Sent out a Five-Year Assessment of my Model 3 for some friends, so thought I should also post here -- the photo shows it with my 1975 MGB and 1998 BMW 528i a few weeks ago...
There has been a great deal of misinformation said and written about EVs in general and Telsa in particular during the past five years since I took delivery of my Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor AWD in October of 2018, so perhaps an assessment of this revolutionary car is in order at this point after 75,000 miles! Tesla started to manufacture the Dual Motor model in Q3 2018, and they needed it to be successful or they would go bankrupt. To get the proper volume, they added a tent assembly line to the Freemont plant to get the numbers right and rest is history.
My Model 3 Dual Motor AWD net cost after tax rebates and incentives was about $47,500 -- cheaper than the price of a comparable BMW 328 or Audi A4. Cost and incentives were certainly a factor, but Model 3 also had the best technology as it was the first car in decades that was different – it came with an embryonic Full Self Driving package with ability to upgrade with free software updates. As a computer on wheels, I saw the Model 3 as the Ford Model T of its time. Additionally, with an emission-free vehicle, it no longer felt right to the climate to have a normal Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car that adds 25 pounds of CO2 to the atmosphere for every 25 miles or one gallon of gas used.
JUST A GREAT DRIVING VEHICLE
What I like most about the Tesla Model 3 is what I liked about my old 1975 MGB and 1998 BMW 528i in their day – the Model 3 just a great driving vehicle! It was much better and faster than any new BMW, Audi or similar ICE car that I drove in the same price range. The torque on the Model 3 is instant so there is immediate acceleration response from zero to 60 but also from 60 to 100. Turning is quick and responsive, breaking is excellent – all of this without even thinking about the added assisted driving software. In 2018, the Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor AWD took over BMW as the “Ultimate Driving Machine” in my book. It started at Zero to 60 in 4.7 seconds, then a free software upgrade reduced that to 4.2 seconds in 2018. And finally, not necessary as probably too fast for me, I paid an extra $2,000 in 2019 to upgrade the speed to make is zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds. I wanted to test the technology for a sub $50,000 vehicle.
TESLA AUTOPILOT, ADVANCED AUTOPILOT, FULL SELF DRIVING and FSD BETA
This is a very confusing topic for many people, and Tesla is partially responsible for the confusion! Additionally, most everyone who writes about Tesla gets it wrong so I can understand how the public misunderstands the terms. For starters, Tesla Autopilot is misnamed – it is not self driving technology, it is essentially a good cruise control like you would have in any good modern car. All Teslas come with Autopilot. The step up is Tesla Advance Autopilot that is essentially Advanced Assisted Driving – a $6000 add-on and recommended -- much better than most cars on the road and great functionality on Interstate highways with limited self-driving. An additional $6,000 in 2023 will get you what is called Full Self Driving, which goes beyond Advanced Autopilot and adds many features like stopping for Stop signs and Red Lights for example, and a Summon command. Finally, Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta is a volunteer program that started a bit more than two years ago. At first Tesla owners had to take a safety test to quality for the FSD Beta, and even now one has to manually engage it. And, one can get kicked out of the program if misused.
The confusion lies with everyone thinking that Tesla Autopilot is the gold standard when indeed is just basic cruise control and really nothing special, every Tesla has it. However, only 10 percent of the Teslas you see on the road have paid for and are using Full Self Driving and FSD Beta – one in ten. Everyone other Tesla is driving just like a normal car – the person behind the steering wheel is totally in charge. That said, I am one of those 10 percent of Tesla owners with FSD Beta as I wanted to see where the technology was going and also wanted to have a voice by giving feedback to Tesla, and FSD was only an extra $3,000 in 2018. Over the years, I have had hundreds of software upgrades to my 2018 Model 3 and yes the progress on Full Self Driving has been remarkable. It has been fun. On the open road, FSD Beta is now the easiest and safest driving out there, and has been for years. One does not get tired driving on the Interstate highways as the car is really driving itself – one just needs to stay awake and pay attention. There is no stress. I have gone hundreds of miles without using the brakes or turning the steering wheel. I would guess that more than 95 percent of my Interstate driving is on FSD Beta, and it also handles two lane roads very well with 55mph or lower speeds, and even unmarked city or country roads. Yes, it will move over and give the bicyclist room and yes it stops at all red lights and stop signs. It has not mastered traffic circles in DC but just about everything else. I do turn FSD on when I can as I am confident that I am safer with the two of us driving.
