Tesla Model 3 Mid Range: $45k, 260-mile battery and rear wheel drive

The 310 vs 260 miles is relative. I own a 75D for two years, thus I have 250 range. That has been plenty even with the long (10+ hours) road trips. I don’t know about you, but after driving over 220 miles straight, I really like to have a 30 minute break. Keeps me sane, and is enough to charge the car during my short break. Now, if money is not an issue, of course, by all means buy the largest battery.
But to say 260 miles is unworkable, well that sounds a bit over the top… That would mean everyone who has a Tesla since say 3-5 years ago is unable to use it. Well, looking at how fond everyone is with the models that came before the 90 and the 100 models, its seems those owners, incl yours truly, are 100% happy with a 260 range.

Considering canceling my reservation: I was looking for a «plain Jane» 35,000 $ with the 310 miles range : this I was told would have added approx. 9,000 $ to the base price: i.e. approx. 44,000 $ total. I cannot live with 260 miles range: I have a vacation house 125 miles away with no Superchargers in sight and I need to get there and back the same day. Will definitely NOT PAY for the AWD 310 miles option!.

I think you are being a bit melodramatic. A 240v circuit could be added to most electrical circuit-breaker boxes. Then you could add 20 mph to the car while you spent the day at your vacation house, easily allowing you to make do with the 210 mile short-range model 3 – just need a ~3h layover. Installation should be a few hundred dollars at most. You don’t need a permanent charger you can use the portable charger included with the car.

OK, in view of the easy criticisms of my earlier post, I want to add that I often go to my vacation house in winter to just check it out and collect the mail and drive back for a total of 250 miles in 4 hours+ and I drve fast, my othe cars being a BMW Z3 and Mini CooperS. Don’t want to spend additional time charging with my 110 V outlet and no, my dryer is a gas one.

OK, in view of the easy criticisms of my earlier post, I want to add that I often go to my vacation house in winter to just check it out and collect the mail and drive back for a total of 250 miles in 4 hours+ and I drve fast, my othe cars being a BMW Z3 and Mini CooperS. Don’t want to spend additional time charging with my 110 V outlet and no, my dryer is a gas one.

1. If your dryer is gas, that’s even better. It means you have plenty of unused electricity going to the house. You just need to install the outlet. About a 20 minute job….
2. Take your Z3 or Mini Cooper to the vacation home lol?

I’m planning to buy the standard range – if it ever gets released. I know that most likely when I drive to a cottage or far out of town, we’ll probably use our other car…

I wonder when Long Range RWD gets an uncorking now…

I view this as a negative not a positive as the article kind of spins it. As one of those people who are waiting for the base model this just seems like another delay. Tesla knows how many people are waiting for the $35k car. Given that they aren’t able to deliver it (yet) and the fact that they have depleted the NA market for their $50k+ car they are trying to find a price point in the middle where they can convince some of those people who want a $35k car to jump up to a more expensive model. I gotta say if it were a $40k car they might have gotten someone like me, but $45k doesn’t do it.

I also expect when the standard range is delivered in 4-6 months, it will be tied to the $5,000 premium interior still. Making it a $40k car without the $35k in sight. I hope I’m wrong. I just don’t know what’s premium in the car today. Pleather seats hardly sounds like premium in today’s market but if it is, you switch it out to cloth, the only thing you can do is replace the glass roof with an aluminum roof and downgrade the sound system. Not sure how this accounts for $5,000. Also removing the glass roof really removes one of the cars key value add differentiators.

Okay, so I have the following comments, questions:

– The ’normal› 310 mile version goes away or, since the only option is ‹dual motor› which NOT EVERYONE WANTS OR NEEDS, the 310 mile becomes MORE EXPENSIVE
– Anyone has any idea what happens with the SELF-DRIVING option? I paid for it but now it appears to no longer be an option. Does it mean that SELF-DRIVING is no longer an option. Since, so far I got nothing out of self-driving, WILL I GET A REFUND?
– And the way ‹prices› are shown is pathetic. Seriously? Your 45k car PLUS OPTIONS is shown as a 35k car? I would expect this from some slimy car salesman, not from Tesla.

