Elon: Definitely going to need to rethink production planning…
I doubt that many will cancel their orders. Model X preorders weren’t canceled in droves and that was very late. And I suspect a large number have already factored “Elon time” into the equation.
Maybe there will be a rash of cancellations if a remotely competitive alternative pops up. The Bolt ain’t it, though.
I’m not too keen on the rims. car looks looks nice. I suspect the display will be mounted into the dash to prevent being snapped off. They should consider setting them up like aircraft glass cockpits with 2 smaller displays that can be customized.
Got my email a couple hours ago and noticed it linked the reservation to my tesla account even though i made it without logging in. Now I hurry up and wait.
This point is not getting nearly enough attention. What we need to hope for is that the grid gets a serious upgrade over the next three to five years to handle a hundred thousand new plug-in EVs. Because, if we do nothing, the cost of charging an EV could well climb to the point where it is no longer absurdly advantageous over an ICE. Overnight electrical rates will reach parity with “peak hours” on “smart” meters as thousands of EVs are recharging in the wee hours.
More importantly, and states are starting to look at this, EVs are currently getting a free ride on gas tax funded roads (mostly state, US and interstate highways rather than city streets). At some point, there will be some sort of usage fee applied to EVs, which will further increase their cost of ownership.
They will probably never be as expensive, day to day, as fuel burners, but the difference will likely shrink a great deal. Though, logically, it ought not, because motor fuel is already subsidized by somewhere between three and ten-fold in the US and should be much more expensive than it is.
Yeah, I’m not sure they’ll keep the display on a post. I don’t mind the look, but I can see them toning it down a bit for practical reasons. I doubt they’ll go for two screens, though; they can simulate the same thing in software. The Model S already does this in vertical mode.
Some of the rims looked better than others. I wonder how much of an effect this has on the aerodynamics. The black one had a large portion of covered area and I suspect these will be the best aerodynamically, if not aesthetically.
At any rate, they have plenty of time for small design tweaks. The Model X got a nose job between prototype and final. I’m sure we’ll see a similar thing here.
I’ve seen a few complaints about the trunk opening size. Doesn’t bother me; it’s basically the same as my car. But it’s definitely no hatchback. I prefer the continuous glass, but it does put some limits on the cargo you can haul. Hopefully the rear seats fold down (it sounded like they do, from the surfboard comment).
Past Teslas were too expensive for me to even consider, the model 3 is at least at a sane price (at the high end of what I want to pay, at least before a rebate)
There were more supercharger stations than I expected, but none in NE Wisconsin where I often travel. And none in Rochester, MN or the MSP area.
Not sure I could get my bicycle in it.
The screen looks weird separated from the dash – looks kind of fragile
Any videos of the frunk?
I am probably getting a new car this year, possibly the next. Not sure I can wait much longer (I have a 2004 Prius)
Brian
The trunk opening is a bit tight. Definitely not a hatchback, but there is decent amount of space in there, it looks. I think the seats do come down.
They should have gone with a hatch, instead. Too bad. Not a disqualifier for me, but a bit disappointing.
They will probably make a hatch version of it.
That’s the back trunk, no? There’s a front trunk as well which looks much larger.
I hope so, that would be much nicer, if not as cool-looking.
I currently cannot charge at home (apartment parking garage). I could charge at work, but I metro to work. If I move, that may change. I’ve been thinking of trying to buy a place, but property prices here in and around DC suck. But so do rents.
Maybe you could get a nice place in Frederick. An hour commute is kind of rough, but at 90MPGe, it would mostly only cost tires.
Incidentally, anyone that lined up will be getting a few goodies, including (it seems) a model Model 3, but it might be a while:
*
Token of appreciation for those who lined up coming via mail. Thought maybe 20-30 people per store would line up, not 800. Gifts on order.
@elonmusk scale model 3?
@squallcraft and a few other things
@Aakashhh_ we will send something to everyone who ordered, but an extra gift for those who stood in some crazy long lines*
I filled my car on Sunday (⅛ tank left) & again today (even lower). I intentionally went inside & paid cash & then had to go back in to get my change. Sunday it was 50 seconds from pulling in until I was able to pull up to a pump & I was out in less than four minutes. Today, because of a long line of traffic when I went to pull out it took me 4:08; otherwise, I would have been out in less than four minutes. 10 minutes is exceptionally long unless your filling up a dual tanked pickup/van.
What we’ve learned from other posts subsequent to yours is that 20 minutes is unrealistically short (if you want a full charge).
As for the car, I’m kind of surprised that they didn’t put the speedo where it is in most cars as that is something one needs to glance at while driving. It’s placement will take your eyes off the road slightly longer, especially if you have to look around your right hand/arm. Seems like a poor design from a safety standpoint. Also, that trunk would totally kill it off for me if it was a viable option as a car for me (see post #34).
That’s nice considering the use of your money for a year buys a model with some money left over.
There are lots of cars with center-positioned speedos, including the Prius. Doesn’t seem to be a problem. You don’t have to look around your arm–the pedestal mount brings it forward enough that it won’t be obstructed. A mild learning curve but I don’t see it being a safety issue. My personal experience is that it takes way longer for my eyes to refocus than it does to reposition (especially at night).
Some people are speculating that there will be HUD in the production version. Seems too expensive, but we’ll see. There will certainly be a few goodies we haven’t seen yet.
Don’t forget the frunk. They haven’t shown it, but there should be a decent amount of storage there. Tesla has said that the Model 3 will have more storage than similar sedans.
No, that is true. A proper charge takes on the order of six hours – which is done at home. Superchargers are expected to be used a very small part of the time. The lion’s share of EV charging will not be subtracted from travel time, because it will happen at home or/and at work.
The poor design aspect of it is having a great big monitor instead of gauges and idiot lights. Instrument panels are a good thing, because they always present the same information in the same places, segregated by bezels and cones. I think the flexible content display is not at all a good idea, especially given the fact that the possibility exists that it might be unable to overcome some angles of sunlight in a few instances.
The counter argument would be that auto-pilot will make up the difference. I find that argument somehow unsatisfactory.
The problem with assessing “charge time” is that people seem to think the battery charges in a linear way. Ever plugged in your phone and noticed how it seems like it can go from 25 to 70% pretty quickly, but it seems to take a lot longer to go from 90 to 100%? Lithium rechargeables have to be recharged differently depending on their state of charge. Once they start approaching full charge you have to slow the charging rate down, lest the cells overheat.
Which is not an issue because the car itself has a charge management system built in. All you need, AAUI, is a proper power cord and a proper outlet. You will at least want 240V, because charging at 120V would take days (less that 4 miles per hour, or more than 2 days for a full charge, as opposed to eight to ten hours at 240).
Presumably, the car will charge itself at the proper curve and then open the primary circuit; you just plug it in when you get home an unplug it when you leave. Superchargers are occasional use terminals, available for use on journeys, because using them puts more stress on the batteries. Most days, a Tesla owner will be charging at home
There’s no way that the critical bits–speed, turn indicators, etc.–will be at all dynamic. The display is fixed and so will the positions of the core instruments. The dynamic parts are just for the less-critical functions like navigation.
That said, Musk has indicated that there is something special still coming down the pipe, and that the final version will “feel like a spaceship”. HUD? Who knows.