Did you reserve a Tesla Model 3 ?

[cwerdna]

Why not collect reasons for all the people who didn't order one?

- Still too expensive
- Too long to wait
- Didn't want to risk $ on an uncertain company
etc

Maybe there should be a new thread for that. I have a bunch of reasons.

 

[JPWhite]

Late to the party here, but I did go to the Nashville store after I got out of a meeting at work at 11:15. Arrived 11:25, joined the end of the line and had my reservation by about 11:40. I was one of the last to line up, maybe half dozen behind me. The line was gone by 12pm. I was back at work by 12:15, didn't even have to take a long lunch.

The Nashville store converted the service area into a large waiting area and marked the floor disney style with wrap around waiting lines. It was a nice day, but had it been rainy we'd have all lined up under cover. No one got their car serviced last Thursday

 

[Turnover]

We got to the Washington Square Mall in Portland, Oregon at about 1020am and found the line went to a holding area down the hall from the store then outside. It took us until 1230pm to get signed up, but the weather was great and the people in line upbeat and helping each other to have bath room breaks and to deal with the needs of waiters' children. Talked EV with each other and gained a lot of knowledge. Seemed most of us are Leaf owners.

 

[asinclair]

Reserved one online about 15 minutes before the reveal. My story is I had one of the first Leaf deliveries (Veh# 302), drove it for 65,000 miles over 4 years and lost 2 bars. Sold it before I lost the third bar. Now leasing a Mercedes B Class. Lease is up Dec. 2017, so I may have to extend the lease until I can get my Model 3.

 

[RegGuheert]

I didn't reserve a Model 3 as the LEAF is still working well for us, but I learned yesterday that my son reserved one online.

Interestingly, he is one of those people for whom BEVs cannot possibly work since he lives in a condo with no charging facilities. But with a very short commute, he can probably just go to a destination charger every two or three weeks. Who knows, perhaps his condo will get enough demand for EV charging facilities that they will begin installing them in their garages. I have no doubt they will overcharge for their use, however.

In any case, he has a few YEARS to figure out how he will manage to charge this thing!

 

[JPWhite]

I didn't reserve a Model 3 as the LEAF is still working well for us, but I learned yesterday that my son reserved one online.

Interestingly, he is one of those people for whom BEVs cannot possibly work since he lives in a condo with no charging facilities. But with a very short commute, he can probably just go to a destination charger every two or three weeks. Who knows, perhaps his condo will get enough demand for EV charging facilities that they will begin installing them in their garages. I have no doubt they will overcharge for their use, however.

In any case, he has a few YEARS to figure out how he will manage to charge this thing!

He can always become one of Musk's favorite owners and use the local SC for all his needs

 

[keydiver]

Seemed most of us are Leaf owners.

That has got to be bad news for Nissan execs. They were probably betting on a lot of us early adopters ordering the new 2017 Leaf when it becomes available. Too bad many of us aren't willing to gamble again on an EV without active cooling, not to mention that their body designs aren't as compelling as Tesla. The new Leaf is going to have to be VERY cheap to compete with the Model 3 and the Bolt, IMHO. And no, I don't need to be reminded that the Model 3 is still vaporware, but I'm willing to give Tesla the benefit of the doubt for now.

 

[N1ghtrider]

I thought I had an appointment (following speaking with the manager the week before), so I was surprised when I saw 20 people in line ahead of me. Then I was more surprised when Tesla would not take a check, and I did not have credit cards with me. So I left annoyed and went home to place the deposit by credit card online.

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

I thought I had an appointment (following speaking with the manager the week before), so I was surprised when I saw 20 people in line ahead of me. Then I was more surprised when Tesla would not take a check, and I did not have credit cards with me. So I left annoyed and went home to place the deposit by credit card online.

I wonder how many of the people who put down a deposit are going to be paying credit card interest on it.

 

[redLEAF]

I thought I had an appointment (following speaking with the manager the week before), so I was surprised when I saw 20 people in line ahead of me. Then I was more surprised when Tesla would not take a check, and I did not have credit cards with me. So I left annoyed and went home to place the deposit by credit card online.

Hah, I brought a check with me in case they didn't take certain cards (i.e., Discover) but we're in a digital world and they obviously took a few hundred thousand reservations so using credit cards only as you'll get an immediate yes or no from the provider on the amount was probably their chosen method --- I don't now if they also took debit cards (requiring a PIN) but the terminals didn't swipe the card anyway, just keyed in online just like any other online 'order' and they did use the CVV/CVC on the back of the actual card as well.

 

[EVforRobert]

And no, I don't need to be reminded that the Model 3 is still vaporware, but I'm willing to give Tesla the benefit of the doubt for now.

FWIW this writer didn't give the benefit of the doubt. I have always enjoyed his rants.


http://www.autoextremist.com

 

[finman100]

meh...just some guys opinion. move on. let Tesla change the world and people will still have a 'problem'. Go Elon!

