$35,000 Tesla Model III Is Coming In 2017

[ponyo]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mercedes-halves-ev-production-target-123802281.html

Mercedes halves EV production target due to battery shortage - Manager Magazin

Like I have been saying for over a year, EV is all about the batteries. Without batteries, you have no electric car; like without the engine, you have no ICE car. I said over and over these legacy auto companies are not going to have the batteries due to shortage and won't have ample supply until 2021-2022. So much for superior manufacturing when these idiots couldn't even see couple years into the future. Again, legacy automakers are in so much trouble. They're like dinosaurs watching giant meteor crashing to earth that's going to wipe them out.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1218559706739789825

 

[Brainonska511]

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mercedes-halves-ev-production-target-123802281.html

Mercedes halves EV production target due to battery shortage - Manager Magazin

Like I have been saying for over a year, EV is all about the batteries. Without batteries, you have no electric car; like without the engine, you have no ICE car. I said over and over these legacy auto companies are not going to have the batteries due to shortage and won't have ample supply until 2021-2022. So much for superior manufacturing when these idiots couldn't even see couple years into the future. Again, legacy automakers are in so much trouble. They're like dinosaurs watching giant meteor crashing to earth that's going to wipe them out.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1218559706739789825

I wouldn't revel in legacy automakers troubles with EVs. I want them to offer more and succeed- that competition will be good for the consumer, and there is more than enough market space to go around. We need to take the ICE of personal autos and toss it in the trash bin of history.

 

[ponyo]

I wouldn't revel in legacy automakers troubles with EVs. I want them to offer more and succeed- that competition will be good for the consumer, and there is more than enough market space to go around. We need to take the ICE of personal autos and toss it in the trash bin of history.

I'm afraid legacy automakers are dead. Past couple of days, I've read interviews and statements from heads of Subaru, BMW, and Toyota and all have zero clue what's going on and what's about to happen. They are so dead. Only the CEO of Volkswagen, Herbert Diess, seems to get it. Which is why I think Volkswagen will survive and eventually thrive but it's going to be difficult road for them especially in the beginning.

This video kind of sums up what I think of Tesla and why it's going to be near impossible for legacy automakers to compete with Tesla going forward.

 

[Viper GTS]

Adoption rates for EV are still so low that the traditional makers will likely be able to get a product dev cycle in but it will be do or die at that point.

Most of them have already released full EV models or have pipelines heavily tilting EV, so they will probably be OK in the end. Toyota seems completely blind.

I am doing my best to evangelize, I've probably had a dozen people drive my car so far. Basically everyone realizes that it's a quantum leap forward in automotive technology. Several of them will probably never buy a gas car again.

Viper GTS

 

[Brainonska511]

Adoption rates for EV are still so low that the traditional makers will likely be able to get a product dev cycle in but it will be do or die at that point.

Most of them have already released full EV models or have pipelines heavily tilting EV, so they will probably be OK in the end. Toyota seems completely blind.

I am doing my best to evangelize, I've probably had a dozen people drive my car so far. Basically everyone realizes that it's a quantum leap forward in automotive technology. Several of them will probably never buy a gas car again.

Viper GTS

Toyota has recently partnered with Subaru to come up with an all-electric base, so maybe they aren't completely blind. But these companies, along with a lack of government regulation, dug their own holes: pushing highly profitable and inefficient SUVs and trucks on the masses, which may make it more difficult to convince new buyers of EVs that they don't need all that wasted space.

I think there is another aspect that isn't widely discussed but plays heavily into the future of the automobile: the idea of ditching personal automobiles altogether, at least in the urban setting, where cars, regardless of how they are powered, contribute substantially to congestion, cost cities a lot in infrastructure upkeep and subsidized parking, and reduce the feasibility of public transit.

EVs are great from a climate perspective, especially at 1:1 EV to ICE replacement, but they won't solve other urban issues on their own.

 

[NutBucket]

I'll just leave this here:

 

[IronWing]

I'll just leave this here:

Dang it, that was my plan if I bought a Tesla.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Porsche Taycan Turbo Crushes EPA Range Rating On Our 436-Mile Drive

We drive a 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo 436 miles and average 240 miles per charge, easily beating the EPA range rating of 201 miles. Read about our epic drive here.

insideevs.com

Still looking forward to Bjorn's more thorough test

 

[Greenman]

I'm afraid legacy automakers are dead. Past couple of days, I've read interviews and statements from heads of Subaru, BMW, and Toyota and all have zero clue what's going on and what's about to happen. They are so dead. Only the CEO of Volkswagen, Herbert Diess, seems to get it. Which is why I think Volkswagen will survive and eventually thrive but it's going to be difficult road for them especially in the beginning.

