2023 Tesla Model 3- Performance fanatic to... Owning an EV?!
Discussion
Well. I've done plenty of readers rides threads over the years, never did I once think it would be about something powered by purely electric.
You see, I (like I assume most members here!) am a die hard fan of big, brutish, powerful, noisy cars. Cars in general are a big passion of mine.
To give a brief example of my car history:
Golf mk5 R32 https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
W204 C63 https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Panamera 4S https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
and most recently, my E63s https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Clearly, I like something with a bit of a thump behind it. The R32 was the last naturally aspirated performance golf, the C63 was the same for the C class, the Panamera was the worlds fastest diesel car at the time, and the E63s, while not affiliated to any particular mile stone, was generally one of the best cars money can buy. Sublime.
To clarify before you read on, this Tesla is a company car. It's not a replacement for the E63s I've just sold. (More on this point later).
I joined my new employer in March of this year. The company car list was extensive, but the Tesla was the most appealing to me. Not only was it the most tax friendly (being an EV), but it was by far the most highly spec'd vehicle in standard guise on offer without ticking any boxes, increasing the value of the car, and thus spending more on benefit in kind tax. The wait began (8 months to be exact). In the mean time, I was given a hire car - a 2020 Passat TDI, DSG. Actually a very boring, but very fantastic car that served me faultlessly for easily 10k in my hands and averaged circa mid 60s mpg.
So il fast forward a little bit. I received the Tesla last week. While I've only had it in my possession for 6 days, I've already done 600 miles. It's just been one of those weeks. By this time, I feel im seasoned with living with it, its perks, its not so perky features, and generally getting to grips with EV life.
Mine is a RWD or standard range as it was previously called. Its the baby of the model 3 range, with the new LFP battery (that can be charged to 100% as much as you like compared to the others). So on pen and paper, it has a range of 317 miles, circa 270bhp and just under 400lb ft of torque. It has no extras on there (not that there was much to choose) and its as standard as it can be down tp the wheel choice and paint.
Exterior
It's one of those cars that looks like..well.. car. And not a lot else. Pictures don't these cars justice, but Im not going to say they are of sheer elegance and beauty in person. Granted I agree with some comments that the front end looks like a frog thats been hit on the head. Its not over styled, nor is it understyled to my eyes. it's just very simple, its not fussy in anyway. I like it more than I dislike it, I think there are defo some EV's out there that are trying a bit too hard. The aero wheels I thought were hanging in pictures, but in person, they've grown on me. If I get sick of them, I can pull the covers off to reveal some rather nice looking alloys under neath it anyway. The white paint is standard. Its a pearl white paint, as opposed to transit van white, and I have to say its actually very nice when its clean. Which brings me on to my only gripe - That it's white. I've never owned a white anything before and this is why. The mileage I do means this car is constantly going to be disgusting. But this is just down to the colour and nothing to do with Tesla of course.
Interior
Open the doors and you're met with..well nothing. 5 seats covered in 'vegan' leather, a steering wheel, and a large screen in the middle. The faux wooden trim around the top of the dash and doors is a bit random but actually very nice. The seats are very comfy on the longest of drives and the usage of certain plastics and rubbers are really not that bad, how well it'll wear is one to watch. Interior space is brill for the size of car - 3 proper sized seats in the rear helps with a decent sized boot, and the 'frunk' where my cables live. The glass roof makes the car feel spacious as does the low hang on the windscreen. The steering wheel feels nice in the hands too. You get used to the lack of buttons very quickly, the screen is a pleasure to use and very intuitive once you've spent just 15mins with it. The lack of speedo infront of you is something you get over quite quickly. However, I find the interior very dark at night. The E63s had the lovely ambient lighting gently illuminating the car which my daughter liked. The Tesla is literally pitch black other than the illumination from the screen. There are no footwell lights or anyother areas that are illuminated. And the lack of speedo or any sort of digital readouts infront of you means the space where the speedo was is also pitch black, its just a bizarre viewpoint but you do get used to it. Build quality wise, no complaints. I understand these 22/23 cars are a significant improvement over
earlier cars.
Driving
Simply, its mostly a pleasure. Its next to silent, the double glazed front windows assist in keeping road noise out. The steering can be as slow or fast as you desire from a few settings. Its very much a relaxing car to drive. The throttle feels no different to an ICE's. Obviously, it feels fast even in this baby model because once the pedal is mashed, It will just keep pulling and building speed. There are no flat spots, there is no lag, there is no gear changes. These factors can make or break how slow or fast, a slow or fast car can feel. Its a very Different and somewhat bizarre feeling the first few times because your inputs with the throttle are so instant. I love the one pedal driving. Essentially lifting off the throttle acts as a brake, as it sends waster energy back into the motor. The brakes on these EV's with regeneratative braking would hardly ever be used and must have a huge life span.
I do find the ride quality average at best. On smooth roads it’s great, on rough roads it seems to exaggerate every nook and cranny of a poor road and it just isn't pleasant. The tyres are 42psi which is the recommended pressures during cold weather for optimum range / efficiency. I'd say the is probably the most obvious factor to a poor ride and im inclined to drop the pressure over the weekend to sacrifice some range in turn for comfort. My e63s was a lot comfier, even being a lot more hardcore than this and I lowered it. The many features of the car do making driving it a breeze. I love the blind spot cameras that appear on the screen when an indicator is used. The basic 'self drive' capabilities are not really much different to the lane keep assist my E63s and Panamera both had - semi autonomous driving that still requires you to nudge the wheel after 20 seconds. It’s not ground breaking and pretty old tech now. In fact, my other cars would automatically change lanes when the indicator was turned on - this is part of a more expensive autonomous driving pack with a Tesla. The camera / 3d visualiation is very clever the way it picks up other vehicles, traffic cones, pedestrians and even bins. Pointless but clever.
