Tesla Unveils $35,000 Model 3 Electric Car, Shipping Late 2017

[zorinlynx]

Anyone know if they tweaked the interior at all? The one I saw last year looked completely, utterly lame and inspired absolutely no passion whatsoever. Just a tablet screen in the middle and nothing else.

I suspect they don't want this car to compete directly with the Model S. If people can get all the looks and most of the performance of the Model S for half the price, they won't sell any Model S cars!

 

[TechZeke]

Anyone know if they tweaked the interior at all? The one I saw last year looked completely, utterly lame and inspired absolutely no passion whatsoever. Just a tablet screen in the middle and nothing else.

I suspect they don't want this car to compete directly with the Model S. If people can get all the looks and most of the performance of the Model S for half the price, they won't sell any Model S cars!

I also hated the Model 3's interior at the reveal. Also, lets be frank. Most purchases will probably be in the $40,000+ range for to get the extra options. It will be interesting to see the standard equipment. Full size gasoline sedans are in this price range and most have have pretty nice base models.

 

[SteveW928]

Must be the Chrysler Pacifica. ... My dad already put 20,000 miles on his with zero problems. Your dad won't be disappointed.

Cool, thanks. I'll let him know.

I have nothing against electric vehicles,but there is no such transport that can replace a big 4WD Range Rover.

Yes, but there could be. Someone just has to make it.

Tesla really did that well, IMO. They started with a sport car that would get publicity and is typically more a low-production enthusiast vehicle anyway. And, it's always those aspects of a product line that sell the rest (something companies that get buried in the spreadsheets and pie-charts sometimes forget... well, hullo there Apple!).

I'm sure as EVs catch on, you'll start seeing them in all sorts of forms just like current car and truck lineups.

I suspect they don't want this car to compete directly with the Model S. If people can get all the looks and most of the performance of the Model S for half the price, they won't sell any Model S cars!

Maybe, though it's not really that close to Model S in performance.

 

[ateslik]

Great car,if you:
Can deal with the short range and long charging times
Has a ******** of money to spend on a car that only carry your arse from A to B
Or if you just want to go less than 400 kilometres in one day.
I know,it's a good car,but for some of us,it's completely useless.
My daily drive can go for 600 kilometres,then refuel in less than 10 minutes and go for another 600 kilometres,and I can also bring my hunting/fishing/camping gear,a couple of friends and two large dogs with me,and that with something that's less expensive than the tesla. Of course,as I use it for hunting and fishing,it has some terrain driving capability too.

215 mile range is fine for even long commute daily drivers. The car can supercharge to 80% in 30 minutes - not too bad - but most people will just plugin them in at home and it will charge to 100% while they sleep. No gas station visit or payment required.

This product isn't for hunter fishermen and all their dogs and gear and I think you know that. It's for daily commute workers who want an electric vehicle they can charge from home. The attractive styling, incredible acceleration, and $27,500 price tag after rebate are the value added propositions.

In short, you're not the target market.

 

[LordVic]

I would love one. Get that the range is small, but I don't drive far. work is down the block. Almost 100% of my driving is < 100km. (in fact, I've only got 41,000kms on a 2012 car).

I don't know if I'll be able to get a tesla, But my next car will most likely be electric

 

[theluggage]

This product isn't for hunter fishermen and all their dogs and gear and I think you know that.

Well, they do make the Tesla X which, as a SUV, arguably should be for those sorts of people. That has a longer range (350miles) but that's still a lot less than you'd get on a tank of gas and will have you planning your journey around charging stops. Plus of course, that's 350 miles estimated until you need to get towed to a charge point. That means, you start having to plan in 50+ mile safety margins and that range really starts to fall off...

With gas, if you have to go so far out into the sticks that you're more than 20 miles from a gas station, you have the option of sticking a jerry can in the back...

(Of course, we all know that SUV's are really for Mom to drop the kids off at soccer...)

It's for daily commute workers who want an electric vehicle they can charge from home.

...that's where the Model 3 is important because it is more credible as a "daily commute" car in size and price.