This video kind of sums up what I think of Tesla and why it's going to be near impossible for legacy automakers to compete with Tesla going forward.

We better hope they aren't dead, or new Tesla's are going to require a thirty mortgage.

 

[Kaido]

Definitely interested to see what the 3 offers with Ludicrous mode & a 100kW battery pack. Sub-3-second 0 to 60 with a 400-mile range, perhaps?

Tesla Model 3 Could Get A 100 kWh Battery And Ludicrous Mode | Carscoops

The Tesla Model 3 could soon become the quickest-accelerating Tesla in production

www.carscoops.com

I'd imagine, as that article suggests, that it could do 2.5 seconds. But then it would cannibalize on the S. Dangit!

 

[ponyo]

I'm finally going to test drive the Model 3 tomorrow. I visited Tesla showroom multiple times and sat in the car but never drove it. I think it's time I finally find out what I've been missing by driving ICE cars.

 

[Kaido]

I'm finally going to test drive the Model 3 tomorrow. I visited Tesla showroom multiple times and sat in the car but never drove it. I think it's time I finally find out what I've been missing by driving ICE cars.

It's a lot of little things - no vibration from an engine. Super cab-forward design. Alllll of the information at your fingertips on the giant touchscreen. Instant throttle response.

It's more about the nuances than anything - if you appreciate the small things, then you'll really love where they went with the design & features! Otherwise, it's just another car, with some added convenience features like no gas & highway self-driving.

 

[ultimatebob]

Ya know, if the whole Tesla thing doesn't work out, perhaps Elon has promising secondary career as a music producer:

Elon Musk drops a surprise EDM track on SoundCloud

We've already shown that talented artists like Billie Ellish can create Grammy-caliber music with just a little technology. But what about someone with a lot of technology and just a little talent? The answer to that is a SoundCloud EDM song called Don't Doubt ur Vibe by none other than... Elon...

www.engadget.com

 

[ponyo]

Today, I test drove the future. Tesla Model 3 was AMAZING! I had extremely high expectation going in and the car and the experience still blew me away. Shout-out to Barry and the awesome Tesla team at the Avalon store in Alpharetta, GA. They let me take the Model 3 LR AWD out for a spin by myself. The car had FSD so I was able to test out the Autopilot and Navigate on Autopilot. Both were super cool and worked great on the highway. And the signal light and stop sign detection worked great too. Seeing the road signal lights displayed on the computer screen and the lights changing was wild. I'm not a big music person but I thought the sound system in the car was incredible. And the drive. Oh man, the instant torque and response of the car coupled with awesome steering wheel and handling. It felt like I was driving and playing a video game. I had a biggest smile and grin, and laughed the entire time I was driving the car. My wife said she felt little carsick from my constant acceleration and regen braking but I felt like I was riding a roller coaster. It's been a long time since I had that much fun in a car. I felt like a little kid at an amusement park. It took all my willpower to not pull out my phone and order Model 3 or Y on the spot. The urge to order was/is so strong. It's true what they say. Tesla cars sell themselves and if you're not ready to buy the car, do not test drive it. Because once you do, your idea of a car is forever altered.

But I'm so glad I test drove the Model 3 today. It only confirmed what I already knew. Electric cars are the future. It's only matter of time. And Tesla is going to COMPLETELY dominate. I'm 100% sure, now more than ever. If you guys were tired of me talking about Tesla, it's about to get whole lot worse. Today was my iPhone moment, and I'm now all in on Tesla.

 

[Kaido]

Today, I test drove the future. Tesla Model 3 was AMAZING! I had extremely high expectation going in and the car and the experience still blew me away. Shout-out to Berry and the awesome Tesla team at the Avalon store in Alpharetta, GA. They let me take the Model 3 LR AWD out for a spin by myself. The car had FSD so I was able to test out the Autopilot and Navigate on Autopilot. Both were super cool and worked great on the highway. And the signal light and stop sign detection worked great too. Seeing the road signal lights displayed on the computer screen and the lights changing was wild. I'm not a big music person but I thought the sound system in the car was incredible. And the drive. Oh man, the instant torque and response of the car coupled with awesome steering wheel and handling. It felt like I was driving and playing a video game. I had a biggest smile and grin, and laughed the entire time I was driving the car. My wife said she felt little carsick from my constant acceleration and regen braking but I felt like I was riding a roller coaster. It's been a long time since I had that much fun in a car. I felt like a little kid at an amusement park. It took all my willpower to not pull out my phone and order Model 3 or Y on the spot. The urge to order was/is so strong. It's true what they say. Tesla cars sell themselves and if you're not ready to buy the car, do not test drive it. Because once you do, your idea of a car is forever altered.

