days like I did those first few weeks. And I no longer get on 3 hour long YouTube binge watching sessions to learn about every hidden feature or reviews of those “must-have” Tesla accessories on Amazon.
So… do I have any regrets about going electric? Zero. And chances are if you know someone who has an EV, they wouldn’t give it up to go back to gas. The people you usually hear complaining about Teslas… don’t drive Teslas. They’ve just seen the overdramatic TV news stories or heard someone with a political agenda complain about them. Those who spend time in one usually want one.
I did NOT think I was a candidate to be an electric vehicle guy. I always thought they were too expensive. Plus I can’t charge one at home. So how did I end up behind the wheel of a Tesla?
While visiting Las Vegas for a concert festival in October, my buddy from California rented a Tesla Model Y. We didn’t do much driving. Most of the trip was spent crowd surfing and moshing. A definite mistake for someone my age. But when we were in the Tesla, I couldn’t stop marveling at the cool features. The 3 second zero to 60 thing on the Las Vegas strip was a rush. But the automatic driving and other techy toys and tricks were what sold me. When my friend showed me how to make the car fart, that was it. I knew I was getting one as soon as I got back to Tampa. And I did.
I was able to get a base Tesla Model 3 for under $40,000. Plus when you figure in the 2023 government tax credit of $7,500, I basically got the car for $32,500. I always thought Teslas ran closer to 6 figures. But $32,500 seemed pretty close to what I’d pay for an old-fashioned gas car. So I went for it. Here are the 3 big pluses and minuses so far.
CON #3: Charging in the Future
Here’s the one downside I can see coming as electric vehicles become the norm. Although there are plenty of spots me to charge right now, yesterday I encountered my first wait to charge. The Wawa in Pinellas Park had every charging stall in use when I pulled in. I have heard this is a thing in California, but here in Florida, I’d never had to wait to charge until now.
As Teslas and other EVs become more affordable, hopefully Florida will be able to keep up by adding more charging stations. Most who have an all-electric car probably charge at home. But for those of us who don’t, availability of those public charging spots is crucial.
