Tesla acceleration. Wow.
 

Wife is seriously considering a Tesla model Y for her next car. I went along for the test drive, and jumped behind the wheel. OF COURSE the first thing I did is pull off in an industrial park and give it the beans. Ho-lee-shiat. :eek: The only other car I have driven with kind of acceleration was a Turbo 997. Absolutely insane for $50k car.

I did like it overall. Comfortable. Logical touch screen controls. Serviceable handling. Test driving the Mustang E at some point next week.

3.5 seconds 0-60. 12.4 for the quarter.

I think I saw one yesterday. Caught my eye and I was thinking Model 3 but it wasn't.

$50k with 300+ mile range. Progress.

Wasn't it a five figure cost in the S for the extended range battery?

$139k for the new Tesla S Plaid+. 500 mile range. 0-60 in 1.99 seconds.

Jeebus!

Holy crap :eek:

I drove a friends dual-motor Model 3 a while back, and if I had to to describe the acceleration in one word, it would be 'explosive'. That full-tilt Model S must really pin your ears back...

Worth looking at the entry level Taycan,

https://insideevs.com/news/467220/porsche-entry-level-taycan-variant/

https://insideevs.com/news/467347/2021-porsche-taycan-comparison-epa-range-estimates/

$74,000 with federal credits, a longer range, 301 mile range, car is also available.

I cannot get past Tesla’s reputation as the worst car maker in the US for build quality and reliability.

https://thenextweb.com/shift/2020/06/25/study-tesla-likely-us-worst-carmaker-reliability-build-quality-paint-battery/

0-60 in 1.99 seconds is nice, but finishing the race is more important

More like $60K for the Model Y that goes to 60 in 3.5 seconds. The S model with dual motors and the big battery can be rigged to to to 60 in 2.3-2.4 seconds (once) in Ludicrous mode. The performance deal is the Model 3 dual motor with the "Performance Boost" download for $2K that takes it about 3.9 seconds or so for a total of about $50K. The Federal tax credit is gone, but there's still some state credits. In CA, I think they add up to about $3,500. Plus the cost/mile is a lot lower, maybe around 20 cents on the dollar.

I got a Model 3 for commuting and it's a fun car. Its body is all aluminum I believe, and you can feel the lightness when driving it. It's silent and fast. Mine only goes to 60 in 5.4 seconds, which is satisfying, but not jaw dropping. The fit and finish is second rate, but the technology is good. It's a good laugh generating a fart sound in the vicinity of any of the seats.

Working on cars with modern VW/Audi/Porsche electrics... I think they will need a few years to iron everything out.

Buddy of mine has a Model S with all the performance balls out stuff. The only thing I can compare it to is one of the mag lev roller coaster launches... Fun stuff

I love the idea of a base Taycan. I really like leasing, and Porsche leases suck (like Tesla leases). I almost got a Jaguar I-Pace when they had some gigantic discounts on them and probably missed a good deal on one by a day. They're strong at 0-60 in 4.5 seconds and very nice looking. Tesla was being hard ass with me and telling me if I didn't pick up the car I ordered within 3 days of their short notice date, they would sell it to someone else. That soured me pretty good and I told them their customer service sucked. They offered to deliver it to me, which saved me half a day, so I accepted. That was when I tried to get the I-Pace that I just missed. I'm not unhappy with the Model 3 at all, in fact, it's one of the few cars that I've liked more than I expected to after getting it.

Is that a typo?

Who holds your jumblies while thats going on?!

A week ago I saw a car parked outside my house and thought "That is a really beautiful car" I went over and had a look and it was a Tesla model 3 painted in white. I loved that car.

I kept my ears open for when it fired up and drove off but I must have missed it.

