Bought a P3D- for many reasons - environmental consideration wasn't one of them

[Msjulie]

there's still a carbon footprint (what happens to the batteries?)

Not directed to anyone in particular but I learned something the other day - the big bad Cobalt bit of batteries everyone worries about? More is used in removing sulfur from fossil fuels than in batteries.. Desulphurisation | Cobalt Institute Recycling in batteries happens now, and it will get better so there's that.

Sorry to be slightly off topic but I view being more (vs less) informed as a positive thing..

Also being an ICE-reformed motor head, I'm so happy there is a fun and fast alternative in the 3.. I gave up a life long bias towards manual transmission cars to own the Tesla and even if I miss that a bit, it's not enough to go back.

 

[640k]

Also being an ICE-reformed motor head, I'm so happy there is a fun and fast alternative in the 3.. I gave up a life long bias towards manual transmission cars to own the Tesla and even if I miss that a bit, it's not enough to go back.

you and me both on this front. i've ruined automatic transmissions because they're never "in gear". thought i would like a DSG transmission but could never get used to the shift points. having "control" of being able to feather out the engine when i didn't need/braking wasn't appropriate was always a win over having to deal with stop and go traffic.

i've also noticed that since the recent power update, the power band feels less "flat" around highway speeds. when i first purchased the vehicle, i noticed anything over 80mph, acceleration was flat. now it actually pulls like it still has power. love it.

 

[SK360]

I traded a supercharged manual 2014 Corvette for my P3D+. The P3D is now my Autocross car for next year, All of your points are pretty spot on. Environmental consideration was the last item on my list.

 

[FoverM]

1. Performance. An AWD car that hits 60 in 3 seconds for $50K w/ no mechanical guilt. Instant "throttle" response. Pretty good handling (hoping MPP coilovers + PS4S tires dial it in to where it should be).
2. Daily driving is extremely easy. I really don't like firing up an ICE car to make short trips - it feels wasteful & "unhealthy" for the car. Battery doesn't charge well, cats don't heat up, nor does the engine, etc. Silly concern but there's no such thing in the Tesla - it's ideal for daily driving.

Same here. Environmental issues played no part in my decision to get one. I've highlighted two of your points. Performance, especially acceleration, was my main interest but I've come to find that the ease of daily usage is a huge plus. It's just so easy to use ... and you don't really "get it" until you use one for a while. The whole powertrain is just about perfect.

The downside is longer distances combined with charging speed. We've taken my wife's ICE for that so far because where we go (NC mountains, Tuscaloosa) the charging options aren't good. You either have to drive a significant distance out of the way to find good charging (e.g. Asheville) or have to be chained to a low power charger for a significant amount of time (destination charging). Local driving is a total no brainer.

Anyway, it's just a matter of time before these cars (Tesla-style BEVs, not the weird ecobox EVs) dominate the auto industry. If they can double the energy density in the batteries then it will be game over for ICEs. Maybe even a 1.5X increase would be enough to bring down the cost and size of the batteries (Model 1 anyone?).

 

[Gizmo35]

Very well said! Could have taken this same list out of my head. The environmental reasons werent and is still not any of my concern when I bought this car.

 

[derekmw]

Yep, same here. I definitely don't miss having to warm up a turbo car or driving in stop/go traffic with stick shift.

Definitely one of the top reasons was no more gas. I have free charging at work and the savings there has been huge (I've been driving electric cars for 5 years now). The price of the P3D- was an added bonus (I was able to get this for the same price that my previous Model S cost - which was nowhere near as fast)

 

[Dolemite]

Man am I glad I made this thread... I was totally bracing to get crucified. Thanks to everyone chiming in! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who believes it's first & foremost a properly good car.

 

[StellarRat]

So?

 

[SmartElectric]

Glad to see the "converts" from the ICE manual transmission enthusiast group. I'm a tech, eco, physics person, so I cover a lot of bases.

I myself owned a string of manual transmission cars, Beretta GTZ (Quad 4 HO) and other high revving cars, to Z28 (low revving torque monster).

I love my two EVs (Smart ED and Tesla S85) because they are RWD, instant torque and there's not such thing as beating the SH^T out of them, no hint of complaint from the drive trains even though I am a binary 1:0 ON:OFF driver.

