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My mate Ritchie wants an EV bakkie (Pick-up/Truck) but is sick of waiting so I made him one for his stocking this year.....

Last year I posted a topic "Help -would an i3 suit us?" as we were desperate to get an EV (after years of waiting) and as we are in South Africa, the only car available (excl the Leaf) was the i3. Hardly suitable when living on a farm and far from shops etc! The new 94ah version had just enough...

Certainly some sort of critical point has arrived for EVs recently (during 2018?) with regulatory changes; new models and chargers; and a general attitude shift. Car manufacturers can no longer diss EVs as they will be bringing models to market soon(ish). IF there was an unlimited supply of...

Computer controlled active suspension arrived in Formula One in the 1980s and won the championship in 1992/3. There is talk of bringing it back to F1 as it could be cheaper than sophisticated passive suspension. So it works and could be cheaper. The hardware is straightforward and the...

Being charitable it is a tough time for the legacy car makers as they try to 'catch up' with EV investment as well as continue to develop ICE-age vehicles (and try to comply with - or cheat - emission controls) I'm beginning to read lots of whining about the costs involved and the profit...

Batteries are heavy things to cart around when not necessary. And expensive...... When new-tech batteries and chargers mean that 10-80% charge can be done in a few minutes, will range above (guess) 100 miles be necessary? This would keep the weight and cost of EVs lower, give adequate range...

As an EV follower; (small) investor in Tesla and an almost daily lurker on this forum for nearly 4 years I have been through the 'agony and ecstasy' during this time. From DU failures/replacements; late X release; AP arguments; crashes and fires; FWD dramas; QA issues and so on. Some of these...

If one of Elon's intentions with Tesla was to accelerate the transition to EVs, then he has succeeded admirably so far. EVs have gone from maligned 'fringe' to almost 'mainstream' despite the huffing and puffing of all the nay-sayers and vested interests. It is one thing for 'Big Oil' to slam...

This is getting interesting! Our next car WILL be an EV and preferably a Tesla and preferably an suv - ie a Model Y. (MX too big and FWD which we don't need) We have a reservation for the M3 but would prefer a MY and may 'transfer' the reservation to an MY (if and when...). Still considering...

Being foreign I follow US politics but don't know the minutiae so was wondering when Trump is president (or is that IF....?), will he be pro-EV or anti-EV? Is he an 'oil man' or independently minded? Presidential decrees could influence the way EVs develop.... How does TMC see a Trump-led USA?

As a strong advocate of not only EVs but also Tesla, I constantly speak to the editor of the most widely read automotive magazine in South Africa - CAR - to push the EV agenda. It is a good and influential read. The editor is pro-EV and interested in keeping the public informed. They have also...

We have reserved a Model 3 in South Africa. I suspect that after the 500 000 orders have been delivered to the rest of the world, we will be lucky to get ours before about 2022! In the meantime we are very keen to go EV so as soon as we can get a 200+ mile EV we would buy one and then wait for...

I got interested in Tesla in about 2012 when the MS started its first deliveries - thru some small article on the BBC website. Of course the South African/Elon connection was a hook too. I went quickly from 'curious' to 'obsessed' and trawled the Tesla websites like an addict............Soon...

While we are all waiting for the real thing, please can Tesla release a 1/18 model (as they eventually did for the MS)? It could either be the reveal style or come a bit later and show us proposed revisions! Full price for regulars and half-price for people who have made...

As a South African and an EV fan, I have watched Tesla/Elon with a huge amount of interest and pride. I am very impressed by the M3! So very happy to read that Tesla are opening a store in Cape Town (my 'home town') and are going to sell the M3 in SA as well - yipeee! Just presume that a...

On Jul 30 2015 roow110 posted some designs he'd conjured up. We fiddled a bit with one and roow110 uploaded a revised version. Take a look it was very close to the actual M3 - slightly less height at the rear roofline; shallower front hood; no prominent edge at the lower doors. Not bad for an...

Ok with so little time to go what are your guesses? 5-door liftback (a la MS) More cab forward - like the mid-sized Hyundai - shorter nose Higher rump - for interior space Narrower/shorter than the MS - obviously Slightly taller than the MS Similar side glass style to MS No grille but different...

I was speculating how Tesla will handle the Model 3 roll-out over the near future and these are my 'conclusions'! I imagine that Tesla will show a full-on top of the range model at the unveiling at the end of the month so that it looks fantastic and has all visual 'extras' (rather like Alfa did...

