Tesla 3?
Anybody has the Tesla 3 car? My husband loves the Tesla cars, but I have been refusing to purchase the model S since it is over $100k for the car. The model 3 is closer to $60k for the features he wants so a bit more reasonable though still more expensive than any car I have ever owned or driven. Curious if anyone purchased it or made the decision to purchase it and if so are you happy with the decision? Anyone has it and does not like it? Our two current cars are gas cars so how difficult is the transition to electric for a family who has always had gas cars? We are keeping one gas car so will not be completely relying on the electric car for everything, but I'm worried about figuring out new technology and driving the electric car and charging it.
Parent Replies
We have the S, so I can answer half your questions. The transition is seamless — even enjoyable. The car is heaven (and my understanding is that the 3 is very similar) It’s an exhilarating feeling to drive by a gas station and realize that this car will never go in one again! The car gets nearly 300 miles to a charge, so you charge it about as often, or less, than having to gas up.The suspension is aces, the trunk huge, and the acceleration (again, apparently similar in the 3) is addictive. I do recommend a home charger, but it will quickly pay for itself because of not having to use gas. We crossed over effortlessly.
Why not test drive one? I don’t think you’ll have any concerns once you do.
A Satisfied Customer
Hello, if you search for news about the Tesla 3 you’ll realize this is not a car you can buy any time soon. There is waitlist of hundreds of thousands of people who have already put down a deposit, and Tesla is struggling to get its production line working. Right now they are only producing several hundred cars a week. There is much speculation that Tesla will not survive. As someone who works in transportation policy, my advice is to check out the Chevy Volt/Bolt or Nissan Leaf. Check back with tesla in 3 years.
Good luck -
Autumn
Sorry for taking so long to reply. We have a Model S, our son has a Model 3, and my father has a Chevy Bolt. There are pros and cons for each of the cars, but we all like what we have. There are versions of the Model S that are cheaper than $100K and versions of the Model 3 that are more than $60K. Eventually, there will be Model 3s that are cheaper. You can now order a Model 3 from the website, whereas before you could only make a reservation. Depending on the options you want, it currently says it will take 1-4 months to get the car.
Driving an electric car is a little different, but generally it doesn’t take very long to get used to it. I love the fact that I can accelerate quickly if I need to and there is no shifting or whiny engine. It is very smooth and quiet. You would almost certainly need to install some kind of charging option at your house. While you can charge from a regular outlet, it would be very slow. The simplest faster option is a NEMA 14-50 outlet, but you can also get wall chargers that charge more quickly. We went with a wall charger and carry the charging cable and adaptors that came with the car in the car.
If you will be doing any traveling at all, the Tesla Supercharger network is awesome. We drove up to Oregon with our Model S last summer and were able to charge without too much trouble the whole way. You do have to be willing to have it take longer than just stopping for gas at a gas station. The technology hasn’t quite gotten to the point where the time needed is equivalent. While there are chargers that work for the Bolt, it is harder to travel with it, even though it has a nice range.
I’m happy to talk with you more, if that would be helpful. Feel free to contact me through my username on the website.
Lucy