• Welcome! The TrekBBS is the number one place to chat about Star Trek with like-minded fans.
    If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Tesla Model 3 looks to be a total game changer!!!

Romulan_spy

Romulan_spy

Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
This French website claims to have the pricing and options for the Model 3:
http://www.tesla-mag.com/prix-model-3/

Here is the chart that shows the unconfirmed pricing and options:
model3-chart.png


The chart certainly looks plausible. If true, I am very excited. A 342 mile range Tesla car starting at $45,000 before tax credit would be amazing!! We know the Model 3 is set to begin production in July. So we should get some official word on pricing and options in the next few months.

I think the Model 3 will be a total game changer in the EV market. The real question is whether Tesla can ramp up production fast enough to meet demand in a timely manner.
 
It is a big step in the right direction but for an electric car to truly break into the market it has to be comparable to fuel powered cars, i.e. a range of at least 800-900 km per tank (that's about 500 miles) and charging the car can't take more than a few minutes, at least not significantly more than a regular tank stop at a gas station.

Third is pricing.. if they can compete with the prices on the regular market in their own class then they have a chance.

Once these prerequisites are filled i expect the demand to skyrocket.. i would much prefer an electric car over a fuel one. It's safer, more eco friendly and cheaper to operate. I hope Tesla is successful so they can pave the way and in about 10-20 years have that breakthrough in the mass market.
 
Nice, and headed in the right direction. But it's still out of my price range. :shrug:

Kor
 
FPAlpha said:
i.e. a range of at least 800-900 km per tank (that's about 500 miles)
Click to expand...

I think your 500 miles number is too high. Most American ICE cars have a gas range of about 400 miles, not 500 miles. So 342 miles is really good. The thing with ICE cars is that it is so easy to refuel that the gas range has become irrelevant. I bet most people don't even know what their car's gas range is.

and charging the car can't take more than a few minutes, at least not significantly more than a regular tank stop at a gas station.
Click to expand...

I agree but only in part. Quick charging will be important in order to make EVs good for long distance driving like road trips. Right now, EV cars are seen as only good for city commuting and I believe that it is a big reason why they are not more popular. Most people want a car that they can drive long distances without worrying about range.

But EVs don't need charging to be as quick as refueling for most driving unlike gas cars. A gas car can only refuel at a gas station so no matter how short your drive is, when the car is near empty, you will need to stop at a gas station. You basically have to take time out of your drive to refuel so quick refueling is a must. With an EV, in most instances, you don't need to take time out of your drive to recharge because you can recharge when you are already doing something else, like at home when you are sleeping or in a parking lot when you at a ball game. Driving outside your range is the only time when charging will be a concern. And most EV drivers can always leave their home on a full charge which you cannot do with an ICE car. So if the drive is within their range, then they never have to worry about charging because they can always leave home on a full charge and come back home on the same charge. And there are more and more chargers at places where people already stop for long periods of time like stadiums or hotels. So again, if you are planning to stop for a couple hours at a sports event or a hotel or a restaurant, then charging for 30-40 minutes is not a big deal. So I think charging definitely needs to be faster but does not need to be as fast as refueling.
 
sojourner said:
Which means planning to never go farther than %50 of your total range.
Click to expand...

Wrong! That is what many people think an EV means but that is not at all what I saying. I am saying you don't need to worry about refueling IF you were already planning on driving less than 50% or if your destination has a place to charge. For example, if your work commute is say 30 miles then you don't need to worry about "stopping for gas" on your way to work because you will have enough charge to go to work and back.

An EV is not limited to only driving up to 50% of its battery range. Your home is not the only place to charge. There are many other places where you can recharge. Now, I will admit that non-Tesla cars are limited to rather slow chargers which limit their maximum range. Tesla cars have the advantage of a large network of superchargers that make long distance travel very easy.
 
Romulan_spy said:
Wrong!
Click to expand...
Nope. If you plan on leaving the house on one charge and return on the same charge (as you specifically stated) your total range is cut in half. Or else you could be totally screwed if it turns out there aren't any charging points at your destination. Granted. in most cases with a little planning and help from the built in information system in the Tesla's you can go farther than that and only start to worry when the car tells you you should be looking to recharge.
 
sojourner said:
Nope. If you plan on leaving the house on one charge and return on the same charge (as you specifically stated) your total range is cut in half. Or else you could be totally screwed if it turns out there aren't any charging points at your destination. Granted. in most cases with a little planning and help from the built in information system in the Tesla's you can go farther than that and only start to worry when the car tells you you should be looking to recharge.
Click to expand...