Trouble is, people were making the same arguments about the Model S, which was a huge, luxury sedan - in my book, that's the sort of money you pay when you're regularly heading off to meetings up and down the country, or off to the holiday home on the coast every weekend, and basically need an armchair on wheels. I don't buy "spend $70k on a car but then have to rent another one for long trips - or maybe just use the luxury sedan for your daily commute and keep the Mini for long trips..."

I suspect there's a US vs Europe difference here - maybe a lot of US folk never need to drive further than the local airport. Certainly in the UK there's an assumption that anything short of Land's End to John O'Groats is a day trip, and there are people in the Tesla S income bracket happy to drive from England to the South of France...

If the 215 mile range is close to realistic (say, you could plan on doing 180miles between stops without risking a tow) then I for one could live with it - currently (Model 3 ain't in the shops yet) you don't get that sort of range in a sub-$70k EV.

I think there are plenty of people for whom the Model 3 would be a good fit... its when you get onto the "gas is doomed - why doesn't everybody get an EV?" ideal that the problems start crawling out of the woodwork: particularly the huge number of people without garages or private driveways for overnight charging. (Good luck, France!)

 

[SteveW928]

The attractive styling, incredible acceleration, and $27,500 price tag after rebate are the value added propositions.

I'm not sure I'd exactly say 'incredible acceleration'... it isn't an S. But, it's certainly good acceleration considering it's class. But, yes, that price puts it in the range of many average car buyers as a potential choice. We paid more than that for our Jetta TDI (which was recently bought-back by VW).

I'd probably have picked the Tesla (at the time) had it been available. However, it wouldn't be a great car for where we live now, as I couldn't even get home from the dealer without a multi-day trip and having to make special arrangements. I'm clearly not in the current target market.

Well, they do make the Tesla X which, as a SUV, arguably should be for those sorts of people.
...
(Of course, we all know that SUV's are really for Mom to drop the kids off at soccer...)

I think the line has blurred on what an SUV is across the board, but yea, it seems like the Model X is just a big Model S. But, that's perfect for hauling the family around. It's not going to replace a 4Runner or something like that.

Trouble is, people were making the same arguments about the Model S, which was a huge, luxury sedan - in my book, that's the sort of money you pay when you're regularly heading off to meetings up and down the country, or off to the holiday home on the coast every weekend, and basically need an armchair on wheels. I don't buy "spend $70k on a car but then have to rent another one for long trips - or maybe just use the luxury sedan for your daily commute and keep the Mini for long trips..."

I think it depends on who in the USA. In the super-urban areas, I suppose there are people who never leave the city. But, I think most people - outside that demographic, which is huge, btw - have reasonable commutes but also want the same vehicle to be able to go further on weekends or special trips. You're right, in that they aren't in a mindset of having to rent a vehicle for that trip, even if it's only once or twice per year (though I suspect trips longer than 250 miles might happen much more often than the few long 'holiday' trips).

Here in northern British Columbia, long trips (aside from maybe a local job that doesn't require travel) are the norm. And, it's through remote country where there is no cell coverage and no super-chargers (or possibly even EV friendly charging places). Again, not the target market at all.

The technology that seems a stop-gap to me though, is an EV-drive system like Tesla, with a small gas/diesel charging engine. That fixes many of the problems of the Tesla, but does up the complexity a ton. I'm not sure that hasn't been explored more, instead of the opposite type hybrid (i.e. gas drive with battery assist). It seems the opposite would be far superior in many ways.

 

[prowlmedia]

I have nothing against electric vehicles,but there is no such transport that can replace a big 4WD Range Rover.

Agree. I think the thing is to get *most* cars electric... There will always be a need for some petrol / Diesel cars. But a lot of people only travel tiny distances daily. I am one of them definitely.

Personally I think we need to save Fuel for Aircraft. Doubt they could go electric anytime soon.

 

[theluggage]

That fixes many of the problems of the Tesla, but does up the complexity a ton. I'm not sure that hasn't been explored more, instead of the opposite type hybrid (i.e. gas drive with battery assist).

