The EV's autopilot works flawlessly and I haven't had a scary moment so far.
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15,000 Miles Completed - Brief Report
Last weekend, I completed 15,000 miles/24,000 kms in 17 months of ownership. Well, as some of you know, I work mostly from home. So, the majority of these miles have been "pleasure" miles and I have enjoyed every moment of it. It’s been an absolutely flawless run of owning this beast of a performance electric car. Touchwood, not a single issue till date that is worth losing sleep over.
15,000 Miles completed.
Let’s go ahead and dive straight into the feedback and cover a few points on things that could have been better.
Performance
This is the sole reason that I enjoy this car so much. I have driven the regular Teslas (RWD and Long-Range) and they are good in performance but, are no match to the blistering fast Model 3 Performance which performs like a rocket launched out of a launch pad. Lol!
Handling
Tesla Model 3 Performance handles like a sports car. Period!
The steering wheel feels nicely weighted in Sports and due to the lower center of gravity and no engine, this car feels totally planted and moves like an eel. A satisfactory enthusiast's car for enjoying the high speeds, handling and thrills minus the gasoline combustion engine noises which for some is a big deal. But, mature people who know what this vehicle’s purpose is will accept its traits and enjoy it for the purpose it’s built.
My route to home (Don't miss the snow-capped mountains in the background)- There are 6-roundabouts that I cross each day. It's fun to throw the car in these roundabouts.
Every single day, I have to drive through 6 of these roundabouts and I throw the Tesla into these roundabouts at higher than required speeds just to test its handling. It just slithers in and out of the roundabout like a rockstar with negligible body roll.
Range
Well, I have been mostly using the Tesla for local city driving which is usually 50-60 miles roundtrips and other errands which is about 10-20 miles a day. I charge the Tesla once in 3-days and is always up to 80% and typically plug it back in when the battery drops to 20%.
With a 60% usable charge, I get around 150-170 miles which is good for 3-4 days of usage. Tesla claims the Model 3 Performance's range is 315 Miles. I have long ago given up hopes on that range and stick to a realistic figure of 250 miles (0%-100% battery charge) which is acceptable for my usage.
Long distance- I have done just 2 trips to Vancouver, Canada till date which isn’t a long distance in any sense. Need to plan a proper long-distance trip which means driving at least 600 miles one-way. Hopefully, sometime this year. Incidentally, travelling to Vancouver again on March 23 so it will get charged again in Vancouver.
Charging Time
I always charge at home which charges at speeds of 35 kWh (Compared to Tesla Super chargers which charge between 300 kWh- 500 kWh per hour). I normally start the charging (scheduled on phone) at 11:00pm and it charges from 20% to 80% battery in about 4 hours. When I get up in the morning, the car is fully juiced up to drive for the next 150 miles.
Charging Cost
I prefer charging during off-peak hours so the rate is $0.08 dollar per kWh.
Simple math: I spend ~ $5 for every 170 miles (275 kms) of driving which is insane cost savings.
Gas to EV Comparison : 90% savings on gas costs.
Trivia : I have used a supercharger only twice in my Tesla Ownership and both times during my trip to Vancouver. Otherwise, it’s always charged at home and is not subjected to the brutal tortures of DC supercharging.
Tires
Pirelli Summer Performance tires are like leech during summer and in rains. However, they become equally useless in snowy conditions. Tires have never been rotated, balanced nor aligned till date. There isn’t any uneven wear and tear so I am a happy puppy.
Touchwood- Zero punctures till date since I got out of the showroom.
Autopilot
Works flawlessly and never a scary moment. I experienced phantom braking just once in this entire period. Whenever we are going back home from a party, autopilot drives us safely back home.
Autopilot gets confused in a few scenarios:
- Roundabout (We have plenty of them near home)
- Peculiar lanes in some areas where the lane markers are intertwined.
Regenerative Braking
Driving with just one foot is a pleasure. I hardly use the brakes in the Tesla. In fact, I keep checking if I can stop without using a brake. 9/10 times, I am able to stop if I am in “Chill” mode.
In “Sports” mode, it’s difficult to stop the car even with full regen mode, it will not stop on time as the regen power is not enough to bring the car to a halt in time.
As an example- I step on the brake pedal, a total of 4-5 times in my one full charge of 150-170 miles. This means the brakes will last “forever”.
ICE
I covered the In-Car-Entertainment/Music System of Premium Audio in a Tesla. This has to be the best music system (at this price point) in any car be it EV or Gasoline. The audio and video experience in the Tesla is second to none.
Space
Tesla Model 3 is spacious inside and out. Due to no hump running in the back-seat, 3 tall adults can sit comfortably. The space in the boot is very good and with seats down, we have transported living room size carpets, pots, plants and other home goods with ease. The frunk (under the bonnet) is also spacious and most grocery shopping stuff can be easily accommodated here.
Tesla Annual Renewal
I pay $99 per year for Internet Connectivity each year. It’s totally worth it as this gives you access to all the goodies (Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, TikTok etc) which is important when you are waiting somewhere in the car.
Niggles/Things Could have been Better
- 17 months of Ownership- Tesla froze just once in the first 12 months. Last 5 months, it froze 4 times. What I mean by froze is the screen becomes frozen and it needs to be re-booted/re-started. Darn, just like our phones. Lol!. The reboot process is a 2-minute procedure so it’s a minor inconvenience. In my opinion, this freezing business is acceptable if it happens once or twice a year. Anytime more is not acceptable.
- Sometimes the doors won’t unlock when I approach the car and try to unlock it. I have to then fish out my phone and unlock it from the Tesla app on the phone. Same thing with the charge port. This happened a few times so again a minor niggle.
- Insurance costs- For some weird reason, the insurance costs for a Tesla are higher than a gas car. I pay about $1600/year just for insurance. Compared to about $1200/year for a gas car.
- Rattles & Squeaks- 15,000 miles up and there is no hint of any squeaks or rattles. Sometimes I hear some minor squeak from my driving seat position only when I move around in my seat a lot. This could be possible due to my 100+ kg weight.
Summary
Owning a Tesla Model 3 Performance has been a flawless experience with 90% savings in gas (if I had owned a gas car). Performance and Technology is the biggest drivers for overall satisfaction.
Here are a few favorite pictures of "Rosso Diablo". Cheers!
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