Do you think Tesla/M3 will change the auto industry? I'm concerned

[Sandiegodoug]

I think Tesla already has changed the industry. Do you think there would be electric Porsche or jaguar if Tesla never existed. Many major manufacturers are coming out with ev. I have both a model x and a model 3 and both are terrific cars.

 

[Electroman]

is anything I stated not true?

Yes. You made an audacious claim that every (or most) M3 goes to SC often. Bull sugar. I recon, very few go. Reading reports on the forum is not an indication of lack of quality.

 

[Sasmania]

I have all 3 Tesla Models. The M3 is great. No issues, but only 3000 miles in If you read the forums of ANY car, you only hear the bad stuff.

My Model S just hit 150,000 miles. I've only spent $1500 out of pocket on repairs and I did NOT get the extended warranty...meaning I've been out of warranty for 100K miles. THATS 1 CENT PER MILE on repairs. Try that on any other $100,000 car.

So in summary, Faster, Safer, More Cargo Room, Cheaper to Fuel, Cheaper to Maintain than any ICE car.

They are simply the best cars ever made.

 

[cwerdna]

Haven't read the OP yet but...

Last year, Model S was highest rated in its class for reliability by Consumer Reports (look it up)....

Will have to check but the Model X was also dead last at 10 Least Reliable Cars, making it the least reliable vehicle.

In the previous year, Model X was middle of the bottom 10: https://web.archive.org/web/2017010...s.org/car-reliability/10-least-reliable-cars/.

And Tesla has stated on multiple occasions that "Model 3 is already the highest quality vehicle we have ever produced ....

I've seen no evidence so far to support an above average reliability rating for the Model 3 yet. So far, the signs are not good.

 

[Canuck]

It doesn't really matter what individuals think. Technology rolls along without regard for opinions. EVs just make far more sense than ICE for most forms of transport. It had a good run. But the end is in sight for the machine that changed the world.

 

[egggg]

This article in the Wall Street Journal, I think, exemplifies my sentiment.

Sounds like you've been busy looking for evidence to back up what you feel and you've found it. The internet is good at that.

“Trying to determine what is going on in the world by reading newspapers is like trying to tell the time by watching the second hand of a clock.”

― Ben Hecht

 

[EinSV]

I've seen no evidence so far to support an above average reliability rating for the Model 3 yet. So far, the signs are not good.

As noted in my previous post, Tesla is reporting quality of the Model 3 is the highest it has ever reported. We don't have reliability data yet since the Model 3 is so new, but the initial data collected by Tesla is very positive. Here is another example:

• The quality of Model 3 coming out of production is at the highest level we have seen across all our products. This is reflected in the overwhelming delight experienced by our customers with their Model 3's. Our initial customer satisfaction score for Model 3 quality is above 93%, which is the highest score in Tesla's history. Tesla Q1 2018 Vehicle Production and Deliveries (NASDAQ:TSLA)

And given all the glowing reports from new owners, the Model 3 will also very likely be rated extremely high by Consumer Reports for overall owner satisfaction, like the S and X, which are the highest rated car and SUV. 10 Most Satisfying Cars

 

[tropical1]

Agree with other posters, my Model 3 is great and hasn't ever been to the service center. Negative press gets all of the attention which is not reality. Everyone I know that has a Tesla loves it. I have owned all three (S, X and 3). You can't really understand how great these cars are until you drive them and I would never consider an ICE car again. have there been issues with some cars (absolutely), is this always the case with every manufacturer (absolutely).


BTW, what other car in history has had 500,000 reservations sight unseen and with no advertising.....oh yeah thats right none. The demand for this car once we do get production of the lower cost model and more people learn about Tesla and how great electric cars are will be off the charts.

 

[75Shappyt]

Elon is evil, I'll tell you why, I have a 2017 MS, love it, after the first year in the car, I took it to a body shop, to take out ever rock chip, door dig, scratch, I could fine on the car, they let me have car to drive for the 5 days they were going to have my car, I couldn't drive It got sick, and broke out in a rash, I called the service center, told them I would pay them a $1000.00 if they would let me drive one of there loaners for the 4 days I had left before I got my car back. They said they could not do that. This is why Elon is evil, he gets you in a Tesla, and after a few days, you can't drive or even get in another car, the man is evil. He must be stopped!!.

 

[N5329K]

Last year, Model S was highest rated in its class for reliability by Consumer Reports (look it up). And Tesla has stated on multiple occasions that "Model 3 is already the highest quality vehicle we have ever produced ...." http://files.shareholder.com/downlo...1-495ED74E4194/TSLA_Update_Letter_2018-1Q.pdf

So your post is totally misinformed. Or FUD.

Well, to be accurate, CR also puts Model X dead last for reliability.
The OP is not entirely wrong here. For Tesla to move the needle they need a mass market car. A base Model 3 comes pretty close to that. At least, closer than previous Tesla products. You can't fault the company for not building a cheap car sooner, though. That way leads straight to bankruptcy. Doing it carefully, from the top down, makes all kinds of sense, even though it puts a beautiful EV out of reach for most.
One way Tesla might have gone astray is by adding "features" to Model 3 that have proven to be buggy. Technical hubris is something Tesla was supposed to know how to avoid after Model X. That lesson was not entirely learned.
Another issue is their relying on a friendly audience to put up with QC issues while they iterated them away. That works for owners inclined to bend way, way over backwards giving Tesla the benefit of the doubt. It fails miserably the minute you try to extend your market reach into the mass market, where buyers have been trained to expect few dramas, few issues, and quick resolutions to those that do arise. Because even ICE cars are wicked complex, and as the old sage has said, all complex systems operate in tn failure mode. Stuff happens.
Another problematic decision was in how Model 3 was hyped. People standing in line waiting for the store to open were definitely led to think they would be able to reserve a base model car, and that car would be built in a reasonable (for Tesla) amount of time. Discovering that Tesla could not afford to build base cars as soon as they'd hoped put a major bucket of ice water over the heads of a lot of line waiters.
I still think all these missteps are recoverable, though, and that patience will be rewarded with a great looking, great performing, but quirky EV.
It's too soon to know if that describes a product that will interest people outside the Tesla-friendly world. I hope so.
Robin

 

[EinSV]

It's too soon to know if that describes a product that will interest people outside the Tesla-friendly world. I hope so.
Robin

I disagree.