But I'm so glad I test drove the Model 3 today. It only confirmed what I already knew. Electric cars are the future. It's only matter of time. And Tesla is going to COMPLETELY dominate. I'm 100% sure, now more than ever. If you guys were tired of me talking about Tesla, it's about to get whole lot worse. Today was my iPhone moment, and I'm now all in on Tesla.

Oh yeah, I forgot about the speakers...the soundstage is just incredible on the car...not just because it's quiet on the inside, but it sounds so WIDE and big! My buddy has the SR+, which doesn't even have the super-premium sound system, and even that is better than every other system I've heard!

As far as making your wife car sick:

1. You'll learn how to feather the accelerator pedal as you get more used to it.
2. There are various settings you can adjust to tweak things.

At this point, I've driven pretty much every version of every Tesla model available, as well as the majority of the electric cars on the road (still need to line up an e-Tron test drive, but tbh...I'm just not that interested lol). The Porsche would be fun, but unless you're a Porsche guy, ehhh. imo, Tesla has it nailed. The cars aren't perfect, but if you're even a little bit of a car guy, then they're so overwhelming nice in so many ways that it just makes for a very compelling product. Like anything else, you'll get used to it over time & the quirks will come out (just ask @Aikouka), but yeah...their stock is gonna go sky-high over time. I mean, they were $250 just months ago & just closed at $650. I can see them being on-par with Amazon by the time the Cybertruck & electric semi comes out & FSD is available. They're so far ahead of their competitors, technology-wise, that I don't really see anyone else catching up soon...I mean, go & look at Ford's Mustang Mach-E:

1. No OTA updates at launch (coming later)
2. No nation-wide supercharging (they piggy-back off Electrify America - good luck finding a DC fast charger!)
3. No fun special apps advertised yet (Car karaoke, Netflix & games while parked, etc.)
4. Zero self-driving features at launch (supposedly coming later)
5. Personal opinion, not a huge fan of the aesthetics of the Mach-E

For the money, why not get a Tesla & get with a company that is committed to continually improving the car, building out the network, etc.?

 

[Kaido]

Tesla cars sell themselves and if you're not ready to buy the car, do not test drive it. Because once you do, your idea of a car is forever altered.

It's funny because I have a 310-horsepower, turbocharged 2018 Mustang Ecoboost 6-speed stick-shift...I got back in it to drive home after test-driving the 3 and it just felt like riding a horse after trying a Model T lol. Slow. Low-tech. Ancient. Hahaha!

It took me forever to convince my wife to go for a test-drive. She's not a car person at all & wasn't remotely interested. Dealerships usually make her lose it, so she hasn't gone car shopping with me in over a decade. With the Tesla test-drive, there was no pressure (they can't sell in my state anyway). She asked the test-drive guy a million questions & on the drive home was like, we gotta get one lol. Unfortunately we don't have access to a charger at home right now, but hopefully by the time the Cybertruck rolls around, we'll have moved, haha!

 

[heymrdj]

Oh yeah, I forgot about the speakers...the soundstage is just incredible on the car...not just because it's quiet on the inside, but it sounds so WIDE and big! My buddy has the SR+, which doesn't even have the super-premium sound system, and even that is better than every other system I've heard!

As far as making your wife car sick:

1. You'll learn how to feather the accelerator pedal as you get more used to it.
2. There are various settings you can adjust to tweak things.

At this point, I've driven pretty much every version of every Tesla model available, as well as the majority of the electric cars on the road (still need to line up an e-Tron test drive, but tbh...I'm just not that interested lol). The Porsche would be fun, but unless you're a Porsche guy, ehhh. imo, Tesla has it nailed. The cars aren't perfect, but if you're even a little bit of a car guy, then they're so overwhelming nice in so many ways that it just makes for a very compelling product. Like anything else, you'll get used to it over time & the quirks will come out (just ask @Aikouka), but yeah...their stock is gonna go sky-high over time. I mean, they were $250 just months ago & just closed at $650. I can see them being on-par with Amazon by the time the Cybertruck & electric semi comes out & FSD is available. They're so far ahead of their competitors, technology-wise, that I don't really see anyone else catching up soon...I mean, go & look at Ford's Mustang Mach-E:

1. No OTA updates at launch (coming later)
2. No nation-wide supercharging (they piggy-back off Electrify America - good luck finding a DC fast charger!)
3. No fun special apps advertised yet (Car karaoke, Netflix & games while parked, etc.)
4. Zero self-driving features at launch (supposedly coming later)
5. Personal opinion, not a huge fan of the aesthetics of the Mach-E

For the money, why not get a Tesla & get with a company that is committed to continually improving the car, building out the network, etc.?

