Tesla Model III preorders have started

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yinan

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2007
1,801
2
71
That is just the minimum, like the Model S you can buy bigger batteries.
2018 can't get here fast enough.
 

Pantoot

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2002
1,764
30
91
Quite the toy!

‏@elonmusk
Model 3 orders at 180,000 in 24 hours. Selling price w avg option mix prob $42k, so ~$7.5B in a day. Future of electric cars looking bright!
 

yinan

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2007
1,801
2
71
It will probably be the last car you ever need to buy. There is nothing really to wear out.

I don't like spending that much, but when it is so nice, you just can't really avoid it. Plus, I can't wait to not drive anymore. And $35k is cheaper than buying a person to do it for me.
 

ViviTheMage

Lifer
Dec 12, 2002
36,189
87
91
madgenius.com
It will probably be the last car you ever need to buy. There is nothing really to wear out.

I don't like spending that much, but when it is so nice, you just can't really avoid it. Plus, I can't wait to not drive anymore. And $35k is cheaper than buying a person to do it for me.

I am on the opposite spectrum, I love driving. It will be nice with automous cars become a thing though, would be nice for the commute at least.

I also am enjoying some off roading now, not sure the tesla can do that like the wrangler :D
 

sontakke

Senior member
Aug 8, 2001
895
11
81
How many of you watched the pre show? I was intrigued by the guy delivering mail using his Tesla S. He has put lots and lots of miles on his Tesla and on the dirt road too! I did no realize mail carriers can afford Tesla S :)
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,152
635
126
It will probably be the last car you ever need to buy. There is nothing really to wear out.

I don't like spending that much, but when it is so nice, you just can't really avoid it. Plus, I can't wait to not drive anymore. And $35k is cheaper than buying a person to do it for me.
Uh, there's plenty to wear out. Unless you truly care for your car cosmetics is the first thing to go (and the hardest and most expensive to fix). Plus, there's still plenty of electronics to fail, suspension bits wear, etc. Most importantly, the battery will lose capacity.

And let's not forget there's always something better and shinier sitting on a showroom begging you to drive her home.
 

monkeydelmagico

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2011
3,961
145
106
Looks like a mazda 6 with a covered grill. Fairly nice looking. I like the interior. I love the torque. The price is right too.

With $2.xx gallon gas right now it doesn't save me money. No free charging stations around.
 

Pantoot

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2002
1,764
30
91
With $2.xx gallon gas right now it doesn't save me money. No free charging stations around.

Maybe not a ton of money, but a full charge would cost less than $10 if you pay around $.10 per kWh.
For reference, I pay $0.04195 per kWh charging our EVs at night.
 

z1ggy

Lifer
May 17, 2008
10,010
66
91
Can't wait for this to become practical for the masses. $35k is still too much money for a car for majority of people, but if they ever came out with a "slower" model or one that wasn't filled with bells and whistles for $20k, I think tons of people would join the EV band wagon.
 

tortillasoup

Golden Member
Jan 12, 2011
1,977
4
81
the bolt has already started preproduction, and word on the street is slightly over 200 miles in good conditions. I would pick a 17 volt over that stuipid screen in the middle 3 anyday. We have a 13 volt and consistently get 30-50 miles per charge.

I Think its hilarious that people are comparing a car that will not even be in production for a almost 2 years to one that has a running factory producing cars for verification today. I bet the future bolt ends up cheaper and with more range than the 3 when people actually start getting cars.

They already admitted they're going to lose money on the Bolt. The Bolt costs more than the Model 3 if you're ignoring tax credits. The Bolt is also not an attractive vehicle and looks like a Chevy Spark. It will not have any autonomous features. If you like your Chevy Volt, I can see why you'd want to own a Chevy Bolt. But with my dad as a Tesla Model S owner, despite all the warranty repairs, we're all fully enamored with the vehicle. The Model S never gave me the impression of a vehicle that half-assed it. Yes it has had lots of warranty repairs (his is a 2012 Model year) but that's because it's a new company and the quality of service and care is completely unmatched compared with other auto companies. When a Tesla fails, you have people who are apologetic and strive to make it right at whatever cost. Elon Musk is fully vested and interested in making a great vehicle while everybody else feels half-assed.