With Elon's goal of a 'million-mile' car/DU but evidence still of frequent (and repeated) DU replacement, when do you believe the issue will finally be permanently cured? No more faults at all (except for the odd - and therefore interesting - freak)....

I feel that the VW emissions scandal will one of the turning points in automotive history........... Even with legal software none of those diesels will actually comply so..?? What are the implications for companies/people who have claimed tax breaks because of 'low emissions'? Will they have...

If Tesla were to release 3 versions of the M3 at the same time, which would you choose? Assuming they all look similar and Tesla derivative.

With 360deg cameras; parking sensors; self drive capabilities et al, will rear widows be needed? Eliminating the the rear window will strengthen cars for safety, allow better design, improve aero and remove a fiddle detail. the only negative would be in light, rear vision and 'airiness' for...

With Elon stating that the M3 will be sedan and all the apparent options this still throws up, which of the following styles would you prefer? 1 - Fastback hatch similar to the MS 2 - Fastback with a separate trunk/boot 3 - Notchback (3-box) with trunk/boot (BMW et al style) 4 - Other format -...

We all know that weight affects acceleration and cornering. I understand that the batteries make up nearly a third of the weight of a P85 - presumably the 60 is proportionally lighter. How fast would a Model S be with half the battery load?! P40D - 0 - 60mph in, what, 2.8secs? OK I know the...

Recently there was the paradoxically ironical (or ironically paradoxical!) situation of the Warranty Issues thread side-by-side with the 98% Customer Satisfaction thread. From the very vexed posters with on-going reliability and warranty concerns must have arisen the 2% who are...

You need to have read the two previous threads:- “Proposed Model 3 concept clay model (unofficial)” and “Revised Model 3 Concept model” to get all the background to this thread! Here is an alternative styling exercise – softer and less edgy (more conservative?) - but using the same basic...

Why is the MX taking so long when so much of the complicated stuff will overlap with the MS? It is really only a different body and interior. OK maybe the MS is consuming more time and money and effort than imagined but.............. I'm sure Tesla want the MX to be 'perfect' compared to the...

OK found out how to do a poll!

The EV nay-sayers always cite range as the main stumbling block to acceptance. Obviously numerous fast-charging stations will help that but there is still the feeling that people don't want to have to have to even fast charge after 75 freeway miles - barely an hour and a bit driving time...

So after a whole bunch of work, here is my iteration on my orignal design – a Mk 2 in essence.... You need to have read the “Proposed Model 3 concept clay model (unofficial)” topic to get all the background to this thread! Due to my working methods, I have to have a concept in my head and I...

The drivetrain and battery (contactors) issues and replacement by Tesla under warranty have been major talking points and, I believe, have damaged Tesla's image. I would appear that these may be less serious than imagined and Tesla has been 'playing safe' be replacing units instead of fixing...

Although not yet a Tesla owner, I am a classic forum stalker so follow certain threads with great interest. One of the on-going debates revolves around the 'cost of ownership' and 'persistent reliability issues' - once the warranty is over. Tesla have moved to address the growing concerns...

I have been trying to post some photos of a proposed design model but it appears on the preview to be 'over-sized' so this is a test! If it is over-sized any advice? If it is OK I will send the whole portfolio. - - - Updated - - - Oh good that looks OK so I will do the full thing now...

After all the flak and criticism that Tesla got for the faux grille on the MS. I sincerely hope that the final production version of the MX has replaced this with something far more stylish. I suspect the original MX design was similar to hook the two cars together...........

I imagine that the progress of EVs will go thru a few stages. Maybe these will happen in Big Bang jumps. When will these happen and what will they be? Some thoughts:- clearly when battery tech improves enough to make EVs more cost-effective than ICEs. Range and charge time - although I think...

It seems that Tesla is putting an inordinate amount of effort into getting the signature falcon doors 'perfect' for the Model X. This must be taking a lot of time, effort and resources! Makes me think that this effort may not only be for the Model X............. Surely the falcon doors (in...

As someone who is waiting eagerly to join the EV revolution asap, I was curious to know if there are any people who have 'abandoned' EVs and gone back to an ICE car. I realize that they are now unlikely to be on this site but maybe you are keeping a 'watching brief' or you know of someone who...

Let's jump beyond speculating about the Model E (or whatever it is to be called now!) and imagine what EVs will look like in, say, 10-15 years time. There will be no more agonizing about what size and type of 'engine' to get and the small electric motors will be discretely installed under the...