We bought my wife a Model Y, which we took posession of toward the end of last October. She loves the damn car more than me. Of course I'm decently old and have been driving lots of different cars for around 63 years, and to me it's sort of a digital wonder. Over all, we really like the car. Basically we bought it for me to avoid maintenance associated with a "normal" car, she needed a new car, and we should be able to power the thing almost completely from our excess generation with our solar panels. It's a fairly comfortable car, has a good amount of storage space, the fit & finish was OK as far as I could see. I'd read quite a bit on that so looked for things I was aware of. You won't get one for $50K. We paid about $58.5K for ours and got a $1K credit for her being an educator, plus another $2K from the "Clean Vehicle Rebate Program" - which we haven't received yet. So the car should run around $55.5K if there isn't anything we can get back from the IRS. It's true the seats are comfortable, vision is OK, except the outside mirrors could be larger, and an untold number of things (which my wife knows about & I don't) are automatic. The one negative as far as I'm concerned is the ride. It rides like a rock. The car weighs 4,400 lbs. and the tires are inflated to between 40 & 45 lbs. It's OK on good road surfaces, but a little annoying on rougher stretches. It is a good fit for us in this time frame and situation. Acceleration is great, but I haven't tested that out fully. I'm not overly interested in that but for passing, it's instant.

It’s amazing to me that a Tesla duel motor model 3 is way faster than an 80’s 911 turbo and just as fast as a new Ferrari or Lamborghini that costs $200,000 plus. Musk says his cars will have a 500 mile range in 5 years. I believe it. I would not buy an EV with a 200 mile range. Tesla is king with range.

Is this one of those things like "Ludicrous mode" where you have to Easter-egg your way into a warranty voiding menu, wait 5 min's, THEN go like hell? ...or is this an always available option?

Agree on the ride. The one we tested had 20" wheels, and we both commented on how stiff it was.

So I've driven the Taycan Turbo S as fast as I dare in the city, courtesy of Hendrick Porsche. I can only describe the acceleration as otherworldly. I mean, it is absolutely mind-bending, especially since it makes almost no noise until the wind picks up. It literally scared me the first time I launched it. The power feels bottomless. It is part of the reason I am not anti-electric vehicle. :)

I’ve put a lot of miles on a Model 3. And also some on a Y now. I agree and disagree with what most say:

1. Most criticize the build quality, and the paint quality. I haven’t seen a problem with that.

2. The materials in the interior look ok, but I can tell they are mostly low cost. Things that people don’t see, like the door hinges etc. are low cost.

3. They are fast, for sure. And effortless speed. No big downshifts and high rev drama. You want to get up to speed on the freeway, accelerate to pass, it’s effortless.

4. It’s novel at first, but it kinda wears off. Ultimately it is a very fast and comfortable appliance. But still an appliance. There is no soul, just cold performance. That’s not necessarily a negative. It’s actually what probably 95% of modern car buyers want. And even for the 5% who want soul, it’s still a tempting trade off, because the Tesla is so competent as a transportation appliance.

For me, I’d still take an old gas powered car. But I fully understand why most Tesla owners love their cars. I know several people who have multiple Teslas. I don’t personally know anyone that doesn’t love their Tesla.

Ours has a little feature you can dial up on the touch screen panel. It shows how many miles & minutes since you started your last trip. It also shows the (average) amount of power per mile that is being used in Watts. It readjusts every minute or so. I like it because I like to get an idea how much power the car uses uphill, downhill, cruising level, accelerating, etc. I find going uphill uses lots of power as expected - 400+ to 500+ Watts/mile. Going downhill, it gets down to maybe 50 W/mile depending on the amount of descent. If you get on it, it jumps up to 1K+ to 1.5K+ W/mile (or approx. 1.5 kW/mile). Since the useable battery charge is around 68Kw, you can imagine how much distance you have left at that amount of useage. I'm curious what power level it will average on a longer trip on fairly flat freeway. We haven't done that yet.

