EdFred
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Well yeah, blue area to blue area along interstates. How bout for those of us that like to get away from people for our road trips? Like ND or the UP of Michigan?
Tesla Model 3 - Now I get the hype.
- Thread starter flyingcheesehead
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Well yeah, blue area to blue area along interstates. How bout for those of us that like to get away from people for our road trips? Like ND or the UP of Michigan?
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Velocity173
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Yes, that's why public transit is a distant second place. I did use the bus here once to bring my truck back from the airport I temporarily had my plane at after bringing the plane back. Took a cab to the bus stop, a bus to the other city and a cab from their bus stop to the airport.
Luckily it's much easier to find rural internet than rural busses.
1RTK1
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With that extra $20K and the rule of 72, a tesla doesn't make sense monetarily.
tspear
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Timothy
Comparing the wrong vehicle. Tesla really is a luxury car.
Compare that Civic; which is a base model to a Nissan Leaf.
Tim
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
The one I was in, a 3 I guess, didn't seem very luxury to me. Maybe our definitions are different of what luxury is.
Caramon13
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Disagree. The model 3 looks more like a basic car with a sorta interesting exterior and what equates to a docked tablet in the interior for all functions. That doesn't equal a luxury car at all in my opinion. It's got leather, so maybe that equates to a luxury car to you?
Nothing about ANY of the Tesla models screams luxury.
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I've looked at the interior of the 3, and it looks rather utilitarian to me. Now of course people may well perceive it to be a luxury car just based on cost. And as for the Civic, it has power everything including moonroof, auto climate control with separate temp for each side, heated seats, keyless entry and push button start, apple car play, higher end audio, adaptive suspension, etc. The only luxury feature it really lacks is leather seats, but for this car and it's mission I prefer the cloth seats.
1RTK1
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Any car that has leather seats better have the azz cooler or I won't own it. I prefer cloth over leather any day.
deonb
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2 things about that Video:
a) If you're going to bring up the worst case scenario...
In 7 years of owning a Tesla, and about a hundred SuperCharger stops in 8 states, including California, I've waiting maybe a cumulative of 30 minutes for chargers to open up.
b) Since that Video was posted (14 months ago), Tesla build 4 more SuperCharger stations in the San Diego area.
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Velocity173
I think the Accord would be a better comparison than the Civic. You’d still save around $20K and at 38 MPG, it would take a long time to recoup the cost difference.
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It’s not a worse case scenario. He’s a story from 5 days ago.
https://mashable.com/article/electric-vehicles-public-charging-tesla/ The problem is, you wait 30 minutes to get a charger and then have to wait another (minimum) 30 minutes to charge.
Can’t remember the last time I waited for gas. But if I were cheap then I would be waiting in a Costco gas station (picture) to save a few pennies on the gallon. That truly is a worst case scenario and only brought on by the consumers choice.
deonb
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Just a little bit of patience required on those. Orange cones are SuperChargers under active construction, blue dots are permits granted:
However, that wasn't really the point. You can likely always find a series of roads that are not covered somewhere. I can't see driving an EV from Seattle to Anchorage anytime soon.
It's more a matter of, on the roads that are indeed covered, is it a burden to use a Tesla over an equivalent gasoline vehicle?
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
In my case, yes. US2 through Escanaba is not on the way to 6Y9 when it's being driven. That's a long reroute.
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chartbundle
Even when I drove one of those fancy gasoline powered cars I'd never wait in a line for gas, it was never worth my time.
Now unless the log trucks are having a convention and blocking the diesel pumps there's never a line.
1RTK1
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I would go elsewhere rather than wait in line for gas as pictured above. They must be giving it away for free, no one could be that foolish.....With an EV you don't have many choices at this time.
EdFred
Taxi to Parking
Yep. Usually, there's 2 or 3 of them within a 1/4-1/2 mile of each other and you can scoot across the street to the one without a line - just like the Supercharging stations. Oh wait...
Appears to be Costco which can be about 20-30 cents cheaper. Gotta wait in line to save that $3.00 on a fill up. People are morons.
deonb
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Corte Madera (Marin County) has 10 chargers. A line "5 deep" for a 30 minute charge isn't 30 minutes, it's 15 minutes. Either way, I have no problem admitting Tesla needs to built more SuperChargers. As for the problems with etiquette in that article, I couldn't agree more.
deonb
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Not really
. But to that point... The guy lived in Beverly Hills, but was doing something in San Diego, so...a) If he was on his way back from San Diego to Beverly Hills I count 21 SuperCharger locations across 2 highway options.
b) If he was stationary in San Diego for a few days (which I think he was), he could/should have charged his car overnight, in which case I count 17 hotels with Tesla specific "destination chargers" in the San Diego area, and an additional 114 public charging locations - every one of those would have given him more than enough juice overnight to get back home.
