Model 3 & the Roadster "Special"

[Doug_G]

Model S is definitely cushy in comparison. And much better in the winter, because the more efficient HVAC means you don't freeze. BUT...

Once you run out of charge, the Roadster effectively charges 50% faster at the same power level. That's because, being a small car, it uses significantly less energy than the Model S. If you're traveling on Level II chargers, it's much faster with Roadster. A 400 mile / 640 km Roadster would be pretty awesome, you'd do the vast majority of your road trip charging while sleeping in a hotel.

 

[Cattledog]

Have to say, I LOVE the idea of the Roman Numeral III being sideways and looking like an E. Hope it goes this way.

Based on this I'm guessing they go with S3X4. The letters will be for the premium tier vehicles and the numbers will be for the standard tier vehicles. If you choose the right font for the 4 it can still look like a "y" and so still spells sexy sorta.

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I also don't see why for the Model 3 they couldn't just have the 3 bars going sideways instead just like with their tesla logo. the roman numeral 3 is three bars but who says you can't rotate them?


yup looks pretty good. Model 4 is a roman numeral too.

View attachment 53826

or....

View attachment 53827

 

[AEdennis]

A huge reason I sold the Roadster to switch to the S was the range. Wanted to be able to travel with ease. But now that I've been driving the S would be hard to take a long road trip with the Roadster. The S is just so cushy.

I second that... 400 miles on a Roadster is a bit overkill... We'll have to stop every 100 or so miles just to get a stretch in the Roadster.

 

[wallet.dat]

Have to say, I LOVE the idea of the Roman Numeral III being sideways and looking like an E. Hope it goes this way.

Me too! I can't wait to pick up a Tesla MIII

 

[dsm363]

I second that... 400 miles on a Roadster is a bit overkill... We'll have to stop every 100 or so miles just to get a stretch in the Roadster.

I agree but if 400 ideal miles means a little over 300 highway miles (65 mph or so) then that makes day trips with no charging in the Roadster a real possibility. Before it was 90 miles one direction then 90 miles back with a decent 20-30 mile buffer in there if you had no place to charge.

 

[100thMonkey]

S3X
or
S
III
X

agreed, what a brilliant way to stick it to ford!

 

[dauger]

S3X

Has anyone else noticed that it's l33t?
If Model 3 really is the name, it's an in-joke to the tech (or hacker or geek) community and very 3l0n.

 

[Newscutter]

I'm guessing the "400 miles" is using modest throttle, much like the "aspiration line" on the Model S being set at 300wh/mile.

I do not expect most Roadster owners are so light footed that they achieve 400 ACTUAL miles! What it does allow is for you guys to make the same trips you've always made BUT do so without an concerns about preserving range. Go have fun!

The real question would be -- if I were a Roadster owner-- is whether the battery change comes with the ability to use Superchargers. I suspect that would require a much more extensive update of the car's electronics, unfortunately.

As for the Model 3 III, etc.

There is no question that Elon is Bringing Sexy Back:

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

It's a little childish but I rather like that Elon threw Ford under the bus once again. Foolish people.

Will there be a new way to charge this big battery?

I wouldn't expect there to be unless there is a problem with the charger hardware. Batteries are a problem for manufacturers of /.+EVs/ because they're a replaceable item and very expensive. The battery upgrade is a good way of shifting cell purchasing to newer tech and abandoning the legacy technology. I expect them to do the same for the Model S in the future.

I'd expect upgrades of other items only where's there's a high total failure rate and Tesla can benefit from the shift.

 

[strider]

Me too! I can't wait to pick up a Tesla MIII

"M" is a BMW thing. It'll be the "PIII" and perhaps "PIII+".

 

[Rainbow]

According to this article, the range expected range for the Model III is more likely to be about 200 miles and release date is more likely to be 2018. I wouldn't be surprised if the price climbs from the advertised $35,000.

Tesla Announces New $35,000, 200-mile range Model III | Energy Digital

If the release date isn't for another three or four years; wouldn't battery technology likely significantly improved? While it would be best not to count chickens before they are hatched yet; if Tesla works to improve the battery technology, maybe it could improve the range to 300 or 400 miles?

 

[gjunky]

"M" is a BMW thing. It'll be the "PIII" and perhaps "PIII+".

I think the M stood for Model, so Tesla Model III