McLovin. I agree, it's an appliance - sort of the ultimate driving appliance. Except for my Pcar, ours are appliances. My other car is a T-350 Ford van w/ Ecoboost. Can't get much more of an appliance than that, but it's fairly economical, comfortable, and I can put 4x8 pieces of plywood in the back. I love it. I even consider my bike an appliance, probably since as a young guy a motorcycle was my only means of transportation for a long time. So even though it's a bit of fun to twist the throttle and lean it over on curvy roads, I don't feel an anxiety to get on it. I think some people (like me & my wife who doesn't know any different) just need an appliance to get things done.

Instant full torque is addictive for sure. I miss the sound but I get the appeal.

I have been passed at Laguna Seca by a Model 3. Granted, it was heavily prepped, including suspension and wheels / tires. But even in the turns, it wasn't that the 993 was killing it! :eek:

The ICE will be in trouble in a lot of segments, that's for sure. Maintenance on an EV is next to nothing.

G

I'm interested in this aspect. Do you mean you're waiting for the end of the year true up to see where you stand? Did you install extra
PV panels in anticipation of the new EV?

Well, not so fast. Tesla is typically dead last in just about every reliability rating. Even though the battery and motor(s) are reliable and low maintenance, the control and cooling of the powertrain are not. Plus you have all of the same dodads as every other vehicle that like to break. Really modern ICE powertrains are very reliable, it’s all the other crap that breaks.

I can see it, and hear the crew chief now. Daytona 500. "4 tires and a battery change."

"Just stay on the lead lap until the last caution. They will never hear us coming."

Yes. My true up date is May 19th. So that date will be almost seven months exactly. Like I said, the system normally generates close to 3mb (2.8mb last year) of extra power over the year. I'm hoping I will get an idea of how much that extra generation will contribute toward supplying power for the car. My system went online a bit before mid 2016, & I haven't had more panels added. I'd have to balance the cost of adding more panels against the savings of powering the car. I suspect I wouldn't be worth it since the difference I anticipate paying, if I go over the amount of extra power I generate, would be a minor cost. But, I'm hoping I will get a more clear idea at true up time. Like I said before, one of my main satisfactions is sticking it to the utility company. They pay me two cents per Kwh for my extra generation, so I usually get around $100 credit for my almost 3 mb. They charge from the high twenty cents to high forty cents on their three tiered rate schedule. So I'm running the car on 2cent/Kwh power.

^ thanks for the info and I eagerly await your results. I just had a system installed, haven't even seen a power bill yet. I was at the mercy of PG&E and I assume you were of Edison? If your blood sucking energy provider is like mine everyones electric bill will at least double within the next 10 years. Solar is our only defence. I'm sneaking in more PV panels now that my final inspection is completed and am now considering an EV grocery getter for my wife. Two for one, stick it to PG&E and to Chevron at the same time!

We have SDG&E. They have a contract over a period of years to deliver power to the County. It's interesting that the new mayor of the city of San Diego is currently opening the process up to alternative bidders for electrical service. SDG&E automatically had the contract renewed for decades and paid a really low fee for it. I'm glad to see a little competition introduced into the process. Like I've said before, one of my main reasons for installing solar generation was cost increase. Our house is all electric. Our highest monthly bill went up from $495 to $595 from one year to the next, indicating to me how much they were able to raise rates. My system should pay for itself later this year or inito next year.

Edit: in deciding the size of your system, it doesn't pay to oversize it and generate power you won't use. I think usually companies size systems for 10% over usage. That's why we generate our extra power. At the time I didn't know anything about it, but luckily it seems to have worked out well for us. So if you're intending on getting an EV, you might use your system as is until you get an idea about power usage over the year. You can always add panels later when you can judge if it's econonical or not.

Anyone...

External speakers with a vrooom sound track.

Marv- wow, that's a great return. It's the expensive electric bill that makes solar a viable alternative in CA. Looks like mine will take 8 years to pay for itself at my current rate of consumption but I use natural gas too. I figure it will pay off sooner if I can power up an EV with it.
I would hazard a guess that your new utility competition will become a blood sucking leach like the last. I mean, it's the California way!