The reason I suspect he didn't do this is either:
1) He has free SuperCharging on his car, and would rather wait an hour rather than spend $10. That's his choice then.
2) He wanted to make a sensationalist video. Tesla bashing videos do get a lot of clicks.
I think it's more likely #2. There are definitely places where you don't have the option to stay in a hotel with overnight charging. San Diego isn't one of them. Also, he mentioned that he pays $400 for home charging per month... On a 75D at California rates, that would require 40 empty-to-full "overnight" charges per month, which isn't realistic in any kind of scenario.
tspear
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Timothy
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Tesla 3 hides a crap tone of what many consider luxury features behind the huge center screen and management system. e,g. environment controls.
As a result; I find the very minimalist interior of Tesla does not match what most consider luxury cars. It is missing all those wonderful buttons.
Outside of my rather informal opinion; when you look at the reviews and mags. Tesla, even the 3 is consistently considered as part of the luxury car market. e,g.
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/03/0...-money-tesla-model-3-specs-vs-30-competitors/
Tim
@Caramon13
@Bill Jennings
Tesla 3 hides a crap tone of what many consider luxury features behind the huge center screen and management system. e,g. environment controls.
As a result; I find the very minimalist interior of Tesla does not match what most consider luxury cars. It is missing all those wonderful buttons.
Outside of my rather informal opinion; when you look at the reviews and mags. Tesla, even the 3 is consistently considered as part of the luxury car market. e,g.
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/03/0...-money-tesla-model-3-specs-vs-30-competitors/
Tim
deonb
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Yeah no kidding. People are savages. e.g.
* On one of my drives to California on the 101, I was charging overnight and someone came and cut through the (very active) 240V 50A charge cable right at the station and stole it. Thankfully didn't damage my car. I'm impressed that they survived:
* A month ago I got unplugged by a Leaf owner, who then proceeded to exploit a bug in the plug-in process to charge his car with me paying for it. That one was pretty brazen. I came back to find his car still there, happily chugging away on my account. WTH.
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EdFred
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We all have different tastes. I very much disliked the center screen. Very, very much.
That article lost me in paragraph 2. It was NOT a smooth ride. That regen braking is herky jerky. A smooth ride to me is having a cup of coffee (or drink of choice) filled almost to the top of an open container, and not spilling it. Never gonna happen with that regen braking.
deonb
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Aesthetically I prefer the Model S vertical dash-integrated screen.
Functionally I far prefer the Model 3 horizontal stand-out screen. So much so that I won't upgrade my Model S until they're coming out with a horizontal screen for it (even though the new 370 mile range is very tempting).
Now that the car has NetFlix, Hulu and YouTube, a vertical screen just makes no sense anymore...
JOhnH
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Personally, I am glad there are so many Tesla haters. If everyone loved Tesla, the price would shoot way up and I might not be able to afford it.
So keep spreading the negative opinions, until after I buy one.
So keep spreading the negative opinions, until after I buy one.
I used to do all that stuff too. One day on a Buick Skylark the water pump went; the bearing had a nice howl. I tried to remove the water pump, but it was held in position by three threadless studs, and three bolts. All well until I discovered that on assembly someone crimped the studs in place. One end of each stud should have been crimped, but bozo the enthusiastic (and unsupervised) crimper at the engine assembly plant crimped both ends of each stud.
Well, I learned about drilling out studs at that time. Lucky I was working next to a machine shop owned by good friends so the right tools were at hand. However, it did about triple the time required for the job...
-Skip
1RTK1
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Don't think the people are haters. EV's aren't for everyone, some tesla owners like other owners of certain planes think they are the end all be all and there is no such thing.
I tow, hunt and go in the back country often. Why would I buy a second vehicle, pay more insurance, etc. just to say I have an EV?? They don't fit everyone's mission.
FormerHangie
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With regenerative braking, it may be quite a while before any Model 3 owners find out. I have a plug in hybrid, I pulled a front wheel to look at the brakes at 70,000 miles, the pads still look new.
tspear
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Timothy
Actually I do not believe I expressed my tastes one way or the other.
I have not driven a Tesla 3 to form an opinion if the minimalist interior is good or bad. I will tell you that I detest iOS single button....
In terms of smooth ride; I have been a passenger in two different model 3s multiple times. One is very rough, the other is as smooth as glass when braking. No idea if the difference is the driver or how the car are configured.
