How do you think Tesla will package AWD Model 3?

[mikevbf]

Because the Model 3 is mass produced with fewer customization options than the MS and MX, do you think the dual motor AWD version will force buyers to buy AWD with the LR battery or premium package at first for example? My guess is that the dual motors Model 3's will be packaged with air suspension with no option for standard suspension at the very least.

Because dual motor AWD is desirable in colder climates in general, I would love it if all the cold climate aspects of premium package were packaged with the AWD option without forcing all the other premium items and their associated cost. What do you think? Will AWD be offered completely a la carte?

 

[commasign]

AWD bundled with smart air suspension for $5000. Slight bump in performance, maybe advertised as 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds for long range or 5.4 seconds standard battery. No change in EPA range as Model 3 already uses the high efficiency motor. 310 miles long range, or 220 miles standard battery (available in 2019).

Wild Speculation: Performance version (insane mode) as a software unlock for $10000 more (or $12500 after delivery), 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. Available only on the long range battery.

 

[Snow Drift]

Air suspension introduces so many unnecessary complexities. A normal suspension is fine.

I'm hoping $3,000 for Dual Motor.

 

[03DSG]

#1. AWD, air suspension and towing (hidden towing rear structure in place) hitch optional at SC. Heated steering wheel would be bonus. $6k.

OR (not and)

#2. AWD only. $4.5k.

My bets on #2 based on the the KISS principle reinforced by previous lessons.

 

[SMAlset]

Given how all the Model S and X's now have only SAS, I have to wonder if the intent won't be to take the Model 3 in that direction solely. Maybe it started out as coil in design a few years back and parts were committed, so it became the First Production. Once they are beyond first production maybe that's it. Air suspension has been a growing market over the last few years.

I know Tesla came out with how many combinations of configuring choices people eventually would have on the Model 3 but have long forgotten it. They may just go with a KISS approach (keep it simple sweetie...Tesla wouldn't use stupid here) but clearly there is suppose to be some level of choice.

From the description in the delivery window it does look like the only known level of choice is that of batteries with AWD; and the configurator on First Production implies a seating color choice. SAS could be available an option. I'd love to have a pano roof be a Roof option. More than that I'd love to have HEPA and Bio-Weapon Defense be options. Let's face it there will be more Model 3s on the road than S&Xs eventually with their drivers having to breathe in the pollution from other fossil fuel cars and trucks and sources otherwise. This option could improve the lives of a lot of people and I'd love to see it be standard actually. Apart from the hours spent in bed and at work I'd think being in our cars would at least rank third. Kind of fits into Teslas improving the environment and the driving experience for owners.

I hope our wait is really short to find out what the AWD version will be. At this point even if they don't have pricing on it yet, I'd still like to know the feature set. Anyone out there who can get Elon to tweet more on this would be my hero!

 

[svp6]

I think Elon tweeted that air suspension will be linked with AWD. My best guess is a repeat of the S evolution: start with AWD, air suspension and performance bundled with the LR only. Later allow AWD non performance versions.

 

[SageBrush]

I think Elon tweeted that air suspension will be linked with AWD. My best guess is a repeat of the S evolution: start with AWD, air suspension and performance bundled with the LR only. Later allow AWD non performance versions.

That makes a lot of sense, except it cuts into the territory of the Model S and X.

 

[mikevbf]

I think Elon tweeted that air suspension will be linked with AWD. My best guess is a repeat of the S evolution: start with AWD, air suspension and performance bundled with the LR only. Later allow AWD non performance versions.

I am pretty sure Elon indicated performance models would come after AWD models thus making non performance AWD a option from the get go.

 

[dss33]

Given how all the Model S and X's now have only SAS, I have to wonder if the intent won't be to take the Model 3 in that direction solely. Maybe it started out as coil in design a few years back and parts were committed, so it became the First Production. Once they are beyond first production maybe that's it. Air suspension has been a growing market over the last few years.

I know Tesla came out with how many combinations of configuring choices people eventually would have on the Model 3 but have long forgotten it. They may just go with a KISS approach (keep it simple sweetie...Tesla wouldn't use stupid here) but clearly there is suppose to be some level of choice.

From the description in the delivery window it does look like the only known level of choice is that of batteries with AWD; and the configurator on First Production implies a seating color choice. SAS could be available an option. I'd love to have a pano roof be a Roof option. More than that I'd love to have HEPA and Bio-Weapon Defense be options. Let's face it there will be more Model 3s on the road than S&Xs eventually with their drivers having to breathe in the pollution from other fossil fuel cars and trucks and sources otherwise. This option could improve the lives of a lot of people and I'd love to see it be standard actually. Apart from the hours spent in bed and at work I'd think being in our cars would at least rank third. Kind of fits into Teslas improving the environment and the driving experience for owners.

I hope our wait is really short to find out what the AWD version will be. At this point even if they don't have pricing on it yet, I'd still like to know the feature set. Anyone out there who can get Elon to tweet more on this would be my hero!

The only thing is that SAS is expensive (relative to coils). There's no way they'd be able to add that at the $35k price point. It makes sense on all S and X vehicles (and Roadster?) and it's a great differentiator, though on the 3, I can't see it as anything but being offered at the high end of the options (paired with LR battery and AWD only, as a package).