But if a different driving perspective between the two, and there’s a reason why your personality is leaning to the Tesla. You want the show and wow of a computerized chauffeur. The Mach E isn’t about that. The Mach E, like the Porsche, is a driver’s electric car. It’s not trying to be autonomous because typical Mustang owners would be bored to death by sitting and doing nothing. They don’t need games because, again, they are driving. Though they would be entertaining while charging.

As for charging, Tesla’s fast charge network needs the same EU stomping that they are doing with charging cable standards. It’s a waste of space and infrastructure to have fast chargers that can only fast charge one brand. It’s not good for the environment and it pushes against the very important part of fueling proliferation. We have to be able to fast charge everywhere, not just at home and not just along major corridors and hubs. We need charging stations everywhere like you can go to a one stoplight town and still find a gas station. Luckily, the model 3 is now coming equipped with CCS, and so their charge stations should accept it too. But the universal standard where all vehicles can be fast charged should be universal. So here I applaud Ford for using a company following the standard to support all the EVs in the road and not just a subset.

Tesla will continue to be the defacto e-car, especially those that lean toward viewing cars as appliances and don’t enjoy driving. Porsche and Ford are not trying to be Tesla with these cars, they are trying to get the drivers that won’t drive an appliance.

 

[rstrohkirch]

Unfortunately we don't have access to a charger at home right now, but hopefully by the time the Cybertruck rolls around, we'll have moved, haha!

I assume this means you don't have a garage or car port.

 

[Kaido]

I assume this means you don't have a garage or car port.

Correct. I have an assigned spot in the middle of a lot. Already talked to the rental place & they have no intention of putting in electric chargers

I have a lot of clients with electric chargers on-site, but I wouldn't really be comfortable relying solely charging away from home.

 

[Kaido]

But if a different driving perspective between the two, and there’s a reason why your personality is leaning to the Tesla. You want the show and wow of a computerized chauffeur. The Mach E isn’t about that. The Mach E, like the Porsche, is a driver’s electric car. It’s not trying to be autonomous because typical Mustang owners would be bored to death by sitting and doing nothing. They don’t need games because, again, they are driving. Though they would be entertaining while charging.

As for charging, Tesla’s fast charge network needs the same EU stomping that they are doing with charging cable standards. It’s a waste of space and infrastructure to have fast chargers that can only fast charge one brand. It’s not good for the environment and it pushes against the very important part of fueling proliferation. We have to be able to fast charge everywhere, not just at home and not just along major corridors and hubs. We need charging stations everywhere like you can go to a one stoplight town and still find a gas station. Luckily, the model 3 is now coming equipped with CCS, and so their charge stations should accept it too. But the universal standard where all vehicles can be fast charged should be universal. So here I applaud Ford for using a company following the standard to support all the EVs in the road and not just a subset.

Tesla will continue to be the defacto e-car, especially those that lean toward viewing cars as appliances and don’t enjoy driving. Porsche and Ford are not trying to be Tesla with these cars, they are trying to get the drivers that won’t drive an appliance.

I'm curious about how that's going to work, in practice. Most modern cars already have numb steering and more & more are moving to 10-speed transmission, CVT transmissions, etc. & can often feel the same to drive. Although what's funny is that the Model 3 is actually one of the most fun & dynamic cars I've ever driven, despite the auto-bro websites complaining about how EV's are ruining driving...it's an absolutely JOY to drive! I wouldn't say that having Autopilot takes away from that, but rather supplements it, just like cruise-control does. And I say that as a current ICE Mustang owner & DD! Personally, I would still be interested in Tesla even without the self-driving features.

I do think they need to figure out the charging solution. Electric isn't going to get widely-adopted until both the price comes down & the charging situation gets solidified. Granted, the average American drives something like 24 or 40 miles or whatever a day, so topping off at home every night is sufficient for most people. On the flip side, Tesla invested in a nation-wide charging system before anyone else did, by themselves, so it's not like they owe anyone anything, but zooming out to the larger view, I do think we need to figure stuff out for our planet. Everything boils down to incentives, however, which in this case means price & convenience. And I'm pretty sure Tesla isn't going to share with anyone out of the goodness of their hearts. Maybe with Diamler, who owns a stake in them, but from the videos I've seen at some pack places in California, that may not be a very good idea because of the lines right now.

