Tesla Model 3 unveiled...

[WVUCOOPER]

Even before Tesla unveiled its new Model 3 on Thursday night, more than 115,000 people had already paid $1,000 to reserve one of the highly-anticipated electric cars.
These early buyers didn't know what the car would it look like -- a lot like a smaller Model S with an up-turned nose -- or that it would have a starting price of exactly $35,000. They also didn't know that it would go from zero to 60 in less than 6 seconds and have a range of at least 215 miles.

"We don't make slow cars," CEO Elon Musk said at the car's unveiling, adding that these are minimum specs the company hopes to exceed. "You will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, or even close, even if you get no options," he said later.

Musk said the Model 3 will seat five comfortably, and he emphasized "comfortably." After the launch event at the automaker's Southern California design studio, Tesla executives gave guests brief rides in prototype Model 3 cars. The vehicle does, in fact, seat at least four people comfortably. Five would probably be a squeeze.

The windshield and back window nearly touch, leaving only a narrow bar of actual roof to separate them, which makes for a nearly complete view of the sky over occupants' heads. There is no gauge cluster in front of the driver, only air-conditioning vents.

A rectangular touchpad screen mounted on the dashboard between the front seats is the only information display. The car's speed is displayed in the upper left corner within easy view of the driver.

The car I rode in was an all-wheel-drive dual-motor version which would cost more than $35,000, but also be more powerful that the base model. Acceleration was neck-strainingly quick, and the ride was -- as always with electric cars -- strangely quiet.

Like the larger Model S, the Model 3 has a trunk and a "frunk," meaning there are large storage areas at both ends of the car. That gives it more storage space than any gasoline-powered car of similar size, Musk boasted.

Musk stuck by his promise that the Model 3 will go on sale by the end of next year. The Fremont, Calif. factory where Tesla (TSLA) builds its cars used to produce nearly half a million cars a year when it was owned by General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM), he said, so it should have no trouble meeting Tesla's needs for this third model.

Tesla's enormous new Nevada Gigafactory should also be able to produce more than enough lithium ion batteries to meet demand.

 

[op2]

Even before Tesla unveiled its new Model 3 on Thursday night, more than 115,000 people had already paid $1,000 to reserve one of the highly-anticipated electric cars.
These early buyers didn't know what the car would it look like -- a lot like a smaller Model S with an up-turned nose -- or that it would have a starting price of exactly $35,000. They also didn't know that it would go from zero to 60 in less than 6 seconds and have a range of at least 215 miles.

"We don't make slow cars," CEO Elon Musk said at the car's unveiling, adding that these are minimum specs the company hopes to exceed. "You will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, or even close, even if you get no options," he said later.

Musk said the Model 3 will seat five comfortably, and he emphasized "comfortably." After the launch event at the automaker's Southern California design studio, Tesla executives gave guests brief rides in prototype Model 3 cars. The vehicle does, in fact, seat at least four people comfortably. Five would probably be a squeeze.

The windshield and back window nearly touch, leaving only a narrow bar of actual roof to separate them, which makes for a nearly complete view of the sky over occupants' heads. There is no gauge cluster in front of the driver, only air-conditioning vents.

A rectangular touchpad screen mounted on the dashboard between the front seats is the only information display. The car's speed is displayed in the upper left corner within easy view of the driver.

The car I rode in was an all-wheel-drive dual-motor version which would cost more than $35,000, but also be more powerful that the base model. Acceleration was neck-strainingly quick, and the ride was -- as always with electric cars -- strangely quiet.

Like the larger Model S, the Model 3 has a trunk and a "frunk," meaning there are large storage areas at both ends of the car. That gives it more storage space than any gasoline-powered car of similar size, Musk boasted.

Musk stuck by his promise that the Model 3 will go on sale by the end of next year. The Fremont, Calif. factory where Tesla (TSLA) builds its cars used to produce nearly half a million cars a year when it was owned by General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM), he said, so it should have no trouble meeting Tesla's needs for this third model.

Tesla's enormous new Nevada Gigafactory should also be able to produce more than enough lithium ion batteries to meet demand.