Thus, the perception by some writers and the public that Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta is not safe is just wrong -- and the stats prove that by a large margin. We need to remember that Tesla is rated at Level Two self driving, meaning the driver is still responsible for the vehicle. FSD has greatly improved over the past five years, and present FSD Beta is Version 11.4.7.3 with 11.4.8 being releases as I write this. Tesla says that Version 12 will be out in a few weeks and will drop the Beta as it is allegedly that good. We shall see, but I am not betting that Tesla or anyone will make a proper Full Self Driving car anytime soon, even with AI. Tesla needs to have Lidar or some type of High Definition Radar sensors in addition to the cameras. For example, the Tesla cameras don’t work perfectly in the rain or inclement weather, and it does rain.
SOFTWARE UPDATES
The beauty of the Tesla car is the periodic over-the-air (OTA) software downloads to upgrade the vehicle, and my car has received more than a hundred in the past five years. Sometimes it is just a bug fix, sometimes it is a game-changer. It is as simple as getting a software upgrade on your Smartphone, just connect the car to WiFI. The end result is that my five-year Model 3 is technically just as advanced as a new 2023 Model 3 -- it is like having a new car that is five years old. There have been two vehicle recalls on my Model 3 – but both were done with OTA software downloads as my car never left my garage. One recall was the transportation department making the car come to a full stop and pause at a stop sign instead of slowing down to 2 mph and drifting through if nothing is coming – this stopping unfortunately annoys everyone in DC when I activate FSD Beta because no one comes to a complete stop, then a pause, if one does not have to in DC at least.
MAINTENANCE COSTS
The beauty of EVs is that maintenance costs are minimal – for me, less than $500 over these past five years and 75,000 miles, excluding tires at the 40,000-mile mark for $1,000. There are no regular maintenance procedures like oil changes in a normal ICE car – it does not need to go to the dealership or gas station on a regular basis. Cabin filters need to be changed every two years -- $70 total, a Tesla mobile unit came to my house and installed them. I did take it to the Tesla Service Center for the four year/50,000-mile check -- $205 that included the two cabin filters, lubricating the brakes, checking the suspension, and some other stuff. Since the car has regenerative braking, the best guess is 125,000 miles to replace the brake pads and/or rotors. I did not see the need to rotate the tires since they wear evenly with the Dual Motor model. It should be noted when the car was new I had to take it in the Tesla Service center to replace a malfunctioning turn signal module, and also in February 2020 to upgrade from Hardware 2.5 to Hardware 3.0 – but both of those visits were free. If we just look at the numbers, it is easy to see why maintenance costs are so small. There are 30-50 moving parts in the Tesla two engines and driveshaft, whereas there is something like 500 plus moving parts in a normal ICE vehicle -- thus more than ten times the things to break: hoses, oil, fluids, clamps, exhaust, fanbelt and all the other stuff.
RANGE
The topic of Range and Range Anxiety is so off target. It has never been an issue whether in normal driving around town or on long drives. For normal day-to-day driving, I charge at home with the normal 240 outlet – it is ready to go in the morning for hundreds of miles. I have taken long-distant trips to Florida, Colorado, Arizona, New Orlean and even to the corn fields of Iowa for “Field of Dreams” game – never an issue with finding a Tesla Supercharger. On long trips, I normally stop every three hours to stretch my legs and get a cup of coffee – so anywhere from 150 to 225 miles. At first there were not many Superchargers so one had to map things out and the chargers were only 72kw power – so sometimes it was 45 minutes or more to get back on the road, so Netflix was important to have on the cabin screen. Now with the 250kw Superchargers, one gets 200 miles charge in about 20 minutes so I rarely stop for longer than 25 minutes unless I need to check the internet or read/send more work or personal emails. The key to fast Supercharging stops is to go from 10/20 percent of battery capacity to 80 percent as that takes about 20 minutes on my Model 3 – an extra 10 minutes to go 90 per cent. There is no reason to charge to 100 percent unless it is absolutely necessary. In addition to Tesla Superchargers, there are Destination Hotels where one can charge for free overnight – could be a Holiday Inn, Hilton, or whatever. Even ski resorts like Steamboat Springs have Destination Hotels. I did have one issue on the Utah/Arizona border this past March as I wanted to spend more time driving around in Monument Valley where there are no Superchargers. There was a nearby RV Camper stop nearby with 240 outlets, so I just hooked up the car and all was fine though I did look a bit funny with all those campers.