I definitely wouldn't lump Tesla cars in the appliance-only category. They can be appliances, if that's all you want them to be, but they're also incredibly fun. The S & X Performance Editions are stupid fun to drive, especially in Ludicrous mode, and the 3 drives like a dream. I have a stick-shift turbo-charged gas Mustang right now & have no ill feelings towards EV's & definitely think they don't ruin the driving experience at all! I plan on giving the Mach-E a test-drive as soon as it becomes available - very curious to see how it compares to say a Model Y when that comes out. I'd like to take the Taycan out as well, but I don't have much Porsche experience, so it would be more as a performance EV rather than an ICE Porsche vs. an EV Porsche comparison.

 

[heymrdj]

I'm curious about how that's going to work, in practice. Most modern cars already have numb steering and more & more are moving to 10-speed transmission, CVT transmissions, etc. & can often feel the same to drive. Although what's funny is that the Model 3 is actually one of the most fun & dynamic cars I've ever driven, despite the auto-bro websites complaining about how EV's are ruining driving...it's an absolutely JOY to drive! I wouldn't say that having Autopilot takes away from that, but rather supplements it, just like cruise-control does. And I say that as a current ICE Mustang owner & DD! Personally, I would still be interested in Tesla even without the self-driving features.

I do think they need to figure out the charging solution. Electric isn't going to get widely-adopted until both the price comes down & the charging situation gets solidified. Granted, the average American drives something like 24 or 40 miles or whatever a day, so topping off at home every night is sufficient for most people. On the flip side, Tesla invested in a nation-wide charging system before anyone else did, by themselves, so it's not like they owe anyone anything, but zooming out to the larger view, I do think we need to figure stuff out for our planet. Everything boils down to incentives, however, which in this case means price & convenience. And I'm pretty sure Tesla isn't going to share with anyone out of the goodness of their hearts. Maybe with Diamler, who owns a stake in them, but from the videos I've seen at some pack places in California, that may not be a very good idea because of the lines right now.

I definitely wouldn't lump Tesla cars in the appliance-only category. They can be appliances, if that's all you want them to be, but they're also incredibly fun. The S & X Performance Editions are stupid fun to drive, especially in Ludicrous mode, and the 3 drives like a dream. I have a stick-shift turbo-charged gas Mustang right now & have no ill feelings towards EV's & definitely think they don't ruin the driving experience at all! I plan on giving the Mach-E a test-drive as soon as it becomes available - very curious to see how it compares to say a Model Y when that comes out. I'd like to take the Taycan out as well, but I don't have much Porsche experience, so it would be more as a performance EV rather than an ICE Porsche vs. an EV Porsche comparison.

I don’t mean to say the Model 3 are necessarily boring, but they are not RWD go fasts. The GT version of the Mach-E is supposed to be over 600ftlb of torque, which would be even more than a ludicrous 3. I can understand wanting the option of autonomous driving, but there’s no point weighing down the car with sensors and electronics for something not targeting your core audience.

The eco boost mustang is my favorite, but people buying my favorite mustang aren’t who the most powerful form of this car is for. Those people start with the GT and go up from there.

 

[Aikouka]

As far as making your wife car sick:

1. You'll learn how to feather the accelerator pedal as you get more used to it.
2. There are various settings you can adjust to tweak things.

Honestly, I mostly use chill mode about 95% of the time. It's pretty rare for me to think that I need more speed in most situations. Although, the biggest issue with heavy regen causing a bit of nausea might be due to letting too hard off the gas. With regen braking -- especially on the standard setting -- you eventually learn to treat letting off the gas as sort of being like pressing on the brake. To be clear, you do still need to use the brake... especially if it's colder out. If you look below the speedometer readout, there's a line. The left half of the line indicates battery regen reduction due to temperature. If the line is solid, you're good, but if it's dashed, you're reduced. I find that you'll start seeing reductions when the ambient temperature is at least about 50-55F for a while. The right side of the line represents reduction due to the battery being too full.

But at this point, I use Standard Regen + Full Stop and Chill mode.