Performance wise, for a 'daily', it’s defo quick enough. Overtaking is a breeze, and I've never been in a position where I've felt it was under powered. It's really impressed me how capable it is, the performance is instant and just pretty easy to exploit whenever you desire. Depends what you compare this too but I can either compare to the 150bhp Passat I’ve used for work duties lately,
Or the 740bhp AMG that I had for nearly 4
Years. I still consider this car quick and ample
For daily ‘thrusting’. It wouldn't set my world on fire though it's not something I'd take on a Sunday blast in Brecon. And mashing the throttle not only gets boring after a while, but it’s obviously a range eater. More on this in a sec.
Battery & Charging
This has the new LFP battery. It can be charged to 100% as much as you'd like. The batteries used in older cars, and the current Long range and performance variants differ, so the recommend battery range is between say 20-80% for daily use, with 100% charges only being recommended for your long journeys. The range of 317 miles might be achievable in the summer in the most perfect conditions, but its a pretty long way off in this weather. Currently is -9 in South Wales. As you can imagine, this does an EV no favours at all. I haven't quite worked out what I get out of a full charge yet but Its no where near this, which I expect.
Charging wise, im currently using the 'granny charger', i.e, one of the chargers that comes with the car that can plug into your usual plug socket. This gives circa 2kw of charing, equating to roughly 10 miles an hour on single phase. As you can imagine, driving home with next to no battery and then charging this up to 100% would take about two days. Many people are spending hundreds, thousands even, on EV chargers. They give 7kw of charge and roughly 30 miles an hour. You can get them to output at 22kw assuming you have 3 phase, which virtually no one has.
So I still can't see the benefits of the expensive charger.
I'm wiring in a commando socket (and earthing it correctly) this weekend to allow me to use the other charging lead that comes with the car, plus a 32amp adapter from Tesla for 40 quid, to then plug into my commando socket, where I'll get the same 7kw of charge that someone else will have with their £1000 charger. Yes, its just a bare bones socket. it won't have intelligent features such as scheduled charging (which doesn't matter as you can set this from the car anyway), it doesn't have a nice tethered cable like most do so its a bit more faff, and yes, you're not keeping up with the Jones' because a simple 32amp socket isn't festooned with LED's and a futuristic plastic looking housing.
Public Charging, meh. Sometimes it’s seamless and an utter breeze, other times the chargers are faulty, other times they are occupied. Some use contactless payment, some require 17 apps and a degree to operate the charger. Some 'offer' 120kw's of charge but only give you say 60kw. It's just luck of the draw. I would not in a million years recommend anyone even remotely consider an EV if you're going to rely purely on public charging. For me its just all kinds of no. It's also eye wateringly expensive compared to home, which I'd guess is circa 5-8 times cheaper per kw.
I drove the car to 0% on the first night I had it, at 1.30am, on my way to the local 120kw charger. I was quietly confident, because thanks to watching a billion YouTube vids and scouring forums before hand, im well aware these will keep driving passed 0%. It does require you being savvy with this fact, you might get an extra mile or an extra 30. But I just didn't feel alarmed. Plugged it up, got to 100% which took an hour and a half and cost £50, and it was a case of topping it up every night this week until I get the 32amp socket installed this weekend. I haven’t once suffered with range anxiety.
Because everything uses power, it automatically makes you consider your usage and wastage during a journey. Obviously there's no need to get OCD or start stressing over it, and without sounding like captain obvious, but the louder the speakers, the more juice it'll use. Heaters on including seats and steering wheel, more juice usage. Sitting at higher speeds - more juice. It does make you automatically think a bit more economical.
Tech / Innovation
Convenience and Safety I assume was the aim of the game for this car. The app is brilliant. It has behaved without being buggy, compared to the Mercedes ME app which is just a load of horse. You can access the cameras for a live feed of the car, you can check the state of charge and schedule your charging. The front camera
Is also a dash cam. It has a built in Spotify app. Plenty of entertaining features (fart noise indicators don’t get old), pretty decent LED headlights (not matrix yet). The feature I love, is scheduled departure. Setting the car to be at 27.5 degrees by 6.45 everyday, with my heated seat on stage 2, and my meeting wheel on, it’s just brilliant. The car will start taking into consideration the current interior and exterior temps and warm up at the appropriate time, accordingly, to meet the departure time selected. it is incredibly clever. At the same time, it preconditions the battery. So much like a ICE car that's reached its perfect operating temperature for efficiency, it’s the same with the Tesla - the moment I leave everyday my car is in its most efficient state. And more importantly, it'll use the mains power from the charging cable as an energy source to do this, retaining the batterys range for your actual journey. Clever.
Lack of Applecar play does suck although I imagine an update is incoming. Talking of updates, once connected to wifi, it'll be good to wake up to an auto updated car. The issue I find at the moment, is the wifi antenna on the car is pants. It's pretty much right next to my living rooms outside wall to pick up a router and it finds it with weak signal. The Wifi antenna is on the drivers side mirror, so it’s actually 2meters further away from my router but still, it
means updating the car will be a pain in my current home
Set up but it’s only temporary. I do like a good sound system, and the system in this car is pretty decent.
Summary
My honeymoon period with the car has changed my mind completely on Tesla and EV's as a whole. The sheer convenience of an EV is just unrivalled. Use and abuse it, plug it in when you get home, and wake up to a full tank of juice, the heating set to your desired temperature, and starting your journey with the car already in its most efficient state. Instant power and torque with no gaps or wheezing. In the Tesla's case, Spacious, comfortable most of the time, bags of storage and it looks and feels pretty good.
