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Economies of scale might bring down the price of batteries (not as much as small electronics, I suspect), but that won't help charge times. Will charge times improve? Probably yes - but without a major technology change, only incrementally. Will there be a major technology change? Quite possibly, but its not a certainty.
It's a virtual certainty that there will be a major technology change. Twenty minutes is currently all it takes to charge a Tesla to a range of 180 miles. Unless you were on "empty" in your Model 3, that's basically "topping off the tank". Think of the small battery powered electronics you might have purchased 15 years ago. The instructions would have said to plug it in for at least 12 hours before using it the first time. I'm willing to bet that in 15 years, the dominant battery tech will be something that can store far more power in a smaller, lighter package than today's lithium batteries do. And it will be less expensive to manufacture, and faster to charge.

EV's themselves have fewer components than ICE cars, so inexpensive, powerful batteries will have a big effect on their prices.

..but seriously, the chargers at large service stations will need to be in the parking lot, not on the gas forecourt, and there will need to be a lot more of them than the current number of gas pumps (or the current 2 chargers, usually of different types, that you typically find in UK service areas) to support mass uptake of EVs. And then... currently the spaces with chargers are "for EVs only" - are you going to keep enforcing that when 10% of the spaces have chargers... 25%.... 50%...? Its not like there's a huge surplus of parking spaces.
So I'm guessing you haven't seen a Buc-ee's. Their parking lot is huge. And as demand for gasoline drops they'll be able to convert some of their gas pumps into more efficiently arranged covered charging stations.

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Musk's promise when he unveiled the Model 3 is that the base model would be as good a car as you could get for $35K, with 5-star safety ratings in every category. We'll have to wait and see how well he keeps that promise, but I wouldn't count on it being a $28K car that they just happen to be selling for $35K.
You can get a darn good car for $35K with twice the fuel range.
 
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Totally disagree. Yes, it's much faster to fill up a car with gas than recharge, no argument. But so what? The only time this matters is if you exceed the range and need to take a break from driving to recharge while on a long trip. Most people don't drive 200+ miles a day. For someone who does, sure, an EV makes no sense. But for everyone else, come home, plug it in, and it's good to go in a few hours. Having to stop once in a blue moon to recharge on a long journey isn't a big deal.

Range, not charge time, is the main reason EVs haven't caught on. Other than Tesla, range hasn't been adequate. 100ish miles is not enough. 200+ is plenty for the market to grow significantly at the right price point. Model 3 achieves that.
You can surely bet once Mercedes makes a 200+ Mile range electric car, I would be all over it. But right now the B-Class electric is only 75 miles or so. I am just not into Tesla, and I feel like I will be driving Mercedes for the rest of my life :). Mercedes feels more luxurious, but this is all in my opinion only of course.
 
I guess you could look back at how the demand for hybrids reacted when the government rebates for them ran out.

It's interesting, sales jumped in 2005 when the rebates started and then dropped 20% post 2010 when rebates ran out and a number of them are no longer made; the newer ones still qualify for rebates and sales rose again. I'd say sales and rebates are correlated.

Personally, if Tesla would bring out a fast 2 seat roadster with Italian styling and Porsche designed suspension so it was a real driver's car I'd be interested in that.
 
Any automobile effort from outside of the major automotive companies is worthy of skepticism.

Like Tesla?

The car won't suck, but it may not be a success, either.

Nobody knows. I wasn't talking about skepticism, I was talking about bashing it just because Apple.
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Still so angry?

No, amused by your hilariously repetitive posts :) . "bla ba bla but if apple does it bla bla"
 
Like Tesla?



Nobody knows. I wasn't talking about skepticism, I was talking about bashing it just because Apple.
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No, amused by your hilariously repetitive posts :) . "bla ba bla but if apple does it bla bla"

Repetitive? Take a look in the mirror.
 
I reserved one immediately after the unveiling.

I'm interested in what part 2 of the reveal is.
 
It takes me about 30 seconds to fill up my petrol car, so that's 150 times quicker than recharging a Tesla.

I can't see the general public buying electric cars for decades.
It takes me 10 seconds to fill up my Tesla. I plug it in when I get home. It's charged to 100% when I wake up. And I never have to look for a gas station. I never supercharge. I commute.
 