I did wait out a really terrible stretch of 20 years after the EV1 debut where I couldn't get an EV from any manufacturer. I was convinced of the electric drive train a LONG time ago. Physics.

Congrats on your P3D's! I'll struggle on in my Smart ED commute appliance, mostly because it's great for silent hooning on city streets and no one gives me a second look, except when I fly by them after a stop light.

 

[Damo11]

I don't intend to start a flame war or any political discussion whatsoever. I just want to get this off my chest & get a feel for how many others like me are out there. I can appreciate the arguments around the reduction in fossil fuel usage etc. But for me, personally, that wasn't a primary concern. Maybe I'm overthinking how people view Tesla owners... Or I'm spending too much time reading the cesspool that is reddit.

Oh thank God! Your reasons clearly resonate with most of us. I am really glad that it is a 'green' car but it was probably one of the last reasons I chose a Tesla. I think that the evangelical, Elon cheerleading, holier than thou attitude of the few, is doing more harm than good to the brand. The current lineup sell well because they are better cars - for all the reasons that you say.

 

[Wvapoker]

I tell everyone that asks about my M3 Dual Motor "Don't drive one or you'll own one."

I drove it from West Virginia to Florida and back this last week. Going south I pre-planned every stop. Coming home I let the car decide were to stop and how long. You really just need to get in a drive.

 

[Mrcarcrazy]

To the OP. Yep you definitely spend too much time on cesspool.com.

I bought my model 3 P for basically the same reasons as you. Hilarious as my Jeep buddies think I’m a traitor. (Still has the jeep).

 

[focher]

A great example of not letting perfect be the enemy of good. If people who don't factor the environment into their purchasing of an item that is one of the single biggest contributors to climate change, that's fine by me so long as they've ultimately end up making a choice that's better for environment.

This is where Tesla has nailed it. The mission is the goal, and the strategy is to offer the best cars available.

 

[destructure00]

A great example of not letting perfect be the enemy of good. If people who don't factor the environment into their purchasing of an item that is one of the single biggest contributors to climate change, that's fine by me so long as they've ultimately end up making a choice that's better for environment.

This is where Tesla has nailed it. The mission is the goal, and the strategy is to offer the best cars available.

This had to happen for EVs to go mainstream. I wouldn't be caught dead in a Leaf, Prius, Bolt, i3, etc. Barf. Double barf. Make a great car and the sales will come. Make a barf car and you'll sell a few to the evangeliticals but that's about it.

 

[dmurphy]

Man am I glad I made this thread... I was totally bracing to get crucified. Thanks to everyone chiming in! Glad to hear I'm not the only one who believes it's first & foremost a properly good car.

100%!

It’s a damn fine car. And THAT is why I bought it. I love the simplicity of EVs; I love the technology; I love how well it handles. The environment benefits are a fringe one for me. I still burn a ton of electricity and natural gas at home - my carbon footprint is as lousy as ever. Maybe a slight uptick because of the car, but it’s basically noise.

look, I’m going to take my 80th flight of the year this week. It’s disingenuous for me to say one word about carbon footprint while flitting all around the country for work on an airplane.

So, yeah, I love my Model 3 for hundreds of reasons. The environmental factor is but one....

 

[shplatt]

I'm with you on this. I like clean air and all, but this wasn't a tree-huggin' move for me.

I think of my P3D+ in this way...

The SR+ portion is economy - fuel, cost of ownership, etc - and safety.
The bump to LR AWD was for convenience and a little more road stability.
The bump to Performance was just for fun.
A dash of FSD, because I like opening presents and Christmas generally comes more than once a year.

I came from a '17 Mustang GT convertible. Before that, Accords, a Highlander, a '99 Vette, a Civic, a '79 Celica... whatever. The Stang was fun, but it hated wet roads. The rear end broke free on a clover leaf one post-rainy evening. My daughter was with me. I saved it, but it spooked me even though that wasn't the first time I've had to be overly ginger on the throttle on damp roads. Anywho, I convinced my wife she doesn't really want a convertible anymore and we got the Tesla. The thing runs circles around the Mustang... and stays grounded in the process. Easily the best car I've ever owned. The way it pulls.... mmh! The Tesla Grin is real and hasn't faded in the ~6 months I've owned this car.

Oh, and I do NOT miss gas stations!

