Test drove a Tesla Model 3

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Originally Posted by GrtArtiste
I was surprised to see 8 Tesla charging stations at the Meijer store in Maumee OH, though I have yet to see any of them in use. I wonder how much benefit they are to a typical shopper who probably spends no more than one hour shopping (probably less).

Electric charging stations aren't meant for parking longer than needed to charge. I hear there's a charge for time with most charging systems once it's fully charged and connected. I suppose they can't really do anything about it if the driver goes back and disconnects it to keep the space and avoid reparking, but they're generally trying to encourage turnover.

At the garage with the test vehicles they didn't have Tesla's Supercharger technology. When I started it up it was displaying around 260 mile estimated range when fully charged should be over 300.

I've seen them in use. As in fully used even with 16 of them.
 
Originally Posted by addyguy
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
The Model 3 is the future. Not for everyone and expensive.
But it is an amazing vehicle.


Not up here in the frozen north. Less than 50% range in extreme cold...kinda useless.


Nor is it that realistic around here with a $63k price tag, PG&E rates of ~$.40 peak and $.20 off peak and astronomical housing costs,
 
Nobody knows what the future holds. There was a time when people thought jet engine cars were the future, then there was the flying car, then cars were suposedly be replaced by jet packs.

It's hard to predict technology and electric cars, contrary to the hype, are not the environmental saviours many paddle them to be. Since it's the governments around the world pushing heavily for them, not the market forces, it's pretty clear that other motivators are behind this trend and environmental protection is being used as an excuse.
 
Originally Posted by addyguy
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
The Model 3 is the future. Not for everyone and expensive.
But it is an amazing vehicle.


Not up here in the frozen north. Less than 50% range in extreme cold...kinda useless.

Very true, but I was thinking about a different reason the Model 3 is not for everyone.
The Model 3 is all about technology and is different.
My BIL kept pulling on the forward/reverse lever trying to get the windshield wipers on; they are automatic.

Plus, you can't stare at the display screen; you gotta drive.
Many struggle with the minimalist design (no knobs); they expect more for their $$.
But that's the whole point; it is software engineered by design, not mechanical.

If someone just wants to go electric, the Bolt is a far better buy.
The RX450h is a better car for most people in so many ways at a similar price.
The Model 3 is all about technology; all about the future.
If you haven't driven one, and studied the technology, I can see how you might find this silly.
 
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There is no different technology in a Tesla than other comparable vehicles. Having every function on the touch screen is no different than an electronic button or a knob. Both examples send a signal to the computer or a module to perform a function.
Tesla simply does it in a radically different way.

And that gear selector stock is taken right from Mercedes.

So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.
 
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Originally Posted by KrisZ
So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.
Execution of internal electrics & electronics are exceptional. .... Munro found that the platform floor battery and electronics are pretty great, and ....... "In this latest video, Munro explains why Tesla's electric motors are so superior to those of the theoretical competition. "They've got magic," he says. "The electric motor is smaller and lighter than everybody else, but outperforms everybody." He even shows us a little magnet used in Tesla's motors - it's the size of a camera battery, but it includes some astounding technology that gives it super-high performance."
https://insideevs.com/tesla-model-3-teardown-deep-dive-magic/
 
Originally Posted by KrisZ


So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.


Car and Driver on the interior:
"We're not exaggerating when we say that the Tesla Model 3 has an interior unlike any other car on the market today. It's shockingly simple inside, with nearly everything controlled by the monolithic touchscreen in the center of the dashboard."

Tesla started with a clean sheet; most other electric cars are variations of existing models. Tesla started with the tires; something like 3 years in development.

Tesla Suspension

There is much more information out there if you are interested.
And Elon has released much of his development to open source... Free for other companies to use.
 
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Is that screen and PLC a single point failure ? A number of vehicles have touchscreen redundant to other controls …
 
Originally Posted by KrisZ
There is no different technology in a Tesla than other comparable vehicles. Having every function on the touch screen is no different than an electronic button or a knob. Both examples send a signal to the computer or a module to perform a function.
Tesla simply does it in a radically different way.

And that gear selector stock is taken right from Mercedes.

So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.


Yeah, I don't hear much about it and their website is pretty minimal, you have to read the car reviews to figure out what it has and what it doesn't. As far as I can tell, no power trunk closer, no pano sunroof, no active curve illumination. Not sure about auto high beams. Even a Corolla has Sirius these days but not the Model 3.

Oh and the just the touchscreen is a major design failure. Means you have to take your eyes off the road. When you have switches and knobs, you know where they are and can hit them with just a quick glance or feel. Don't think you can do that with a touchscreen.
 
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
Originally Posted by KrisZ


So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.


Car and Driver on the interior:
"We're not exaggerating when we say that the Tesla Model 3 has an interior unlike any other car on the market today. It's shockingly simple inside, with nearly everything controlled by the monolithic touchscreen in the center of the dashboard."

Tesla started with a clean sheet; most other electric cars are variations of existing models. Tesla started with the tires; something like 3 years in development.

Tesla Suspension

There is much more information out there if you are interested.
And Elon has released much of his development to open source... Free for other companies to use.



How is having a simple interior and a big touch screen a new tech? In actuality it most likely save Tesla a bundle having everything on the screen instead of having separate controls and design the interior around them. It's different but nothing new. Same with suspension, different because the drive motor requires it, but nothing new or ground breaking

Yeah, their motor design is innovative, so that another one they have going on for tech.

3 so far...
 
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by KrisZ
There is no different technology in a Tesla than other comparable vehicles. Having every function on the touch screen is no different than an electronic button or a knob. Both examples send a signal to the computer or a module to perform a function.
Tesla simply does it in a radically different way.

And that gear selector stock is taken right from Mercedes.