I made a comment on another thread a few days ago and appeared to have upset a few people, but after driving and living with this, im not sure I understand performance EV's (Model 3 performance, Taycan Turbo S, etc etc). Much like a performance diesel doesn't make any sense at all (which is why I sold my Panamera so quickly) I don't think I understand the concept of the performance EV. An EV to me, is built for economy, cheap charging (at home!), tech, and convenience. Adding a billion horsepower means yes its very quick, but as soon as you exploit this performance, the 'economy' or range drops significantly. And if it doesn't, because you only want to plant your foot now and then, are they really worth the significant premiums over a lesser EV. If the performance EV's float your boat, then I'd jump the gun and assume that performance ICE cars of some sort floated your boat previously too. I just don't see that assuming finances and space allows, why you wouldn't have the most basic EV you can for faulty duties and then whatver you would have spent on the performance ev, instead put it towards an ICE car of choice for some fast road / track fun. They might have explosive performance but they are not dynamic and most weigh circa two tonnes. As I learnt with my e63s, no amount of power can hide two tonnes. Granted from what I read, the taycan sounds like it’s done a masterful job of dynamic and engaging driving. Noise and aural pleasure for is also a priority for me.
Something no super EV will ever rival.
The point of this novel was to basically say, don't knock it till you try it. And this is coming from someone who honestly thought I wouldn't go anywhere near one. My last car spat small flames when the exhaust was hot Ffs.
I don't believe EV’s are saving the planet like we are lead to believe. For me, it was a company car that costs £32 odd a month, it has a magnificent features and spec list for a standard car, its practical and decently quick, and it just happens to be electric.
Would I buy one with my own money. Yes, but only this one, the RWD basic one because it’s a great daily, putting the money I could have spent on the performance versions towards a toy instead. There really is a reason why these are so ridiculously popular and after just a few days with it, downsides aside, I can still see why. It would NEVER replace an ICE performance car which is why, now that I have this for practical use, I can be a bit more adventurous with a second car choice and consider cars such as a 991.1 GT3RS, which previously. I wouldn't have.
One thing I’ve also noticed is it gets a surprisingly large amount of attention. I also noticed that Tesla owners on the forums and Facebook pages are mostly very snotty and dare I say, pompous. There’s just a very smug vibe on some
Of the UK Facebook pages and some of the responses
Just make cringe. It also evident this car appeals to A massive amount of non-car enthusiasts. Which would explain why these cars are so popular.
For daily duties as simply a car to commute in, school run in, and everything else of that nature, I don't think I'd ever go back to diesel or petrol. Can't believe I wrote that but honestly I can't knock it. I'll update this thread frequently during the next few years of my time with this car. f you made it this car, cheers for reading and sorry if it dragged!
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/17RjpWYB[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/6sBvfYJJ[/url][url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/bnuLMRLL[/url]
You see, I (like I assume most members here!) am a die hard fan of big, brutish, powerful, noisy cars. Cars in general are a big passion of mine.
To give a brief example of my car history:
Golf mk5 R32 https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
W204 C63 https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Panamera 4S https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
and most recently, my E63s https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Clearly, I like something with a bit of a thump behind it. The R32 was the last naturally aspirated performance golf, the C63 was the same for the C class, the Panamera was the worlds fastest diesel car at the time, and the E63s, while not affiliated to any particular mile stone, was generally one of the best cars money can buy. Sublime.
To clarify before you read on, this Tesla is a company car. It's not a replacement for the E63s I've just sold. (More on this point later).
I joined my new employer in March of this year. The company car list was extensive, but the Tesla was the most appealing to me. Not only was it the most tax friendly (being an EV), but it was by far the most highly spec'd vehicle in standard guise on offer without ticking any boxes, increasing the value of the car, and thus spending more on benefit in kind tax. The wait began (8 months to be exact). In the mean time, I was given a hire car - a 2020 Passat TDI, DSG. Actually a very boring, but very fantastic car that served me faultlessly for easily 10k in my hands and averaged circa mid 60s mpg.
So il fast forward a little bit. I received the Tesla last week. While I've only had it in my possession for 6 days, I've already done 600 miles. It's just been one of those weeks. By this time, I feel im seasoned with living with it, its perks, its not so perky features, and generally getting to grips with EV life.
Mine is a RWD or standard range as it was previously called. Its the baby of the model 3 range, with the new LFP battery (that can be charged to 100% as much as you like compared to the others). So on pen and paper, it has a range of 317 miles, circa 270bhp and just under 400lb ft of torque. It has no extras on there (not that there was much to choose) and its as standard as it can be down tp the wheel choice and paint.
Exterior
It's one of those cars that looks like..well.. car. And not a lot else. Pictures don't these cars justice, but Im not going to say they are of sheer elegance and beauty in person. Granted I agree with some comments that the front end looks like a frog thats been hit on the head. Its not over styled, nor is it understyled to my eyes. it's just very simple, its not fussy in anyway. I like it more than I dislike it, I think there are defo some EV's out there that are trying a bit too hard. The aero wheels I thought were hanging in pictures, but in person, they've grown on me. If I get sick of them, I can pull the covers off to reveal some rather nice looking alloys under neath it anyway. The white paint is standard. Its a pearl white paint, as opposed to transit van white, and I have to say its actually very nice when its clean. Which brings me on to my only gripe - That it's white. I've never owned a white anything before and this is why. The mileage I do means this car is constantly going to be disgusting. But this is just down to the colour and nothing to do with Tesla of course.
Interior
Open the doors and you're met with..well nothing. 5 seats covered in 'vegan' leather, a steering wheel, and a large screen in the middle. The faux wooden trim around the top of the dash and doors is a bit random but actually very nice. The seats are very comfy on the longest of drives and the usage of certain plastics and rubbers are really not that bad, how well it'll wear is one to watch. Interior space is brill for the size of car - 3 proper sized seats in the rear helps with a decent sized boot, and the 'frunk' where my cables live. The glass roof makes the car feel spacious as does the low hang on the windscreen. The steering wheel feels nice in the hands too. You get used to the lack of buttons very quickly, the screen is a pleasure to use and very intuitive once you've spent just 15mins with it. The lack of speedo infront of you is something you get over quite quickly. However, I find the interior very dark at night. The E63s had the lovely ambient lighting gently illuminating the car which my daughter liked. The Tesla is literally pitch black other than the illumination from the screen. There are no footwell lights or anyother areas that are illuminated. And the lack of speedo or any sort of digital readouts infront of you means the space where the speedo was is also pitch black, its just a bizarre viewpoint but you do get used to it. Build quality wise, no complaints. I understand these 22/23 cars are a significant improvement over
earlier cars.
