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Tesla Unveils $35,000 Model 3 Electric Car, Shipping Late 2017
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Tin foil on the head to stop government from reading your thoughts was actually created by the government because it increases reception. /sSo you are the other shooter on the grassy knoll?
It's not as though infrastructure has to meet a specific threshold before Tesla even has a chance. I wouldn't have seriously considered Tesla two years ago, because a trip I make often would test the limits of its range. Now there are two supercharger stations on that route. My personal threshold has been reached. At least 200,000 other people feel the same.
The tipping point has likely passed. Tesla ownership and Tesla infrastructure will grow in parallel.
I remember when running low on gas on a lonely road in the middle of the night was a big deal. You couldn't just check GasBuddy to find the nearest station, and if you did find one, you had to sleep in your car until it opened in the morning. This lack of fuel availability is why ICE car adoption didn't really take off until the 1990s. Until then it was just a niche product.
Get rid of that nose for a start... looks a thousand times better, but I bet it has something to do with pedestrian safety with the raised snout.. I've mocked up the change - far prefer it!
Man, I'm so sick of managing batteries on tech devices that I can't imagine dealing with worrying about range and charging while driving a car. I hit the hotel room and set up a charging array, but only after selecting the appropriate adapter for whatever country I am visiting. In a Tesla, I'd be afraid to plug in my iPhone and iPad, as it would reduce my range by who knows how many miles! 
There is no way a full charge in 20 minutes doesn't affect battery life. Been working with LiPo's for years in a variety of applications, and charging sophistication is a big deal, requiring a smart charger and careful charging rates to keep the batteries happy.
Also talked to a Tesla rep in Boston who said that they tried a mid-distance slide-in, slide-out station halfway between LA and SFO. The entire battery tray can be changed out in less than ten minutes, similar to stopping for fuel. So far, the experimental station has not been successful, as people take their gas cars when making longer trips for obvious reason.
Mazda by the way, has done amazing work with regular gas engines, using high compression Sky Active technology that couples efficient engines and light vehicle weight, getting amazing milage with fantastic handling across their fleet.
There is no way a full charge in 20 minutes doesn't affect battery life. Been working with LiPo's for years in a variety of applications, and charging sophistication is a big deal, requiring a smart charger and careful charging rates to keep the batteries happy.
Also talked to a Tesla rep in Boston who said that they tried a mid-distance slide-in, slide-out station halfway between LA and SFO. The entire battery tray can be changed out in less than ten minutes, similar to stopping for fuel. So far, the experimental station has not been successful, as people take their gas cars when making longer trips for obvious reason.
Mazda by the way, has done amazing work with regular gas engines, using high compression Sky Active technology that couples efficient engines and light vehicle weight, getting amazing milage with fantastic handling across their fleet.
This is utter nonsense. Tells make 25-27% profit on each Model S: http://cleantechnica.com/2015/08/11/why-reuters-article-on-tesla-is-so-stupid-or-simply-evil/
My electricity is 100% from renewables, as are Superchargers. The grid is in a continual process of improving.
The Model S interior is actually really nice to live with, it's very open and spacious and you grow to really appreciate that. However, I agree with you that the quality of materials used are not as good as they should be, and this is an area in which I hope they improve. It's certainly not luxurious by any standards.
Not really a sound criteria for a car purchase, is it?
Exactly!
You get used to the touch-screen very quickly.
There's nothing quite like driving a Tesla - it's all about the drive-chain, the rest is fairly superfluous. No other car, regardless of price, offers this.
You don't go cross-country every day. When you do, it doesn't take so long to Supercharge. It's actually really nice to stop for a bit every couple of hours - have a pee, get a coffee, stretch your legs. It's a much better way to travel distances in a car.
As for hydrogen, it's a- incredibly inefficient and power-intensive to produce, b) very difficult to transport, c) very difficult to store, d) very dangerous to transfer. There's almost no existing infrastructure. Electricity, on the other hand, is fairly ubiquitous.