Originally, the car was listed with a 310 miles range but that was for the 18-inch tires, not my 19-inch sport wheels so even new it was closer to 300 miles – and even that is also not a real number if one likes to drive at 80mph on the Interstate highways. One will lose 10 or 20 percent of range with fast driving, or if it is very cold outside, and other reasons like climbing mountains and wind -- but that does not matter either. It is pretty impossible to run out of battery charge as the car will tell you to slow down or stop at the next Supercharger. Additionally, electric batteries will lose power over time, so I am now at 285 miles of range but that is still plenty. The battery is guaranteed for 8 years or 125,000 miles not to lose more than 30 percent of its original range. And, actually, it appears that my car is more efficient through software upgrades so my range is pretty close to where I was when I bought it new. And, if one drives at a moderate 60-65 mph, the car is very efficient.
CHARGING, it is best to charge at home but you will need a separate 220/240 outlet. You can plug it directly into a $20 NEMA 15-50 outlet, or install a Tesla or third-party home charger. Either way , you get 30-40 miles of range in one hour, so more than 250 miles of range or more while you are sleeping. It’s cheap – about $10 for 400 miles of range in Washington, DC for example. If necessary and practical you can plug it into your 30 amp Dryer plug outlet. And yes, it is also possible to use a normal 110/120 plug in emergencies, but you will only get 3-5 miles of range in an hour. The installation cost for the NEMA or Tesla charger will be determined by how far the outlet is away from the breaker box -- 6 feet, about $250, 60 feet, expensive. Do not charge at Superchargers unless you are on the road or have no access to a 220 outlet. Supercharger rates vary from State to State, anywhere from $20 to $40 for 400 miles at present.
AUDIO and INTERIOR
The audio sound system is excellent – simply great sound from a bunch of speakers. The center screen is easy to navigate, but it would be better with a second screen in front of the driver. My guess is that BMW and others will have two screens, as does Tesla with the Model S and X. The seats are very comfortable. The Interior overall is very understated so no issues. One need not worry about theft as Sentry Mode activates the cameras if someone gets too close. My biggest gripe is that the Odometer is hidden under a few clicks on the center screen – it would be so easy to have it in plain view. Granted, perhaps old school but all signs on the road are in miles.
Onward to the next five,
PTB
There has been a great deal of misinformation said and written about EVs in general and Telsa in particular during the past five years since I took delivery of my Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor AWD in October of 2018, so perhaps an assessment of this revolutionary car is in order at this point after 75,000 miles! Tesla started to manufacture the Dual Motor model in Q3 2018, and they needed it to be successful or they would go bankrupt. To get the proper volume, they added a tent assembly line to the Freemont plant to get the numbers right and rest is history.
My Model 3 Dual Motor AWD net cost after tax rebates and incentives was about $47,500 -- cheaper than the price of a comparable BMW 328 or Audi A4. Cost and incentives were certainly a factor, but Model 3 also had the best technology as it was the first car in decades that was different – it came with an embryonic Full Self Driving package with ability to upgrade with free software updates. As a computer on wheels, I saw the Model 3 as the Ford Model T of its time. Additionally, with an emission-free vehicle, it no longer felt right to the climate to have a normal Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) car that adds 25 pounds of CO2 to the atmosphere for every 25 miles or one gallon of gas used.
JUST A GREAT DRIVING VEHICLE
What I like most about the Tesla Model 3 is what I liked about my old 1975 MGB and 1998 BMW 528i in their day – the Model 3 just a great driving vehicle! It was much better and faster than any new BMW, Audi or similar ICE car that I drove in the same price range. The torque on the Model 3 is instant so there is immediate acceleration response from zero to 60 but also from 60 to 100. Turning is quick and responsive, breaking is excellent – all of this without even thinking about the added assisted driving software. In 2018, the Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor AWD took over BMW as the “Ultimate Driving Machine” in my book. It started at Zero to 60 in 4.7 seconds, then a free software upgrade reduced that to 4.2 seconds in 2018. And finally, not necessary as probably too fast for me, I paid an extra $2,000 in 2019 to upgrade the speed to make is zero to 60 in 3.7 seconds. I wanted to test the technology for a sub $50,000 vehicle.