Driving
Simply, its mostly a pleasure. Its next to silent, the double glazed front windows assist in keeping road noise out. The steering can be as slow or fast as you desire from a few settings. Its very much a relaxing car to drive. The throttle feels no different to an ICE's. Obviously, it feels fast even in this baby model because once the pedal is mashed, It will just keep pulling and building speed. There are no flat spots, there is no lag, there is no gear changes. These factors can make or break how slow or fast, a slow or fast car can feel. Its a very Different and somewhat bizarre feeling the first few times because your inputs with the throttle are so instant. I love the one pedal driving. Essentially lifting off the throttle acts as a brake, as it sends waster energy back into the motor. The brakes on these EV's with regeneratative braking would hardly ever be used and must have a huge life span.
I do find the ride quality average at best. On smooth roads it’s great, on rough roads it seems to exaggerate every nook and cranny of a poor road and it just isn't pleasant. The tyres are 42psi which is the recommended pressures during cold weather for optimum range / efficiency. I'd say the is probably the most obvious factor to a poor ride and im inclined to drop the pressure over the weekend to sacrifice some range in turn for comfort. My e63s was a lot comfier, even being a lot more hardcore than this and I lowered it. The many features of the car do making driving it a breeze. I love the blind spot cameras that appear on the screen when an indicator is used. The basic 'self drive' capabilities are not really much different to the lane keep assist my E63s and Panamera both had - semi autonomous driving that still requires you to nudge the wheel after 20 seconds. It’s not ground breaking and pretty old tech now. In fact, my other cars would automatically change lanes when the indicator was turned on - this is part of a more expensive autonomous driving pack with a Tesla. The camera / 3d visualiation is very clever the way it picks up other vehicles, traffic cones, pedestrians and even bins. Pointless but clever.
Performance wise, for a 'daily', it’s defo quick enough. Overtaking is a breeze, and I've never been in a position where I've felt it was under powered. It's really impressed me how capable it is, the performance is instant and just pretty easy to exploit whenever you desire. Depends what you compare this too but I can either compare to the 150bhp Passat I’ve used for work duties lately,
Or the 740bhp AMG that I had for nearly 4
Years. I still consider this car quick and ample
For daily ‘thrusting’. It wouldn't set my world on fire though it's not something I'd take on a Sunday blast in Brecon. And mashing the throttle not only gets boring after a while, but it’s obviously a range eater. More on this in a sec.
Battery & Charging
This has the new LFP battery. It can be charged to 100% as much as you'd like. The batteries used in older cars, and the current Long range and performance variants differ, so the recommend battery range is between say 20-80% for daily use, with 100% charges only being recommended for your long journeys. The range of 317 miles might be achievable in the summer in the most perfect conditions, but its a pretty long way off in this weather. Currently is -9 in South Wales. As you can imagine, this does an EV no favours at all. I haven't quite worked out what I get out of a full charge yet but Its no where near this, which I expect.
Charging wise, im currently using the 'granny charger', i.e, one of the chargers that comes with the car that can plug into your usual plug socket. This gives circa 2kw of charing, equating to roughly 10 miles an hour on single phase. As you can imagine, driving home with next to no battery and then charging this up to 100% would take about two days. Many people are spending hundreds, thousands even, on EV chargers. They give 7kw of charge and roughly 30 miles an hour. You can get them to output at 22kw assuming you have 3 phase, which virtually no one has.
So I still can't see the benefits of the expensive charger.
I'm wiring in a commando socket (and earthing it correctly) this weekend to allow me to use the other charging lead that comes with the car, plus a 32amp adapter from Tesla for 40 quid, to then plug into my commando socket, where I'll get the same 7kw of charge that someone else will have with their £1000 charger. Yes, its just a bare bones socket. it won't have intelligent features such as scheduled charging (which doesn't matter as you can set this from the car anyway), it doesn't have a nice tethered cable like most do so its a bit more faff, and yes, you're not keeping up with the Jones' because a simple 32amp socket isn't festooned with LED's and a futuristic plastic looking housing.
Public Charging, meh. Sometimes it’s seamless and an utter breeze, other times the chargers are faulty, other times they are occupied. Some use contactless payment, some require 17 apps and a degree to operate the charger. Some 'offer' 120kw's of charge but only give you say 60kw. It's just luck of the draw. I would not in a million years recommend anyone even remotely consider an EV if you're going to rely purely on public charging. For me its just all kinds of no. It's also eye wateringly expensive compared to home, which I'd guess is circa 5-8 times cheaper per kw.
I drove the car to 0% on the first night I had it, at 1.30am, on my way to the local 120kw charger. I was quietly confident, because thanks to watching a billion YouTube vids and scouring forums before hand, im well aware these will keep driving passed 0%. It does require you being savvy with this fact, you might get an extra mile or an extra 30. But I just didn't feel alarmed. Plugged it up, got to 100% which took an hour and a half and cost £50, and it was a case of topping it up every night this week until I get the 32amp socket installed this weekend. I haven’t once suffered with range anxiety.
Because everything uses power, it automatically makes you consider your usage and wastage during a journey. Obviously there's no need to get OCD or start stressing over it, and without sounding like captain obvious, but the louder the speakers, the more juice it'll use. Heaters on including seats and steering wheel, more juice usage. Sitting at higher speeds - more juice. It does make you automatically think a bit more economical.