You mostly charge at home, not while driving around Toronto.
Get some cash in the bank and show the world how strong the demand is - all a run-up to a capital raise by Tesla for adding more production capability.
Never had troubles in two years driving Model S - and that's at faster speeds than in the US.
It requires a lot more vision and guts to successfully establish a new car manufacturer and build space rockets compared to computers and phones... Interestingly, Musk has very similar character traits in his work that Jobs displayed and I'm sure Steve would have really appreciated Elon's achievements.
Okay this was highly unexpected!
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I was personally planning to get a Merc by 2018, and that was gonna cost me 'bout 100k.
Gods am tempted by Tesla now, but am pretty sure there isn't a lot of infrastructure in place over here.
Even though I live in the richest part of the entire country, I fear it'll be limited to the cities, not that I venture out much by a car anyway, and if the current government indeed does grant tax incentives then am sold.
Seriously, Apple where you at with your Apple Car?
Ah the future is delightful!
I don't get it. If your budget is $100K, you don't need to wait for the 3, just get an S now. It's much more car - more battery, more room, more performance. Why wait?
I think Apple appears innovative, in part because they don't show us their every misstep. You probably can't hide an exploding rocket, but you don't have to tweet about it either. Did Steve Jobs even have a Twitter account? I don't know, he answered the occasional email and wrote down his Thoughts on Flash. But he always painstakingly cared for his public persona and that of Apple. He wanted to surprise people with his keynotes, he wanted to avoid the Osborn effect and he wanted to hide from the copycats in Redmond. No way he would have unveiled a product more than one year in advance. And I think that is smart. I already don't care about that car anymore. Can't keep myself excited until Late 2017.
Please support your assertions with actual citations and facts. My Model S battery has degraded a mere 2% in almost 3 years of use in the Arizona desert. Your misguided statements have no basis in fact. My car is rated 265 miles EPA and I achieve better than EPA range every single day in normal driving.
Please get your facts before saying things that are patently untrue.
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I purchased a Model S without ever having driven one. Best car I've ever owned.
Are you one of the owners that love it, but gave it a bad reliabilty rating?
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So this is Five?
Driver disctraction.
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One day when it will be a common car/interior setup and every driver will be staring at such display while driving there will be troubles.
There was a line at the dealer in my area yesterday. I had no idea why they were there when I drove by.
Because they can get away with it and it will generate a ton of cash. They've had 200,000+ reservations already. At $1000 each. Not bad for 24 hours work. I get what you're saying, though. Why not wait? Because at this point you probably won't see your vehicle until 2019.
Good lord, eat someplace different for a change. Or just top off and stretch your legs for 20 minutes. The Supercharger recharges the battery to around 70% in 30 minutes. A full charge takes longer. "Range anxiety" folks are just inventing problems. It's laughable.
Is an EV ideal for every single car owner on the planet? Of course not. Might you occasionally be inconvenienced on a long journey and have to chose your restaurant based on Supercharger location? Yes. Is it the end of the world and reason not to buy an EV? Only you can answer that for yourself, but if you answer yes, I'd say you're looney.
I wonder if this exact design came from say, Toyota or GM, would people still be drooling all over it or is it just because it's Tesla? To me it looks like a Mazda minus the front grille.
If was an Apple car people would be drooling all over it.
Eh, during the tech crunch test drive the guy showing off the car bragged about how there was no distracting light directly in front of the driver so I have my doubts.
Fair enough. But the only way progress happens is if the people who can afford, buy. If you don't have the cash to buy in at 35K, or you want to allocate your cash towards other priorities, that's fine. But plenty of people DO have the cash and want to buy - for whatever reasons.
At 35K, the Model 3 is infinitely more affordable than the S or X. If, as you say, 75% of the market can't afford a Model 3, I'd say less then 5% can afford an S or X. Having expanded the potential market to 25% from 5% is huge.
So enjoy your gas-powered vehicle and let others put their money into progress at a premium. And when it's affordable to you, maybe you'll jump in too.