The Bolt is the economy Model 3, it checks all the practicality boxes for less money. But it's not luxurious, exclusive, or fast. Though this is one of the rare cases in which I might put Chevy ahead in the viability department. Tesla is one policy change away from being in very big trouble, their products are net losers without tax incentives and the company overall has had a net loss for most of their operating life.

Used Nissan Leafs are about $8,000. Used BMW i3s with range extender are about $20,000. I'm thinking about a used electric as my next around town car. We hardly ever drive more than 40 miles in a day. We'd have a regular car for longer trips of course.

Works for us, although our "regular cars" are all antiques.

[QUOTE=rcooled;9682038]They're interesting all right...but I can't agree with that comparison. I see quite a few Teslas around here and I've been to one of their stores for a good close-up look at what they've got. While they're very nicely turned out (especially for such a new company), it's in the smaller details where they fall short of other cars in this class. In my opinion, the widest gap in quality was found in the interior...just didn't measure up to the high-end stuff from Europe or Japan.[/QUOTE]

Isn't it a shame that the "best from the US" isn't in there? Once we had the likes of Duesenberg, Packard, Cord even Cadillac and Lincoln. Now US car makers don't even make the list.

There is an electric truck coming, but it's not from Tesla.

Lots of batteries on it. Lots.

But you dont want a basic Tesla. If you want any assistence-systems and another color then black you need to pay more.
That is why you wont stay under 50K.

[QUOTE=drcoastline;9682421] Not only interior.
In the Tesla-Showroom here in my town the Model S has different colored LED-lights in the headlights. One bright white and the other one dirty yellow about to give up.

By the time the model 3 actually comes out in significant #s, and they address their backlog of reservations, I'm fairly sure Audi, VW, Mercedes, BMW will have similarly priced alternatives that don't look like Daffy Duck hit a wall head on ;-) Not a fan of the Tesla 3 nose, not to mention long term quality or the lack of a dash in front of the driver...

They've done the car world a great service showing there was a market for fun and fast electric cars. Now the big manufacturers woke up and will kick their butt in my opinion. Which is not the end, Tesla is well positioned to do batteries for all...

I'm a total car guy (72 911, 73 2002, 74 GTV) and yet Ive been leasing a practically free E-Golf and electric is the future for 90% of your uses... Instant torque is cool, even on my lowly Golf ! Yesterday I went thru 3 packed gas stations in frustration, I love plugging in at home !!

I'll have to look at used. I can put the pickup at the office and commute with the electric.

Many of my trips are short. I can't see selling my 911 until I can't physically drive it.

My daily driver is my El Camino. I can't fathom driving a vehicle that does not have a pickup bed. Maybe when some company make a hybrid or all electric small pickup I will get one. It will have to have air conditioning that works on 100 degree days, and a heater that works in sub-freezing weather.

I often drive 50 or 60 miles on very hot days.

There is nothing on the horizon I can see to replace my El Camino. Not even a gas powered vehicle.

I saw an article on an electric truck, started with a "B". Looks interesting. Not sure it will work for me, but interesting.

Yeah generally speaking, if you commute <70 mi round trip, any of the current offerings will work.
I picked the Golf because VW is giving them away (excluding insurance the car is free) and it's less ugly than a Leaf and less noticeable than an I3, but really they all work. I do 45mi a day with AC in summer, and I use less than 1/2 my "tank" and recharge nightly in 3.5 hours for $1.20. Best of all I never visit a gas station anymore.

You cannot beat that cost, plus the car is fun to drive (200 lb- ft at 0 RPM feels super quick 0-40). The failing of those cars is 60->80 mph, then it feels a little slow, but in town it's a rocket...

Access to HOV lane, 1/2 bridge costs, mega state rebate, PGE rebate, I would *not* suggest replacing your car with one, but adding it as a beater. Honestly mine costs me insurance only ($2000 down paid for by state rebate, $140/mo is less than the gas I was spending, I save $50 on bridge, got $500 from utility- insane deal). Never going back to gas for a commuter !

Musk said from day 1 that he didn't want to own the electric car market, he wanted to jumpstart it. He's too much of a dreamer and explorer to want to actually run a 500,000 car a year company, I'm sure he'd rather be designing some crazy new thing knowing that some other company is doing the grunt work in building electric cars (with his batteries, of course...)

If no one comes out with a nice, clean, bolt on grill for the Model 3, then I will. At least a vinyl wrap.

It would be 100 times better looking with some kinda grill or fascia on the front. Anything, a smiley face, something!

Could not agree more...

At first glance, it looks like a cross between a Prius, and a Saturn (which is not good). So, for an extra $9000 (the amount I usually spend on a nice used car), you can upgrade to the bigger, long range battery, which will take some of the pucker factor out of a long trip, but only in perfect, windless, warm conditions.

The answer is NO, I will never have an EV.

Would you have bought it without the subsidies and other goodies?

Good question. Not that particular one no... But mostly because it's early days and I don't wanna be locked in old tech ! And I did not need that car, I leased it because the lease is essentially free to me and that car takes the beating instead of my nicer gas car...

But - I would buy another model without subsidies, assuming it is a little more appealing and powerful, yes... That's what I'm looking to do when Audi/BMW come out with something decent quattro style... I love the power delivery, the silence, the fact it's always full in the AM.

Will it replace my old 911 ? hell no... But as a commuter it's fantastic.

Have you driven a Tesla with autopilot? I'd argue the tech is the biggest difference. Its amazing.

We picked up a used Volt a few months ago. Its been fantastic and was dirt cheap. Even without the tech of the Tesla, the appeal of silent torque is significant.

I just can't get over the fugly!

https://images.craigslist.org/01212_...qN_600x450.jpg