You beat me to it. I was going to ask people here if they would buy it. It's 35 K, which is kinda high for a car that is aimed at being for the masses. But then again I think there is a 7.5 K government credit if you buy it, which drops the effective price to 27.5 K. And on top of that it will be cheaper to buy fuel for.

Gas has been cheap lately and I honestly wonder if part of the reason is that the oil producing countries are producing large quantities to keep gas prices low and in turn decrease incentives for new technology that doesn't use gas. I mean, I think they see the writing on the wall that their oil gravy train is going to end eventually and it's going to end a lot sooner if the price of gas stays high.

Saudi Arabia really is awful. It will be so good if/when we get to the point that we don't buy huge amounts of their product.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

You beat me to it. I was going to ask people here if they would buy it. It's 35 K, which is kinda high for a car that is aimed at being for the masses. But then again I think there is a 7.5 K government credit if you buy it, which drops the effective price to 27.5 K. And on top of that it will be cheaper to buy fuel for.

Gas has been cheap lately and I honestly wonder if part of the reason is that the oil producing countries are producing large quantities to keep gas prices low and in turn decrease incentives for new technology that doesn't use gas. I mean, I think they see the writing on the wall that their oil gravy train is going to end eventually and it's going to end a lot sooner if the price of gas stays high.

Saudi Arabia really is awful. It will be so good if/when we get to the point that we don't buy huge amounts of their product.

Many states offer additional tax credits as well. West Virginia's credit is for Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles, so I don't think Tesla would qualify.

 

[Mntneer]

Is this an April Fools?

 

[Mntneer]

I would buy it for 2 reasons. 1) Fuel Savings. I paid a little over $30k for a Prius, I'd pay $35k for this. 2) Telsa, I am assuming, is not making junk. So the quality of the vehicle would be high.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

Is this an April Fools?

Ugh. I sure hope not. I can't imagine Tesla would be that stupid.

 

[bornaneer]

What is the miles range for this car?

 

[WVUCOOPER]

What is the miles range for this car?

200+ per charge, though that's just a low-end estimate.

 

[rog1187]

Even before Tesla unveiled its new Model 3 on Thursday night, more than 115,000 people had already paid $1,000 to reserve one of the highly-anticipated electric cars.
These early buyers didn't know what the car would it look like -- a lot like a smaller Model S with an up-turned nose -- or that it would have a starting price of exactly $35,000. They also didn't know that it would go from zero to 60 in less than 6 seconds and have a range of at least 215 miles.

"We don't make slow cars," CEO Elon Musk said at the car's unveiling, adding that these are minimum specs the company hopes to exceed. "You will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, or even close, even if you get no options," he said later.

Musk said the Model 3 will seat five comfortably, and he emphasized "comfortably." After the launch event at the automaker's Southern California design studio, Tesla executives gave guests brief rides in prototype Model 3 cars. The vehicle does, in fact, seat at least four people comfortably. Five would probably be a squeeze.

The windshield and back window nearly touch, leaving only a narrow bar of actual roof to separate them, which makes for a nearly complete view of the sky over occupants' heads. There is no gauge cluster in front of the driver, only air-conditioning vents.

A rectangular touchpad screen mounted on the dashboard between the front seats is the only information display. The car's speed is displayed in the upper left corner within easy view of the driver.

The car I rode in was an all-wheel-drive dual-motor version which would cost more than $35,000, but also be more powerful that the base model. Acceleration was neck-strainingly quick, and the ride was -- as always with electric cars -- strangely quiet.

Like the larger Model S, the Model 3 has a trunk and a "frunk," meaning there are large storage areas at both ends of the car. That gives it more storage space than any gasoline-powered car of similar size, Musk boasted.

Musk stuck by his promise that the Model 3 will go on sale by the end of next year. The Fremont, Calif. factory where Tesla (TSLA) builds its cars used to produce nearly half a million cars a year when it was owned by General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM), he said, so it should have no trouble meeting Tesla's needs for this third model.

Tesla's enormous new Nevada Gigafactory should also be able to produce more than enough lithium ion batteries to meet demand.

Does it come in a truck model?

 

[rog1187]

Even before Tesla unveiled its new Model 3 on Thursday night, more than 115,000 people had already paid $1,000 to reserve one of the highly-anticipated electric cars.
These early buyers didn't know what the car would it look like -- a lot like a smaller Model S with an up-turned nose -- or that it would have a starting price of exactly $35,000. They also didn't know that it would go from zero to 60 in less than 6 seconds and have a range of at least 215 miles.

