Anyone Else Put a Deposit Down on a Tesla Model 3 ?

[Elan]

Like the '17 El Camino?

Needs a lift kit, some mud on it, and a 4-wheeler in the back. Oh, and a light bar.

 

[Ken555]

Yes, just depends on your condo. I don't know where you live or what it's like. I was just throwing that out there. Many condos do include some amount of public parking or perhaps a deal could be made where the HOA pays half and Tesla pays half, I don't know....





Anyway, here's another resource to help

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_charging_multi.html

Yes, thanks. It's clear this will require some research before determining the best method for the building, then likely lots of discussion, then lots of money (though hopefully not).

 

[x3 skier]

Needs a lift kit, some mud on it, and a 4-wheeler in the back. Oh, and a light bar.

Don't forget the gun rack.

Cheers

 

[x3 skier]

Telsa Should Raise Money Now - by Chuck Jones/ Forbes/ Investing/ forbes.com

"Tesla is blowing away most expectations on how many Model 3’s would be ordered with many looking for 100,000 (I was at 200,000). The latest tweet from Elon Musk was 253,000 as of Saturday morning with another update coming tonight and the last one on Wednesday, a week after orders were first taken. (Note: I have ordered a Model 3).

Tesla wrote in its shareholder letter “We expect to generate positive net cash flow and achieve non-GAAP profitability for the full-year 2016. Thus our cash balance at the end of 2016 should increase from the year end 2015 level. We plan to fund about $1.5 billion in capital expenditures without accessing any outside capital other than our existing sources that support our leasing and finished goods inventory.”..."

http://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/4b268de09a994afa97485fab54dfc112/960x0.jpg?fit=scale
Tesla Motors unveils the new lower-priced Model 3. (AP Photo/Justin Pritchard)

Richard

Sounds like he can define profitability anyway he wants.

Still it's nice to have that much cash flow for a promise. Good looking vehicle but impractical for me since I drive 700-800 miles in a day several times a year.

Cheers

 

[Elan]

Don't forget the gun rack.

Cheers

Good point!

 

[Elan]

Good looking vehicle but impractical for me since I drive 700-800 miles in a day several times a year.

Cheers

Agreed. If the range isn't improved either natively or via a reasonably priced battery option by the production date, I'm not interested.

 

[DeniseM]

True Story: I was talking to my stock broker on Friday, and he was debating about putting a deposit on a Tesla, or buying an expensive Ski Resort timeshare.

After I told him about the resale market and sent him a link to TUG, I suspect he's going to do both.

 

[Ken555]

Agreed. If the range isn't improved either natively or via a reasonably priced battery option by the production date, I'm not interested.

You don't expect the supercharger network to assist with long drives?

 

[Ken555]

True Story: I was talking to my stock broker on Friday, and he was debating about putting a deposit on a Tesla, or buying an expensive Ski Resort timeshare.



After I told him about the resale market and sent him a link to TUG, I suspect he's going to do both.

Bonus points for Denise.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Agreed. If the range isn't improved either natively or via a reasonably priced battery option by the production date, I'm not interested.

True Story: I was talking to my stock broker on Friday, and he was debating about putting a deposit on a Tesla, or buying an expensive Ski Resort timeshare.

After I told him about the resale market and sent him a link to TUG, I suspect he's going to do both.

Denise,
Was your stock broker going to drive his new Tesla to the expensive ski resort? Remind him to ONLY buy if the condo or timeshare has a charging station for the Tesla.

 

[DeniseM]

Denise,
Was your stock broker going to drive his new Tesla to the expensive ski resort? Remind him to ONLY buy if the condo or timeshare has a charging station for the Tesla.

Don't think so - he is in CA, and the TS is in CO.

 

[VegasBella]

You don't expect the supercharger network to assist with long drives?

In my experience, people who cite long drives as an objection don't understand the supercharging network.

They don't know that there are plenty of Tesla supercharging stations set up around the country that can recharge the car in about 30 minutes.

They also don't know about the CHAdeMO adapter Tesla sells that makes other high power charging stations available for use for Tesla cars. Nor have they heard the rumors about how Model 3 may be coming with capability to use either charger without an adapter.

