Greetings -
As a warning TL;DR - this is a long report, so feel free to skip/skim whatever you find interesting or useful.
My EV journey began with a 2013 Nissan Leaf, followed by 2 BMW i3s, one a 2014 BEV (battery electric vehicle), the other a 2015 i3Rex (which also included a 2 cylinder ICE that powered the EV when the battery was depleted). Following that my first Tesla, a 2018 M3 RWD LR, a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, and now a 2023 MY AWD. We also own a 2021 BMW 330e, a plug-in hybrid with a 23 mile range, powered by 12KwH battery and a rather slow onboard charger.
When I bought the Leaf EVs were considered impractical, limited by range, lack of chargers and the ever present range anxiety. And those concerns were valid. The Leaf advertised a 75 mile range had a 24KwH battery, and "state of the art" EV changing was a 50KwH "fast charger". The car didn't come standard with that feature, it was an upgrade. In reality the car got 70 mile range, at best, and fell to 50 or so in cooler winter weather. The car was built on a modified Versa body, an inexpensive econobox, and it showed. Everything was built to a budget price, and the car felt cheap. Still the hatchback design was functional, and the car was unique. I had an electrician install a 40AMP Clipper Creek charger, hard wired to my home power box, including the standard J1772 plug. It worked well, and still powers my Tesla, and has powered everything else as well. Believe it or not the car was totaled in a flash flood following almost 5 inches of rain in less than 90 minutes. It literally floated out of the parking space, and water rose as high as the lower portion of the dash! When I called Nissan they told me "don't drive it, don't even touch it, just have it towed". Good advice.
The 2014 BMW i3 was next, a valiant attempt to "revision" the EV into a smaller city car dimension, easy to park, easy to maneuver. The construction was carbon fiber, a big deal at the time. The stated range of 84 miles was optimistic, and rarely did it go that far. It had a quirky vibe (the interior turned blue like the TV Jetson Mobile when turned on), but it was surprisingly roomy inside, at least up front. The hatch again was useful, and a 0-60 run took about 7 seconds - nearly 4 seconds faster than the Nissan. The downfall was cold weather, where the range fell to 50-55 miles, nearly useless as a business commuter car. Up to that point I'd owned 8 BMW cars, along with 2 BMW motorcycles. I complained that the range was not as advertised and requested a buy-back. They didn't accommodate that request, but did allow me to roll the lease into a 2015 BMW i3 ReX, with the thought that the ICE would take over when the battery no longer had a charge. The downside of the setup was that to comply with the federal tax credit the ICE range had to be lower than the battery range. So BMW incorporated a 2 gallon gas tank, enough to get 80 miles of range in ideal conditions. I quickly grew tired of having to charge/gas up nearly daily. I had it for the 2 year lease, and had no interest in getting another.
My next EV was the 2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD LR. Compared to the other EVs this car was a revelation, and a taste of what was possible. Yes, I had some build issues, but I didn't care. The 310 mile advertised range was closer to 280 or so, but fine for my needs. Back then the SuperCharger network was still far from what it is today, and even though Tesla continued to expand the network there were areas where taking a long trip was challenging. I brought the car back to the BMW dealership and had the executive, sales and service teams drive it. The M3 as I ordered it was essentially the same price as the i3Rex, and clearly they realized that the i3 couldn't compete. When they tired the autopilot (not standard at the time) they couldn't believe it. The cherry on top is when I took my game controller out of the glovebox and had them play games inside the car. The look on their faces was beyond hysterical.
I sold the M3 a bit over two years after buying it. Nothing really wrong with it, but I bought my wife's 2021 BMW 330e, the plug in hybrid. Compared to my M3 the BMW was, and is, a better ride in every way. It's quieter, more comfortable, has a far better suspension, and the build quality is far better than the Tesla. It's also much quieter and rides far like a sports sedan should. I admit to being a BMW fan, having owned 11 of them and being a BMWCCA member for decades. If you've not driven the new BMW EVs give them a try - they are strong competition for the Teslas, and if they adapt the Tesla charging standard with access to the SuperCharger network I may be tempted to get one.