I think having ~450,000 reservations in place well into the Model 3 ramp is very strong evidence of the broad appeal of the Model 3. I think many of us are so used to that number that we ignore the unheard of level of demand that it represents.

Another remarkable number came from a survey of people of 519 people in the U.S. who were asked if they would buy a Model 3 priced at $40,000 (equivalent of standard battery plus PUP or EAP). An incredible 17% of respondents said they would. Another 22% said maybe they would. More People Interested in Buying a Model 3 Than You Think | Loup Ventures

Survey results: “Would you buy a Tesla Model 3? ($40,000)”

Yes: 17%, No: 61%, Maybe: 22%

Source: Loup Ventures, survey age and household income distribution representative of U.S. census data.​

This is just an initial survey and has its limitations, but even if it is off by a multiple of 2, 3 or more, it is clear that Tesla has captured the imagination and interest of the public with the Model 3 in exactly the way the OP says he hopes they would, and that people are now willing to line up in droves to buy a compelling EV like the Model 3. Tesla is well on its way to forcing the automobile industry to transition to EVs or be left behind.

 

[N5329K]

Yes, lots of people really want something different. A different kind of car, a different kind of experience in buying one, a different and lighter footprint on the planet. Lots of people wanted something different in the last US presidential election, too. Different isn't enough. It also has to work.
Robin

 

[TexasEV]

If you’re not a Tesla owner, how is it that you’re critical of its quality control?
MCU reboots? Yeah, it’s a computer, sometimes you need to reboot it. So what?
No Android auto or Car Play? I doubt the vast majority of car buyers know what that is or care. As you said, you’re not a Tesla owner, so it’s hard to take your criticism of “creature comforts” seriously since you haven’t actually experienced driving it. This creature is perfectly comfortable with my Model 3, as I was with my Model S.

Don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it.

 

[insaneoctane]

The EV train has left the station. You can decide if you are an early adopter or just follow the masses who will eventually come around. Personally, I am not usually so absolute, but it is SO evident to me how this ends. Just understanding why the auto industry resists this change makes it, unfortunately, so clear. EV tech is going to destroy the current automotive business model which includes dealership networks with new vehicle sales, used vehicle sales and service centers, oh, and the oil industry. Do you realize how many Billions of dollars are at risk? Do you think that they will go quietly into the night? I don't think so. EVs are superior and they are the future.
Anyway, I have to go and change the oil in my ICE car because my Model 3 has been slightly delayed.

 

[LBusDoor90]

The EV train has left the station. You can decide if you are an early adopter or just follow the masses who will eventually come around. Personally, I am not usually so absolute, but it is SO evident to me how this ends. Just understanding why the auto industry resists this change makes it, unfortunately, so clear. EV tech is going to destroy the current automotive business model which includes dealership networks with new vehicle sales, used vehicle sales and service centers, oh, and the oil industry. Do you realize how many Billions of dollars are at risk? Do you think that they will go quietly into the night? I don't think so. EVs are superior and they are the future.
Anyway, I have to go and change the oil in my ICE car because my Model 3 has been slightly delayed.

Hear, hear. We are just flat out overdue for high pressure hot gases (and a ton of friction that turns costly stored energy into wasteful heat) to be put to bed. Yes, the injection of combustible mist at just the right moments into 4, 6, 8 or 12 cylinders is much more efficient than steam engines in trains but when all is said and done, it’s the same tech (as stressed by this Environmental Science teacher on this slide in my energy unit’s show, right before I go on my Tesla rant )...

 

[Xenoilphobe]

Yeah, just found this today - they claim ICE will obsolete by 2025... love the internet, you can find anything to support your hopes...

 

[xav-]

What I don’t get is 85 percent of Americans do not trust the mainstream media (according to polls), yet we see plenty of people like OP who just listen to the mainstream media when it comes to their personal life.

 

[N5329K]

It's a mystery. Here's one more: 85% of Americans don't trust Congress, but they keep on reelecting their own, over and over again.
Go figure.
Robin

 

[Uncle Paul]

Picking through forum posts will rarely give you an accurate picture of a products.

Most posts have an agenda.

 

[miimura]

Ford is discontinuing its existing line of sedans because management knows they will not be competitive with EV sedans. They didn't say they won't have EV sedans in the future, they just said that the current ICE powered sedans will be retired instead of investing in another generation of ICE and hybrid sedans. My feeling is that sedans and most other light duty vehicles at the smaller end of the scale are so easily made as EVs that there will soon be no reason to make ICE versions of those vehicles. Larger vehicles like full size SUVs and trucks will transition slower, but many commercially operated vehicles managed by logically minded fleet managers in cities will also transition quickly due to the favorable TCO of plug-in hybrid or fully electric light, medium and heavy duty trucks. Trucks of various sizes operated in rural areas will probably be the last to transition to EV.

I will also repeat that most people only come to forums to talk about their troubles, so it gives a very distorted view of reality. This applies to all car forums, not just Tesla oriented ones. Around here, most of the rest of the people are Tesla fans and read the forums for the fun of it. Normal people don't do that. I'm not normal...