Help needed - Thinking of buying a Tesla!

[Rav]

The last 2 wks have been pretty hectic. I work for a a small start-up organisation and we are creating the first, true driving test for Autonomous vehicles. We have a UK government grant and are due to deliver this test to the government in March 2022.

The BBC got in contact last week and asked if they could feature us in the BBC Click programme. Of course - this is excellent publicity.

Under some pressure I was asked to build a test rig to fit on a tesla and hire a tesla to fit this on. I hired a model 3 from a company in Portsmouth and built the rig to spoof the Tesla. We can trick it into thinking that it is seeing objects in front of it.
But the bottom line was that in the three days I had the car, i fell in love with it and I am thinking of selling my fleet and buying one.

I had the long range version and on full charge can make 230 miles. Charging is easy at Superchargers - 50 mins empty to full and £11- 15 for the full charge. No faffing with apps, just plug in the car, go for a bio break and coffee and you are done. Or perhaps plug in, watch some netflix and you are good to go.

Top speed is around 190mph (model S) and the Model 3 i had was around 155 mph with 0-60 in 6 seconds in Chill mode or 2 seconds in Standard mode.

I accept that the 50 mins charge time and the range will not be for all, but for me, it is great!!

Talk me round!!

[ScooBeeFive]

How did you find the build quality? I have no experience of them myself, but this seems to be the main criticism when compared to more mainstream manufacturers.

[Fast3000]

It's the future Rav love or hate it. My experience of having a P100D priced at £120K for a proper 1 hour test drive:

Plus points
Quiet
Decent ride quality
Great Grip
Massive touch screen as a reminder this is an electric car
FAST

Minus Points
Price
Like driving a roller coaster
No drama
You can be at illegal speeds quickly and then slow again quickly - with no feeling of remorse that you just broke the law (on a private road)
Build quality shockingly like dog poo


For me personally - As a daily car for family its fantastic. But as a car lover its just a computer on wheels so doesnt really work. As I said to someone0recently (and maybe its age.... ) its not about - 0-60s or top speed or having the latest gimmick (yes thats my opinion on Teslas a novelty) its about how you get there. Anyway I said they are a gimmick because nobody can explain how the electric ecosystem is 'carbon free' because its not. I really do hope they get there with complete carbon free production and like I said before....its the future. Anyway - my opinion don't mean jack. But just remember - if you get one we won't respond to your messages

[Frosty]

They are Taxi's in Amsterdam. That shook up MB when they offered better finance deals for the taxi drivers, who mostly jumped ship.

You don't see Alpina's as taxi's - just saying;-)

[Jonnywishbone]

They’re an energy storage company who happen to make cars!

I’m not against electrification. It’s inevitable and we will all have to embrace it eventually. For me though it wouldn’t be with a contemporary Tesla - as implied above, anecdotes and surveys (e.g. JD Power) would make me nervous about the build quality and I dislike the styling both inside and out, across the range.

For me if I was buying leccy now it’d be some flavour of Taycan (funds permitting!) however, given the clear superiority of Tesla’s battery tech and charging infrastructure if you want/need an electric car and you do a lot of long trips they are the only game in town.

[Rav]

Thank guys. Build quality was not where the purchase price goes. The door shut noise is not a clunk, more of a tin falling onto the floor. The paint is very thin, but i guess that you are paying for the tech. The model S is better built than the model 3, but there is £70k difference between the two.

I would be happy to live with far from perfect build quality, just for the tech. It was fantastic around the M25 and M4.

I appreciate that the ' electric cars save the world ' phrase is fictitious - but i liked the car more for the tech than anything else.

[Charles]

I'm waiting for Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology to hit the mainstream - sustainable fuel source, fast refill, ready-made network of filling stations, water as the only product and no heavy batteries adding weight and dulling performance. By all accounts, it won't be long before this happens.

The biggest issue with battery EVs - as opposed to HFC EVs - is what happens with all the batteries when they reach the end of their useful life. A recent report identified that if every car in the world was a battery EV, then we would have 100 million tonnes of batteries to dispose of ... every year!!!

[Yad3100]

I'm waiting for Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology to hit the mainstream - sustainable fuel source, fast refill, ready-made network of filling stations, water as the only product and no heavy batteries adding weight and dulling performance. By all accounts, it won't be long before this happens.

The biggest issue with battery EVs - as opposed to HFC EVs - is what happens with all the batteries when they reach the end of their useful life. A recent report identified that if every car in the world was a battery EV, then we would have 100 million tonnes of batteries to dispose of ... every year!!!

I agree with this sentiment. If everyone in the uk changed to EV we do not have the energy production to cope with the increased network loading. Also, if you live on in a terrace house how you going to charge it? We really haven’t any of the infrastructure to make this happen.

The waste associated with current battery tech is excessive, batteries travel the globe during production processes and the same will happen during recycling, it’s just not a sustainable solution, yet.

[Fast3000]

to add the the build quality debate: amongst paint, lack of door clunk, you should also look at how misaligned the panels can be! It made my Kia look like a Rolls Royce. Ok that's an exaggeration but still....

[woolley11]

Don’t - have you seen what’s underneath

[Trilly-Uk]

Like Charles I think Hydrogen is yet to play its card but today its not here. Close relative who is an an advanced driver, likes his cars and can drive them recently got a Telsa 3 from an Audi SQ5 and absolutely loves it. I was surprised he made that change and more that he likes but they wouldn't be as popular as they are if that bad.

Had a dual carriageway "drive" with a Model 3, don't know what version as I was marginally in front but I think we both a little surprised at each cars performance. He pulled in nicely behind me after we had our drive.

[juliasiren]

It's awesome that you had such a positive experience during your test run. I'm actually considering getting a Tesla myself. Speaking of Teslas, I recently stumbled upon some images of the Tesla interior, and I have to admit, it looks pretty rad, doesn't it? The futuristic vibes and tech-savvy features are quite appealing. Your experience with the charging at Superchargers and the performance specs are impressive, too. It seems like Tesla offers a unique blend of convenience and speed. If you're loving it, that's a pretty solid endorsement right there!

[JohnW]

I’m with Charles on the Hydrogen fuel cell technology. I’m an engine fan.

[Aggie]

Bit late on this. I've only sat in a Tesla once and never want to do it again. It's probably the worst interior I've ever been in (my Dad's Morris Marina was better). It just feels cheap. And as for that stupid display, just a huge distraction as far as I'm concerned. Nothing wrong with an old fashion cluster. I ask the question. With regards to engineering quality etc, has America ever made a quality car? They've made some very stylish ones in the past but I feel they are someway behind the major European and Japanese manufacturers. On the whole, EV's not for me.