Tesla Model 3

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

I never thought I would want to go the route of an electric car, but this thing sounds amazing!  I am going to be putting my deposit on it for my wife's birthday present.  Then I can save up for the next year waiting for it to be delivered. 
She currently gets around 30 MPG in her car and puts about 20k on a year.  At todays prices of 2.15 per gallon I'm saving 1500 a year in fuel alone.   
Its pretty exciting that a electric car, that looks great, is fast, get EPA estimated 215 mile range, and looks like a luxury car are available for $35,000.  I cant see why I would spend the same amount on a gas vehicle just so I can fill up the tank all the time.  Plus there are chargers in Ritzville and Ellensburg so we can take it to the West Side and not worry about finding a place to charge.    The $7500 tax credit is also appealing!

https://www.teslamotors.com/model3

[JimmyHoffa]

One negative about batteries vs internal combustion is cold weather performance.  Internal combustion gets better and better the colder it gets outside (likes high temperature differential).  Battery does worse in the cold, the resistances (internal and system) go up.  So in winter time that 215 mile range might be like 115 miles.
The car looks pretty sharp compared to previous electrics, and electrics are known for better torque so should be fun.

[Boss .300 winmag]

I see them quite often, sharp looking cars just don't think I could pay $35000 for one though. Do you gave to get a special plug wired into your house to charge it?

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

No special plug, it comes with a adapter that lets you plug into any type of outlet worldwide.
However, 220 v will charge faster than 110.  They also have super charges placed in towns along the interstates that will charge the car in 30 min to give you a 110 miles range, or full charge in 70 or so.   

[jackelope]

I see them quite often, sharp looking cars just don't think I could pay $35000 for one though. Do you gave to get a special plug wired into your house to charge it?

You don't see a Model 3 ever. You're seeing the Model S that have been out for a couple years now. They're ~$80-100k depending on equipment. The model 3 is the new one coming out late 2017. They took 200k+ $1k pre-sale deposits on this car before it was even built.

[jackelope]

The big issues we see with EV's is the range people get versus the range they think they're supposed to get. The cold weather puts a dent in range, as does the hot weather assuming you're using A/C. Basically anything you use that uses electric will decrease your range. There are things like pre-conditioning you can do in the winter time that will help, but you'll still take a hit.

We only have one, very un-popular fully electric vehicle. We have a few plug in hybrids though that have been very popular. I like the idea of the plug in hybrid a lot more than full EV. You're not limited by the range and you don't have to sit at a rest stop for 45 minutes while your vehicle charges with a plug in hybrid.  I have a customer who had 7k miles on his car the last time I saw it a few months ago. He is still running off of the same original tank of gas. He plugs in at home and plugs in at work. I think he's about 10 mile commute. He literally never uses gas, yet if he wants to drive it to Spokane or wherever, he doesn't have to worry about EV range.

[jstone]

There is a charging station behind the star bucks in Ellensburg you could hook up grab a coffe and muffin eat then off you go. I want one too. Tesla is the way to go if you go electric

[Boss .300 winmag]

I see them quite often, sharp looking cars just don't think I could pay $35000 for one though. Do you gave to get a special plug wired into your house to charge it?

You don't see a Model 3 ever. You're seeing the Model S that have been out for a couple years now. They're ~$80-100k depending on equipment. The model 3 is the new one coming out late 2017. They took 200k+ $1k pre-sale deposits on this car before it was even built.

Yea those ones. Newhalem on HWY 20 has plugs for cars now on the left side of the Hwy as you go east into town.

[Mfowl]

What is the battery life span on these? I've heard one knock on electrics is that the batteries have to be replaced every 3-5yrs at a cost of several thousand dollars. Anybody dealt with this or have any first hand experience?

[Special T]

I wouldnt buy one yet. I do think its cool they are selling them and developing out of the box solutions to transportation needs. I do like the idea of the plugin hybrids better than straight ev. The military has a sweet deisel eletric  buggy used for spec ops and scouting duty I thought was pretty sweet.
Id be more inclined to buy an Elio commuter car if they get them in production. Had a chance to sit in one in portland.

[Curly]

An electric SUV might be just the ticket for road hunting. Much cheaper on the wallet with no gas to buy and the deer and elk won't hear you coming as soon as they would if you had a gas motor.   The Tesla SUV doesn't look very off road capable..........might need a lift kit added.
 

[jackelope]

What is the battery life span on these? I've heard one knock on electrics is that the batteries have to be replaced every 3-5yrs at a cost of several thousand dollars. Anybody dealt with this or have any first hand experience?

We've been working with hybrid vehicles for 10+ years and have never replaced one.
That's not entirely accurate. We did replace one in an electric focus but that car was a month and a half old. All hybrid battery/EV components have a 10 year/100k mile warranty through Ford. It's not a Tesla, but I assume the warranty is similar or the same.

[jackelope]

Here you go...

Infinite Mile Warranty




Elon Musk, CEO• August 15, 2014




The Tesla Model S drive unit warranty has been increased to match that of the battery pack. That means the 85 kWh Model S, our most popular model by far, now has an 8 year, infinite mile warranty on both the battery pack and drive unit. There is also no limit on the number of owners during the warranty period.

Moreover, the warranty extension will apply retroactively to all Model S vehicles ever produced. In hindsight, this should have been our policy from the beginning of the Model S program. If we truly believe that electric motors are fundamentally more reliable than gasoline engines, with far fewer moving parts and no oily residue or combustion byproducts to gum up the works, then our warranty policy should reflect that.

Your Tesla vehicle is protected by a 4 year, 50,000 miles (whichever comes first) new vehicle limited warranty and 8 year, unlimited mile battery and drive unit warranty. Tesla recommends an Annual Service Inspection every year or 12,500 miles to maintain your vehicle to top performance standards. Advance payment of Annual Service Inspections via a Service Plan is the most economical means of maintaining your Model S. Service Plans may be purchased by visiting a local Service Center within the first 60 days after delivery of a new or qualified Pre-Owned Vehicle.

https://www.teslamotors.com/support/service-plans

[CP]

An electric SUV might be just the ticket for road hunting. Much cheaper on the wallet with no gas to buy and the deer and elk won't hear you coming as soon as they would if you had a gas motor.   The Tesla SUV doesn't look very off road capable..........might need a lift kit added.
 

I think that they would spook the game.  Ever notice that the deer spook when you stop and shut the engine off.  The engine noise is very reassuring to them.  Real road hunters never shutoff the engine.  Those really advanced in the road hunting arts can roll out the passenger side door without slowing down.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

What is the battery life span on these? I've heard one knock on electrics is that the batteries have to be replaced every 3-5yrs at a cost of several thousand dollars. Anybody dealt with this or have any first hand experience?

That is a good question.  I heard that as well when they started coming out, I believe it was the Prius that I read had a few issues in the first model, but that was prior to Tesla.  I don't remember though, and what car doesn't have engine problems pop up when new models come out.  I.E. my Ecoboost lol!  Tesla is producing their own batteries and has put a lot of R&D into the process and the quality and longevity have been improved.  Their plant is almost as big as the Boeing plant I guess. 

Id say if you are commuting around town 90% of the time and can charge every night in your garage, id say its a pretty good deal.  Obviously it is not the end all solution.  I wont be selling my truck since I don't like driving in a car period when heading over the pass, but most of our time spent driving is in town to work and back.