TESLA AUTOPILOT, ADVANCED AUTOPILOT, FULL SELF DRIVING and FSD BETA
This is a very confusing topic for many people, and Tesla is partially responsible for the confusion! Additionally, most everyone who writes about Tesla gets it wrong so I can understand how the public misunderstands the terms. For starters, Tesla Autopilot is misnamed – it is not self driving technology, it is essentially a good cruise control like you would have in any good modern car. All Teslas come with Autopilot. The step up is Tesla Advance Autopilot that is essentially Advanced Assisted Driving – a $6000 add-on and recommended -- much better than most cars on the road and great functionality on Interstate highways with limited self-driving. An additional $6,000 in 2023 will get you what is called Full Self Driving, which goes beyond Advanced Autopilot and adds many features like stopping for Stop signs and Red Lights for example, and a Summon command. Finally, Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta is a volunteer program that started a bit more than two years ago. At first Tesla owners had to take a safety test to quality for the FSD Beta, and even now one has to manually engage it. And, one can get kicked out of the program if misused.
The confusion lies with everyone thinking that Tesla Autopilot is the gold standard when indeed is just basic cruise control and really nothing special, every Tesla has it. However, only 10 percent of the Teslas you see on the road have paid for and are using Full Self Driving and FSD Beta – one in ten. Everyone other Tesla is driving just like a normal car – the person behind the steering wheel is totally in charge. That said, I am one of those 10 percent of Tesla owners with FSD Beta as I wanted to see where the technology was going and also wanted to have a voice by giving feedback to Tesla, and FSD was only an extra $3,000 in 2018. Over the years, I have had hundreds of software upgrades to my 2018 Model 3 and yes the progress on Full Self Driving has been remarkable. It has been fun. On the open road, FSD Beta is now the easiest and safest driving out there, and has been for years. One does not get tired driving on the Interstate highways as the car is really driving itself – one just needs to stay awake and pay attention. There is no stress. I have gone hundreds of miles without using the brakes or turning the steering wheel. I would guess that more than 95 percent of my Interstate driving is on FSD Beta, and it also handles two lane roads very well with 55mph or lower speeds, and even unmarked city or country roads. Yes, it will move over and give the bicyclist room and yes it stops at all red lights and stop signs. It has not mastered traffic circles in DC but just about everything else. I do turn FSD on when I can as I am confident that I am safer with the two of us driving.
Thus, the perception by some writers and the public that Full Self Driving (FSD) Beta is not safe is just wrong -- and the stats prove that by a large margin. We need to remember that Tesla is rated at Level Two self driving, meaning the driver is still responsible for the vehicle. FSD has greatly improved over the past five years, and present FSD Beta is Version 11.4.7.3 with 11.4.8 being releases as I write this. Tesla says that Version 12 will be out in a few weeks and will drop the Beta as it is allegedly that good. We shall see, but I am not betting that Tesla or anyone will make a proper Full Self Driving car anytime soon, even with AI. Tesla needs to have Lidar or some type of High Definition Radar sensors in addition to the cameras. For example, the Tesla cameras don’t work perfectly in the rain or inclement weather, and it does rain.
SOFTWARE UPDATES
The beauty of the Tesla car is the periodic over-the-air (OTA) software downloads to upgrade the vehicle, and my car has received more than a hundred in the past five years. Sometimes it is just a bug fix, sometimes it is a game-changer. It is as simple as getting a software upgrade on your Smartphone, just connect the car to WiFI. The end result is that my five-year Model 3 is technically just as advanced as a new 2023 Model 3 -- it is like having a new car that is five years old. There have been two vehicle recalls on my Model 3 – but both were done with OTA software downloads as my car never left my garage. One recall was the transportation department making the car come to a full stop and pause at a stop sign instead of slowing down to 2 mph and drifting through if nothing is coming – this stopping unfortunately annoys everyone in DC when I activate FSD Beta because no one comes to a complete stop, then a pause, if one does not have to in DC at least.
MAINTENANCE COSTS
The beauty of EVs is that maintenance costs are minimal – for me, less than $500 over these past five years and 75,000 miles, excluding tires at the 40,000-mile mark for $1,000. There are no regular maintenance procedures like oil changes in a normal ICE car – it does not need to go to the dealership or gas station on a regular basis. Cabin filters need to be changed every two years -- $70 total, a Tesla mobile unit came to my house and installed them. I did take it to the Tesla Service Center for the four year/50,000-mile check -- $205 that included the two cabin filters, lubricating the brakes, checking the suspension, and some other stuff. Since the car has regenerative braking, the best guess is 125,000 miles to replace the brake pads and/or rotors. I did not see the need to rotate the tires since they wear evenly with the Dual Motor model. It should be noted when the car was new I had to take it in the Tesla Service center to replace a malfunctioning turn signal module, and also in February 2020 to upgrade from Hardware 2.5 to Hardware 3.0 – but both of those visits were free. If we just look at the numbers, it is easy to see why maintenance costs are so small. There are 30-50 moving parts in the Tesla two engines and driveshaft, whereas there is something like 500 plus moving parts in a normal ICE vehicle -- thus more than ten times the things to break: hoses, oil, fluids, clamps, exhaust, fanbelt and all the other stuff.