I don’t think it is a negative. To make the 35k car they need to redesign the battery pack and non premium package. This is a way to shortcut that work by just putting less cells in the 310 mile battery pack. Something they can easily do. The big advantage is that it requires less cells and if they are cell limited now it makes more cars with the limited cell supply. In 6 months they will have a larger supply of cells. It also gives people a chance at the credit before it expires.

I live in Florida. People in the South do NOT need dual-motor unless they want to show off. So this change effectively makes the ‹long range› or 310 mile configuration more expensive because it forces ‹dual motor› whether you want/need it or not.

And after a 1200 mile trip I concluded that driving that comes with less than the 310 mile range is NOT a good idea, unless you are planning to use your car exclusively for commuting to work and trips to the grocery store. So most of those who are going to order the 260-mile version are not going to be happy, long term. And my of those who are forced to pay more for the ‹dual-motor› they do not need, are going to be unhappy immediately.

Tryin to find the perfect battery size is a tough one. I use my Nissan Leaf for «community to work and trips to the grocery store.» At this point it has about 70-miles for it’s battery. For 99% of my travel, that’s totally fine. I just looked online, and most people take 2 trips a day (to and from work) for a total of 30 miles on average. So, for everyday driving, a car that has 100 mile range is great. After that is really looking at how much you actually drive and getting a car that makes sense for that…I would think for most people, being able to drive 200+ miles on a charge is more than enough…speaking for myself, I’d love that, because then I could take a longer trip every now and then.

I would think for most people, being able to drive 200+ miles on a charge is more than enough…speaking for myself, I’d love that, because then I could take a longer trip every now and then.

I would agree with the above if ‹for most people› were replaced with ‹most of the time›. Most people or all people go to places that are not ‹work› or ’shopping› from time to time.
My recent 1200-mile trip driving a Model 3 would have been VERY DIFFICULT if I drove an EV with a shorter range. The ‹310 mile› range almost made it and the number of charging stops was not annoyingly ‹too many› but, still, my wife told me that current EVs should appeal more to ‹retired people› because they have so much time on their hands. A lesser range, i.e. more range anxiety and more charging stops would have made that trip extremely unpleasant.

My advice to any EV potential buyer: buy the longest range you can possibly afford and do not buy anything with less than 300 miles if you can help it.

Considering canceling my reservation: I was looking for a «plain Jane» 35,000 $ with the 310 miles range : this I was told would have added approx. 9,000 $ to the base price: i.e. approx. 44,000 $ total. I cannot live with 260 miles range: I have a vacation house 125 miles away with no Superchargers in sight and I need to get there and back the same day. Will definitely NOT PAY for the AWD 310 miles option!

lter: Mr. Musk tweeted that you can still order the 310-mile, RWD ‹off site› for the next week or so.

I suggest you call Tesla and let them know that you want to order one. It’s what I have and, trust me, it’s worth it.

I live in the deepSouth and have to cover my «sun roof» on my model 3. As for range, I too have a beach house with no Supercharger in sight, however, the house does have a dryer 220 outlet so that is just like my residence. Even a 110 outlet would suffice if one were to stay a couple of days.

I love the deluxe interior, and only wish that there were more color options.

Finally, nobody should cancel their order unless they have driven a Tesla. The 3 is a superior handling luxury sedan, and I my other car is a Miata, so I love agile, quick, cars.

Considering canceling my reservation: … I cannot live with 260 miles range: I have a vacation house 125 miles away with no Superchargers in sight and I need to get there and back the same day. Will definitely NOT PAY for the AWD 310 miles option!

If you have electricity at your vacation house, then the 210 mile range version will be fine for the use case you describe.