Finally collected my Tesla Model S from the new Tesla Leeds service centre! Arriving quite early on a bank holiday Monday as there was very little traffic we sat outside patiently waiting for the store to open. After waiting 3 months since ordering the car what’s another 30 minutes?
The wait had certainly been interesting, spending a lot of my time on the Tesla Owners Group UK Facebook group (TOGUK) learning more about the car, the community and tips and tricks.
Another thing that happened was seeing the constant changes that Tesla do to their cars. Unlike normal manufacturers that usually only make changes once a year, Tesla are constantly making changes.
These changes can be mildly annoying once you’ve placed your order, but when you find out the car you ordered will now do 0-60mph in 4.2s instead of 5.2s it is a very pleasant surprise, especially when it’s at no extra cost.
Then they bundle some of the optional extras you’ve added such as Premium Sound and Sub-Zero Pack into the Premium Upgrades Pack and also reduced the base price of the car. You read about this on the TOGUK Facebook group and on TMC and you’re very annoyed that your car is now about 4 grand cheaper… then you find out they’ve applied a £4,800 discount to your order so it’s all good and gravy!
Eventually all this time fades away and you’re stood outside the service centre talking to Tris who will be doing your handover, patiently waiting for the store manager to arrive and unlock the doors.
Eventually a few minutes later you’re enjoying a cuppa and che
cking over all the documents before being taken in to the showroom and your lovely Tesla is awaiting you. As I’d been quite particular about the detailing done on my car, as I’m handing it over to Russell of Reflectology, it wasn’t covered for a grand reveal as they normally do.
My partner and I then proceed to check the car over inside and out for any issues using Will Fealey’s checklist and a few things my detailer mentioned. We picked up a few minor things but nothing that wouldn’t be rectified by Russell. Then Tris spent time walking us through the vast amount of options on that lovely big screen, how all the controls work and answering all our questions.
About 30 minutes later and I’m sat in the driver’s seat making some final adjustments before setting off back home in my brand new Tesla. Flick the drive mode to D, light press on the accelerator and I’m silently moving off down the road. Even though I took one out for a test drive 3 months ago this still feels weird and a little eerie.
Joining onto a slip-road I put my foot down a little to get up to motorway speed, but that noise of an engine revving up to it’s power-band is not there, just a silent thrust of power and I’m doing 70mph with ease.
Following my girlfriends car down the M1 motorway back home it’s a lovely cruising vehicle, so very relaxed and poised, I can certainly see how people clock up so many extra miles in a Tesla. After about 30 miles the Traffic Aware Cruise Control has calibrated and I flick it on. Now the car is keeping a very steady safe distance behind the vehicle in front and suddenly driving just become a million times better, this feature is going to make my commute immensely more pleasurable!
As I approach home I have come to a complete stop at a roundabout, I know on the other side is a dual carriageway, a 70mph limit, as I set off I slowly accelerate around and then boot it down the road.
OH MY GOD!
It’s at exactly this moment I understand what the “Tesla grin” is, that immense joy of accelerating at such a pace in near silence. I have a grin from ear to ear and worry for a second whether my face will ever go back to normal, this car is phenomenal, yes it cost a fortune, yes I will worry about parking it, but my lord is it fantastic to drive whether it’s cruising on a motorway or shooting off like a stealthy rocket.
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