My Model 3 has the 18” wheels which give a firm but not punishing ride quality. I specifically avoided the 19” and 20” options.


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So, we have 2 Tesla. I have a Model S Performance and my wife just got a 21 Model 3 a couple days before Christmas. She got a Tesla because of my Tesla. I can't speak to others reliability, but in 60K miles, I've had spent zero on my car besides electricity cost. Its been to the shop once for a computer update and that cost nothing. I still look forward to driving it everyday and it really has been nothing but a pleasurable driving experience. People say ludicrous mode gets boring, guess I haven't gotten there yet. Being an owner, with my eyes wide open, I'm seriously thinking about trading in for a new model S plaid+.

The Model 3 is a nice car, definitely different from the S. Same things I like, others not so much. It definitely is louder inside then my S. But it its a nice size and so far my wife really enjoys it..

Really glad to see you well enough to look in on us and comment. What you said reminded me about another thing with ours. It does have more interior noise than I thought it would have. It's not bad, just surprising. I also think the tire noise is too loud for the car. I will be trying to choose quieter tires when we replace the ones that came with the car.

Thank you, me too. I agree with about the tire noise as well. On my wife's 3, there is a noticeable wind source coming from the drivers side

I have 21s on my S. Depending on the road, those michelin can get loud, then other times they are perfectly quiet....They are not a lexus inside.

Have you seen the wheels that are under those ugly hubcaps? They're really nice. Supposedly you lose 3% of range without the hubcaps. Worth it to me. Also, 45psi is for range, not comfort. Elon Musk has said go to 38psi for comfort, but that triggers the TPMS. I run mine at 40psi and the ride is a little better. 39psi sometimes triggers the tire pressure warning.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1612230145.jpg



I think the older Model 3s were louder than the newer ones. It does depend on the road a lot. I put on everything on this page except the wind noise kit. The car is pretty quiet. Part of the reason you hear road noise and wind noise is there's no driveline noise to mask it.

https://www.rpmtesla.com/collections/model-3-noise-reduction-kits

My 76 year old Mother in Law, who has to have the latest and greatest tech everything just purchased a 2021 Model X, Dual Motor, with Ludicrous Mode...triple black.

It is a beautiful car, amazing looking. It sat in her Drive way for two weeks while she figured out how to drive it. My Father in Law and wife went to go pick it up at the dealer.

She gave us her super charged range rover sport, like new condition as she only drives the car to the gym and grocery store.

She will never even think about going fast in it. She is a super slow driver and hits the brakes the entire time she drives, it is nauseating.

I have not even been offered a ride in it. However, I have been tasked with programing it to open our garage door for when she comes over.

If all goes well when the warranty runs out we will get it. I mean my wife will get it.

Here is what it looks like....

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1612243223.jpg

The tires are supposedly Tesla specific. Or that’s what I was told.
I got a flat, pulled off the highway and there happened to be a tire shop on one corner and a Pep Boys on the other.
I thought “great, I’ll pull in, they’ll take the tire off, throw on a patch and I’ll be on my way.”
But neither would do it. They said there’s some special liner inside the tires such that they couldn’t patch it like a “normal” tire.
Don’t know if that contributes to the tire noise or not, but I agree they can be noisy.

Mind. Blown. That is what is under those fugly caps?! VERY glad you posted this, because I was going to opt for the larger wheels simply because the standard look so lame.

Yeah, Tesla has an option for the center caps. I think it was about $185.

Recent recall announcement.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/tesla-recalling-135k-cars-touchscreen-defect

Only affects 2012-2018 model year vehicles. Apparently they used a different touchscreen on 2019 an up cars.

EDIT:

Tesla’s response to the recall. . .

“It is economically, if not technologically, infeasible to expect that such components can or should be designed to last the vehicle’s entire useful life,” Tesla said in the letter (replying to the recall)