Tim
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chartbundle
Probably tripped a GFCI type circuit for just this sort of reason. But I'm sensing a new business opportunity, armored EV charge cables, for both these kind of units and the people who don't have a garage or otherwise need to charge in a public place. Alternatively, shielded EV charge cables with the shield hooked up to something like an electric fence charger, harmless but hurts like hell when they try and cut it.
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
I used to do all that stuff too. One day on a Buick Skylark the water pump went; the bearing had a nice howl. I tried to remove the water pump, but it was held in position by three threadless studs, and three bolts. All well until I discovered that on assembly someone crimped the studs in place. One end of each stud should have been crimped, but bozo the enthusiastic (and unsupervised) crimper at the engine assembly plant crimped both ends of each stud.
Well, I learned about drilling out studs at that time. Lucky I was working next to a machine shop owned by good friends so the right tools were at hand. However, it did about triple the time required for the job...
-Skip
The most sure-fire way to never need to use an EZ-Out is to always have a complete set on hand before starting any job.
Rich
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
I haven't read any hate here. I for one am keeping very current (see what I did there?) on developments in EV tech, especially batteries. There may come a day when an electric vehicle suits my mission and makes economic sense, and that day may arrive in a mere few years. But that day hasn't arrived yet.
Rich
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I dunno Rich, the way you spend money I’m not sure it’ll happen anytime soon, unless you buy a golf cart.
Rich that wouldn’t work. There were no threads at all on the studs. So nothing to back out, EZ or other. Had to be drilled. To get access, I had to remove the radiator. And while we are at it, new hoses. And new coolant. I remember a quote by Tom Downey: the bigger the hole is, the bigger it needs to be.
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This thread has got me thinking about dipping my toe in the water, so to speak. What say you all to this EV:
https://egopowerplus.com/snow-blower/
https://egopowerplus.com/snow-blower/
Zeldman
Touchdown! Greaser!
I remember back when I was a kid, my dad drove his 1959 Dodge pickup into the gas station, self serve of course. Across the street the gas was 1 cent a gallon cheaper, so pop cranked up and crossed the street to the cheaper station, and put 10 gallons in the truck.
Saved a whole dime on that one. Gas was $0.209 at the first station, $0.199 at the other one.... Then again, a 6.5 ounce bottle of Coca Cola was only a nickel, so we both got a cold bottle of Coke.!!
Saved a whole dime on that one. Gas was $0.209 at the first station, $0.199 at the other one.... Then again, a 6.5 ounce bottle of Coca Cola was only a nickel, so we both got a cold bottle of Coke.!!
JOhnH
Touchdown! Greaser!
Ok. "Hate" may have been the wrong word, but there are definitely those who seem to think that denigrating the Tesla, and those who like it, makes them look smart.
It doesn't. You have mentioned several times that it doesn't fit your mission, at least for now. I have no problem with that. But it is a perfect fit for many people's missions and tastes. So I have no idea why this thread is lasting so long.
JOhnH
Touchdown! Greaser!
I was only 7 years old in '59, but I don't remember self-serve gas back then.
Also, there must not have been labor laws because I used to work at a Sinclair station in Philadelphia at 8 yrs old. I pumped gas but had a little trouble washing windshields and checking oil because of my height (or rather, lack thereof). In return I got to sit around the station and chat with the old guys (that were in high school) and drink free cokes from the ice box. I also remember using the shop to fix holes in my bicycle inner tube.
RJM62
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Geek on the Hill
Depends on how much snow you have to clear. I doubt it could get through a single average snowfall at my place without recharging. I'm guessing that would be about 3,000 cubic feet of snow, on average; but occasionally twice that much if it came down overnight. If I'm at home and awake, I usually clear when it's between 10 and 14 inches, even if it's still snowing, because it's easier in the long run (in addition to the whole Zen aspect of it all). But I have woken up to two feet or more a few times.
It's also not self-propelled, which could be a bummer if you have a long driveway.
On the other hand, it gets good reviews on both Amazon and Home Depot. The good reviews on Home Depot, however, tend to use 6 - 8 inches of wet snow as their yardstick. My Husqvarna (gas-powered) can clear wet snow up to two feet deep if need be, albeit rather slowly.
So again, it comes down to suitability for the mission. If I had a small driveway, I might consider it. I have no special love for farting around with gasoline during blizzards in sub-zero weather. But I doubt it could get through even one average snowfall at my place. I'd need more information, and probably a good deal on extra batteries, before I'd consider it for my needs.
Rich