$35,000 Tesla Model III Is Coming In 2017

[Aikouka]

Tesla cuts Model Y price and cancels standard range version

The Model Y moves indicate demand for Tesla's electric vehicles is flagging in the U.S., said Vicki Bryan, CEO of investment research firm Bond Angle.

www.cnbc.com

• Tesla cut the price of its Model Y crossover by $3,000, less than four months after beginning delivery, and canceled a lower-priced standard-range version.

They really needed this to help bridge the gap between the Model 3 and Model Y. I think when I looked at it last, you could pretty much get a Performance Model 3 for the cost of an AWD Model Y.

 

[Aikouka]

So, one interesting thing that I learned a little bit ago is that you can actually request an upgrade from HW2.5 to HW3 via a service appointment scheduled in the Tesla app. So, if you're in an older Model 3 that still has HW2.5 and you have the FSD package, you can get your upgrade.

One interesting bit of international news is that a German court has declared Tesla's wiper system to be illegal. I've been fairly vocal about how much I dislike the wiper system in the Model 3 (and now Model Y) and that I consider its implementation "functional but unnecessarily dangerous". So, I'd love if this could result in a worldwide change in Tesla's design for this aspect of the lower-end Tesla vehicles, but honestly... I doubt we'll see a change outside of Germany.

 

[Viper GTS]

So, one interesting thing that I learned a little bit ago is that you can actually request an upgrade from HW2.5 to HW3 via a service appointment scheduled in the Tesla app. So, if you're in an older Model 3 that still has HW2.5 and you have the FSD package, you can get your upgrade.

One interesting bit of international news is that a German court has declared Tesla's wiper system to be illegal. I've been fairly vocal about how much I dislike the wiper system in the Model 3 (and now Model Y) and that I consider its implementation "functional but unnecessarily dangerous". So, I'd love if this could result in a worldwide change in Tesla's design for this aspect of the lower-end Tesla vehicles, but honestly... I doubt we'll see a change outside of Germany.

The wiper setup is a solid candidate for the worst thing about the car. I'm a firm believer in dedicated controls for stuff like that. Automation has made some of this less necessary eg headlights aren't really a pain point. They are on when you want them to be and I generally don't think about them except for re-enabling auto brights every now and then. The wipers though are an abomination. Had they simply used a normal rain sensor like every other manufacturer it would likely be fine - none of the other cars I have owned with auto wipers had a problem.

The 3 though, my God. Sometimes it works fine and I will think they have finally sorted it out. Sometimes it hyper scrubs a dry windshield. Sometimes it just ignores a massive sheet of water. The only thing that makes it manageable is that there is still a manual wipe button which both gets you a single wipe and maybe even more importantly brings up the UI for wiper control reducing the touch panel interaction required to fix errant behavior. Cameras and software are not the solution for every problem.

Absolutely spectacular car otherwise though. Even in Covid I'm going to do like 16k miles this year and would not buy anything else on the market save for Y.

Viper GTS

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I had Tesla Mobile Service come out yesterday to do some work on the car.

1. I lost an Aero wheel cover on the car. Don't know how or why it came off, but my front driver side was missing when I got home one night.
2. Underneath the car, a piece of the rear fabric had torn and was hanging under the car. That may have been damaged by the wheel cover coming off, but otherwise I don't know how that happened.
3. There was a creaking inside the dashboard.

Tesla guy was here about 3.5 hours, replaced the wheel cover, replaced the fabric, and spend a long time tearing apart the Dash and adding foam to various spots. Creak is gone, parts are replaced. All were judged as warranty replacement and there was no charge.

The experience continues to be great! While I still feel there are questionable design decisions, none of those things persist long after starting a drive in the car. I'd happily get another one.

 

[Aikouka]

Had they simply used a normal rain sensor like every other manufacturer it would likely be fine - none of the other cars I have owned with auto wipers had a problem.

My 2013 Ford also had automatic rain-sensing wipers, and I rarely found them truly adequate. The biggest problem is that they didn't seem to handle quick changes in intensity very well. So, when I would drive into a harsher part of a storm and the rain started coming down a lot more, the wipers wouldn't adjust. I'd guesstimate that about half the time I would adjust the wipers myself, but of course, that's not hard to do with a physical control on a steering column stalk.