Tech / Innovation
Convenience and Safety I assume was the aim of the game for this car. The app is brilliant. It has behaved without being buggy, compared to the Mercedes ME app which is just a load of horse. You can access the cameras for a live feed of the car, you can check the state of charge and schedule your charging. The front camera
Is also a dash cam. It has a built in Spotify app. Plenty of entertaining features (fart noise indicators don’t get old), pretty decent LED headlights (not matrix yet). The feature I love, is scheduled departure. Setting the car to be at 27.5 degrees by 6.45 everyday, with my heated seat on stage 2, and my meeting wheel on, it’s just brilliant. The car will start taking into consideration the current interior and exterior temps and warm up at the appropriate time, accordingly, to meet the departure time selected. it is incredibly clever. At the same time, it preconditions the battery. So much like a ICE car that's reached its perfect operating temperature for efficiency, it’s the same with the Tesla - the moment I leave everyday my car is in its most efficient state. And more importantly, it'll use the mains power from the charging cable as an energy source to do this, retaining the batterys range for your actual journey. Clever.
Lack of Applecar play does suck although I imagine an update is incoming. Talking of updates, once connected to wifi, it'll be good to wake up to an auto updated car. The issue I find at the moment, is the wifi antenna on the car is pants. It's pretty much right next to my living rooms outside wall to pick up a router and it finds it with weak signal. The Wifi antenna is on the drivers side mirror, so it’s actually 2meters further away from my router but still, it
means updating the car will be a pain in my current home
Set up but it’s only temporary. I do like a good sound system, and the system in this car is pretty decent.
Summary
My honeymoon period with the car has changed my mind completely on Tesla and EV's as a whole. The sheer convenience of an EV is just unrivalled. Use and abuse it, plug it in when you get home, and wake up to a full tank of juice, the heating set to your desired temperature, and starting your journey with the car already in its most efficient state. Instant power and torque with no gaps or wheezing. In the Tesla's case, Spacious, comfortable most of the time, bags of storage and it looks and feels pretty good.
I made a comment on another thread a few days ago and appeared to have upset a few people, but after driving and living with this, im not sure I understand performance EV's (Model 3 performance, Taycan Turbo S, etc etc). Much like a performance diesel doesn't make any sense at all (which is why I sold my Panamera so quickly) I don't think I understand the concept of the performance EV. An EV to me, is built for economy, cheap charging (at home!), tech, and convenience. Adding a billion horsepower means yes its very quick, but as soon as you exploit this performance, the 'economy' or range drops significantly. And if it doesn't, because you only want to plant your foot now and then, are they really worth the significant premiums over a lesser EV. If the performance EV's float your boat, then I'd jump the gun and assume that performance ICE cars of some sort floated your boat previously too. I just don't see that assuming finances and space allows, why you wouldn't have the most basic EV you can for faulty duties and then whatver you would have spent on the performance ev, instead put it towards an ICE car of choice for some fast road / track fun. They might have explosive performance but they are not dynamic and most weigh circa two tonnes. As I learnt with my e63s, no amount of power can hide two tonnes. Granted from what I read, the taycan sounds like it’s done a masterful job of dynamic and engaging driving. Noise and aural pleasure for is also a priority for me.
Something no super EV will ever rival.
The point of this novel was to basically say, don't knock it till you try it. And this is coming from someone who honestly thought I wouldn't go anywhere near one. My last car spat small flames when the exhaust was hot Ffs.
I don't believe EV’s are saving the planet like we are lead to believe. For me, it was a company car that costs £32 odd a month, it has a magnificent features and spec list for a standard car, its practical and decently quick, and it just happens to be electric.
Would I buy one with my own money. Yes, but only this one, the RWD basic one because it’s a great daily, putting the money I could have spent on the performance versions towards a toy instead. There really is a reason why these are so ridiculously popular and after just a few days with it, downsides aside, I can still see why. It would NEVER replace an ICE performance car which is why, now that I have this for practical use, I can be a bit more adventurous with a second car choice and consider cars such as a 991.1 GT3RS, which previously. I wouldn't have.
One thing I’ve also noticed is it gets a surprisingly large amount of attention. I also noticed that Tesla owners on the forums and Facebook pages are mostly very snotty and dare I say, pompous. There’s just a very smug vibe on some
Of the UK Facebook pages and some of the responses
Just make cringe. It also evident this car appeals to A massive amount of non-car enthusiasts. Which would explain why these cars are so popular.
For daily duties as simply a car to commute in, school run in, and everything else of that nature, I don't think I'd ever go back to diesel or petrol. Can't believe I wrote that but honestly I can't knock it. I'll update this thread frequently during the next few years of my time with this car. f you made it this car, cheers for reading and sorry if it dragged!
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/17RjpWYB[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/6sBvfYJJ[/url][url]|https://thumbsnap.com/bnuLMRLL[/url]Edited by irfan1712 on Saturday 17th December 00:10
Edited by irfan1712 on Saturday 17th December 00:10
Edited by irfan1712 on Saturday 17th December 00:50
Thanks for the post, but you could have added a bit more detail... 
No, good read. I used to own an i3 so some of whst you say is familiar and I think others will find your post helpful.
My brother has one (and a taycan) and I drove it for about 20 minutes and was pleasantly surprised how well it turned in. I went past a school at finish, and couldn't believe how many kids were pointing g at it, although this was a couple of years ago I guess when there were less on the road.
For every day use, ev is a great solution solution for a lot of people (yea, not everyobe, we know...)
No, good read. I used to own an i3 so some of whst you say is familiar and I think others will find your post helpful.
My brother has one (and a taycan) and I drove it for about 20 minutes and was pleasantly surprised how well it turned in. I went past a school at finish, and couldn't believe how many kids were pointing g at it, although this was a couple of years ago I guess when there were less on the road.
