Ordered 3/31 at a store before online ordering opened. Haven't cancelled yet want to see when car will be ready- which Tesla hasn't even estimated yet on my tesla page
To me, it sounds like OP is not so upset that the 3 costs what it does, but rather that Tesla chose to build a competent rear/all wheel drive luxury sedan instead of a soulless corporate front drive sedan. I understand that Camrys and Accords can be optioned out to be "nice." But anyone who drives one back to back with a Tesla (any Tesla), will spend the extra money if they are able. It's not a reasonable comparison to begin with. However, as OP just pointed out, everyone is entitled to their opinion and may vote with their checkbook.
Regen breaking isn't for everyone. I absolutely hate it and know others who do as well. I turn it off/aka low mode
It's because you cannot disagree with the previous statement simply because you are in denial about the target market. Model 3 will crush the BMW 3 series and Audi A4 sales.
I'm not thrilled of the forced choice of having to get the Premium Package to get one of the first models. $50k was more than I was initially planning on spending, and certainly the Model 3 will be the most expensive new car I've ever bought. Yes, I agree that price point isn't exactly "affordable" for the majority of Americans or global citizens. Heck, a loaded Chevy Bolt is close to $45k. Until long-range (200+ mi) EVs get to around $25k without credits and incentives, I don't think they'll ever take off with the mainstream. That day will come, eventually. I applaud Musk and Tesla for pushing hard to bring EVs closer to mainstream with the Model 3.
You are the only one attacking here. You made an incorrect assumption either based off of misinterpretation of the facts presented or an incomplete assessment of what has be provided.
Nearly all new vehicles aren't "affordable" for the majority of Americans or global citizens. This is why such a large used car market exists. As previously shown, it's affordable for more than half the people in the market for a brand new entry level luxury vehicle.
TBH though, all you had to do was look the Model X rollout.....the models with the highest margin are built first, to help replenish the capital outlay Tesla needed to put up to get the lines up and running (or pay off the bonds they used for that purpose). If you were waiting on a $35K model, sure, it's disappointing, but you really can't claimed to be an informed follower of Tesla, while ALSO being surprised by this.
I'm actually surprised how fast they plan on having the standard battery model come out. Just 3 months delay - that is nothing in the history of EVs (where years of delays are the norm).
Those of you wanting a car that only costs half as much as the Model 3 will have to wait for the "Model 4". If Ford, Chevy, Chrysler, Toyota, or Honda don't get there first, eventually Tesla will be as big as them and will be able to produce it. Long tough road for Tesla, but they have proven themselves on many occasion. It would be nice if Tesla could start on the cheap end, but US Capitalism just doesn't allow it without heavy government support, something that is unacceptable for a lot of Americans, so Tesla has to get there mostly on their own. Of course, there are those who claim Tesla is a bad company living off of taxpayers, but that's total BS in every way that matters. The truth is Tesla is an American success story that both Republicans and Democrats can be proud of. There's opportunity for unity there in these divisive times. I don't know if a Model 3 is "affordable" or not. There are certainly cheaper cars out there. But it is a lot more affordable than the S or X, so it's moving in the right direction.
"Mainstream" is such an interesting term. It can mean anything the speaker wants it to mean, yet conveys almost no information. I have heard people use it to mean 60,000 sales per year in the U.S.. I have also heard people use it to indicate a majority of sales, in which case no single model of vehicle is "mainstream". Likewise, as mentioned upthread, if used to mean 'priced such that more than half of United States citizens can buy it without a loan', almost no car qualifies as "mainstream". If the OP truly wants to have a discussion about this, perhaps he could give us his definition of "mainstream"?
Out of curiosity: what car are you driving? I suppose it's electric if you can change the settings of regen braking? BTW: I for one do think the Camry is "entry level luxury", just like the BMW 3-series. A really nice car; a real pity they don't sell them over here any more in Europe, or they would already have sold more than 10 million. That being said: I'll keep my M3 reservation
Not only for Model X. Elon said specifically for the Model 3 rollout that more highly optioned cars will be offered first to help pay for the costs of bringing the Model 3 to market.
So even LESS of a surprise.....disappointment (if you weren't expecting it)? Sure....but hardly a surprise.
Well... We'll see about that. Perhaps, in time, it will have a real effect, but at the moment I think that's an overstatement. For now, Tesla as a company is still an unknown for most people. I, for one, am apprehensive about service support, especially if the Model 3 really takes off and in a year we have 2-3x the number of Teslas on the road as there are today. I think a lot of people will continue buying their 328s and their A4s for a few more years before seriously considering a Tesla. These other cars are great cars, and they're a known quantity. Tesla still has to prove itself to be an overall practical choice in the long run.