"We don't make slow cars," CEO Elon Musk said at the car's unveiling, adding that these are minimum specs the company hopes to exceed. "You will not be able to buy a better car for $35,000, or even close, even if you get no options," he said later.

Musk said the Model 3 will seat five comfortably, and he emphasized "comfortably." After the launch event at the automaker's Southern California design studio, Tesla executives gave guests brief rides in prototype Model 3 cars. The vehicle does, in fact, seat at least four people comfortably. Five would probably be a squeeze.

The windshield and back window nearly touch, leaving only a narrow bar of actual roof to separate them, which makes for a nearly complete view of the sky over occupants' heads. There is no gauge cluster in front of the driver, only air-conditioning vents.

A rectangular touchpad screen mounted on the dashboard between the front seats is the only information display. The car's speed is displayed in the upper left corner within easy view of the driver.

The car I rode in was an all-wheel-drive dual-motor version which would cost more than $35,000, but also be more powerful that the base model. Acceleration was neck-strainingly quick, and the ride was -- as always with electric cars -- strangely quiet.

Like the larger Model S, the Model 3 has a trunk and a "frunk," meaning there are large storage areas at both ends of the car. That gives it more storage space than any gasoline-powered car of similar size, Musk boasted.

Musk stuck by his promise that the Model 3 will go on sale by the end of next year. The Fremont, Calif. factory where Tesla (TSLA) builds its cars used to produce nearly half a million cars a year when it was owned by General Motors (GM) and Toyota (TM), he said, so it should have no trouble meeting Tesla's needs for this third model.

Tesla's enormous new Nevada Gigafactory should also be able to produce more than enough lithium ion batteries to meet demand.

How much does it cost for a home charge set-up and how available are charging stations across the country?

 

[op2]

I too wonder about the charging stations across the country and I assume that will be coming with time but at a range of over 200 miles you'd rarely need it and if this was a second car for a family that already has a gas powered car you'd never need it.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

How much does it cost for a home charge set-up and how available are charging stations across the country?

Not sure what you mean by home charge setup. You can just plug in to any outlet. They do sell a turbo charger for your house.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

Does it come in a truck model?

No truck models to date.

 

[Mog]

I preordered mine yesterday morning in Pittsburgh.

t's 35 K, which is kinda high for a car that is aimed at being for the masses.

It's more supposed to compete in the entry-level luxury market- the BMW 3 series, Audi A4, etc.

What is the miles range for this car?

215+ miles for the base model, per their presentation last night. They'll undoubtedly have higher level trims that approach the 300 mile range, though.

How much does it cost for a home charge set-up and how available are charging stations across the country?

You basically just need to get the same type of outlet your dryer uses installed in your garage (NEMA 14-50), which any electrician can do, and it gives you about 29 miles of range per hour. I've read where people have paid anywhere from $450 to $900 or so to have it done. Probably depends a lot on where your electric panel is located. You can use a standard outlet in a pinch, but it'll only give you 3 or 4 miles of charge per hour, so it's not really practical.

Tesla is building out a supercharger network along major highways, and those give about 170 miles of charge in a half hour. It takes longer to fully charge the battery, because the rate has to slow down as it nears capacity apparently.

Here's a map of the network currently:

And here's what they plan to have by the end of the year (probably optimistic):

There are also a lot of public (non-Tesla proprietary) chargers out there, though they don't charge nearly as fast as a Supercharger. You can find info on a lot of those at plugshare.com.

 

[Mog]

But then again I think there is a 7.5 K government credit if you buy it, which drops the effective price to 27.5 K

The $7,500 federal credit actually phases out over time. Every manufacturer has it for the first 200,000 EVs they sell. Once they hit that mark, the full credit stays in effect for two calendar quarters. It's then set at $3750 for two calendar quarters, $1875 for two calendar quarters, and then it's gone.

Tesla is currently on track to hit the 200,000 sales mark in the United States in early 2018, so the full credit isn't going to be available to everyone who preordered the car.