1. No OTA updates at launch (coming later)
2. No nation-wide supercharging (they piggy-back off Electrify America - good luck finding a DC fast charger!)
3. No fun special apps advertised yet (Car karaoke, Netflix & games while parked, etc.)
4. Zero self-driving features at launch (supposedly coming later)
5. Personal opinion, not a huge fan of the aesthetics of the Mach-E

You're leaving out its poor efficiency compared to Tesla. The longest range model uses a ~100 kWh battery to get the same range as a Model 3 with a 75 kWh battery. This is a huge issue in comparison partly because poor efficiency really exacerbates the lackluster charging, and that's also true for Tesla. On my last trip in my Model 3, which was only about 130 miles each way, I had to stop at a charger out of my way because the Supercharger station at the Tesla Service Center wasn't working. It wasn't a huge deal given I was in a large city, so there was another one a couple miles out of the way, but in some cases, the next station isn't for another 20-30 miles. Although, at least Tesla's app reported that the station wasn't working rather than me get there and find out that it wasn't. Now, one thing that may come to mind is, "Wait.. that was only 130 miles each way... why did you have to charge?" There was no way I was going to make it back without charging even though I initially charged to 90%. Tesla vehicles are single-geared at each motor, and unlike the Model S and Model X, the Model 3 cannot turn off a motor. The other two models can run the more efficiently geared motor at higher speeds, but the Model 3 has to use both (AWD) or just one (RWD). In other words, Tesla vehicles are great at about 45-65 MPH, but are pretty bad beyond that in regard to mileage. To be fair, so are gas-powered cars, but the efficiency drop seems to hit my car worse than it ever hit my gas-powered ones.

 

[Kaido]

I don’t mean to say the Model 3 are necessarily boring, but they are not RWD go fasts. The GT version of the Mach-E is supposed to be over 600ftlb of torque, which would be even more than a ludicrous 3. I can understand wanting the option of autonomous driving, but there’s no point weighing down the car with sensors and electronics for something not targeting your core audience.

The eco boost mustang is my favorite, but people buying my favorite mustang aren’t who the most powerful form of this car is for. Those people start with the GT and go up from there.

That's a good point...they are definitely aimed at specific demographics!

I'm also curious to see the Mach-E in person...like, the Jeep Gladiator looks great in person, but is pretty ugly IRL lol. I wonder if the Mach-E will be the opposite & look better in person...

 

[Kaido]

You're leaving out its poor efficiency compared to Tesla. The longest range model uses a ~100 kWh battery to get the same range as a Model 3 with a 75 kWh battery. This is a huge issue in comparison partly because poor efficiency really exacerbates the lackluster charging, and that's also true for Tesla. On my last trip in my Model 3, which was only about 130 miles each way, I had to stop at a charger out of my way because the Supercharger station at the Tesla Service Center wasn't working. It wasn't a huge deal given I was in a large city, so there was another one a couple miles out of the way, but in some cases, the next station isn't for another 20-30 miles. Although, at least Tesla's app reported that the station wasn't working rather than me get there and find out that it wasn't. Now, one thing that may come to mind is, "Wait.. that was only 130 miles each way... why did you have to charge?" There was no way I was going to make it back without charging even though I initially charged to 90%. Tesla vehicles are single-geared at each motor, and unlike the Model S and Model X, the Model 3 cannot turn off a motor. The other two models can run the more efficiently geared motor at higher speeds, but the Model 3 has to use both (AWD) or just one (RWD). In other words, Tesla vehicles are great at about 45-65 MPH, but are pretty bad beyond that in regard to mileage. To be fair, so are gas-powered cars, but the efficiency drop seems to hit my car worse than it ever hit my gas-powered ones.

That's a big reason I'm holding out for the 500-mile Cybertruck. I figure if I aim for a 400-mile realistic range, I'll be alright, haha.

Although...that electric Hummer might not be too bad...haha!

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I will say that based on an 8 hour work day with Sentry Mode, and a 70 mile round trip commute, I'm using about 140 miles of range once the temp gets below 10 degrees. This pretty visible on the Energy Consumption meter, as the car's heating system ends up using a little bit less than as much energy as the car consumes driving.

Yesterday hit 48 degrees and was the first time I saw the car in line with the Rated Range. The stated range obviously isn't smoke and mirrors. But highway driving (with both motors in the AWD Model 3 going) + cold winters means that for us northerners planning for the EV future, a 50% range reduction is currently worth at least entertaining for purposes of planning.

On the bright side, the instantaneous, satisfying heat a Model 3 generates in even sub-zero conditions is a dream compared to waiting forever for the ICE to warm up.