I wasn't surprised when i read that the presentation of the Tesla Model 3 lead to an increase
in Model 3 reservations, ditto for the Model X (More mainstream media coverage, leading to even more brand awareness), but also more reservations for Model S?....
Now that's news!
This is a car that is on the roads since 2012 against its younger, cheaper, sibling that was just launched...
Thing is, when you think about it, the Model 3 isn't that cheap once you spec it properly.
Base Price: $35,000
Any colour aside from black: +$1,000
Some nice rims (Base ones are colour sensitive): +$1,500
Upgrade Interior (I mean, a car in this class without Auto Dimming? Really?): +$5,000
Long Range battery (Because 220 miles is less than the nasty little Bolt...): +$9,000
Which gives you the nice figure of...$51,500.
And that's without AutoPilot stuff.
A big pill to swallow for the middle class, but not that bad for the current typical Tesla customer, right?
Well, if you have the cash for the specced Model 3, you might as well think about the Model S 75, that for $69,500, gives you an (even) faster car (0-60 in 4,3 secs vs 5,1), a bit less range (249 vs 310), AND a hatchback with plenty of space inside!
And unlimited Supercharging!
And a decent interior!
And air suspension!
Oh, and did i mentioned it has a hatchback? Ok, ok...Rear Liftgate...
If you add up all that, the #18,000 difference between both cars starts to be justified and you start to have doubts on which to choose, yes, you get less range on the S, but on the other hand, with unlimited Supercharging, that's not really a hassle, right?
Long story short, considering the above, i think some customers just went: "Hey, why should i wait for this Model 3, if the larger Model S is available and not that more expensive?"
If the volume of these customers is significant, we will surely find out on the September results and see how will the Model S behave then, up, down or so so?
Jose hi,
ReplyDeletegreat post.
Comment: I think the premium package is $5k not $5.5k.
Question: what do you mean by the 18" wheels being "colour sensitive"?
Thanks!
Assaf
Yeah, you're right, i will change it now.
DeleteWell, if you're hellbent on wasting your money on useless/pointless gunk, it most certainly gets expensive.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you can purchase a lot of gunk for the model S too...
I don't agree with you here, if you think 220 miles is to short then it's not sure 249 miles is enough so is you want to have 310 miles you should compare it to Model S 100D. That's $97500 but when you want another colour, and maybe the premium package and then we are over $100k and I would say the Model 3 feels cheap again.
ReplyDeleteI see your point, the minimum range is debatable, 220 miles could be more than enough for some, while 400 might not be enough for others.
DeleteIn this case, i took as standard my own needs, which stand at 250 miles / 400 kms, real world range.
So, with the base Model 3 standing at 220, it's a bit below what i expected, so i would need to upgrade for the larger battery, which would mean that it will be out of my price range.
But, if i had the $$$, or in this case, €€€ to buy the 75 kWh Model 3, i would think hard if it wouldn't be worth to upgrade to the Model S, which woudl still have an acceptable range for me (249 miles) AND has unlimited access to the Supercharger network AND has a hatchback.
Basically i would have the car that suited my every need, with the only weak point being the extra €€€.
But back to the 35-40k eur price tag, as much as i like the Model 3, and i do like it a lot, i believe a bare-bones unit has a number of drawbacks (No hatchback, less than 250 miles range, some equipment misses like no Auto dimming, less-than-expected charging rate), that might tempt me into another model (Leaf II?).
I know that for that price tag, it will be hard to find a car that suits my every need, but a possible 60 kWh Leaf II with 150 kWh charging speed, a 50 kWh Ioniq, or even a discounted Ampera-e could prove to be better value for money than a base Model 3.
Long story short, when the Model 3 arrives in Europe, the EV Scene will have developed (Leaf II, Ioniq 50 kWh, maybe Europe-wide availability of Ampera-e) significantly, and it could be the case that there will be other models that suit me (And others) best than the Tesla model.
One other thing you should take in to consideration is the highway and city range, for Bolt the city range is longer then the highway range while for Model S the highway range is longer. This means that I would be surprised if the Model 3 base don't have longer highway range then Bolt. What you need is up to you but it will be interesting to see the highway and city range for Model 3 and compare it to other electric cars.
Deletehttp://insideevs.com/detailed-range-ratings-for-the-chevrolet-bolt-ev-255-miles-city/
I will, thanks!
Delete