Cameras and software are not the solution for every problem.

I think the biggest problem is that they try to adapt their existing technology for features that it wasn't intended for. It may seem smart, but you know what's smarter? Considering those features in the first place. For example, why did they have to add that awkward blind-spot indicator system in the car via the camera system instead of having one from the start? The car launched at a base price of $48,000, and not having a safety feature like that would be almost unheard of in that price range. (Even if you considered the "EV tax" making it more expensive, a 38k car would have it too.)

Another interesting example is Sentry Mode. It's a nice idea, but realistically, it's not very good for one reason: the video quality is terrible. I was watching some videos that I saved of driving thinking it would give me an interesting video, but it was just a blocky mess.

Another example is how they've added all of those multimedia options to the car as extras, but to be honest... the user interfaces are painfully slow. It's not that these additions are bad ideas, but they just feel painfully tacked on.

Absolutely spectacular car otherwise though. Even in Covid I'm going to do like 16k miles this year and would not buy anything else on the market save for Y.

It is definitely really fun to drive. There's not much like that acceleration.

3. There was a creaking inside the dashboard.

I'm tempted to get them to look at the driver's seat, which tends to creak quite a bit.

 

[Dulanic]

I had Tesla Mobile Service come out yesterday to do some work on the car.

1. I lost an Aero wheel cover on the car. Don't know how or why it came off, but my front driver side was missing when I got home one night.
2. Underneath the car, a piece of the rear fabric had torn and was hanging under the car. That may have been damaged by the wheel cover coming off, but otherwise I don't know how that happened.
3. There was a creaking inside the dashboard.

Tesla guy was here about 3.5 hours, replaced the wheel cover, replaced the fabric, and spend a long time tearing apart the Dash and adding foam to various spots. Creak is gone, parts are replaced. All were judged as warranty replacement and there was no charge.

The experience continues to be great! While I still feel there are questionable design decisions, none of those things persist long after starting a drive in the car. I'd happily get another one.

Usually the mobile techs are great. I've had nothing but good experience there.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Usually the mobile techs are great. I've had nothing but good experience there.

100% agreed. Aside from this visit I only had one other to install the Homelink Module and the winter wheel set just a couple weeks after I bought the car, and both these times the Mobile Techs were knowledgeable, extremely careful, and friendly on top of that. The Mobile Service Techs have been the most enjoyable "mechanic visits" I've ever experienced. Fast forward to our current COVID times, and being able to continue sitting in my office continuing working while my car is seen to is incredibly convenient.

 

[Aikouka]

I have a Jeda hub on infinite back order. They make nice products, but their quoted ship dates make Tesla look punctual.

I understand your pain here. I ordered my stuff over a month ago with the idea that it wouldn't take a while to ship given that their website indicated no delays. However, it was over two weeks after ordering when I inquired about the lack of shipment when they told me that there would be a 10-14 business day wait. Well, it has been over 10-14 business days, and I sent them another (cordial) email about a week ago with no response.

I'm not a huge fan of throwing about $200 at something for such a lackadaisical response. If they know there will be a wait, there should be a notice on their site and when ordering. Plus, any additional delays should be automatically provided to the customers waiting for their order.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Just looking them up shows many threads with the same general complaint. I don't get the impression they'll be around very long as they seem to lack basic communication skills as a company. Whether you're discussing getting products out on time or after purchase support.

 

[Aikouka]

Just looking them up shows many threads with the same general complaint. I don't get the impression they'll be around very long as they seem to lack basic communication skills as a company. Whether you're discussing getting products out on time or after purchase support.

Yeah, I might just look into cancelling my order. When I checked on Amazon before ordering the Jeda products, there really weren't any well rated equivalents. However, now it seems there's a decent one from TAPTES that pretty much does the same thing for a lower price (about 50% less). From what I've read, the same company used to sell a model that was more of a USB pass-through (i.e. only a few ports handled data).

 

[Aikouka]

As an update, a few weeks ago, I ended up receiving the latest USB hub and wireless charger from both Jeda and TAPTES. (The latest TAPTES hub is an actual hub unlike the old one.) Would anyone like me to do a comparison between the two and write something up?