For pretty much every other automaker, it's either complete denial of there being a problem or a half-assed solution and lots of hand wringing over getting it repaired. I prefer Toyotas/Lexus due to their reliability and good engineering but even with them, I experience that issue. I've had to deal with Mercedes and BMW vehicles both late model and older vehicles and the sort of problems I encounter makes me feel like they're amateurs despite the over a century of operation Mercedes has had and nearly a century for BMW. It feels completely inexcusable for those companies while it's completely excusable for Tesla.

When Tesla owners praise and say Tesla has changed what it means to own and drive a vehicle, there is a reason for that. It's really a great experience to own and drive a Tesla.

I'm glad Chevy is coming out with a competitor vehicle as I'm sure Elon Musk is glad as well. But I don't think the vehicle will cannibalize the Tesla sales as much as you think and I'm glad for that because Elon Musk makes a great product.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
Can't wait for this to become practical for the masses. $35k is still too much money for a car for majority of people, but if they ever came out with a "slower" model or one that wasn't filled with bells and whistles for $20k, I think tons of people would join the EV band wagon.

"At Tesla, we don't make slow cars" - Musk, during the Model 3 unveiling. Where I have no doubt that there will be a slower, stripped down EV in the $20k range, I am not sure that Tesla will be the one making them. Honestly I hope they don't...leave that to other manufacturers and let Tesla stay on the cutting edge of technology.
 

yottabit

Golden Member
Jun 5, 2008
1,671
874
146
It's basically exactly what I expected and I'm really happy with how it came out so far

What I expected was:
-Minimalist design
-Reduced part count
-High quality materials/construction
-Uncompromising on aerodynamics

And that's basically exactly what we see. I don't think you will see a grill for the front or a real dash because those are both cost cutting efforts imo, and an aero aid in case of the grill.

I'm a little surprised it still has the recessed door handles. You can tell there's a bit of brand building going on because it still looks like a Tesla to me. The front bumper captures the shape really well but the lack of grill screams "I'm not a Model S" which will probably make Model S owners happy and preserve it as a more premium model.

People complaining about the wheels, I would bet they will have smaller wheel options at launch.

The biggest hurdle I see is the production hurdle. So far the launch of the Model S and X have been very lackluster in terms of production output. This whole thing is built on the premise that "this time will be different" and it will be very interesting to see if they can pull it off.

Even if they have a botched production launch, I don't see anyone else catching up to them creating an electric this desirable in that time frame, and the fanbase at this point seems pretty loyal, so I'm not sure it would matter anyway. But by this point they SHOULD have all the ingredients and experience to actually pull off a proper production run, if progress on the Gigafactory doesn't hold them back.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
$35k is crazy; that's less than an e-Golf SEL, less than leaf, 10k+ less than an i3.

hell that's less than what my current prius cost new.
 

PricklyPete

Lifer
Sep 17, 2002
14,582
162
106
$35k is crazy; that's less than an e-Golf SEL, less than leaf, 10k+ less than an i3.

hell that's less than what my current prius cost new.



I have a feeling the price is going to creep up before release.
 

freeskier93

Senior member
Apr 17, 2015
487
19
81
Can't wait for this to become practical for the masses. $35k is still too much money for a car for majority of people, but if they ever came out with a "slower" model or one that wasn't filled with bells and whistles for $20k, I think tons of people would join the EV band wagon.

Median income in the US is about $52k, that means 50% of people make $52k or more. A $35k vehicle at $52k income would be tight (depending on where you live), but if you save a while for a proper down payment it's doable, if that's what is important to you.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
Median income in the US is about $52k, that means 50% of people make $52k or more. A $35k vehicle at $52k income would be tight (depending on where you live), but if you save a while for a proper down payment it's doable, if that's what is important to you.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Household_income_in_the_United_States

That's a household number, not an individual number. A $35k car isn't realistic at a $52k income level, nor would a household earning $52k fully benefit from the $7500 tax credit that is going to the early buyers.
 

Palvaran

Member
Apr 13, 2002
86
0
66
I will probably wait for another iteration, 200 mile range is nice, but add winter/cold and I hear it gets cuts 30-40%.

It doesn't cut down very much. The batteries are temperature regulated to increase range in any condition. In winter, my model S doesn't lose range unless I use the heater. Sadly, the heater eats the hell out of a battery. However, as the car is garaged and has a preconditioning feature built in, it is heated up to whatever temperature you specify before you leave your home, minimizing power usage.