What do new Model 3 owners think about...

[IceIceBaby]

not just walk everywhere barefoot, but also completely naked (or at least without clothing as you’d find in stores today, you could manufacture something out of leaves I suppose), and can’t live in a house/apt of any kind, and can’t eat any food from stores really, have to be things you find in the wild. which is why these sorts of arguments are so silly... the idea is to reduce your carbon footprint to whatever you can reasonably do, if it means you can afford an EV great, if not there’s still plenty you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, and even if you have an EV there’s still plenty you can do to further reduce your carbon footprint. this idea that it’s us vs. them when it comes to owning an EV or not, is a silly one that isn’t helpful.

The debate in this thread is getting moot. we can go all day on this topic and there's no winner. we are all losers the way that the globe currently operates, in general...

 

[swaltner]

How do you like the Atom? I always wanted to drive one.... I think they're awesome.

I actually first learned about the Atom as an electric car, which was right around the time that the original Tesla Roadster was revealed in 2006. There was a 1-off EV conversion of one, which was called the Wrightspeed X1. Found out about a 4-day track event at Hallett, where I got a passenger ride on a few hot laps, and knew I needed to eventually purchase one. Eventually found one on eBay for a good price. I’ve owned it for a little over 9 years now. At one point, had tried to sell it to fund the Model 3 purchase, but couldn’t get my desired sale price, so now I have both. There should still be a thread here in the For Sale section with pictures of my Atom, since, everything is for sale for the right price. It’s definitely not a vehicle to drive on the street if you want to stay under the radar.

I really should have a serious conversation with the EV conversion shops at some point about doing a proper EV conversion on it, The Atom is so light and small that being able to put enough batteries in it to maintain the current performance would be a challenge. With a full tank of gas, my Atom comes in at something like 1,530 pounds. Any conversion that is done on the Atom would need to maintain the current sub 3 second 0-60 times and also the braking/cornering capabilities, which would be difficult since the weight would go up by possibly 20%.

It’s a fantastic car. You should definitely try to find one to at least go for a ride in at some point. This last fall, I took it to a local Cars & Coffee event, first “car show” I had taken it to in years. Towards the end of the event, had one of the folks sheepishly ask if I’d take home for a ride. He knew all about the Atoms, but this was the first he had seen in person. I took him for a 4 mile drive including a mile on the highway with the supercharger screaming in our ears on the entrance ramp. He was all smiles.

To keep this a little on-topic, I justify the carbon emissions of the Atom with the current gas engine by doing the bulk of my driving each year in the Tesla. In addition to the Tesla, I have over 9 kW of solar panels at home that overproduce on the amount of energy that I use in the house, including the 20,000 miles of EV driving each year. Since I only put 500 to 1,000 miles on the Atom each year, those emissions are almost lost in the noise. Yes, I would like to cancel out the final gasoline consumed by the Atom and lawnmower, but for now, I’ll have to deal with just a 98% reduction in the amount of gasoline I burn..

 

[roblab]

We can only improve our own carbon footprint. I see gas cars as being driven by people who are ignorant (they ignore) and unaware. They aren't evil.
One of the things that chokes me up, that many people ignore, is wood smoke. Every time the temp drops near 40, everyone has to start up the fireplace, not thinking that all that heat races up the chimney, pulling in cold air through cracks around doors, windows, even electric outlets, making the house actually colder, and causing the furnace to run. It is known that wood smoke is poisonous, too. But people don't think.

 

[StealthP3D]

If this post, as you, the OP states, is about "tailpipe emissions", then it does not belong in the "ordering model 3" section. It belongs here:

Energy, Environment, and Policy

As the first post makes clear, it's about whether new owners, who have just taken delivery, start seeing tailpipe emissions as being ridiculous as they drive their new Model 3's the first few weeks. My wife did, I did (and still do).

To be honest, I noticed this before I ever had a car with zero tailpipe emissions but driving my new Model 3 around really brought it front and center. I just wanted feedback on this from other new owners, which is why I posted it here.

Thank you to all who provided on-topic comments, I found them interesting and helpful. To those who responded with variations of: even EV's have an environmental footprint, lawnmowers and BBQ's are worse, it's all helpless, we can never "save the environment" or have a positive impact, I politely ask you to go do your mental macerations elsewhere while the rest of us help move the needle to a cleaner and healthier future for our children and grandchildren (and ourselves). Because throwing your hands up in the air and saying we can't make a difference is not useful.

 

[miimura]

I remember when everything smelled of cigarette smoke.
Now it is so rare I can smell it a mile away.

I came to say something very similar. I can smell a classic car that has poor or nonexistent emissions controls blocks away. I also live next to a golf course and am irritated whenever they are using gasoline powered mowers and blowers on the greens as I walk by with my dog.

 

[IceIceBaby]

What do new Model 3 owners think about when driving their new car?

I was sitting in traffic with my wife yesterday and saw all the exhaust spewing out of the cars in front of me. Not one electric car to be seen. It looked like this:
View attachment 511724

I mentioned to my wife how utterly ridiculous it was for people to transport themselves inside little boxes that poisoned the air in our towns and cities. How ridiculous it was the way most of us just sit in the toxic gasses spewed out from all the tailpipes without questioning whether it was a sensible or intelligent way to get around. She told me she thought about that all the time the first few months of ownership but, over time, it became such a common thought it was easily dismissed from her mind.

Not everyone can afford a 35k-60k car..... just sayin....

 

[gcsmoore1]

Depending on wind conditions, a single snow machines can stink up a trail (entire valley) for a very long time.
Here in Fairbanks (worst air in the world during a cold weather inversion event) we presently have routine wood burning restrictions.
Imagine telling a cabin dweller they are not free to heat their home.
view: purpleair.com

 

[StealthP3D]

I've noticed the air is a lot more refreshing since the Coronavirus lockdown. I think a lot of it is due to 90% fewer airliners crisscrossing the globe. Jet fuel is essentially kerosene, not much different from diesel. The jet exhaust is full of carbon ash that takes days to drift down to earth's surface. Contrails only look white due to the moisture which condenses in the cold air and reflects light.

I've also noticed the city streets smell a lot healthier due to fewer cars driving around.