Map of Tesla Supercharging stations:
https://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

Map of EV charging stations: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html

 

[Passepartout]

.

Map of Tesla Supercharging stations:
https://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

Map of EV charging stations: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html

While this may be the fact in many more populous areas of the country, out here in the wide-open West, they're few and far between. We have one public Tesla Supercharger station here (with 6 stalls), then going in any direction it's between 150 and 200 miles to the next one. Making the 400+ miles to Portland or 500 to Seattle will require 2-3 fairly lengthy stops adding between 2-3 hours to an already long travel day. Travel from here to Ls Vegas becomes a hundred miles further because there are simply no charging stations on the most direct route. Those much touted 30 minute stops only give you a 60-80% charge. To get max range it's at least a full hour- on a new battery- and those times will get longer and the batteries age. Not counting waiting for a vacant stall while some other Tesla (Or Bolt or Leaf, or ??) owner leaves his/her car on a charger and goes to the mall.

I think they're nice cars and certainly attractive, but from a practical standpoint, at this time full electric cars are a novelty, best used as out-and-back commuters. This will change as range increases and chargers become more ubiquitous, but I'll let someone else be the pioneer.

Jim

 

[PigsDad]

Well said, Jim. The "network" is pretty useless here in the Midwest as well. There are no stations across the state of Nebraska, nor any in North Dakota or in the areas of Minnesota where we take long road trips at least once a year. Here in Colorado, unless you are on one of the two interstates, you are out of luck.

As for the 30-minute charge, what happens when there are more people than charging stations at a given station? You mean I have to wait up to 30 minutes (or longer if there is a queue) for someone to finish their charge? Yikes.

The Tesla looks great for a commuter car, but there is a long way to go before it can fully replace the main family vehicle.

Kurt

 

[Quadmaniac]

If the long road trips longer than 200 miles are once or twice a year, would it not be an option to rent a car, which seems to be in the range of $200 per week depending where you are, be an acceptable option to make this a viable prospect if the majority of your driving is less than 200 miles per day ? If it is on a more regular basis like every month, it does increase the cost, but from what I understand of the cost savings of charging the vehicle vs paying for gas, I think you might be ahead. I didn't realize charging up was so cheap.

 

[VegasBella]

At the Model 3 reveal, Musk said Tesla will double the number of Supercharging stations over the next year.

I think they're nice cars and certainly attractive, but from a practical standpoint, at this time full electric cars are a novelty, best used as out-and-back commuters. This will change as range increases and chargers become more ubiquitous, but I'll let someone else be the pioneer.

Jim

With all due respect, the average person drives no more than 60 miles per day. Your specific use of driving 400+ miles on a very regular basis is NOT average. And your claim that EVs are merely "novelties" and aren't "practical" is complete BS. They are very practical for average drivers.

The pioneers have already gone out and come back. This is the second wave.

Already, before the Model 3 comes out, 3% of new cars sold in California were electric, 22% in Norway. Currently, there are over 200,000 EVs in CA and there are nearly 300,000 reservations for Model 3 worldwide.

But yes, they're not for everyone just yet. Like the iphone when it first came out people felt like it was a "novelty" and wasn't "practical" and was just a toy for rich kids, but now virtually everyone has a smart phone. EVs are going to be like that very soon. This Model 3 is a major wave - a big sign of things to come. If all goes fairly well then this marks the beginning of a major shift in transportation in the US.

 

[Chrispee]

I agree with Jim's sentiments, and I probably wouldn't have my order in if I weren't an urban commuter with a spouse who drives an ICE vehicle that can be used for roadtrips. There are certainly enough of us to blaze the trail for tesla and EVs in general.

Speaking for myself, I was just thrilled to finally have an affordable performance oriented EV option that doesn't look like a toaster oven.

 

[Passepartout]

[snipped for brevity]At the Model 3 reveal, Musk said Tesla will double the number of Supercharging stations over the next year.

