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Would you Buy Model S if it had an ICE instead of Electric?

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mknox

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2012
10,104
1,901
Toronto, ON
So Elon Musk says that Model S is the "best car in the world", electric or otherwise. Much of the automotive press agree that if not the best, pretty darned close.

So my question for those who have bought or reserved is, would you still be shelling out the same bucks for Model S if it was just a plain ICE-powered car, given that it still might be "best in the world"?

For me, the answer is likely not. This car is well over my "typical" budget for a new car, but I am a reservation holder because I believe in the promise of electric propulsion and am willing to be an early adopter of this new technology. Other EVs don't meet my range or size requirements, and that's why Model S is my only real EV option.

Just curious to know if we are a bunch of automotive enthusiasts, EV enthusiasts or some combination thereof.

Cheers!

Mike
 
Probably not. The Model S is a good looking car and the 17" screen is cool but it doesn't have some of the other cool features of cars in its price category at this point (ACC, HUD...etc). The main features I like are hard to do with a pure ICE (remote cooling/heating is one of them) or impossible if the car is in the garage with the door closed but the EV component is a big factor in my decision to get the Model S.
 
No. To me, a BIG part of what makes the Model S The Best Car in The World is the EV drive train. The fact is that it's a great looking car that has lots of power, great handling, luggage space and THE next-generation of infotainment but without the EV drive train it would simply be comparable to other cars in the same price range. With the EV power train the Model S is the Best Car in The World.
 
Given the info I've collected from this forum and the two different betas that have visited the Oakbrook store, I can say that I most definitely would NOT buy a Model S if it were an ICE car or plug-in hybrid. The difference maker for me about the Model S is the long range battery capacity and pure EV architecture.
 
So it's looking like we're leaning more to the EV enthusiast side of the equation. I know this might not be a representative sample, but I wonder what this says about Tesla trying to bring the EV mainstream (i.e. where people buy the car for the car and not because it's electric). Maybe that's the task of Gen 3 after they make some money off us guys :)
 
Trying to make apples as close as possible to the oranges...
Suppose its an 89 mpg ICE with similar performance and handling, a frunk and trunk at the same price point? ( You could even require a 3.4 gallon gas tank to simulate the 300 mile range )

Things you gain:
- easier refueling for long trips
- don't worry about battery replacement

Things you lose:
- you no longer have a full tank of gas every morning
- you have to do ICE+transmission maintenance, oil changes, exhaust system maintenance and worry about their lifetimes
- its not as quiet or as smooth and it does not have the instant throttle EV driving experience
- regen

But even after that I still don't want to burn gas. I don't want to support the gasoline economy, its pollution or its politics.
I believe in a constant steady rise of the price of gas until it is replaced as our primary fuel source.
When gas is $10 a gallon, 89mpg will be a lot better than 20 or 30 or even 40mpg, but it will still suck when compared to filling up with electrons.
 
I would, but I would expect to pay $30k less. It would be like a Jaguar XF or similar.

Part of my rationalization is the fuel costs savings. I've done some pretty detailed math and calculate I'll save nearly $20k over 5 years in the difference between gas and electricity where I live. (Gas is more expensive and electricity less expensive in Canada compared to the US, in general terms).

I put the Model S up against ICE cars $20 - $30k less, and the Model S starts looking pretty good.
 
Should've made this a poll. I'd be interested to see the results. To answer your question: NO, I wouldn't buy a Model S if it was an ICE vehicle. I'd say 60% of the reason I want a Tesla is because it's an EV, the other 40% is because it's the best looking car out there, imo. But if I just wanted a good looking ICE car I'd get an Audi.