 

[Kaido]

As an update, a few weeks ago, I ended up receiving the latest USB hub and wireless charger from both Jeda and TAPTES. (The latest TAPTES hub is an actual hub unlike the old one.) Would anyone like me to do a comparison between the two and write something up?

Yes please!

 

[ultimatebob]

So... is it just me, or does Elon's new idea of building batteries into the frame of the vehicle as structural support sound like a horrible idea for future model releases? This is probably going to make replacing them a pain in the ass when the cells eventually go bad.

 

[Kaido]

So... is it just me, or does Elon's new idea of building batteries into the frame of the vehicle as structural support sound like a horrible idea for future model releases? This is probably going to make replacing them a pain in the ass when the cells eventually go bad.

Pros & cons. Could probably get more capacity & definitely more rigidity. Current design is a battery sled on wheels. Downside is what happens if you get rear-ended? "Battery capacity now at 120 miles max" lol.

This is basically the approach that smartphone makers use now...the battery is just integrated into the design instead of easily removable. Cheaper to make, more seamless, nicer-looking, etc., but a pain in the neck to replace.

Sort of sounds like Teslas are going to become somewhat disposable. Plus with FSD coming as a subscription model....

 

[ultimatebob]

Pros & cons. Could probably get more capacity & definitely more rigidity. Current design is a battery sled on wheels. Downside is what happens if you get rear-ended? "Battery capacity now at 120 miles max" lol.

This is basically the approach that smartphone makers use now...the battery is just integrated into the design instead of easily removable. Cheaper to make, more seamless, nicer-looking, etc., but a pain in the neck to replace.

Sort of sounds like Teslas are going to become somewhat disposable. Plus with FSD coming as a subscription model....

Great... so my $50,000 Model 3 is going to be like a $2,000 Apple MacBook. If any part on it breaks or needs upgrading, "recycle" it and get a new one.

 

[drnickriviera]

So... is it just me, or does Elon's new idea of building batteries into the frame of the vehicle as structural support sound like a horrible idea for future model releases? This is probably going to make replacing them a pain in the ass when the cells eventually go bad.

Well if Tesla does make their million mile battery, i'd be ok with not being able to easily remove it. As someone who wants salvaged ev packs for home energy storage, it really sucks. No way i'm getting those cells out

 

[Midwayman]

Plus with FSD coming as a subscription model....

Ugg. If I'm paying a subscription I might as well be using SDCAAS. No point in tying up that capital and having to pay for parking and other infrastructure.

 

[ponyo]

Pros & cons. Could probably get more capacity & definitely more rigidity. Current design is a battery sled on wheels. Downside is what happens if you get rear-ended? "Battery capacity now at 120 miles max" lol.

This is basically the approach that smartphone makers use now...the battery is just integrated into the design instead of easily removable. Cheaper to make, more seamless, nicer-looking, etc., but a pain in the neck to replace.

Sort of sounds like Teslas are going to become somewhat disposable. Plus with FSD coming as a subscription model....

FSD should theoretically reduce the number of accidents. But it does seem like any accident repair cost will go way up with the single cast frame Tesla is developing and using along with this integrated battery into the frame.

 

[Kaido]

FSD should theoretically reduce the number of accidents. But it does seem like any accident repair cost will go way up with the single cast frame Tesla is developing and using along with this integrated battery into the frame.

The realistic view on Tesla, based on my experience IRL:

1. It is nearly impossible to get a human being on the phone. VERY frustrating when you have an actual problem you need help with.
2. If you get in an accident & need body repair, you're typically in for a very long wait. Also, it will be incredibly expensive.
3. If anything breaks, you typically have to have it towed to the nearest repair facility. My buddy ran an update & it bricked his car (basically BSOD). It was EXTREMELY difficult to relocate in his driveway & the repair center was so backed up that it took them weeks to get it back to him. A flatbed had to pick his car up & they eventually gave him an ICE rental (irony).
4. If you get a flat tire, it's not an easy (or cheap) fix. Maybe you can get a Ranger to swing by, maybe you have to get towed. Either way, you're stuck on the side of the highway until you can get help. Ridiculous.
5. Service requires scheduling a visiting technician or driving to the nearest available repair facility. It's not like going to Jiffy Lube or Pep Boys or a local dealership & getting back on the road.