 

[EVDRIVER]

I see there is no comments section on his article.

 

[mwalsh]

And no, I don't need to be reminded that the Model 3 is still vaporware, but I'm willing to give Tesla the benefit of the doubt for now.

FWIW this writer didn't give the benefit of the doubt. I have always enjoyed his rants.


http://www.autoextremist.com

Just for the record, this is not me writing under a pseudonym. Thought it could well be - I concur with many of the sentiments he's expressed.

Frankly, if you want a visionary to idolize, there are men cut from much better cloth than Elon Musk. Could I perhaps suggest Sir Richard Branson as an example of such?

 

[sparky]

I see there is no comments section on his article.

You can email a response. Those seem to be printed. I sent him a note:

As rants go, this was rather limp.
Tesla showed their new model. Gave a production date. Consumers voted with a resounding yes to the concept.
Your "rant":
1) Tesla is not as good as Detroit at keeping timetables and you believe the car will miss it's delivery date.
Not much of a risk with that statement there's plenty of precedent (even when Tesla had Detroit help) that they are overly optimistic with schedule.
2) The media is a stupid sycophant. Ok. That's not too controversial either.

To me the real issue is Detroit seems unable to invent desire and Tesla seems to have a formula.
It's a real thing. I learned it over 3 years ago when looking for a new car. I've owned Detroit, Stuttgart and Kyushu vehicles. I like to drive. Test drove Cadillac, Audi, Porsche, Lexus Jaguar & Infiniti.
Comparison shopping before driving a Model S. Night and Day.
Best driving experience and 3 years later, best owning experience of any car I've had. Drove it cross-country and back. It was too easy.
So, yeah. I put $1k down for my wife's next car. It's small bet on an innovative American company that is growing manufacturing jobs in my home state. I see no reason to hate them, ignore them, doubt them (much).
Could be 3 years. I don't expect Detroit or Stuttgart to figure out the formula before then (the Bolt ain't it).

 

[finman100]

Excellent comment! So much 'good' Tesla is doing that it creates "problems" with entrenched fossil companies (both meanings here, old and dino-goo!)

Go Elon!

PS What if Nissan 'joined' Tesla's Supercharger network with Leaf 2.0? I already enjoy the heck out of Leaf 1.5 but want more. more long-distance. more style. more range. and only one company has that in spades. okay it's 2 years down the road, but, hey, miracles from other EV companies can happen, right?

 

[palmermd]

Very nice email Sparky. That is how I read it as well.

 

[dgpcolorado]

...PS What if Nissan 'joined' Tesla's Supercharger network with Leaf 2.0? I already enjoy the heck out of Leaf 1.5 but want more. more long-distance. more style. more range. and only one company has that in spades. okay it's 2 years down the road, but, hey, miracles from other EV companies can happen, right?

Nissan can't do that unless they change their minds about including a temperature management system for the battery. Charging at 90-135 kW is just too much heat for current tech Li-ion batteries. Nissan seems adamant that they are not going to use a TMS.


I placed a Model 3 reservation online about an hour after the reveal. I want to be down in the queue because I can't use the full federal tax credit — 25% is the most I could manage to use — so I'd rather have someone else have a shot at it. Since I will be bumped to near the top of the line I expect to take advantage of the one allowed delay in ordering when my number comes up. Then I'll decide.

Overall I was disappointed in the 3 as revealed; made me appreciate my CPO S all the more. I put my deposit in to keep my options open in case some of the things I disliked get fixed before production. I would like AWD, given where I live, and a bigger battery for faster Supercharging, but I can live with my S60 RWD if need be — I plan to take it on a 2700 mile trip to Portland and Seattle next month.

 

[EVDRIVER]

...PS What if Nissan 'joined' Tesla's Supercharger network with Leaf 2.0? I already enjoy the heck out of Leaf 1.5 but want more. more long-distance. more style. more range. and only one company has that in spades. okay it's 2 years down the road, but, hey, miracles from other EV companies can happen, right?

Nissan can't do that unless they change their minds about including a temperature management system for the battery. Charging at 90-135 kW is just too much heat for current tech Li-ion batteries. Nissan seems adamant that they are not going to use a TMS. .

Sure they can, they can regulate the max use of the supercharger to charge at the desired max rate Nissan wants. They can match the present chademo level or go further if desired. No change in temp management is needed. I don't see Nissan or Nissan owners wanting to pay that premium however for hardware and fees.

 

[dgpcolorado]

Sure they can, they can regulate the max use of the supercharger to charge at the desired max rate Nissan wants. They can match the present chademo level or go further if desired. No change in temp management is needed. I don't see Nissan or Nissan owners wanting to pay that premium however for hardware and fees.

I disagree. This would mean longer charging times and cause the Supercharger stalls to be occupied longer than necessary, due to slow charging. I can't see Tesla going along with using their Supercharger stations to slow charge Nissan cars. JMHO.