Alex Jones would blush at your eloquence

Alex Jones is an intelligence operative. He works for a private intelligence firm called Stratfor, which is based in Austin, Texas.
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Ha. The humour in this post is just laugh out loud. Thanks! :D

Please remain in your trance.
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Nah. You're just trolling. You have no point. Maybe your comment was meant to be funny, in which case you clearly failed your comedy class. Either you're nuts or lousy at sarcasm. Either way, adds nothing to the conversation.

Actually you are trolling me.
 
We are not "most countries" and not all states have front plates so why would I put a plate on it. Not to mention that there's not in an indent for it. :rolleyes:
The majority of them are going to California, and we do have a front plate law.

Sadly, our plates aren't big enough to cover that snout.
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You can surely bet once Mercedes makes a 200+ Mile range electric car, I would be all over it. But right now the B-Class electric is only 75 miles or so. I am just not into Tesla, and I feel like I will be driving Mercedes for the rest of my life :). Mercedes feels more luxurious, but this is all in my opinion only of course.
Nothing like slavish brand loyalty, it certainly has worked for Apple.

Clearly, that 75 mile range is a result of superior German technology & innovation.
 
They should make a front grill and blow air to front trunk? There is no big engine in front u know.
Not sure this is the car for you then at 600 miles a week the battery would be shot within a couple of years and replacements are very expensive. Think this is good for the average commuter, diesels and petrol will probably be the right solution for high milage drivers for the next few years.
 
I still prefer the Tesla 3 over the Mazda 3.
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Fun fact, Tesla's lead designer came from Mazda.
Are you just playing with me or this is a fact? :O
I tend to agree about being boring, but that's no longer a Mazda trait. The Mazda CX-5 & 9 are two of the better looking crossovers on the road today. VW/Audi/Porche have the best design imo. All lines. I grew up loving bmws but the I line is a complete abomination. Zoom zoom, baby!
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.
Completely agree, but at the same time it's the best design so far of an EV. The rest of available or announced EV's look horrible in comparison. It's kind of sad that a Mazda economy like design is the best looking EV out there.
I agree, people are drooling over this car because it says Tesla. Had this vehicle said Ford, GM or Toyota it would be ugly crap.
... 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.
You could stick a number plate on the front like most countries do.
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Considering it is an ex Mazda designer doing the design at Tesla these days, it is hardly surprising.
We are not "most countries" and not all states have front plates so why would I put a plate on it. Not to mention that there's not in an indent for it.
 
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I still prefer the Tesla 3 over the Mazda 3.

Yes, except for the (non) grill the Tesla's exterior is very nicely done; although a bit derivative. Then again, a 4 door sedan's design is somewhat dictated by its intended use so it's not surprising most look similar. I just can't fathom what tesla was thinking when they added that fake grill area.
 
Yes, except for the (non) grill the Tesla's exterior is very nicely done; although a bit derivative. Then again, a 4 door sedan's design is somewhat dictated by its intended use so it's not surprising most look similar. I just can't fathom what tesla was thinking when they added that fake grill area.
I guess the grill is a carryover from the days of old when the radiator needed a cut out to allow airflow over it. No radiator, no grill necessary anymore. Progress. Just think of it as the removal of the iMac's slot loading CD drive. Gone, but not forgotten.
 
I guess the grill is a carryover from the days of old when the radiator needed a cut out to allow airflow over it. No radiator, no grill necessary anymore. Progress. Just think of it as the removal of the iMac's slot loading CD drive. Gone, but not forgotten.

My issue with the design is why carry over the grill motif when you do not need it? It's not a liens plate mount which can simply be an add on item on the bottom facia for states that require a front plate. They could have made the front end better integrate with the rest of the styling cues rather than simply lop off the front section where the grill would be on an ICE vehicle. In addition to making the design better it would improve the aerodynamics as well.

Even Apple didn't leave a fake slot where the old CD drive was.
 
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My issue with the design is why carry over the grill motif when you do not need it? It's not a liens plate mount which can simply be an add on item on the bottom facia for states that require a front plate. They could have made the front end better integrate with the rest of the styling cues rather than simply lop off the front section where the grill would be on an ICE vehicle. In addition to making the design better it would improve the aerodynamics as well.

Even Apple didn't leave a fake slot where the old CD drive was.
It's possible the final production car might have some changes to the front end. The model X seemed to have some differences between the car at the unveiling and the car that is in production today. Watch this space!
 
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