There's the BMW i3 that offers exactly that as a "range extender" option - but its very much a safety blanket to get you to the next gas station. If you skim through the Wikipedia article you'll see that originally it had to be gimped so that its gas range was less than its pure electric range to qualify as a "zero emission vehicle" in California. They also say that users aren't actually using the range extender much - probably because it still only gives about a 150 mile total range (the last 80 miles at "reduced performance") in a small city car that you probably wouldn't want to use for long trips anyway.

 

[SteveW928]

There's the BMW i3 that offers exactly that as a "range extender" option - but its very much a safety blanket to get you to the next gas station. If you skim through the Wikipedia article you'll see that originally it had to be gimped so that its gas range was less than its pure electric range to qualify as a "zero emission vehicle" in California. They also say that users aren't actually using the range extender much - probably because it still only gives about a 150 mile total range (the last 80 miles at "reduced performance") in a small city car that you probably wouldn't want to use for long trips anyway.

Yea, I'd expect unlimited range (w/ fuel-up stops) if it's going to have a gas/diesel engine anyway. And, by 'reduced performance' maybe meaning no 3 second 0-6 runs or something like that, but it should be able to drive reasonably in traffic and on the highway.

 

[diamond.g]

So has anyone here gotten one or has been invited to configure yet?

 

[blacktape242]

I said screw it and bought an S 100D

They are still having problems with production, I was at the factory a month ago and there is little to no production of them, I saw a few bodies there but its mainly s' and x's on the line.

 

[Tummy]

So has anyone here gotten one or has been invited to configure yet?

We ordered earlier this week, delivery in 4 weeks. A few people on the Atlanta Tesla Facebook group said they got their VINs in 3 days. Delivery in probably 1 more week. I guess it depends when your color is produced. All the ones confirmed quickly were blue.

 

[Dmunjal]

So has anyone here gotten one or has been invited to configure yet?

Got mine last week. Silver.

 

[Dmunjal]

I said screw it and bought an S 100D

They are still having problems with production, I was at the factory a month ago and there is little to no production of them, I saw a few bodies there but its mainly s' and x's on the line.

Lots changed in a month. They're building 1000 a week now.

 

[jav6454]

Got mine last week. Silver.

Thoghts on it?

 

[Dmunjal]

Thoghts on it?

Compared to the S, it's much more tossable and handles better. It is missing some touches but it also has some things the S doesn't. Like seatback pockets door storage.

The efficiency is amazing. 300 miles easy when commuting.

 

[jav6454]

Compared to the S, it's much more tossable and handles better. It is missing some touches but it also has some things the S doesn't. Like seatback pockets door storage.

The efficiency is amazing. 300 miles easy when commuting.

How do you recharge the car? Using the Standard 110V outlet or using a 220 volt outlet? I've been thinking on getting one.

 

[Julien]

How do you recharge the car? Using the Standard 110V outlet or using a 220 volt outlet? I've been thinking on getting one.

You can charge any EV on either (with charger cable). However a 110V outlet will only get you about 3-4MPH charge rate.

 

[Dmunjal]

How do you recharge the car? Using the Standard 110V outlet or using a 220 volt outlet? I've been thinking on getting one.

40 amp 240 volt

 

[jav6454]

You can charge any EV on either (with charger cable). However a 110V outlet will only get you about 3-4MPH charge rate.

Yup, still trying to make sense which installation to add to my garage.

40 amp 240 volt

Thanks! Makes sense and was the direction I was leaning on.

 

[Julien]

....Thanks! Makes sense and was the direction I was leaning on.

40amp will give you about 30MPH.

 

[Dmunjal]

40amp will give you about 30MPH.

I used an existing 30 amp electric dryer outlet for a while too.

 

[jav6454]

40amp will give you about 30MPH.

Much more than what I expect I'll need. My current commute is around 30 miles (back and forth). That means I don't need to have 40 Amps and would most likely benefit from a 30 Amp 220V.