RANGE
The topic of Range and Range Anxiety is so off target. It has never been an issue whether in normal driving around town or on long drives. For normal day-to-day driving, I charge at home with the normal 240 outlet – it is ready to go in the morning for hundreds of miles. I have taken long-distant trips to Florida, Colorado, Arizona, New Orlean and even to the corn fields of Iowa for “Field of Dreams” game – never an issue with finding a Tesla Supercharger. On long trips, I normally stop every three hours to stretch my legs and get a cup of coffee – so anywhere from 150 to 225 miles. At first there were not many Superchargers so one had to map things out and the chargers were only 72kw power – so sometimes it was 45 minutes or more to get back on the road, so Netflix was important to have on the cabin screen. Now with the 250kw Superchargers, one gets 200 miles charge in about 20 minutes so I rarely stop for longer than 25 minutes unless I need to check the internet or read/send more work or personal emails. The key to fast Supercharging stops is to go from 10/20 percent of battery capacity to 80 percent as that takes about 20 minutes on my Model 3 – an extra 10 minutes to go 90 per cent. There is no reason to charge to 100 percent unless it is absolutely necessary. In addition to Tesla Superchargers, there are Destination Hotels where one can charge for free overnight – could be a Holiday Inn, Hilton, or whatever. Even ski resorts like Steamboat Springs have Destination Hotels. I did have one issue on the Utah/Arizona border this past March as I wanted to spend more time driving around in Monument Valley where there are no Superchargers. There was a nearby RV Camper stop nearby with 240 outlets, so I just hooked up the car and all was fine though I did look a bit funny with all those campers.
Originally, the car was listed with a 310 miles range but that was for the 18-inch tires, not my 19-inch sport wheels so even new it was closer to 300 miles – and even that is also not a real number if one likes to drive at 80mph on the Interstate highways. One will lose 10 or 20 percent of range with fast driving, or if it is very cold outside, and other reasons like climbing mountains and wind -- but that does not matter either. It is pretty impossible to run out of battery charge as the car will tell you to slow down or stop at the next Supercharger. Additionally, electric batteries will lose power over time, so I am now at 285 miles of range but that is still plenty. The battery is guaranteed for 8 years or 125,000 miles not to lose more than 30 percent of its original range. And, actually, it appears that my car is more efficient through software upgrades so my range is pretty close to where I was when I bought it new. And, if one drives at a moderate 60-65 mph, the car is very efficient.
CHARGING, it is best to charge at home but you will need a separate 220/240 outlet. You can plug it directly into a $20 NEMA 15-50 outlet, or install a Tesla or third-party home charger. Either way , you get 30-40 miles of range in one hour, so more than 250 miles of range or more while you are sleeping. It’s cheap – about $10 for 400 miles of range in Washington, DC for example. If necessary and practical you can plug it into your 30 amp Dryer plug outlet. And yes, it is also possible to use a normal 110/120 plug in emergencies, but you will only get 3-5 miles of range in an hour. The installation cost for the NEMA or Tesla charger will be determined by how far the outlet is away from the breaker box -- 6 feet, about $250, 60 feet, expensive. Do not charge at Superchargers unless you are on the road or have no access to a 220 outlet. Supercharger rates vary from State to State, anywhere from $20 to $40 for 400 miles at present.
AUDIO and INTERIOR
The audio sound system is excellent – simply great sound from a bunch of speakers. The center screen is easy to navigate, but it would be better with a second screen in front of the driver. My guess is that BMW and others will have two screens, as does Tesla with the Model S and X. The seats are very comfortable. The Interior overall is very understated so no issues. One need not worry about theft as Sentry Mode activates the cameras if someone gets too close. My biggest gripe is that the Odometer is hidden under a few clicks on the center screen – it would be so easy to have it in plain view. Granted, perhaps old school but all signs on the road are in miles.
Onward to the next five,
PTB
