2015 was a challenging year for me in many ways but here i’ll just focus on my Tesla and solar experiences.

I crossed my first 12 months and 50,000 miles of ownership with the Model S, went through my first winter and had a lot of learning experiences including a drive unit replacement. My solar install was completed in early 2015 and there was also a lot of learning as that system came online.

Along the way I also put down a deposit on a Model X and started the long wait again.

Tesla Ownership

In early 2015 I confirmed that the rear-wheel drive (RWD) Model S does great in the snow with proper winter tires. There can be a bit of learning with the car as it can behave differently in the colder weather, but it is all quite manageable.

The annual service was a non-event and, despite a few issues like a bad ball joint and a drive unit replacement, i’ve skipped signing up for the extended warranty.

During the year I added a few extras to my Model S including a Dual Channel dash cam, and a center console which added to the overall experience.

I continue to love my Model S and have no regrets in getting it. I would definitely buy another Tesla again and have placed a deposit on the Model X but i’m not sure yet what i’m going to do.

Solar Experiences

My SolarCity system came online in early 2015 and started generating power to fuel my Tesla and other needs. As the system ran throughout the year I wrote about monitoring the system and started tracking the daily power generation. Overall i’ve been very happy with the system although it took a lot more time to get it up and running and stable than I originally expected.

 

Community

My site expanded from a starter WordPress site to a custom domain at teslaliving.net. There i’ve expanded from my blog posts to pages with  recommended accessories for your Tesla, pages tracking Tesla Firmware Releases, Tesla SuperCharger installs, and a page for my SolarCity power generation.

My twitter followers grew from just over 1,000 followers in 2015 to almost 5,000 followers in 2015 with a number of great people that have similar interests around Tesla, Solar, and Elon Musk.

A combination of the blog posts, automated tweets, and manual tweets drove my tweet count from 1,500 to 5,400 and I hope the tweets remain useful and interesting for my followers.

I remain a huge Tesla, Model S and SolarCity fan, but nothing is perfect and I don’t believe it does any company any good to praise them without providing some constructive feedback on how they can get even better.

By the end of the year i’m actively watching Bonnie’s Model X Signature #2 delivery experience and looking forward to configuring and ordering my own (maybe).

Engaging with the Tesla community continues to be an amazing experience. As I expanded into the larger communities of  other Electric Vehicle (EV) owners and people interested in solar power it has been great to see other communities that are strong and active beyond Tesla yet have shared interests.

The Future is Bright

I’m looking forward to continuing to measure and report on my longer term experiences with the Model S as well as on my adventure with the Model X wherever that may lead me.

Tesla continued to make amazing improvements to the Model S in 2015 with the 7.0 release unleashing the power of autopilot and significant user interface improvements. Tesla’s growth of the Supercharger network with over 575 Superchargers worldwide now has been impressive to watch and as a Model S owner and $TSLA investor I think the company continues to have a lot of potential.

With the Model X finally starting to arrive in late 2015 and full scale deliveries beginning in 2016 I expect that 2016 will be the year of the Model X with us looking back at 2015 as a necessary growth phase for Tesla to transition from a single product company into a multiple product company (and don’t forget the Powerwall).

I wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you for following along in my adventures.