For every day use, ev is a great solution solution for a lot of people (yea, not everyobe, we know...)
Edited by covmutley on Saturday 17th December 08:37
Nice write up (I always enjoy your threads!) and agree with your sentiments.
I think when you look at an EV as a replacement for a performance car, there are lots of issues. Vs 90% of cars on the road however (mundane diesels/petrols) they do make a lot more sense, and as long as you can charge at home it’s a no brainer. The Tesla is ultimately white goods but a fantastic tool.
I think when you look at an EV as a replacement for a performance car, there are lots of issues. Vs 90% of cars on the road however (mundane diesels/petrols) they do make a lot more sense, and as long as you can charge at home it’s a no brainer. The Tesla is ultimately white goods but a fantastic tool.
Nice balanced view there op. I loved your E63s as I had a 204 c63 at the time you got that but I couldn’t afford the step up to the E!
I have similar feelings to you, Id certainly have one, probably the Y, as a daily as I quite like them but only if I could have a ‘proper’ car along side.
Look forward to seeing what toy you get to run along side
I have similar feelings to you, Id certainly have one, probably the Y, as a daily as I quite like them but only if I could have a ‘proper’ car along side.
Look forward to seeing what toy you get to run along side
I'm a petrolhead and I'm a convert to EV's for a daily. There seems to be little downside of running one (particularly if you're company owner) as a town/city car.
I have one with limited range, Mazda MX-30, we leased a pair of them as it was what was available at short notice.
We also bought a pair of Taycan's which didn't last long (story for a different thread) and were sold back to Porsche in next to no time.
So I view an EV as simply nothing more than an appliance for daily boring duties. Used in that capacity no ICE car can come close.
My other car is a V12 Ferrari. So I have two extremes.
I have one with limited range, Mazda MX-30, we leased a pair of them as it was what was available at short notice.
We also bought a pair of Taycan's which didn't last long (story for a different thread) and were sold back to Porsche in next to no time.
So I view an EV as simply nothing more than an appliance for daily boring duties. Used in that capacity no ICE car can come close.
My other car is a V12 Ferrari. So I have two extremes.
Great thread, pretty much reflects my experience too.
My starting point was taking a test drive of a model 3 not long after they were introduced so I could say from a position of knowledge how rubbish they were.
15 minutes into the drive I was completely converted.
12 months later a model 3 LR is on the drive
2 weeks ago it changed into a MYLR.
I genuinely believe that 95% of knockers do so based on what they’ve read or what so and so on TV said as opposed to making the effort to find out for themselves.
As you said, OP, don’t knock it till you try it!
My starting point was taking a test drive of a model 3 not long after they were introduced so I could say from a position of knowledge how rubbish they were.
15 minutes into the drive I was completely converted.
12 months later a model 3 LR is on the drive
2 weeks ago it changed into a MYLR.
I genuinely believe that 95% of knockers do so based on what they’ve read or what so and so on TV said as opposed to making the effort to find out for themselves.
As you said, OP, don’t knock it till you try it!
Regarding the wifi, I ended up fitting an outdoor/weather proof wireless access point on the outside of the house for the car to use.
Love my 2022 Model 3 Perf, even if I’ve not given up my ICE vehicle (440i cab) yet. I find that for driving to and from work and carting the family round the Tesla is my pick of the fleet 9 times out of 10.
Love my 2022 Model 3 Perf, even if I’ve not given up my ICE vehicle (440i cab) yet. I find that for driving to and from work and carting the family round the Tesla is my pick of the fleet 9 times out of 10.
irfan1712 said:
.
Charging wise, im currently using the 'granny charger', i.e, one of the chargers that comes with the car that can plug into your usual plug socket. This gives circa 2kw of charing, equating to roughly 10 miles an hour on single phase. As you can imagine, driving home with next to no battery and then charging this up to 100% would take about two days. Many people are spending hundreds, thousands even, on EV chargers. They give 7kw of charge and roughly 30 miles an hour. You can get them to output at 22kw assuming you have 3 phase, which virtually no one has.
So I still can't see the benefits of the expensive charger.
I'm wiring in a commando socket (and earthing it correctly) this weekend to allow me to use the other charging lead that comes with the car, plus a 32amp adapter from Tesla for 40 quid, to then plug into my commando socket, where I'll get the same 7kw of charge that someone else will have with their £1000 charger. Yes, its just a bare bones socket. it won't have intelligent features such as scheduled charging (which doesn't matter as you can set this from the car anyway), it doesn't have a nice tethered cable like most do so its a bit more faff, and yes, you're not keeping up with the Jones' because a simple 32amp socket isn't festooned with LED's and a futuristic plastic looking housing.
Is that plan going to save much? By the time you’ve installed an O-Pen device, 6mA DC RCD and bought the adapter from Tesla you’ll have nearly spent as much as a purpose built charger wouldn’t you? Charging wise, im currently using the 'granny charger', i.e, one of the chargers that comes with the car that can plug into your usual plug socket. This gives circa 2kw of charing, equating to roughly 10 miles an hour on single phase. As you can imagine, driving home with next to no battery and then charging this up to 100% would take about two days. Many people are spending hundreds, thousands even, on EV chargers. They give 7kw of charge and roughly 30 miles an hour. You can get them to output at 22kw assuming you have 3 phase, which virtually no one has.
So I still can't see the benefits of the expensive charger.
I'm wiring in a commando socket (and earthing it correctly) this weekend to allow me to use the other charging lead that comes with the car, plus a 32amp adapter from Tesla for 40 quid, to then plug into my commando socket, where I'll get the same 7kw of charge that someone else will have with their £1000 charger. Yes, its just a bare bones socket. it won't have intelligent features such as scheduled charging (which doesn't matter as you can set this from the car anyway), it doesn't have a nice tethered cable like most do so its a bit more faff, and yes, you're not keeping up with the Jones' because a simple 32amp socket isn't festooned with LED's and a futuristic plastic looking housing.