 

[Mog]

 

[mule_eer]

Not sure what you mean by home charge setup. You can just plug in to any outlet. They do sell a turbo charger for your house.

How well that works depends to some degree on how much you drive in a given day, and how much time you have to let the car charge. The turbo chargers are generally a little more efficient in terms of power usage, if I remember correctly. I looked into this a while back when I was trying to figure out if I would spend less on electricity than I do on gas. With current gas prices, I'm probably about even between the 2 if I bought a turbo charger. I'm not currently in the market for a car, and I tend to drive cars until they are either very expensive to maintain or dead. Next time I'm looking for my commuter vehicle, I won't rule out an electric, but I'll probably go with something that's relatively cheaper. In a given work day I usually put at least 80 miles on a car. Couple that with Colorado weather, and it doesn't pay me to spend $35k on something to drive to and from work.

 

[EEReverent]

Tesla did it right. Besides engineering a good product, design the look to appeal to the 8 year-old amateur car designer in us.

 

[Airport]

I would buy it for 2 reasons. 1) Fuel Savings. I paid a little over $30k for a Prius, I'd pay $35k for this. 2) Telsa, I am assuming, is not making junk. So the quality of the vehicle would be high.

Will you gladly pay the state road user tax that has been levied on hybrid owners for buying exactly what the ecoterroist wanted you too? The tax in some states is $1000.

 

[Airport]

How well that works depends to some degree on how much you drive in a given day, and how much time you have to let the car charge. The turbo chargers are generally a little more efficient in terms of power usage, if I remember correctly. I looked into this a while back when I was trying to figure out if I would spend less on electricity than I do on gas. With current gas prices, I'm probably about even between the 2 if I bought a turbo charger. I'm not currently in the market for a car, and I tend to drive cars until they are either very expensive to maintain or dead. Next time I'm looking for my commuter vehicle, I won't rule out an electric, but I'll probably go with something that's relatively cheaper. In a given work day I usually put at least 80 miles on a car. Couple that with Colorado weather, and it doesn't pay me to spend $35k on something to drive to and from work.

Does Colorado have an excise tax for hybrids? A fee to use the roads? One state levied $1000.

 

[eerphone]

Will you gladly pay the state road user tax that has been levied on hybrid owners for buying exactly what the ecoterroist wanted you too? The tax in some states is $1000.

Actually, I get most of the auto magazines and at least one of them had an article about Tesla expecting a lot of quality problems. They are trying to amp up maintenance so they can fix problems quickly. When your engineering and production face the kind of schedules that Elon has put on them, you would expect or anticipate problems. Crazy the speed they are moving. Reminds me of Tucker with all the innovation , not to mention developing the batteries and the plant to build them. I salute Musk, he is the chief risk taker, probably ever.

 

[Airport]

Actually, I get most of the auto magazines and at least one of them had an article about Tesla expecting a lot of quality problems. They are trying to amp up maintenance so they can fix problems quickly. When your engineering and production face the kind of schedules that Elon has put on them, you would expect or anticipate problems. Crazy the speed they are moving. Reminds me of Tucker with all the innovation , not to mention developing the batteries and the plant to build them. I salute Musk, he is the chief risk taker, probably ever.

Govt encouraged people to conserve, buy hybrids and then, when the purchase of gallons of gas went down, and tax revenues for roads, they decided to levy a $1000. surcharge on hybrids and electric cars for doing exactly what govt wanted them to do. Shew!

 

[mule_eer]

Does Colorado have an excise tax for hybrids? A fee to use the roads? One state levied $1000.

Not that I know of. I haven't really looked at hybrids or all electrics very closely - at least not from the cost of purchasing angle.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

Govt encouraged people to conserve, buy hybrids and then, when the purchase of gallons of gas went down, and tax revenues for roads, they decided to levy a $1000. surcharge on hybrids and electric cars for doing exactly what govt wanted them to do. Shew!

Those cars drive on the roads too. They need to help pay for the upkeep, repairs, etc.

 

[Airport]

Those cars drive on the roads too. They need to help pay for the upkeep, repairs, etc.

Then why spend the extra money for the hybrids or electrics that can't go very far? Why would you want to drive a car that could only go 200 miles? Why does govt try to pick a winner by giving incentives for something not needed? Let the product stand on it's own merits.