I rely heavily on my vehicle for work, so these are some very scary things to me because I rent (no garage), I have an assigned parking space, and I don't have a spare car available. Most of the time, you'd be OK with a Tesla, but if any one thing goes wrong, it has the potential to go from a minor hassle to get it fixed locally in an expedited manner to, well, a project. The guy who towed my buddy's BSOD car said he tows Teslas almost exclusively because of how often they break. I asked him what the biggest issue was & he said usually the screen goes blank (wiring harness iirc) & goofs up functionality of the car because you can't access most of the features via the giant touchscreen.

In general, most of the time, there will be no issues, but when you do encounter a problem, it has the risk of becoming a bit of a time & effort project. I live 10 minutes away from a Ford dealership; I had transmission issues recently & was able to drop off the car, pick up a loaner, and be on my way within an hour. I'd really like to pick up a Y, and eventually trade that in for a Cybertruck (hopefully with a million-mile battery!), but being totally dependent on the five Achille's heels listed above of their current support structure, as it exists today, is worrisome to me. If I can get my ICE paid off in the next couple of years, then I can just keep that payment going into a Y (which will hopefully have the new battery tech by then), and that way I would have a "backup" vehicle in the (hopefully rare) event of a major EV issue.

Although man, those Y deliveries have a lot of goof-ups! The prevailing attitude is "Delivery 2.0"...car gets in, review it against a checklist, return it to get fixed, THEN take home delivery of it...paint issues, panel alignment issues, rattles, water leaks, etc. Already got burned on a first-gen car (my Jeep) & don't want to go through that experience again lol.

 

[jlee]

5. Service requires scheduling a visiting technician or driving to the nearest available repair facility. It's not like going to Jiffy Lube or Pep Boys or a local dealership & getting back on the road.

What Jiffy-Lube or Pep Boys service does a Tesla require in the first place though? Cabin air filter replacement every two years?

 

[JEDI]

teslas doesnt come with a spare tire?

 

[rstrohkirch]

teslas doesnt come with a spare tire?

Nope. But various vehicles don't have spares nowadays. They all give you the patch/slime/inflation tools. Some of them also spec run flats if they don't give you a spare.

 

[Aikouka]

2. If you get in an accident & need body repair, you're typically in for a very long wait. Also, it will be incredibly expensive.

This can be even worse depending on your location. I have a little bit of damage that I'd like to get repaired on my left quarter panel, and I have to drive around two hours to get to the nearest recommended body shop to fix it. What's even more awkward is that my friend got his Model X fixed up there, and he asked them about what it would take to fix my issue. The part that really turned me off is that I just wanted to pay for it myself, but the shop said that it would cost me more simply because they give better prices to the insurance agencies. When did body shops start acting like hospitals?

4. If you get a flat tire, it's not an easy (or cheap) fix. Maybe you can get a Ranger to swing by, maybe you have to get towed. Either way, you're stuck on the side of the highway until you can get help. Ridiculous.

My Model 3 only has ~19.5k miles, and when I was having the HW3.0 installed, the Tesla Mobile Service tech stated that I need to get my tires replaced due to wear. I did some searching, and apparently, I'm not alone in Model 3 owners seeing excessive wear on their Michelin 18" OEM tires. Although, some users were able to get a significant discount (50%) on replacement tires as long as they used Michelin tires. I'm actually tempted to go with a completely different tire as I haven't been very fond of the traction rating of the OEM tire. I'd like to try the CrossClimate+ tire, which seems to be a good option for those wanting a good all season tire in a more winter-y area. I want it because it's well rated for wet and dry conditions, and has a better tread wear rating. I stumbled across this compilation of tires for the Model 3, which might help others. Although, I did hear that the CrossClimate+ may reduce range a little bit.

 

[Kaido]

This can be even worse depending on your location. I have a little bit of damage that I'd like to get repaired on my left quarter panel, and I have to drive around two hours to get to the nearest recommended body shop to fix it. What's even more awkward is that my friend got his Model X fixed up there, and he asked them about what it would take to fix my issue. The part that really turned me off is that I just wanted to pay for it myself, but the shop said that it would cost me more simply because they give better prices to the insurance agencies. When did body shops start acting like hospitals?