I think we are talking past each other a bit. Of course, if you are planning to come back on the same charge, then yes, you are limited to 50% of your total range. But an EV driver is not required to come back on the same charge. They can drive further than 50% if they find a charging station on their route or at their destination.

What I am trying to point out is that EV cars require different thinking than an ICE car. With an ICE car, you cannot refuel at home but only at select locations. With an EV car, you can "refuel" at home as well as other locations. The ability to "refuel" at home does change how you plan trips.
 
It does indeed. You don't have to hit the petrol station on the way out of town. Saves you a good 10 to 15 minutes.
 
Romulan_spy said:
I think we are talking past each other a bit. Of course, if you are planning to come back on the same charge, then yes, you are limited to 50% of your total range. But an EV driver is not required to come back on the same charge. They can drive further than 50% if they find a charging station on their route or at their destination.

What I am trying to point out is that EV cars require different thinking than an ICE car. With an ICE car, you cannot refuel at home but only at select locations. With an EV car, you can "refuel" at home as well as other locations. The ability to "refuel" at home does change how you plan trips.
Click to expand...

If the infrastructure is in place, great.

For me, the nearest charging point is 20 miles away, the next is 40 and neither near my regular routes. Not a huge distance in the great scheme of things, but for ICE cars, there are at least six stations within a five mile radius. (I know about the charge at home thing, but I don't have off road parking so that may be an issue)

There are a couple of Teslas I see regularly and I would like to try one, but they're not quite as convienient for me as my current vehicle yet.

ETA - One of the trips I make is apparently a 236 mile round trip. While there is time to charge at the other end as I'm usually at the site for six or so hours, there isn't a charger near there.) I guess the 50kw one would really be of little use to me but I'd prefer the P80D in any case:)
 
Last edited:
John Clark said:
There are a couple of Teslas I see regularly and I would like to try one, but they're not quite as convienient for me as my current vehicle yet.
Click to expand...

I got the chance to drive a Model S P100D and it was an absolutely magical driving experience.

What do you mean by "off road parking"? You can use any standard electric outlet to charge a Tesla.
 
sojourner said:
Someone needs to market parking meters with built in chargers. Cities would eat those up.
Click to expand...

There are US cities that are putting charging stations that look kinda like parking meters at every parking spot in the city. Change is coming.
 
sojourner said:
Someone needs to market parking meters with built in chargers. Cities would eat those up.
Click to expand...

A couple of the car parks near us do have (non super) chargers and using those gives you both free parking. For topping up there's a subscription model it mentions and also a 9p kWh if that particular site isn't free.

I don't know how long they would take to charge though. I've also not seen a Tesla parked there yet but there have been several other EV's such as the Nissan and GM/Vauxhall one.
 
Romulan_spy said:
I got the chance to drive a Model S P100D and it was an absolutely magical driving experience.

What do you mean by "off road parking"? You can use any standard electric outlet to charge a Tesla.
Click to expand...

I mean, parking by the house (Drive way etc). The charging lead would (if fitted attached to the house) would mean the cable stretched across the sidewalk/pavement) :)

With the P100, I'd just be too tempted to show up some boy racer who insists on reving his engine and racing off from the traffic lights.:lol:
 
John Clark said:
I mean, parking by the house (Drive way etc). The charging lead would (if fitted attached to the house) would mean the cable stretched across the sidewalk/pavement) :)
Click to expand...

Every Tesla car comes with 20 ft charging cable. I would hope that would be long enough for you.

With the P100, I'd just be too tempted to show up some boy racer who insists on reving his engine and racing off from the traffic lights.:lol:
Click to expand...

The P100D is insanely fast. I'd get speeding tickets every day. LOL.
 
Romulan_spy said:
Every Tesla car comes with 20 ft charging cable. I would hope that would be long enough for you.
Click to expand...
I think you're missing the issue here. Running a cable from a building/house to a car parallel parked on the street can be problematic. It's a trip hazard and an invitation for mischief.
 
sojourner said:
I think you're missing the issue here. Running a cable from a building/house to a car parallel parked on the street can be problematic. It's a trip hazard and an invitation for mischief.
Click to expand...

I did not realize that you were parallel parked in the street. I thought you were parked in a driveway adjacent to the house. In your situation, home charging probably would not work. So, yeah, I totally get why an EV might not be a good choice for you. That's a bummer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
If you are not already a member then please register an account and join in the discussion!

Sign up / Register


Back
Top