Why I believe the Tesla M3 AWD is the only really viable EV

[Peter 224]

Charging my M3 this morning in the sun (PVs on the roof contributing) the App said that at 90% I'd have 307 miles range.
I looked at the Mercedes App for SWMBO's AMG C43 and it said that at 91% full it had enough petrol for 307 miles!
A coincidence... but one that made me think.

The biggest difference is that filling her car with premium unleaded costs close to £100 whilst charging my M3 costs close to £10.00!
The C43 is noisier, the ride isn't as good but the seats are far better.

After 6 months ownership as far as I can see there is no other Sports Saloon EV with an equivalent range/performance combination. I read reviews, but nothing is available that I can find that offers the same range and performance at a comparable price point. The car is far from perfect, but all the things that really matter in an EV are better than the competition.

We have owned Mercedes cars since 1990: this morning I had a wander round the local Mercedes dealership whilst waiting for SWMBO to collect me after dropping her car off for a service. For the first time there was nothing there that interested me. The biggest laugh was the new Mercedes EQV, their people van with a stated consumption of 369 w/h per KILOMETER and a range of 137 miles at -4C. Quite pointless.

 

[browellm]

Yep. As I mentioned recently in another thread I recently did a 660 mile round trip to Perth, which I covered with two entirely fuss free SuC stops and some free overnight charging via a Chargeplace Scotland charger. I dread to think what kind of faff I'd have been in for doing the journey in a Polestar 2 which was a strong candidate for before getting my M3.

 

[Jason71]

I love my M3 and have no plans to change it. BUT if I had been buying it today I would have looked seriously at the Kia EV6 and Polestar for example.
No they don't have quite the range or efficiency of the M3 or that feeling of being in the future but I Supercharge about 4 times a year. I could cope if there were other features that were important to me like:

A hatchback
Apple Carplay / Android Auto
buttons,
a dashboard,
auto windscreen wipers and lights that work,
the ability to connect 2 devices by bluetooth at once ( a niche but personal bugbear of mine),
the ability to drive through puddles without ripping bits off the floor,
not having to draw a diagram for anyone trying to open a door.
local dealerships
customer service
etc
that sort of thing

 

[candida]

Charging my M3 this morning in the sun (PVs on the roof contributing) the App said that at 90% I'd have 307 miles range.

On Tuesday morning I charged to 100% because I was going to Birmingham from South Wales. The app said I had 293 miles.

I've done the trip before an I want to 100 to see if I could do it inside 50%. When I got to my destination, 108 miles later (at 11 degrees), I was on 47%.

That's a 200 mile 0%-100% range and while I'm not presenting that as a surprise (because I'm used to it now) or complaining about the app/in car mileage display being hopelessly optimistic (because I'm used to that too and I always use % not miles), for many that wont be viable. I accept it's dirt cheap to run a Tesla, and even to buy if you qualify for the written down allowance, but what price time? 300 miles is two full charges for me assuming 10%-90%. That's going to be an hour and a half at Superchargers or more as you daisy chain between them to find the optimum charge % and do a 40% fill every time... That's not transportation, that's a lifestyle choice.

And if Tesla really is still the most efficient then the others must be just lamentable, yet every review in the motoring press still trots out the official figures as if they're gospel (though Dan Trent on twitter recently has been doing a pretty good job on the reality over the last few months).

 

[Dilly]

Can’t disagree with the OP at all. The M3 isn’t the “nicest” car I’ve ever owned. It lacks some of the simplest of features such as speed limiter.
In it’s defence, entry, exit, get in and drive and forget about lights, wipers and all the other settings are just so easy.
And as for cheap to run, well, even this time of year when solar is poor, grid charging is still cheap (for me). I’ve done over 4600 miles for £27.00
The next decade will, I’m sure bring forth some serious competition. It isn’t there yet.
That said, I’m glad we also have the Outlander to ferry our dogs about and for when our track snowbound!

 

[browellm]

On Tuesday morning I charged to 100% because I was going to Birmingham from South Wales. The app said I had 293 miles.

I've done the trip before an I want to 100 to see if I could do it inside 50%. When I got to my destination, 108 miles later (at 11 degrees), I was on 47%.

That's a 200 mile 0%-100% range and while I'm not presenting that as a surprise (because I'm used to it now) or complaining about the app/in car mileage display being hopelessly optimistic (because I'm used to that too and I always use % not miles), for many that wont be viable. I accept it's dirt cheap to run a Tesla, and even to buy if you qualify for the written down allowance, but what price time? 300 miles is two full charges for me assuming 10%-90%. That's going to be an hour and a half at Superchargers or more as you daisy chain between them to find the optimum charge % and do a 40% fill every time... That's not transportation, that's a lifestyle choice.

And if Tesla really is still the most efficient then the others must be just lamentable, yet every review in the motoring press still trots out the official figures as if they're gospel (though Dan Trent on twitter recently has been doing a pretty good job on the reality over the last few months).

That seems like quite a gloomy forecast. I pulled that stats on my trip back from Scotland

5hrs 9mins driving

27 mins charging

Difficult to see how an ICE would be that much quicker, unless you really wanted to yolo a >5hr drive with a 5 minute petrol stop - not really advisable from a wellbeing pov.

Fair enough the weather was a bit warmer.

 

[Andy_T_73]

On a recent trip from Bristol to Glasgow leaving at 10am on a Sunday morning was initially great, stopped at SuCs on the M5 and again at M6 Charnock Richard. However as the day wore on there were queues at M6 Tebay, M74 Gretna and M74 Abington. So I had to use CPS chargers off the motorway to get home once over the border.

Unless we see more capacity or more motorway locations then the Tesla SuC advantage is already being eroded by the volume of M3s in circulation.

 

[dobbers]

A close friend has a Jag iPace so we often compare charging stats. Recenty he had to charge on the way back from the Lakes in temperatures close to freezing and spent 1h 5m getting 40 kWh into the car. On a recent journey I stopped off at Rugby SC and took just 32m to get 40kWh into the car - would have been even quicker but my Model 3 LR was not below 20% when I got there.

The benefit of pre-conditioning the battery is not to be underestimated at this time of the year.

 

[Masklin]

Unless we see more capacity or more motorway locations then the Tesla SuC advantage is already being eroded by the volume of M3s in circulation.

And wait till the Polestars and EV6s etc start using them...

 

[Jason71]

And if Tesla really is still the most efficient then the others must be just lamentable, yet every review in the motoring press still trots out the official figures as if they're gospel (though Dan Trent on twitter recently has been doing a pretty good job on the reality over the last few months).

I would say on a long journey in the summer I am at 250-260wh/m in summer and 300-310 in winter.
I watch a few of Bjorns reviews and I have yet to see any comparable EV come close to what he or I get out of an M3 LR.

I agree entirely that the stated ranges are unachievable in the real world. Those figures I gave give me 100-0 ranges of in summer of high 200's and a winter one of low 200's but whatever they are the grass really is not greener on the other side at present.

I saw recently that someone started an efficiency rating for EV's and only the M3 and the new I4 got an A++ rating so will be interesting to see what the I4 can do when it gets here.

 

[MovingSouth]

... there is no other Sports Saloon EV with an equivalent range/performance combination.

Well, I agree with that, which is why we have a Model 3. But that's not what the thread title claims.

There are plenty of other really viable EVs. 40kWh to 50kWh covers all of many people's needs, if they are always in range of their home for charging (and are happy with 40kW to 50kW from a rapid to top up on longer trips occasionally).

The Model 3 is better than our ZOE in may ways. But the ZOE is a better small local car, especially on narrow country lanes. And it rattles less, has working automatic wipers and a dumb cruise control that never phantom breaks. And it's half the price.

My view is that many people are better replacing their second car for local use with an EV first. Then, when everyone wants to use it in preference to the ICE, it's clear it is time to move the long distance car to an EV.

 

[Peter 224]

From 22 May to 2 December over 4400 miles consumption has averaged 263wh/mile. No doubt the next 6 months will be higher.
Most of my driving is on rural A roads, the longest drive so far is 120 miles. I charge from home, with occasional Supercharger use.

 

[Limey]

Done 1600 miles in a week in an SR... Didn't need AWD or LR.

Wouldn't want to do it without superchargers though.

 

[bingbongbing]

Polestar 2, kia ev6, ioniq 5. All of them more 'desirable' than a model 3. all with better build quality and refinement.

They just don't have the charging networks yet, which is the one thing tesla have going for it.

The only reason i've got a model 3 on order and not one of the above is the charging network.

 

[Artiste]

Polestar 2, kia ev6, ioniq 5. All of them more 'desirable' than a model 3. all with better build quality and refinement.

They just don't have the charging networks yet, which is the one thing tesla have going for it.

The only reason i've got a model 3 on order and not one of the above is the charging network.

They’ll soon be able to use the SuC network. I’ll be changing my car next September and it won’t be for another Tesla. At the moment the front runner is the EV6, but something even better might come out in the next nine months.

 

[candida]

From 22 May to 2 December over 4400 miles consumption has averaged 263wh/mile. No doubt the next 6 months will be higher.
Most of my driving is on rural A roads, the longest drive so far is 120 miles. I charge from home, with occasional Supercharger use.

I took this a week ago: started the clock 1.10.21. It's town and motorways, not exceeding - but often sitting at - 80.

 

[Peter 224]

I've got 2 more years before I have to look at the options... for now the Tesla M3 is all I need...and can afford.....
But I'm sure there will be lots of options. I just hope they are not all "Crossover" blobs.

 

[Limey]

They’ll soon be able to use the SuC network. I’ll be changing my car next September and it won’t be for another Tesla.

Soon is debatable.

 

[Jason71]

I took this a week ago: started the clock 1.10.21. It's town and motorways, not exceeding - but often sitting at - 80.

View attachment 739824

What was your expectation?
None of the range estimates you will see are based on doing 80mpg in during the winter in the UK.
You will use 30% more Energy at 80mph than you will at 70mph.
Elon Musk might have a massive god complex but he has not managed to change the laws of physics yet

 

[JonB]

Polestar 2, kia ev6, ioniq 5. All of them more 'desirable' than a model 3. all with better build quality and refinement.

They just don't have the charging networks yet, which is the one thing tesla have going for it.

The only reason i've got a model 3 on order and not one of the above is the charging network.

I drove IONIQ 5. Huge, cheap inside, sluggish UI, too many buttons and slow (relatively). Had glitchy auto steering. Not as much boot space as you’d think. Trunk is comical. It’s a competent EV but no match for a Tesla. So I bought a M3LR.