My Model 3 only has ~19.5k miles, and when I was having the HW3.0 installed, the Tesla Mobile Service tech stated that I need to get my tires replaced due to wear. I did some searching, and apparently, I'm not alone in Model 3 owners seeing excessive wear on their Michelin 18" OEM tires. Although, some users were able to get a significant discount (50%) on replacement tires as long as they used Michelin tires. I'm actually tempted to go with a completely different tire as I haven't been very fond of the traction rating of the OEM tire. I'd like to try the CrossClimate+ tire, which seems to be a good option for those wanting a good all season tire in a more winter-y area. I want it because it's well rated for wet and dry conditions, and has a better tread wear rating. I stumbled across this compilation of tires for the Model 3, which might help others. Although, I did hear that the CrossClimate+ may reduce range a little bit.

Wait, you're getting excessive wear at only 20k miles on non-performance tires? That's nuts! I mean, I know EV's are heavy, but I'd have to buy new tires every year at that rate lol.

Like I said - love the idea, really want one, but the bottom-line realities for the end-user scare me a little bit. Mostly, it wouldn't be an issue, but when you do have an issue, it seems like it's really easy for it to turn into a major headache. Hopefully by the time I finish paying off my current ICE whip, the Cybertruck will be available lol!

 

[Aikouka]

Apologies as I've been slacking a bit on testing the TAPTES and Jeda products, but I did get a chance to get a good amount of testing in this morning. Although, I do want to note that my testing was strictly performed on just the hubs and not the wireless chargers. I'd like to test both components separately and then together. There's also a little more testing that I'd like to do with the hubs to see how well they work with a smorgasbord of devices connected (e.g. data drive(s), controller(s), etc.) at the same time. So, what I'm going to do here is try to post my thoughts in simple, bulleted form as things that apply to both units, and then for each individual unit. If there's something else you'd like to know about, let me know.

Both Units

• When it comes to installation, ensure that you start inserting the hub as close to the ports as you can.
  • I found using a slight angle to bit a bit more helpful.
  • The hubs use a friction fit, so they will feel tight during installation.
• Be careful when pulling out a device/cable. I found that if the device/cable had a tight connection with the hub's port, you could end up pulling out the whole hub, which will disconnect all devices.
  • This happened very easily with my USB power tester.
• The hubs have similar internal dimensions in their covered cutout area, so the results of my fitment tests were the same:
  • Samsung T5 fit fine.
  • Thicker Patriot USB thumb drive fit fine.
  • Raspberry Pi Zero W may have fitment issues depending on your Pi Zero's case.
    • My TeslaUSB setup is not working right now, so I did not test its functionality with the hub.
    • My case would require the rubber feet to be removed. Without that, the cover would not go on.
    • Given there's no metal on the inside, you could likely run without a case.
• I did not test the adhesive that both units provide.
  • As a side note, TAPTES does not have the adhesive automatically adhered to the internal chamber like the Jeda does.

Jeda Hub

• Has five external ports (3x Type A, 2x Type C) and one internal port (Type A).
  • Out of all external ports, ONLY THE CENTER PORT WORKED FOR DATA.
    • This might be a faulty hub, but that's not a great thing either given the lack of response and shipping time.
  • The internal port worked without any issues.
• The provided cable (Type A to Type C) has a straight Type C connector on the end, and it worked well with the Samsung T5.

TAPTES Hub

• Has four external ports (Type A) and two internal ports (Type A).
  • All external and internal ports worked for data.
  • Using both internal ports for data drives (music, Sentry) worked fine.
• The provided cable (Type A to Type C) has a right-angled Type C connector on the end, which did not work with the Samsung T5.
  • This means you will likely want to buy a short Type A to Type C connector with a straight Type C connector if you plan on using a portable SSD.
  • I tried putting the cable into the left internal port as it ships in the right one, and that didn't provide any benefit in regard to fitment.

At this moment, I would say that the TAPTES Hub is likely the best option. It's cheaper and worked without any issues. Also, I prefer how the TAPTES unit uses all Type A as it provides far better compatibility. (I'm sure most of us have plenty of Type A cables.) Just be aware that depending on your USB devices, you may need to buy new cables due to the provided cable having an awkward connector orientation.