 

[run-the-joules]

I'd be sad to see SAS become mandatory for AWD. I'll probably sell my current 3 and pick up an AWD or P-AWD model in ~3 years, but I really, REALLY hate gimmick suspensions after having had both an air suspension and a magnetic suspension fail on me in the past, to the detriment of my wallet.

 

[Supertester777]

Wonder if Tesla will implement a real time AWD technology. My old Honda CRV had it. The rear wheels would engage only if the front ones slipped or lost traction

 

[run-the-joules]

Wonder if Tesla will implement a real time AWD technology. My old Honda CRV had it. The rear wheels would engage only if the front ones slipped or lost traction

I don't see why they'd do such a thing, though if they did, one hopes it'd be rear-biased.

 

[Drax]

AWD bundled with smart air suspension for $5000. Slight bump in performance, maybe advertised as 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds for long range or 5.4 seconds standard battery. No change in EPA range as Model 3 already uses the high efficiency motor. 310 miles long range, or 220 miles standard battery (available in 2019).

Wild Speculation: Performance version (insane mode) as a software unlock for $10000 more (or $12500 after delivery), 0-60mph in 3.2 seconds. Available only on the long range battery.

I think the AWD might be a touch quicker, but agreed.

While I doubt they do it, I would *love* to see your idea for a performance software upgrade/unlock option! I’d happily pay 10K to get the cars 0-60 time down to 3.5sec (or less), especially post-delivery.

 

[Knightshade]

AWD only makes a car quicker if the RWD version is traction limited... the RWD S75 is only 0.1 seconds slower 0-60 than the AWD S75D- and that's on a car putting significantly more power to the wheels than the M3 is (based on the fact it's running low-4s in a 1000 lb heavier vehicle)- so I wouldn't expect much "performance" out of adding AWD to the regular M3.

As to a P model- you're dreaming if you think 10k gets it into the mid-3s with more range too.

That, plus the speculated 3-5k for AWD in the first place, gets you a P3 that's faster than an S100D with similar range for about $30,000 less.

Who buys a Model S at that point, other than folks who NEED that third row of kid seats, or want to drop 140k an a P100D?

 

[Drax]

@Knightshade BMW sells plenty of regular 6 series even though the M3 is dramatically faster, cooler, and $20-30K cheaper.

I don’t actually think it’ll actually be a $10K premium for performance, but it’d be a hell of a deal if it was! Realistically, it simply wouldn’t line up with comparable market values; but at $15K it would. At $69K ($5k for awd/sas + $15K for performance) a loaded up “P3D” would be totally in-line with the M3 and C class AMG’s, especially after the tax credit expires.

FWIW, I don’t actually care about the cost so much, I just want to see a performance upgrade available post delivery!

 

[run-the-joules]

@Knightshade BMW sells plenty of regular 6 series even though the M3 is dramatically faster, cooler, and $20-30K cheaper.

I don’t actually think it’ll actually be a $10K premium for performance, but it’d be a hell of a deal if it was! Realistically, it simply wouldn’t line up with comparable market values; but at $15K it would. At $69K ($5k for awd/sas + $15K for performance) a loaded up “P3D” would be totally in-line with the M3 and C class AMG’s, especially after the tax credit expires.

FWIW, I don’t actually care about the cost so much, I just want to see a performance upgrade available post delivery!

I think $68-69k is where it might start at best, but fully optioned I expect to see it on the far side of 80.

 

[Snow Drift]

Wonder if Tesla will implement a real time AWD technology. My old Honda CRV had it. The rear wheels would engage only if the front ones slipped or lost traction

I don't see why they'd do such a thing, though if they did, one hopes it'd be rear-biased.

They already do this. The motors can be independently used and put to sleep to increase efficiency.

 

[mikevbf]

I'd be sad to see SAS become mandatory for AWD. I'll probably sell my current 3 and pick up an AWD or P-AWD model in ~3 years, but I really, REALLY hate gimmick suspensions after having had both an air suspension and a magnetic suspension fail on me in the past, to the detriment of my wallet.

Tesla would not put SAS on Model 3's unless they felt they had a rock solid way of implementing them with minimal maintenance. The Model 3 is all about simplicity in manufacturing and ideally maintenance. Tons of Model 3's with air suspension problems would overload the already over burdened service network. I would trust Tesla's implementation of air suspension on the Model 3. They have to get it right.

 

[run-the-joules]

Tesla would not put SAS on Model 3's unless they felt they had a rock solid way of implementing them with minimal maintenance. The Model 3 is all about simplicity in manufacturing and ideally maintenance. Tons of Model 3's with air suspension problems would overload the already over burdened service network. I would trust Tesla's implementation of air suspension on the Model 3. They have to get it right.

Unless they in-house the entire system it's going to be the same crap used by all the other manufacturers, most likely made by continental. It'd probably survive the warranty period, but after that when it goes it'll be expensive and awful. I doubt I'll own this Model 3 past the end of the warranty period (or if I do, not by much), but the next one will be a long-term daily driver.


If they did in-house it I'd actually be rather less confident in it surviving the warranty period.

 

[alloverx]

They already do this. The motors can be independently used and put to sleep to increase efficiency.

Do we know roughly how efficient this "sleeping" really is? i.e. is it worth the effort.