I run a small company car scheme, and have just changed the MD's 2020 Mercedes EQC (203 mile range in summer, about 160 miles this time of year) for a 2023 model Merc GLC petrol hybrid (82 miles battery use per charge claimed). A similar car at a casual glance, but still partly fossil fuelled, just like the charging network. So his beneft in kind will rise from 2% to 5%.
Sounds like a backward step, but he lives right out on the Suffolk coast and has to travel all over the country on business. Hence it's almost a 100 miles drive just to get to the main north/south routes. If you don't run a Tesla, the uncertainty surrounding finding a working, un-occupied charger when you need one near a main arterial route made the EQC a total pain in the arse for him, especially when he was travelling with foreign customers in the car. He just ended borrowing his wife's petrol car most of the time, which defeated the object of having a company car.
Great idea, electric cars, but if you are dependent on the third party charging network for longer time critical trips, think carefully before you move from fossil fuels.
Sounds like a backward step, but he lives right out on the Suffolk coast and has to travel all over the country on business. Hence it's almost a 100 miles drive just to get to the main north/south routes. If you don't run a Tesla, the uncertainty surrounding finding a working, un-occupied charger when you need one near a main arterial route made the EQC a total pain in the arse for him, especially when he was travelling with foreign customers in the car. He just ended borrowing his wife's petrol car most of the time, which defeated the object of having a company car.
Great idea, electric cars, but if you are dependent on the third party charging network for longer time critical trips, think carefully before you move from fossil fuels.
IlPapaMobile said:
irfan1712 said:
.
Charging wise, im currently using the 'granny charger', i.e, one of the chargers that comes with the car that can plug into your usual plug socket. This gives circa 2kw of charing, equating to roughly 10 miles an hour on single phase. As you can imagine, driving home with next to no battery and then charging this up to 100% would take about two days. Many people are spending hundreds, thousands even, on EV chargers. They give 7kw of charge and roughly 30 miles an hour. You can get them to output at 22kw assuming you have 3 phase, which virtually no one has.
So I still can't see the benefits of the expensive charger.
I'm wiring in a commando socket (and earthing it correctly) this weekend to allow me to use the other charging lead that comes with the car, plus a 32amp adapter from Tesla for 40 quid, to then plug into my commando socket, where I'll get the same 7kw of charge that someone else will have with their £1000 charger. Yes, its just a bare bones socket. it won't have intelligent features such as scheduled charging (which doesn't matter as you can set this from the car anyway), it doesn't have a nice tethered cable like most do so its a bit more faff, and yes, you're not keeping up with the Jones' because a simple 32amp socket isn't festooned with LED's and a futuristic plastic looking housing.
Is that plan going to save much? By the time you’ve installed an O-Pen device, 6mA DC RCD and bought the adapter from Tesla you’ll have nearly spent as much as a purpose built charger wouldn’t you? Charging wise, im currently using the 'granny charger', i.e, one of the chargers that comes with the car that can plug into your usual plug socket. This gives circa 2kw of charing, equating to roughly 10 miles an hour on single phase. As you can imagine, driving home with next to no battery and then charging this up to 100% would take about two days. Many people are spending hundreds, thousands even, on EV chargers. They give 7kw of charge and roughly 30 miles an hour. You can get them to output at 22kw assuming you have 3 phase, which virtually no one has.
So I still can't see the benefits of the expensive charger.
I'm wiring in a commando socket (and earthing it correctly) this weekend to allow me to use the other charging lead that comes with the car, plus a 32amp adapter from Tesla for 40 quid, to then plug into my commando socket, where I'll get the same 7kw of charge that someone else will have with their £1000 charger. Yes, its just a bare bones socket. it won't have intelligent features such as scheduled charging (which doesn't matter as you can set this from the car anyway), it doesn't have a nice tethered cable like most do so its a bit more faff, and yes, you're not keeping up with the Jones' because a simple 32amp socket isn't festooned with LED's and a futuristic plastic looking housing.
I’ve only had the briefest of drives in a Model 3 so I can’t comment with any kind of authority on the drive or ownership.
My big issue with EVs is why would you change your existing one for a new one? With ICE cars there has alway been a huge variety of cylinders, gearboxes, NA, turbos, superchargers….With a new EV all I’m getting is an evolution of the body and a refreshed interior. When the novelty of electric wears off where do we go from there? Performance is already irrelevant as EVs are exceptionally fast so what does the next generation of cars offer? More range and faster charging I guess. If you’re not a company car driver why would you spend a huge amount of money to change?
My big issue with EVs is why would you change your existing one for a new one? With ICE cars there has alway been a huge variety of cylinders, gearboxes, NA, turbos, superchargers….With a new EV all I’m getting is an evolution of the body and a refreshed interior. When the novelty of electric wears off where do we go from there? Performance is already irrelevant as EVs are exceptionally fast so what does the next generation of cars offer? More range and faster charging I guess. If you’re not a company car driver why would you spend a huge amount of money to change?
I've had some interesting cars over the years - from Lamborghini to Astons and, in contrast to those, bought a Model 3 a couple of years ago. I've been very happy with it - the vast majority of my driving is commuting (160 mile round trip) and I no longer simply go out for a drive any more - that's not EV related, just bored of UK roads around me. In the summer I might take my Morgan to the pub to stretch its legs, but most driving is done in the Tesla. It's just easier and I've saved many hours of filling up with petrol and quite a lot of cash too.
I can tell you that the red ones get just as filthy, the rear seems to attract dirt. I also have a 7kw commando socket and it's been problem free over the past two years. Just put the 32 amp commando 'tail' on the charging box for the Tesla and that's it. The car is the smart bit in all this, not the socket.
