Hello!
Put in my reservation for a Model 3 about 5 minutes after the web site went live last Thursday. Not a current Tesla owner but hope to be one within two years (hopefully not 3!). From what I've been reading, we in the Bay Area are going to be the public beta testers for the first units off the line; not counting the Tesla employees of course. I don't mind being part of that adventurous group as I probably will be keeping my 2000 BMW 3-series; assuming it's still running
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(Side note: I bought my BMW via CarOrder.com so it's not the first time I've used the internet to buy a car.)
I envision using the Tesla mostly for a 15 mile (one way) commute. I work for Samsung and there's a bunch of charging stations in the parking garage, with almost all of them located close to the main building, so that's not a problem. With Supercharger support, long-distance travel could be possible but most of what I would do is up to Tahoe (skiing at Heavenly) in the winter. That's a ~220 mile trip up Highway 50 so I don't know if the car could make it on a full charge. Most likely I'd have to top off at Folsom which is about 2/3 of the way there. Currently, according to the Tesla web site, there's only a single Supercharger at Heavenly. I hope Elon's plan to expand Supercharger coverage includes destination sites, as well as places along the highways.
What I am somewhat concerned about is the distinct probability that the $7500 federal credit will be diminishing by the time I get my 3. I had hoped to get a car that's somewhat loaded (AWD; larger capacity battery?) for the announced $35K (or lower). IF Elon is right and that a typical 3 will sell for $42K and IF Tesla diverts some factory capacity away from S and X and into the 3 and IF I'm lucky to be high up on the list of deliveries, then maybe I'll get the full credit.
We installed a 3KW solar system for the house 5.5 years ago and have been enjoying the (almost) free electricity. If the 3 turns out to be as advertised and I convert my reservation into an actual purchase, I could add a couple of more panels up on the roof. I haven't done the math to calculate how much extra power is going to be needed to charge the car. If it's only a matter of a few $$$ a month, then it's not going to be cost-effective to spend hundreds for extra panels. A little over two years ago we upgraded the electrical breaker panel to a 200A service so I'm pretty sure I have enough capacity for a Tesla. For now it's just a question of what type of charging system should I do; the Wall Connector or the NEMA 14-50 outlet?
Well, that's it for now.
Ray
Put in my reservation for a Model 3 about 5 minutes after the web site went live last Thursday. Not a current Tesla owner but hope to be one within two years (hopefully not 3!). From what I've been reading, we in the Bay Area are going to be the public beta testers for the first units off the line; not counting the Tesla employees of course. I don't mind being part of that adventurous group as I probably will be keeping my 2000 BMW 3-series; assuming it's still running
.(Side note: I bought my BMW via CarOrder.com so it's not the first time I've used the internet to buy a car.)
I envision using the Tesla mostly for a 15 mile (one way) commute. I work for Samsung and there's a bunch of charging stations in the parking garage, with almost all of them located close to the main building, so that's not a problem. With Supercharger support, long-distance travel could be possible but most of what I would do is up to Tahoe (skiing at Heavenly) in the winter. That's a ~220 mile trip up Highway 50 so I don't know if the car could make it on a full charge. Most likely I'd have to top off at Folsom which is about 2/3 of the way there. Currently, according to the Tesla web site, there's only a single Supercharger at Heavenly. I hope Elon's plan to expand Supercharger coverage includes destination sites, as well as places along the highways.
What I am somewhat concerned about is the distinct probability that the $7500 federal credit will be diminishing by the time I get my 3. I had hoped to get a car that's somewhat loaded (AWD; larger capacity battery?) for the announced $35K (or lower). IF Elon is right and that a typical 3 will sell for $42K and IF Tesla diverts some factory capacity away from S and X and into the 3 and IF I'm lucky to be high up on the list of deliveries, then maybe I'll get the full credit.
We installed a 3KW solar system for the house 5.5 years ago and have been enjoying the (almost) free electricity. If the 3 turns out to be as advertised and I convert my reservation into an actual purchase, I could add a couple of more panels up on the roof. I haven't done the math to calculate how much extra power is going to be needed to charge the car. If it's only a matter of a few $$$ a month, then it's not going to be cost-effective to spend hundreds for extra panels. A little over two years ago we upgraded the electrical breaker panel to a 200A service so I'm pretty sure I have enough capacity for a Tesla. For now it's just a question of what type of charging system should I do; the Wall Connector or the NEMA 14-50 outlet?
Well, that's it for now.
Ray
