What if no Model 3?

[jsmay311]

I'm a one-car household, and current SAE Combo DCFC charging options aren't anywhere near fast/accessible/reliable/numerous/strategically-laid-out-in-a-coherent-network enough for practical/convenient interstate travel with any current non-Tesla BEV. So if I'm not getting a Tesla, I'm not getting an EV.

And I wouldn't want to drop Model S money*, so if I'm not getting a Model 3, I'm (probably) not getting a Tesla

I'm also not going back to an ICEV. So it'd be another PHEV/EREV for me. Probably a Gen 2 Volt.

(*Maybe I'd consider a CPO Model S. Although it's a lot bigger car than I'd prefer.)

 

[SageBrush]

Interesting thread, thanks

I bought a Prius Prime earlier this year that replaced a Prius for our long(er) distance drives including my work commute. Our second car is a LEAF. My plan is to swap the Prime for the Model 3 when my chance arrives but when I bought the Prime I figured it was a good Plan B if the Model 3 turned out to be a pretzel or something outside my comfortable price range.

I've never seriously entertained a Model S or X because of the price and size. Frequent car swapping is not my usual existence but tax breaks affected my usual buying patterns.

 

[strykeroz]

It's not that it's a Tesla. I want a BEV and nobody else is doing it this well yet.

 

[WileyTheMan]

Probably a used Tesla.

 

[Electrophile]

We stuck our big toe in the water, post Prius, and bought a Volt. My wife loves it and we have not bought any gas since we bought the car. So it sorta qualifies as an EV, by use anyway. I'd like to transition her to an M3 in 2 or 3 years, but if one wasn't available we'd keep the Volt, FWIW. Not an S, but not a bad car at all for being made by a stodgy old Detroit dinosaur.

Then we jumped all the way in and bought an X75D.

Zero regrets.

 

[Lunarx]

No option for "Nothing"? As a couple of others had mentioned, I'd just keep my current car if the Model 3 hadn't come along. I had to replace the traction battery on my 2001 Prius a couple of years ago, so it should be good for a few more years. I have no pressing need to get a new car now, but I've thought about getting an EV for years (always some time in the future). That now there's a Tesla I can afford and that I can get a tax credit before it expires are compelling reasons to act now.

If keeping your current car, I think it would be representative to vote for it, as the Type of Car you would buy (provided it was a somewhat recent purchase).
That's how I voted, PHEV (currently leased).

 

[BluestarE3]

If keeping your current car, I think it would be representative to vote for it, as the Type of Car you would buy (provided it was a somewhat recent purchase).
That's how I voted, PHEV (currently leased).

The survey question is, "If Model 3 was out of the question what type of car would you buy?" Answer: "Nothing". I bought my current car over 16 years ago, so it's definitely not representative of what I would have gotten in lieu of the Model 3.

 

[N5329K]

If it turns out the Model 3 doesn't work for me, we'll likely shop for a different EV next year. Not a Leaf or a Bolt, though. While the Supercharger network is a great thing, most of the time a NEMA 15/40 in the garage is all the "supercharging" we would need. The Prius V would be our road trip car, with the Triumph reserved for pure open car fun.
Robin

 

[Stolz25]

I have read a lot of comments, and I am curious how much importance most people are placing on the fact the Tesla is an EV compared to that is it a Tesla (if that makes sense). If the Model 3 was no longer an option for you then would you buy another EV like the Leaf of Bolt, or would you buy another luxury car like a BMW or Audi? For us, our next car will be an EV. I hope that ends up being the Model 3, but if that doesn't work out then it will be another EV.

For me, I found my next best alternate in the price range. It was a used 2014 Lexus GS fully loaded with about 35k miles. Gas mileage isn't even close, but that car has many niceties I don't expect in the model 3. Even with the model 3 it was a tough call.

 

[kaffine]

I would just be keeping my current car an 06 Jetta TDI. If I had to look to replace it I would probably be looking at Subaru. I prefer diesel cars however the current diesel issues I don't think I will own another. Mileage is important due to my commute but it isn't the major deciding factor. Most of my commute is freeway 170 miles a day. I would look at hybrids but am not really fond of them I would rather go full electric or just an engine. I also prefer cars that have a strong enthusiast following.

I don't trust the Bolt to maintain the range I need long term. Tesla has shown they have a BMS that can maintain the battery health. No other BEV has the range needed at this time. I would be considering a used model S.

The other thing I would be looking at is what AP or advanced cruise control features are available. That is going to be more important to me than fuel source at this point.

 

[Az_Rael]

I would have bought a Bolt if Tesla didn't exist, or if CPOs hadn't come down in price to something I could do.

I had a Volt and was really impressed with Chevy, it was a great car. The lure of full EV was too much for me, so I will probably never buy another ICE, but it might not always be a Tesla once there are more choices.

While I love Tesla, they are a smaller manufacturer with all the problems that entails (no third party service shops, long waits for body repair parts, long drive to my nearest service center, etc), so once the other players are in the game, I might take a really hard look at what else is there.

I haven't used the supercharger network much at all, so while it IS a draw it isn't a must have - for my daily driver I could easily do a Bolt and just rent for an occasional long trip.