 

[StealthP3D]

It impossible to pin a single reason why I bought my P3D- because there are so many:

It's a pleasurable car to drive and responds quickly (almost instantly) to steering and throttle inputs.
It corners very flat, I hate cars that lean excessively to the outside of turns.
It's very economical to drive.
It's very convenient (being "filled up" every morning when I wake up).
Global warming. We really only have one tiny planet for all of humanity to call home for the foreseeable future. I don't burn down my only home and I don't see why we shouldn't treat our only planet with the same respect. While an EV does have a carbon footprint, it's a heck of a lot smaller than equivalent gas or diesel car.
I got tired of the stinky smells in the morning and I don't like to make others breathe it either. I live in an area with pretty clean air, the primary exception is all the cars and four major oil refineries. Life is better with pure air and water. Let's make life better, not worse!

 

[Telstar]

Looks like I'm not the only one that bought an M3P because it's the best machine for the job in so many ways. Personally, I don't care if my car gets its energy from dirty coal or unicorn tears.

 

[Electroman]

I don't intend to start a flame war or any political discussion whatsoever. I just want to get this off my chest & get a feel for how many others like me are out there. I can appreciate the arguments around the reduction in fossil fuel usage etc. But for me, personally, that wasn't a primary concern. Maybe I'm overthinking how people view Tesla owners... Or I'm spending too much time reading the cesspool that is reddit.

The Model 3 wasn't part of my decision set when I was car shopping - I just happen to have a Tesla store 5 minutes from my house and figured what the hell, let's see what's up. Drove a P3D+ and was blown away. Found out about the P3D- and was sold.

The reasons why I chose this car:

1. Performance. An AWD car that hits 60 in 3 seconds for $50K w/ no mechanical guilt. Instant "throttle" response. Pretty good handling (hoping MPP coilovers + PS4S tires dial it in to where it should be).
2. Mechanical simplicity. I enjoy tinkering, but fixing an endless stream of leaking transmissions/differentials/gaskets eventually starts getting old (looking at you, BMW). I plan to keep this car a long, long time & hope its simple mechanical nature means that it'll be extremely reliable & perform as it does for longer & with fewer issues than an ICE car.
3. Practicality. It's a high-performance car but I don't have to worry about getting valve adjustments every 50K miles, or turbocharger heat soak, or carbon buildup, or endless debates about oil catch cans, or making sure it's warmed up before driving hard, or feeling like an idiot shuffling to & from work in a 400+ hp machine that gets 16 mpg in stop & go traffic that seldom sees over 35 mph. And it seats 5 people & has a crazy amount of space vs. a similarly-sized conventional car.
4. Daily driving is extremely easy. I really don't like firing up an ICE car to make short trips - it feels wasteful & "unhealthy" for the car. Battery doesn't charge well, cats don't heat up, nor does the engine, etc. Silly concern but there's no such thing in the Tesla - it's ideal for daily driving.
5. Looks. I don't think the Model 3 looks spectacular, by any means. But "evolving" pedestrian safety standards & endless bloat has rendered most cars looking pretty awful. Gone are the days of svelte, understated styling. So compared to the other options, I think it's pretty good, especially lowered with meaty tires + chrome delete.
6. Finally - everything else sucks in comparison. There's nothing as good, especially at the same price point. It's either too dated, too watered-down/boring/suited for the masses, or doesn't come in a manual... something I dearly want in an ICE car. Most manufacturers have simply forsaken the enthusiast & are computerizing every facet of the driving experience. Might as well take it all the way & go for the car that takes this concept to the extreme, but wraps it up in a novel & thrilling driving experience.

Everything you said plus the Autopilot. In fact I would rate that as my No 1 reason, due to my long commute. The fact that this is an EV comes close 2nd

The car is a hoot to drive, but there are very many times I want the car to do the driving and Autopilot nails it. If I were forced to choose only one feature and give up the rest, I would take AP and give up all other great features.

 

[ianc]

Kind of depressing the number of people in this thread that don't seem to care that their choice is good for the environment, or it wasn't a concern for them.

Wake up people. This is the only earth we've got. No do-overs. Start caring. I hope 50 years from now when I'm dead and gone, my daughter has a livable earth and a good chance at a happy life.

Also, it's a great car.

ianc