With all due respect, the average person drives no more than 60 miles per day. Your specific use of driving 400+ miles on a very regular basis is NOT average. And your claim that EVs are merely "novelties" and aren't "practical" is complete BS. They are very practical for average drivers.

But yes, they're not for everyone just yet. This Model 3 is a major wave - a big sign of things to come. If all goes fairly well then this marks the beginning of a major shift in transportation in the US.

Glad to see a doubling, then hopefully redoubling again of charging stations. That's what it will take to make EVs the 'everyman's car'.

There was no doubt, back in 1998 with the first Prius appeared, that hybrids were simply a bridge between a world where family transportation was virtually all by internal combustion engine and a time when electricity- derived from a variety of sources- will be the norm. Back before the beginning of the 20th century, electric vehicles were in the majority. Internal combustion engines were troublesome affairs, noisy, leaky messes, while relatively small shops with few workers could turn out hand wrapped coils for electric motors and there is no magic in a lead-acid battery. It took World War One to 'perfect' the gasoline engine and set up a network for distribution of gasoline. Previously, it had been sold in glass bottles shipped from primitive refiners to wealthy 'horseless carriage' hobbyists. .

Toyota could have derailed the introduction of hybrids by putting 4 gallon gas tanks in their first hybrid models. Those would give a Prius about the same range as a shiny new Tesla.

Fortunately they put in a tank big enough to provide range similar to other vehicles in the market.

Jim

 

[Elan]

I'm as big of proponent of EV's as anyone, but I don't want the restriction of 200mi range. The number and location of gas stations in the US is not a coincidence. Numerous rural towns have been started around a needed gas station.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Ken555]

In my experience, people who cite long drives as an objection don't understand the supercharging network.



They don't know that there are plenty of Tesla supercharging stations set up around the country that can recharge the car in about 30 minutes.



They also don't know about the CHAdeMO adapter Tesla sells that makes other high power charging stations available for use for Tesla cars. Nor have they heard the rumors about how Model 3 may be coming with capability to use either charger without an adapter.



Map of Tesla Supercharging stations:

https://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger



Map of EV charging stations: http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html

Absolutely agree, well said. Of course, as others stated, it's not prevalent everywhere...especially in low pop regions...but that will change in time.

 

[Passepartout]

I'm as big of proponent of EV's as anyone, but I don't want the restriction of 200mi range. The number and location of gas stations in the US is not a coincidence. Numerous rural towns have been started around a needed gas station.

It goes back even further than that, Jim. A heckuva lot of towns in the west grew up around a well (or stream) and water tower needed to 'water' the early steam locomotives. They, too, only had about a 100 mile range on a load of water. They could carry more wood or coal to burn, but the water was exhausted after the steam did it's work.

 

[Brett]

Sounds like he can define profitability anyway he wants.

yes, Tesla has been losing money every year for over a decade
oil prices have declined for the past several years

perfect profit scenario for an expensive electric car !

 

[Elan]

It goes back even further than that, Jim. A heckuva lot of towns in the west grew up around a well (or stream) and water tower needed to 'water' the early steam locomotives. They, too, only had about a 100 mile range on a load of water. They could carry more wood or coal to burn, but the water was exhausted after the steam did it's work.

Good point.

I think those that don't live in the wild west like we do just can't understand. I can't come close to doing a Sunday drive to Stanley or even McCall with a 200 mile range. When will Stanley get a supercharger?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[x3 skier]

Good point.

I think those that don't live in the wild west like we do just can't understand. I can't come close to doing a Sunday drive to Stanley or even McCall with a 200 mile range. When will Stanley get a supercharger?

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

I'm with both of you. Nice car but as I said, not practical for me. Today I drove 500 miles as part of my annual journey back from Steamboat Springs CO to OH. Tomorrow it's another 400 to visit an aircraft engine company about an engine for my plane(s). All told, about 1800 mile circuitous route in a week with nary a supercharger station in sight.

Cheers

 

[Elan]

For the record, there's not a supercharger on either map between my house and our timeshare which we drive to annually -- about a 5.5 hour drive. And on my preferred route, which is much more scenic than the alternative, I can't foresee there being one any time soon.

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