 

[BluestarE3]

I would have bought a Bolt if Tesla didn't exist

I wonder if there would have a Bolt EV if Tesla never existed? I seem to recall from "Revenge of the Electric Car" that Bob Lutz was inspired by the Tesla Roadster to advocate for the development of the earlier Chevy Volt as well.

 

[McRat]

I have read a lot of comments, and I am curious how much importance most people are placing on the fact the Tesla is an EV compared to that is it a Tesla (if that makes sense). If the Model 3 was no longer an option for you then would you buy another EV like the Leaf of Bolt, or would you buy another luxury car like a BMW or Audi? For us, our next car will be an EV. I hope that ends up being the Model 3, but if that doesn't work out then it will be another EV.

A very high percentage will continue to drive their ICE cars. You will notice the large number of comparisons by reservationists comparing the Tesla Model 3 features to 'their' experiences with their ICE cars. This tends to indicate they don't know how an EV 'feels' when you drive it. Cars are mostly about driving.

I would venture a guess that more than 90% of Tesla Model 3 reservationists, who do not already own Teslas, drive ICE cars today. Which is good. It doesn't take much for a EV owner to buy another EV. It does take a leap for an ICE driver to switch to EVs.

Polls won't work in such situations. When GM polled people about EV's in the 1990s and letting them test the Impact/EV1, 80% of average people claimed they would drive an EV if EVs were like that. History tells the rest of the story. EV sales are not even close 1% unless draconian laws are passed to virtually force folk into them. Once experienced though, EVs have very good owner satisfaction ratings, significantly higher than average ICE satisfaction ratings.

 

[McRat]

I wonder if there would have a Bolt EV if Tesla never existed? I seem to recall from "Revenge of the Electric Car" that Bob Lutz was inspired by the Tesla Roadster to advocate for the development of the earlier Chevy Volt as well.

In the movie Aladdin, they used magic carpets. Bob Lutz said that was his inspiration for VIA motors.
He likes to fed pigeons in the park, but hates it when kids walk on his lawn.

 

[TrickyDimitri]

why would you exclude model s? if you can afford a brand new model 3, you can afford a used model s.

True, but I have yet to see any CPO S in the 35-50 range with autopilot. On theTesla site the cheapest I see with AP 1.0 is 74k.

 

[TrickyDimitri]

No option for "Nothing"? As a couple of others had mentioned, I'd just keep my current car if the Model 3 hadn't come along. I had to replace the traction battery on my 2001 Prius a couple of years ago, so it should be good for a few more years. I have no pressing need to get a new car now, but I've thought about getting an EV for years (always some time in the future). That now there's a Tesla I can afford and that I can get a tax credit before it expires are compelling reasons to act now.

No, I didn't put a nothing option. Sorry. I was just curious how many people are really interested in EV ownership, and the results so far are about what I expected.

 

[TrickyDimitri]

A very high percentage will continue to drive their ICE cars. You will notice the large number of comparisons by reservationists comparing the Tesla Model 3 features to 'their' experiences with their ICE cars. This tends to indicate they don't know how an EV 'feels' when you drive it. Cars are mostly about driving.

I would venture a guess that more than 90% of Tesla Model 3 reservationists, who do not already own Teslas, drive ICE cars today. Which is good. It doesn't take much for a EV owner to buy another EV. It does take a leap for an ICE driver to switch to EVs.

Polls won't work in such situations. When GM polled people about EV's in the 1990s and letting them test the Impact/EV1, 80% of average people claimed they would drive an EV if EVs were like that. History tells the rest of the story. EV sales are not even close 1% unless draconian laws are passed to virtually force folk into them. Once experienced though, EVs have very good owner satisfaction ratings, significantly higher than average ICE satisfaction ratings.

Any poll for anything doesn't tell a complete story, but then again that was not my goal. Poll do provide an glimpse of opinions, and also spark some good conversation. ~

 

[Lem89]

why would you exclude model s? if you can afford a brand new model 3, you can afford a used model s.

True but gotta remember no tax incentives on the used S.

Regarding the question, I'd wait for the new Leaf I guess or buy a used Ioniq. The 24 kWh Leaf is very limiting.

 

[TrickyDimitri]

Interesting thread, thanks

I bought a Prius Prime earlier this year that replaced a Prius for our long(er) distance drives including my work commute. Our second car is a LEAF. My plan is to swap the Prime for the Model 3 when my chance arrives but when I bought the Prime I figured it was a good Plan B if the Model 3 turned out to be a pretzel or something outside my comfortable price range.

I've never seriously entertained a Model S or X because of the price and size. Frequent car swapping is not my usual existence but tax breaks affected my usual buying patterns.

I agree; it is an interesting thread. I am so interested to see how many people would buy an ICE if the 3 was not an option. I hope people don't buy the 3 only to realize a EV is not for them. Of course that would make for a lot of used options. LOL.

 

[kev1n]

True, but I have yet to see any CPO S in the 35-50 range with autopilot. On theTesla site the cheapest I see with AP 1.0 is 74k.

you did not specify, plus not everyone wants autopilot.

i have seen AP1 cars go for ~55k