And yes, there's a lot of negativity from a sad little group on here who will insist on giving their views on EV's despite having never owned one. All rather predictable stuff.
I can tell you that the red ones get just as filthy, the rear seems to attract dirt. I also have a 7kw commando socket and it's been problem free over the past two years. Just put the 32 amp commando 'tail' on the charging box for the Tesla and that's it. The car is the smart bit in all this, not the socket.
And yes, there's a lot of negativity from a sad little group on here who will insist on giving their views on EV's despite having never owned one. All rather predictable stuff.
Interesting going from a Lamborghini to a Tesla. I wonder if your comments suggest we are not just moving into a new era with regard to powerplants but also into how we can use our cars. I have a high mileage daily driver and a TVR in the garage. That works for me. Don’t want to spend a lot of money to sit in a different seat on the M25. Maybe new cars are so capable we can’t use them and so you may as well sit in an electric one and save a few quid on fuel and tax?
Interesting read.
Completely agree with comments above with being a daily EV convert, savings are significant and it copes well with lugging ‘stuff’ around. Charging can be a pain - if only profess to get the biggest battery your budget allows…
And then spend the savings on a decent weekend car !!
Completely agree with comments above with being a daily EV convert, savings are significant and it copes well with lugging ‘stuff’ around. Charging can be a pain - if only profess to get the biggest battery your budget allows…
And then spend the savings on a decent weekend car !!
SonicHedgeHog said:
Interesting going from a Lamborghini to a Tesla. I wonder if your comments suggest we are not just moving into a new era with regard to powerplants but also into how we can use our cars. I have a high mileage daily driver and a TVR in the garage. That works for me. Don’t want to spend a lot of money to sit in a different seat on the M25. Maybe new cars are so capable we can’t use them and so you may as well sit in an electric one and save a few quid on fuel and tax?
There were rather a lot of cars in between the Murcielago and the Model 3... I also didn't feel that I had swapped a supercar for a Tesla. I've actually simply replaced my daily driver (Range Rover) for the Tesla. So I agree with your final thought.As has often been said, it's all about use-cases for EV's and any car to be honest. If the majority of your driving is for pure pleasure in the summer - you wouldn't buy a Tesla. If your daily commute was 350 miles - you wouldn't buy a Tesla. If you had to tow a caravan.... etc
But, if your use-case is fairly normal - boring commuting, boring shops, boring journeys in general - then it really works. I don't really drive for pleasure any more - only when I cross France in the summer, and I don't use the Tesla for that.
It is a good read and nice to see you're very pleased with it.
I think for a lot of us on here, an EV for daily use (assuming range isn't a problem) doesn't seem like an issue. A lot of us, including me opted for diesels for their economy and with the right model, a decent drive for day to day use. I use a diesel for a daily car now but it's not the engine I'd miss if I moved to an EV for what I use it for. I can understand why people go for an EV and for those who haven't driven high performances cars they will feel like rocket ships!
I've been in the back of a Model 3 and the ride was harsh but felt decent enough from my ten minute Uber drive haha.
Enjoy OP.
I think for a lot of us on here, an EV for daily use (assuming range isn't a problem) doesn't seem like an issue. A lot of us, including me opted for diesels for their economy and with the right model, a decent drive for day to day use. I use a diesel for a daily car now but it's not the engine I'd miss if I moved to an EV for what I use it for. I can understand why people go for an EV and for those who haven't driven high performances cars they will feel like rocket ships!
I've been in the back of a Model 3 and the ride was harsh but felt decent enough from my ten minute Uber drive haha.
Enjoy OP.
I'm right up there at the top of the 'petrol engine nutter' tree, but can absolutely see the justification and desirability of an EV as a daily vehicle. Have only driven a Model 3 Performance and passengered in one a bit, and they're very good for just doing what you need a car to do.
Would I have one? For £32 a month or whatever comedy BIK rate it would be, absolutely. Would I buy one with my own money? Currently still no, but the cost of 23mpg for the benefit / joy of a V8 daily does get re-evaluated every so often, even by me
Good to read a non-evangelical review, I'd personally totally agree that an EV is likely a better solution for 90+% of car journeys, and also agree that for a weekend trip out or a special trip across Europe, a petrol powered vehicle is likely a much more enjoyable solution.
Would I have one? For £32 a month or whatever comedy BIK rate it would be, absolutely. Would I buy one with my own money? Currently still no, but the cost of 23mpg for the benefit / joy of a V8 daily does get re-evaluated every so often, even by me
Good to read a non-evangelical review, I'd personally totally agree that an EV is likely a better solution for 90+% of car journeys, and also agree that for a weekend trip out or a special trip across Europe, a petrol powered vehicle is likely a much more enjoyable solution.
I think you've actually talked me out of getting one!
I did the math with the Mrs on the Pug 208 GT (a car she now owns) but this was on a 4 year PCP deal with some equity from her old car going in. The £20,500 petrol car compared to the £32,000 electric car with the same spec was a complete show-stopper from the start. We then worked out fuel costs compared to electric costs, charging from home over that 4 year period it wasn't working out better with the additional monthly payments for the car itself. It would have taken around the 4 years of more or less paying the same fuel vs charging costs then the price or electricity doubling recently - the petrol option was clearly the right choice.
EV's won't be for everyone, certainly not for us at this time.
I did the math with the Mrs on the Pug 208 GT (a car she now owns) but this was on a 4 year PCP deal with some equity from her old car going in. The £20,500 petrol car compared to the £32,000 electric car with the same spec was a complete show-stopper from the start. We then worked out fuel costs compared to electric costs, charging from home over that 4 year period it wasn't working out better with the additional monthly payments for the car itself. It would have taken around the 4 years of more or less paying the same fuel vs charging costs then the price or electricity doubling recently - the petrol option was clearly the right choice.
EV's won't be for everyone, certainly not for us at this time.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff