[drpeter]

Well, this morning I was admiring a Tesla Model 3 which my good friend Kevin McAdam had bought recently – and he said why don’t you take it for a test drive (knowing my long-standing obsessions with speed and all manner of transportation systems, LOL). Needless to say, I didn’t have to be asked twice. We drove in town for a bit, then I took it out on the highway, and it was amazing. This was the first time I had driven something electric (other than my kitchen blender, that is). Before you know it, the car gets up to 80 mph. Its acceleration is phenomenal, McAdam said it does 0-60 in less than 3 seconds.

I like the lines of the car, very sporty, and the dark maroon colour is also lovely. The controls are simplicity itself, and the main thing I had to get used to was its instant response to the foot taken off the accelerator pedal. You really don’t need to brake if you time your foot-lift properly. That’s analogous to downshifting in a standard car to slow it down to the right speed prior to stopping. The other great novelty was the self-driving mode that we put the car in on the highway – a bit nerve-wracking for me to watch the car take the curves on its own, my hands had to be off the steering completely. A robot driver tucked into the software. There’s little of anything on the dash, all the info is on the computer monitor mounted next to the cockpit. I had a lot of fun driving this car. Then it was time for lunch at a local dining establishment, and afterwards I got back on my new vintage Trek bicycle for a much slower ride home.

A nice Sunday.

 

[Oldsarge]

My lady friend is on the list to buy one. She is sick and tired of having to buy gas for transporting the g'grandkids around and is looking forward to the day when she can just plug it in. I'm undecided. I could just get Ford's drop-in e-motor for the Honda or trade it in for an Aptera when I move into the retirement community. Time will tell.

 

[rs525]

My father had one. It was a pretty good car, but he sold it to get the Tesla Model S Plaid. HOLY MOLY, you wanna talk about fast, that thing is like taking off in a fighter jet.

 

[eagle2250]

I'm sure my concerns are overblown, but I have too many questions regarding the adequacy and limitations of the refueling network(s) to make the transition to an electric vehicle feasible for me. The lack of adequate numbers refueling docks loom large in my thoughts and the idea of 30 minute to 2.5 hour refueling stops is a real deal breaker.

 

[14395]

If most of your driving consists of small trips around town, all you need is a recharging port in your garage or driveway.
Recharging to 80% doesn't take long and in most cases only needs to be done two or three nights a week.

 

[drpeter]

I think a single charge will take you at least 250 miles, likely more, on most Teslas. The monitor mounted on the dash will also show you all the charging stations on any given route when you are travelling long-distance. As electric cars become more common, so will charging stations, of course. My friend McAdam said that at least one fossil fuel company, Shell, I think, is buying up charging stations across the country. Having done a lot of business consulting for a variety of companies big and small as an economist specializing in finance and audit, he is well-attuned to such things, so I do believe this!

 

[Oldsarge]

It would only be good business sense, like oil companies getting into wind and solar or coal into geothermal.

 

[Big T]

EV and alternative energy sources will happen: normal mechanical evolution. However, I would prefer little to no government interference (or help, depending on where you might be in the scheme of things). Our nation’s electric grid needs modernized. We need fossil fuel-generated power, though we also need diminishing dependence on oil.

I must add that I have several suspension parts quoted to Tesla (I own a powder metal part fabrication company).

 

[Suitedcboy]

I have a friend that recently got a Model 3 Dual Motor. It does go like stink but the interior is so bland and dull. I also see lots of fit and finish issues that a Corolla or Elantra do not have. I guess I'm used to gauges and detail work that other luxury and near luxury vehicles have been featuring increasingly and the central one screen for everything and lack of "dress" inside struck me as incomplete and below the peer group.

 

[Clown Shoes]

My ex has one. Our trip from DC to Wrightsville Beach, NC had 3 30 min chargeups in there. The path took us out of the way a bit to plot the course between the stations and the destination. I am not sold on these yet, but am convinced the tech to make these charge stops quicker and extending the ranges between charges is going to happen within 5 years, if not sooner due to energy prices.