So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.


Yeah, I don't hear much about it and their website is pretty minimal, you have to read the car reviews to figure out what it has and what it doesn't. As far as I can tell, no power trunk closer, no pano sunroof, no active curve illumination. Not sure about auto high beams. Even a Corolla has Sirius these days but not the Model 3.

Oh and the just the touchscreen is a major design failure. Means you have to take your eyes off the road. When you have switches and knobs, you know where they are and can hit them with just a quick glance or feel. Don't think you can do that with a touchscreen.

No worse than looking at a traditional instrument cluster. Definitely no worse than a Mini Cooper's center instruments or various center info panels. All key info for the left hand drive models is upper left. It's not a tiny screen like many of the new systems. Also steering wheel mounted controls, although they take getting used to.

The other thing they have is voice controls.

Still, I was freaked out that it would be hard to drive. It was just as easy to drive like grandma as it was to drive fast.
 
Originally Posted by y_p_w
Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by KrisZ
There is no different technology in a Tesla than other comparable vehicles. Having every function on the touch screen is no different than an electronic button or a knob. Both examples send a signal to the computer or a module to perform a function.
Tesla simply does it in a radically different way.

And that gear selector stock is taken right from Mercedes.

So if Tesla is all about technology, I would like to hear specifics. Autopilot is one and OTA updates another. I don't think there is much more.


Yeah, I don't hear much about it and their website is pretty minimal, you have to read the car reviews to figure out what it has and what it doesn't. As far as I can tell, no power trunk closer, no pano sunroof, no active curve illumination. Not sure about auto high beams. Even a Corolla has Sirius these days but not the Model 3.

Oh and the just the touchscreen is a major design failure. Means you have to take your eyes off the road. When you have switches and knobs, you know where they are and can hit them with just a quick glance or feel. Don't think you can do that with a touchscreen.

No worse than looking at a traditional instrument cluster. Definitely no worse than a Mini Cooper's center instruments or various center info panels. All key info for the left hand drive models is upper left. It's not a tiny screen like many of the new systems. Also steering wheel mounted controls, although they take getting used to.

The other thing they have is voice controls.

Still, I was freaked out that it would be hard to drive. It was just as easy to drive like grandma as it was to drive fast.


The failure isn't in it as an instrument cluster, the failure is having to take your eyes off the road to make adjustments. That's why buttons and knobs have been around a long time. BMW got a lot of flack for the same thing in some of its earlier cars. I also have voice control on my Mercedes. I never use it. And of course I have the steering wheel controls too, you can do it either way. Buttons and knobs just give you an additional way to do things.

And with a power trunk closer, you can do fun things while waiting in traffic. Like opening and closing the trunk from inside the car.
 
I want a car that suits me.

Why should I have to change to fit my $63,000 purchase? It's a ridiculous thought.

Tesla's brand of "The Future" is not to my tastes, and clearly I'm not alone.

Do they give you the Kool-aid with the car, or do you have to buy and drink it on your own beforehand?
 
When it comes time to replace my daily I'll definitely be buying an electric car. My work just got a Model 3 a few months ago as a company car, I like the interior. The maintenance guy who drives it loves it as well
 
Teslas are fine and well and the gradual move toward electric vehicles is both practical and inevitable. I'd love to have one myself except that its basically necessary to carry a cell phone to operate the car. I gather the cell phone functions as the "electronic key fob". I loathe cell phones!


Aside from my personal nit... Where is all this electricity going to come from? Is the power line distribution network in every established city capable of charging millions of cars all night long? What will the impact be on the electric bill? -Hint, it will skyrocket. We already have a few underground mountain ranges filled with radioactive nuclear waste and we're praying those steel barrels filled with "hot" water wont rust-out for the next 50,000 years (LOL). Are we doing to build more nuclear plants and make that problem exponentially worse? Nuclear fusion has made great strides but the holy grail of "free" energy is at least 30-40 years away from being viable.

Indeed, perfect solutions are far-apart and few in-between but, everyone keeps ooing and ahhhing over full electric vehicles -and are ignoring the big elephant in the room.
 
Originally Posted by rooflessVW
I want a car that suits me.

Why should I have to change to fit my $63,000 purchase? It's a ridiculous thought.

Tesla's brand of "The Future" is not to my tastes, and clearly I'm not alone.

Do they give you the Kool-aid with the car, or do you have to buy and drink it on your own beforehand?

You're taking it awfully personally. They do things a different way. I don't see what the problem is if there are those who like it and those who don't. But nobody is drinking the Kool-Aid.
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ

Teslas are fine and well and the gradual move toward electric vehicles is both practical and inevitable. I'd love to have one myself except that its basically necessary to carry a cell phone to operate the car. I gather the cell phone functions as the "electronic key fob". I loathe cell phones!


Aside from my personal nit... Where is all this electricity going to come from? Is the power line distribution network in every established city capable of charging millions of cars all night long? What will the impact be on the electric bill? -Hint, it will skyrocket. We already have a few underground mountain ranges filled with radioactive nuclear waste and we're praying those steel barrels filled with "hot" water wont rust-out for the next 50,000 years (LOL). Are we doing to build more nuclear plants and make that problem exponentially worse? Nuclear fusion has made great strides but the holy grail of "free" energy is at least 30-40 years away from being viable.

Indeed, perfect solutions are far-apart and few in-between but, everyone keeps ooing and ahhhing over full electric vehicles -and are ignoring the big elephant in the room.










Yours is the million dollar question. Some regions are already just getting by on electricity. Southern California for example has issues every summer with increased air conditioning usage. Now add to that millions of EVs getting plugged in around 5-6pm or so. That peak demand could be problematic.

It's a ongoing discussion here.

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4945215/1
 
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