 

[Airport]

The $7,500 federal credit actually phases out over time. Every manufacturer has it for the first 200,000 EVs they sell. Once they hit that mark, the full credit stays in effect for two calendar quarters. It's then set at $3750 for two calendar quarters, $1875 for two calendar quarters, and then it's gone.

Tesla is currently on track to hit the 200,000 sales mark in the United States in early 2018, so the full credit isn't going to be available to everyone who preordered the car.

Again, why is govt involved? If that product is good, let them sell it at the real price.

 

[moe]

Then why spend the extra money for the hybrids or electrics that can't go very far? Why would you want to drive a car that could only go 200 miles? Why does govt try to pick a winner by giving incentives for something not needed? Let the product stand on it's own merits.

Because they are energy efficient and less polluting. If the gov't never got involved with industry, we would be overwhelmed with pollution of air, water and land.

 

[mule_eer]

Then why spend the extra money for the hybrids or electrics that can't go very far? Why would you want to drive a car that could only go 200 miles? Why does govt try to pick a winner by giving incentives for something not needed? Let the product stand on it's own merits.

I have a buddy who owns 5 cars, and he rents a car if he is taking a road trip. None of his cars are hybrids or electrics, but my point is that some folks don't ever intend to use a POV for a long trip.

I have a pickup that I use almost exclusively in really bad weather and to haul things short distances. I have a nicer car that I've had for almost 9 years - that's my daily driver. The third car is the family car, and that's the one that is generally used for road trips and such. There is no reason my commuter car couldn't be an electric, and I have a fairly long commute - 80 miles round trip per day. If you do the math, I put about 20k miles on that car every year. I generally get around 28-30 miles/gal. Colorado gas tax is $0.22/gal and the federal is $0.184/gal. In a given year I pay around $280 in tax on gasoline alone. So, you are saying that if I kept an electric for at least 4 years, I would be ahead of the curve. Now imagine I was driving something that got way worse mileage, like the Nissan Frontier I had prior to buying my current car. I would be paying something like $425/year in gas tax. It would pay off pretty fast there. I should also add that the new Tesla is $35k. In a comparably equipped, gasoline powered car or truck, I would be paying around the same amount for the vehicle, if not more.

 

[COOL MAN]

The Model 3 could take Tesla under if its quality doesn't dramatically exceed his current vehicles.

Their current user base remains small enough in number.....and they paid enough for his vehicles up front.....that Tesla can treat them as boutique customers. Moreover, Tesla owners have thus far shown a fair amount of willingness to manage the Company's logistical shortcomings in order to call themselves, well, Tesla customers. Plus, Tesla is still in the business of delighting their customers from a Service standpoint once it responds.

But when the Model 3 (intended as a far higher volume vehicle) starts shipping in numbers to John Q Public, Tesla's infrastructure will be tasked from a Service standpoint in a manner Elon Musk can only imagine currently. And let's face it, nobody complains as much (and as vocally) as disappointed car owners when Consumer Reports comes calling with their annual QC survey.

It's at that time Musk could easily be looking for someone......like some manner of traditional dealer network.....on which to off-load Service issues he can't possibly handle internally. I figure won't take long for owners of a $40K Model 3.....especially where it might easily be their only household vehicle (unlike Model S and X owners, who own other cars).....to start barking like junkyard dogs if Musk trips up on Service.

OTOH, Musk is hardly an idiot, and I doubt too many can accuse him (at least currently) as being anything other than a forward thinker. In other words, I assume he has some kind of long-range plan for Tesla as a mass market seller of automobiles. But I myself don't know what that is right now.

I admit I blow hot and cold on Elon Musk; I sometimes find him an incredibly compelling risk-taker and visionary.....with some of the bigger brass balls in recent US manufacturing history.....while at others I find him self-aggrandizing and distasteful in the extreme. But that's largely the way of life for most disruptive technologists; and even his enemies probably have to grant that if you can't think of Musk as anything else, he meets pretty much every definition of a disruptive technologist.

