Congrats, Karen.
Why did you wait until now to reserve ?
I had been hugely into EVs before, and had a reservation on an Aptera 2e and even started my own company making range-finding software for EVs. Then Aptera went bankrupt. And my company did too. And it was just a depressing topic. Other companies were making EVs, but they were not very interesting ones. Teslas were out of my price range, and after Aptera, every one I looked at (even the S's) just failed to capture my eye. I love aero and efficient design, and these were so.... conventional :Þ. I got myself a used Gen1 Insight instead because it was aero-on-the-cheap, so I could wait until an EV came out that picked up Aptera's spirit... but in general tried not to think about it too much because the whole history for me had been rather depressing.
It's been a long time since then. And while I've still not seen a vehicle that hits my aero sensibililities, the Model 3 is the closest try I've seen in a long time. The more I've seen of it, the more I've developed a soft spot for it. Versus the Model S it should have something like 70% of the CdA. Their target drag coefficient of 0.21 is bloody amazing for a rather "traditional" looking vehicle, but I can see all of the work they've put into achieving it. I'd still rather an Aptera-like 0.15, but... close enough. Meanwhile, my Insight has been racking up really high maintenance costs every year (and its pack has been dead for two years). Still has electrical problems that developed from persistent water leaks (just finished the third attempt to repair them). I had decided to get a used Model 3 several years down the road (when I'm done building my underground cave house), but then I discovered that the calculator at the customs office is wrong, it doesn't show the VAT deduction for EVs, which means that a new Model 3 is like $10k cheaper than I thought. And I'm in a country with the third most expensive gasoline on Earth. So everything together means that switching to a Model 3 will overall hardly cost me anything.... it should nearly pay back its entire cost in the 8-year warranty period.
So..... it's time.
I don't regret not doing it sooner. I'd actually like a 1 to 1 1/2 year delay. Let Tesla get its bugs out (every time I have to go to a service center will cost me $1k+ in ferry fees to Denmark). More time for charging stations here. More options available on the vehicle**. Etc. While I was glad to be an Aptera early adopter, I'm not in a good situation for being an early adopter for a Model 3. Mid to late next year, though.... yeah, that's a good time.
** - I'd like a tow hook so that I can get rid of my pickup truck too. I may want some "winterization" options, depending on what they are. I'm undecided about the glass roof... gorgeous, and some extra "solar heating" would be nice, but I want to know how the weight will affect range and what it will cost. No interest in more power. Probably not interested in extra range, because I'm sure it'd be expensive. Our speed limits are low here (90 km/h... about 60 mph), so the "highway" range will be hugely boosted versus the US (even after taking into account our "cool" (but not "cold") and windy climate)
