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This will always be an overlooked part of EV ownership. I replaced my prius with an i3. The overall cost, purchase and all included, varies depending on how much you paid for each car. But as far as fuel savings it only saves me money if I keep the car for a long time, it’d come quicker I was in an area with high fuel prices(LA, NYC etc.)
Prius, $20-30 a week for gas.
i3, ~$20 a week in electricity, charged every night, driven the same distance as the Prius.
i3 L2 charging box installed at home(L1 charger would take nearly 2 days for a full battery), cost me $450 and installed myself. A similar unit would have been about $1000 if you paid someone. I’m saving roughly $10 a week on gas, but I also had to put $450 into the charging box. It’d take me about a year at my rate to make back my money on the charger and start saving on gas. But I’m also lucky and got the car used for about the same price as a prius.
You can see if you had paid 50k+ for a new EV it’d take way longer to come out even. Either cars will need tires and brakes, so you’re really only saving minimal on fuel and a handful of oil changes before you probably ditch the car and get a new one.
And with that being said, since most EVs are still pretty limited on range(200mi is enough, but I still cant go 2 cities over and back with no stops, L2 chargers are not everywhere yet) you probably still have to drive a gas car for long distances that aren’t on the interstate. Do the math and you REALLY aren’t saving money. Having an EV would just be a luxury.
I think your calculations are realistic. If finances are the primary concern then a buyer would be better off getting a prius, or a standard fuel efficient nonhybrid ICE car. A model 3 was a partially rational decision for me, but a lot of it was emotional since I was drawn to the concept and styling. It's not perfect but I don't regret my decision as a relatively early adopter.
I test drove the Model 3 Performance and fell in love with everything from the 3.3 second acceleration to the design to the onboard iPad thing... just everything about it. I'm giving up my BMW Gran Coupe for this baby. I placed my order and should have mine within 3-6 weeks as I had to custom order it.
I test drove the Model 3 Performance and fell in love with everything from the 3.3 second acceleration to the design to the onboard iPad thing... just everything about it. I'm giving up my BMW Gran Coupe for this baby. I placed my order and should have mine within 3-6 weeks as I had to custom order it.
I hope you don't live in a northern state. A new study was published in the last few days that pretty much confirms my own worst fears about electric car range in cold weather. Being in Chicago, this is a significant detriment to my own desire to own a BEV: https://jalopnik.com/electric-vehicl...old-1832440470
For many people, who only drive relatively short distances before returning to their garage, it may not make much difference. But for others, who need to make frequent trips, it could be a deal killer. Either way, it further cuts into the economic advantage of electric car ownership. In winter, it appears, the built-in inefficiency of ICE vehicles (their production of waste heat from the engine) becomes a virtue in cold weather operation. This further reinforces my belief that until batteries get much better, having a dedicated ICE range extender in a BEV, which can be used in cold weather as a source of cabin heat and/or battery temperature stabilization, may be the smart way to go, at least as an "option". I've heard those described as "The worst of both worlds", but I'm not so sure. A small, well-designed ICE that puts out maybe ten or twenty horsepower, operating at 100% load and a single rpm, may be the solution. but that's for the MIT guys to figure out, it's above my pay grade. Maybe it wouldn't be an engine or generator at all, but just a source of heat, like some kind of "catalytic hand warmer" or something, with an efficiency in the 90% range.
I've always felt that some yet-to-be developed substance (like the Krell metal envisioned in "Forbidden Planet", which could "Soak up energy like a sponge"), would be our savior. Imagine inserting a thermos-sized cartridge of this unobtanium-based 'pizza cheese" into a compartment of your car, going on a trip, then returning home and re-inserting it into your furnace, where it would release all of the waste energy it absorbed during your trip to heat your home. Dang thermodynamics.
I test drove the Model 3 Performance and fell in love with everything from the 3.3 second acceleration to the design to the onboard iPad thing... just everything about it. I'm giving up my BMW Gran Coupe for this baby. I placed my order and should have mine within 3-6 weeks as I had to custom order it.
That's why I'm not test driving one...I fear I would fall in love with it and have to change my cars out. I currently have a Charger Hellcat that I love and a BMW 228I M-Sport than I also really enjoy....but that rocket performance available in the Model 3 together with cheap cost of electricity where I live is very tempting.