Henrik Fiskar tried mass market electric vehicles himself a few years ago and failed miserably......and he's trying it again in conjunction with ex-Chrysler and GM honcho "Maximum" Bob Lutz. But I'm not at all sold Fiskar's formula today is any better than when he was selling his Karma sedan. That said, if anyone can make electric vehicles a long-term, independent proposition, one would have to think Musk's initial steps have been about as good as he could have made.

I still wonder what happens if/when companies like BMW and Mercedes and Toyota/Lexus......and even GM, for that matter.......ever get really serious about electrics, and decide to take the fight directly to Tesla ??

 

[Mog]

Then why spend the extra money for the hybrids or electrics that can't go very far? Why would you want to drive a car that could only go 200 miles?

Everyone's situation is different, but realistically the vast majority of the time you're not driving 200+ miles in a single trip. For those other times Tesla is building out a supercharger network along major highways that will provide very fast charging service. Other entities are installing public charging stations as well, though they're not as fast as the Tesla superchargers.

Again, why is govt involved? If that product is good, let them sell it at the real price.

The goal is to incentivize the development/adoption of technology to improve the environment. Like most new technology, the batteries/electrical systems for these cars were/are expensive while first being developed and become cheaper as things become more refined. That's why the incentive was provided to every vehicle manufacturer, and it phases out over time. Give things a kickstart to move it along, but not permanently fund them once they become cost-effective.

You may or may not think that's a worthwhile cause, but that's the goal behind it.

 

[Mog]

Their current user base remains small enough in number.....and they paid enough for his vehicles up front.....that Tesla can treat them as boutique customers. Moreover, Tesla owners have thus far shown a fair amount of willingness to manage the Company's logistical shortcomings in order to call themselves, well, Tesla customers.

I imagine that's largely why current Tesla employees, SpaceX employees, and Tesla owners receive priority for Model 3 preorders. They'll likely be more accepting of early build issues than Joe Public.

 

[COOL MAN]

I preordered mine yesterday morning in Pittsburgh..

Congratulations on your new purchase commitment, Mog. I don't know when you'll eventually drive it home.......my own gut feeling is that you'll be extraordinarily fortunate to do so within the current delivery estimates.....but I do hope you'll eventually keep us posted on how the Model 3 works out for you.

I myself don't know anyone personally who own a Tesla......though I met a client for the first time 2 weeks ago who was waiting for delivery of his Model S. The fellow was an older (probably late 60's) Euro-born owner of his own Greater LA-area company, who acknowledges he's about as excited about his new Model S (though he admits he's leery of Autopilot) as anything he's ever purchased in his life.

 

[Mog]

my own gut feeling is that you'll be extraordinarily fortunate to do so within the current delivery estimates

Yeah, I'm hoping for the second half of 2018, but I won't be surprised at all if it's much later. Tesla isn't exactly known for meeting its deadlines.

I test drove a Model S about a month ago, and it was a lot of fun. I kind of had the same thoughts on autopilot- I only had it on for a half mile or so, but I sure wasn't about to take my hands off the wheel. It was neat having the car slow down for traffic in front of me, but I didn't trust it enough to fully brake. Probably one of those things that takes a while to get used to.

 

[WVUCOOPER]

Then why spend the extra money for the hybrids or electrics that can't go very far? Why would you want to drive a car that could only go 200 miles? Why does govt try to pick a winner by giving incentives for something not needed? Let the product stand on it's own merits.

You don't have to drive one brah, but it's common sense that those drivers will need to pay their share for using the road. I would have thought you'd be all over making them pay.

 

[op2]

Then why spend the extra money for the hybrids or electrics that can't go very far? Why would you want to drive a car that could only go 200 miles? Why does govt try to pick a winner by giving incentives for something not needed? Let the product stand on it's own merits.

The government has been picking winners for gasoline powered cards for decades by spending a lot of money to keep the oil in the Middle East flowing. Mature technologies have all kinds of built in advantages so if there is a promising new technology I think it's okay for the government to give it a boost.

They say it can go 215 miles before it needs a recharge. How often do people drive farther than 215 miles at a stretch? And the chargers are getting faster. And of course the battery technology in general will only get better. Eventually you'll even be able to take them on trips and after several hours when you stop for food you'll plug it in and it will recharge while you eat.

