Five Things New & Prospective Tesla Owners Should Know
It’s only been a few weeks since I took delivery of my Tesla, and what a ride it’s already been—pun fully intended. When I first began this journey, I knew next to nothing about electric vehicles. I was stepping into unfamiliar territory, but I’ve been learning a great deal with each passing day. As I promised from the start, I’m documenting the highs, the surprises, and yes, the occasional head-scratchers along the way. If you’re a new Tesla owner—or you’re about to join the club—congratulations. It’s an exciting step into a bold, tech-forward future. But let’s be honest: there’s definitely a bit of a learning curve.
To help smooth that out, here are five key things every new or soon-to-be Tesla driver should know. These tips will help you avoid common mistakes, save time, and get the most enjoyment out of your Tesla experience right from day one.
1. Good Charging Habits
If you’ve never driven an EV before, you’ll quickly discover that charging your vehicle isn’t the same as gassing up at the pump—and it requires a bit of a mindset shift. With a gas-powered car, the goal is usually to fill the tank to the brim every time. But electric vehicles operate differently, and constantly charging to 100% isn’t just unnecessary—it can actually be counterproductive.
As I dove into research, I learned that the recommended sweet spot for battery health is to keep your charge between 20% and 80%. This range helps slow the natural degradation of the battery over time. Letting the battery drain too low or topping it off to 100% regularly—especially when you don’t need to—can reduce its long-term performance and lifespan. The best practice is to keep your Tesla plugged in when parked and set a daily charging limit, usually around 80%, unless you’re prepping for a longer road trip. When a full charge is necessary, like before a long drive, then sure—go ahead and juice it up to 100%. Just don’t make that the default. Managing your battery wisely is one of the easiest ways to ensure your EV stays healthy for the long haul.
2. Turn on Sentry Mode
If you’ve been following the news, you’ve probably noticed that Teslas have become frequent targets for vandalism and petty crime. Fortunately, the cars are equipped with built-in cameras that have already led to multiple arrests and convictions. That’s largely thanks to a feature called Sentry Mode, which uses Tesla’s external cameras to actively monitor the vehicle’s surroundings while it’s parked. If someone messes with your car, you’ll have video footage that can be shared with law enforcement—something that’s made a real difference in more than a few cases.
You can customize Sentry Mode to turn off automatically at places like your home or workplace to preserve battery life, but it’s crucial to leave it on whenever you’re parked in public. Just keep in mind: it doesn’t activate itself by default—you have to turn it on. I also recommend enabling dashcam mode, which continuously records footage from the cameras as you travel, and saves incidents automatically or by request. It’s an extra layer of security that could prove invaluable if you’re ever involved in an accident or need to prove what happened on the road.
Speaking of Sentry Mode, the USB drive that comes with your car may not be enough. I recommend a 1 TB SSD to ensure you have ample storage for your dashcam and Sentry Mode videos.
3. Don’t Buy Full Self-Driving
Full Self-Driving (FSD) is an impressive piece of technology—and it keeps getting better with every update. That said, it’s a steep $8,000 upfront, and despite the name, it still requires your full attention behind the wheel. For most drivers, the standard Autopilot that comes free with every Tesla is more than enough. It handles highway driving with ease and covers the bulk of what you’ll need on a day-to-day basis.
The good news? Every new Tesla comes with a free one-month trial of FSD, and if you use my referral link when you buy your car, you’ll get an additional three months free. That gives you a solid trial period to see how much you’ll actually use it and whether it’s worth the investment. When the trial ends, you can either go all-in and buy it outright, or opt for the $99/month subscription. For most people, the monthly plan is the smarter route—it gives you the flexibility to use FSD only when you really need it, without locking yourself into a huge upfront cost.
4. Save Time At the Superchargers
I don’t put a ton of miles on my Tesla day to day, but I do make occasional trips to Boston—and here’s a tip that can save you serious time when charging on the road. When you’re planning a long trip, let your Tesla map out the route with Superchargers included. It’s not just about ensuring you don’t run out of juice; there’s a hidden advantage that most new owners don’t realize.
When you navigate directly to a Supercharger using Tesla’s built-in trip planner, the car automatically starts preconditioning the battery as you approach. That means it warms the battery to the optimal temperature for charging, so when you plug in, the process is significantly faster. But if you just drive to a charger without using navigation, the car won’t precondition—and you could be stuck waiting longer for your battery to juice up. It’s a small tweak that makes a big difference in overall travel time.
5. Home Charging
My new Model Y came with a mobile charger, which was a nice perk, but it was plugged into a standard 120-volt, 15-amp outdoor outlet—fine in a pinch, but painfully slow. I considered installing a 240-volt, 50-amp outlet (a NEMA 14-50), which would’ve significantly improved charging speeds with the mobile connector. But ultimately, I decided to invest in a Tesla Wall Connector to ensure I could reliably get faster charging when I needed it.
Tesla offers two chargers: one for charging Teslas and a universal charger that can charge any EV. Even though the only EV I have is a Tesla and I don’t anticipate owning two fully electric vehicles in the foreseeable future, I got the universal charger. Why? Because we might eventually get a plug-in hybrid, and I want to be able to charge it at home. Tesla’s chargers aren’t upgradeable—you’d have to replace the whole unit and go through the installation process again. It’s not cheap, but the difference in convenience is massive: 3 to 5 miles of range per hour on a regular outlet versus 30 to 45 miles with the home charger. Plus, with scheduled overnight charging, your car’s always ready to roll in the morning.
If you’re considering getting a Tesla yourself, stay tuned as I share those experiences here on my Substack. If you’re about to pull the trigger on one, be sure to use my referral link for a bonus with your purchase.
If you’re considering getting a Tesla yourself, be sure to let me know what kind of questions you have, and I’ll be sure to answer them in a future update to help you make your decision.