Congrats 335xi! I would love to hear your thoughts after you've driven it for awhile.
I hope you don't live in a northern state. A new study was published in the last few days that pretty much confirms my own worst fears about electric car range in cold weather. Being in Chicago, this is a significant detriment to my own desire to own a BEV: https://jalopnik.com/electric-vehicl...old-1832440470
For many people, who only drive relatively short distances before returning to their garage, it may not make much difference. But for others, who need to make frequent trips, it could be a deal killer. Either way, it further cuts into the economic advantage of electric car ownership. In winter, it appears, the built-in inefficiency of ICE vehicles (their production of waste heat from the engine) becomes a virtue in cold weather operation. This further reinforces my belief that until batteries get much better, having a dedicated ICE range extender in a BEV, which can be used in cold weather as a source of cabin heat and/or battery temperature stabilization, may be the smart way to go, at least as an "option". I've heard those described as "The worst of both worlds", but I'm not so sure. A small, well-designed ICE that puts out maybe ten or twenty horsepower, operating at 100% load and a single rpm, may be the solution. but that's for the MIT guys to figure out, it's above my pay grade. Maybe it wouldn't be an engine or generator at all, but just a source of heat, like some kind of "catalytic hand warmer" or something, with an efficiency in the 90% range.
I've always felt that some yet-to-be developed substance (like the Krell metal envisioned in "Forbidden Planet", which could "Soak up energy like a sponge"), would be our savior. Imagine inserting a thermos-sized cartridge of this unobtanium-based 'pizza cheese" into a compartment of your car, going on a trip, then returning home and re-inserting it into your furnace, where it would release all of the waste energy it absorbed during your trip to heat your home. Dang thermodynamics.
I'm sure you'll experience less range in extreme weather because of having to blast your heater along with the other things. However, you also use more gas in extreme weather too. The Model 3 long range and performance for example have 310 mile range, even for the sake of argument, say you get 38% less range... that's still a lot of range without doing any charging. The NE has a ton of Tesla cars too, more so than the SE.
That's why I'm not test driving one...I fear I would fall in love with it and have to change my cars out. I currently have a Charger Hellcat that I love and a BMW 228I M-Sport than I also really enjoy....but that rocket performance available in the Model 3 together with cheap cost of electricity where I live is very tempting.
Congrats 335xi! I would love to hear your thoughts after you've driven it for awhile.
Thank you very much! You have some nice cars!
Haha, that's pretty much what happened to me. I have the m sport package (I don't have an M, but I paid for the m sport package) with red leather interior. It was one of the most beautiful things and now it looks old fashion compared to the Model 3 interior. I just love the minimalism. It reminds me of the design of a Macbook Pro compared to your typical bulky laptop. And then add the 3.3 second 0-60 mph or the instant torque even if you are already going 60 mph and it was a done deal for me lol.
I just read in The Wall Street Journal that a Model 3 owner was involved in a fender bender, and his body shop has been waiting 3 months for parts. Not good.
Its a smooth ride (I don't own but have ridden in one) and I generally agree with everything from the OP. I did notice that the GPS/backup camera screen--while huge (a plus!)--wasn't the clearest, though perhaps this was a problem with the particular car I was in.
I just read in The Wall Street Journal that a Model 3 owner was involved in a fender bender, and his body shop has been waiting 3 months for parts. Not good.
Because it's a new car company, the parts are not mass produced to the level as other makes that have multiple factory around the globe.
If I were getting a Tesla it has to be a lease because a lot of videos on youtube with owners pissed at waiting for small parts so some owners 3D printed their own part instead of waiting.
Because it's a new car company, the parts are not mass produced to the level as other makes that have multiple factory around the globe.
If I were getting a Tesla it has to be a lease because a lot of videos on youtube with owners pissed at waiting for small parts so some owners 3D printed their own part instead of waiting.
They voided their warranty by using homemade parts?
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...I fear I would fall in love with it and have to change my cars out. I currently have a Charger Hellcat
that I love and a BMW 228I M-Sport than I also really enjoy....but that rocket performance available in the Model 3 together with cheap cost of electricity where I live is very tempting.
