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The Economist: Tesla Model 3 as selling SIIIX

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The Economist recently posted a new article particularly about the circumstances surrounding efforts towards the Model 3:

Tesla's Model 3: Selling SIIIX | The Economist

I noticed a few items to nitpick (e.g., overestimating Tesla's current battery cost), but overall this author (P.E. in Detroit) has done a much better job at accuracy than before.

Looking at the reader's Comments, I can agree with the Tesla naysayers on one thing: the unusually high intensity of Commenters (140 posts so far) considering how matter-of-factly the piece is. I, for one, am glad to see such high attention on the subject because it's making people think.
 
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I am not sure they are far off on the price of the battery pack. I was involved in an accident 7 weeks ago where the battery pack was damaged. It had to be replaced - cost of the battery pack for my 85KW pack, a cool $46K and change plus another $2K to install. I realize this is the cost I was charged - not what Tesla pays but I would suspect that they can't be any less than at least 1/2 of the retail cost - possibly higher. I am still uncertain why Tesla does not have a better shield for the battery pack. In my case, I hit an oil spot trying to get onto the freeway onramp going about 32 miles an hour and drove over a 6" median and then back over it again to get back on the right side of the road. a 1/2" to 3/4" steel plate or some other material would have avoided the high repair cost.
 
I am not sure they are far off on the price of the battery pack. I was involved in an accident 7 weeks ago where the battery pack was damaged. It had to be replaced - cost of the battery pack for my 85KW pack, a cool $46K and change plus another $2K to install. I realize this is the cost I was charged - not what Tesla pays but I would suspect that they can't be any less than at least 1/2 of the retail cost - possibly higher. I am still uncertain why Tesla does not have a better shield for the battery pack. In my case, I hit an oil spot trying to get onto the freeway onramp going about 32 miles an hour and drove over a 6" median and then back over it again to get back on the right side of the road. a 1/2" to 3/4" steel plate or some other material would have avoided the high repair cost.

That cost will not be their cost. JB Straubel has said their cost is under a 1/4 of the price of most Model S. But right now, if you need to replace your battery pack, that's one less car they can sell.
 
Reading through the comments section, it appears as if a significant percentage of Economist readers still don't understand Tesla's product or long-term plans.

It's hard to tell if the correlation between Economist subscribers and commenters is strong or weak, but yes many of these commenters are ignorant, perhaps innocently so. A downside of TM not stoking demand is that such ignorance perpetuates more easily. That ignorance is another problem the GF would help solve.

Btw, I see two anti-TM trolls, including one Jim Bullis whom I've seen before and seems to want revenge on TM and EM. Sad.
 
I am not sure they are far off on the price of the battery pack. I was involved in an accident 7 weeks ago where the battery pack was damaged. It had to be replaced - cost of the battery pack for my 85KW pack, a cool $46K and change plus another $2K to install. I realize this is the cost I was charged - not what Tesla pays but I would suspect that they can't be any less than at least 1/2 of the retail cost - possibly higher. I am still uncertain why Tesla does not have a better shield for the battery pack. In my case, I hit an oil spot trying to get onto the freeway onramp going about 32 miles an hour and drove over a 6" median and then back over it again to get back on the right side of the road. a 1/2" to 3/4" steel plate or some other material would have avoided the high repair cost.

I assume this is you in the comments on the article?

For the Tesla's diesel fuel car Model 3I am not sure they are far off on the price of the battery pack. I was involved in an accident 7 weeks ago where the battery pack was damaged.