I think it's great. I'm not a car person but if I was I'd look into getting one. And the bad guys have a lot of the oil. Just the fact that electric cars are going to hurt Saudi Arabia gets me psyched.

 

[COOL MAN]

I imagine that's largely why current Tesla employees, SpaceX employees, and Tesla owners receive priority for Model 3 preorders. They'll likely be more accepting of early build issues than Joe Public.

Yes, that obviously all adds up......as well as the fact the overwhelming majority of them will be located in (or relatively near) Fremont CA.

I kind of had the same thoughts on autopilot- I only had it on for a half mile or so, but I sure wasn't about to take my hands off the wheel. It was neat having the car slow down for traffic in front of me, but I didn't trust it enough to fully brake. Probably one of those things that takes a while to get used to.

Regarding Autopilot, I'm not sure Tesla owners will be anymore (or less) reluctant to rely on such technologies than buyers of any other vehicle. However, the a basic willingness to accept/purchase a vehicle as unconventional as Tesla would seem to position its owners as somehow more willing.....from the outside looking in, at least......to become users (and early adopters) of autonomous/semi-autonomous driving technologies.

 

[Airport]

I have a buddy who owns 5 cars, and he rents a car if he is taking a road trip. None of his cars are hybrids or electrics, but my point is that some folks don't ever intend to use a POV for a long trip.

I have a pickup that I use almost exclusively in really bad weather and to haul things short distances. I have a nicer car that I've had for almost 9 years - that's my daily driver. The third car is the family car, and that's the one that is generally used for road trips and such. There is no reason my commuter car couldn't be an electric, and I have a fairly long commute - 80 miles round trip per day. If you do the math, I put about 20k miles on that car every year. I generally get around 28-30 miles/gal. Colorado gas tax is $0.22/gal and the federal is $0.184/gal. In a given year I pay around $280 in tax on gasoline alone. So, you are saying that if I kept an electric for at least 4 years, I would be ahead of the curve. Now imagine I was driving something that got way worse mileage, like the Nissan Frontier I had prior to buying my current car. I would be paying something like $425/year in gas tax. It would pay off pretty fast there. I should also add that the new Tesla is $35k. In a comparably equipped, gasoline powered car or truck, I would be paying around the same amount for the vehicle, if not more.

Then there is no reason to give a 7 grand tax incentive.

 

[COOL MAN]

The government has been picking winners for gasoline powered cards for decades by spending a lot of money to keep the oil in the Middle East flowing. Mature technologies have all kinds of built in advantages so if there is a promising new technology I think it's okay for the government to give it a boost.

They say it can go 215 miles before it needs a recharge. How often do people drive farther than 215 miles at a stretch? And the chargers are getting faster. And of course the battery technology in general will only get better. Eventually you'll even be able to take them on trips and after several hours when you stop for food you'll plug it in and it will recharge while you eat.

I think it's great. I'm not a car person but if I was I'd look into getting one. And the bad guys have a lot of the oil. Just the fact that electric cars are going to hurt Saudi Arabia gets me psyched.

Under the assumption one eventually sees electrics gain some manner of legitimate foothold within the automotive buying public......and I'm talking mean globally, not just in NA.....it won't take any kind of government intervention (especially in the US and China) before OPEC responds with crude oil pricing far lower than even what we've enjoyed the last 6 months. And that's before what the major global refiners will do in attempts to defend their territory I've got some personal theories on what might happen with that segment in the future (which aren't important here).

But while some buyers will certainly embrace electric technology for philosophical reasons.....that is, negatively affecting (and hence eliminating reliance on) OPEC......presumably many more will be equally pleased to continue purchasing vehicles with internal combustion engines using refined gasoline driven by pricing at historic (and possibly permanent) lows.

 

[Airport]

Because they are energy efficient and less polluting. If the gov't never got involved with industry, we would be overwhelmed with pollution of air, water and land.

Where does your electricity come from? Still requires quite a bit of natural gas and coal. Energy is neither created or destroyed but changes shape. 97% of electricity in Ohio still comes from burning something.

 

[Airport]

You don't have to drive one brah, but it's common sense that those drivers will need to pay their share for using the road. I would have thought you'd be all over making them pay.

Brah, no need for the govt to subsidize them. There's no need for govt to subsidize anything.