After selling the M3 I bought a Mustang GT, six speed manual ICE "pony car". Nothing "green" about it, but it was fun and I enjoyed it. I've owned literally dozens of sports cars in over 50 years of driving, and I enjoy all of them. Eventually I tired of the car, and the gas bills. There was a Miata and Audi A4 after the Mustang, but I then bought a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, a very fine car, and an unbeatable bargain. Chevy had a problem with the 2022 battery pack, redesigned it and lowered the car's price by $6,500. Along with that the $7,500 tax credit applies, on a car with a list price near $30K. If you don't need the space of a Y I strongly recommend the BOLT EUV. It has almost all the features that the Y has, including the option for FSD, but at much lower price points. It also comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Controls are buttons/screens and everything is well thought out and easily accessible. If it sounds as if I like this car a lot, I do. Highly recommended.
So why did I move to the Model Y? Price cuts and federal tax credits is the answer. When I ordered the EUV in mid 2022 there was a long wait for the car and the price was $36K for the base model. At the time the Model Y was $62K. I didn't think it was worth the higher price for my needs - the EUV was my "city car" and the BMW was the "road warrior". Shortly after placing a deposit the Chevy dealer told me that the price for the 2023 car was cut $6,500 and he would change my order to the 2023, if I wanted to. That's pretty amazing customer service (Hendrick Chevrolet, Cary, NC) and I took him up on his offer. Later that year the new tax rebate program was announced and the dealer agreed to not place my order until the very end of 2022 so that I'd get the car in 2023 and be able to claim the full tax credit. Outstanding customer service. Remember, this is a $30K car, not a Corvette (even though my EUV was the same silver color as the Vette!).
My car arrived at the end of January; I took possession and was very surprised and pleased. The car has a dual regen system, one pedal driving can be turned on or off as desired, and a second heavier regen on a separate stalk on the steering column. Using both I easily got 280 miles of usable range on a car with 249 mile EPA estimates. The ride is "soft", meaning comfortable, doesn't have some of the sharp movements that the Y occasionally has, and has less road/tire noise in many driving situations. The downside, and the killer for me, is the 50KwH maximum charging speed, taking 30 minutes for 90 miles of range in perfect conditions. Add to that Chevy gives you the option of having a 40AMP circuit installed in your home, or $500 EV charging credit on the EVGO network. I took the credit, which was a big mistake (I still have the 40AMP charger at home, and it powers both the BMW and the Tesla with the adapter). The mistake is that the EVGO network is fatally flawed. High speed chargers are often broken, slow to charge, or have connection/billing issues. I found only 1 useable high speed charger within 50 miles of my home. My 150 mile trips to the beach can't be done with the current charging networks, and even if they could, the charging time would be hard to accept.
About this time Tesla started cutting prices on their EV lines. I watched the Model Y continue to fall in price, and could no longer resist it when the price fell to $46,990 plus fees/shipping/etc. I went to the local Tesla store, where I've remained very friendly with the entire staff, and placed an order at home after checking out the various battery packs. I decided to buy the 2023 AWD Austin built Y, as I reasoned that the new GigaPress construction would have the potential to produce a car with more precision, and the new 4680 battery pack looked to be the basis for all the new cars coming out in the coming years. When I placed my order I sold my EUV to CarMax for more than I paid for it after the tax rebate - they didn't seem to care. "Our customers don't typically qualify for the tax credit, they buy on absolute price" was their reply.
I was very fortunate that after placing my order a person had placed an exact same order a few days ahead of me. It was already in production and a VIN was issued. The local Tesla team called me and said that the person ordering that car couldn't get financing, and since I ordered the exact same spec I could take the reservation and it would be delivered in about a week! I love it when things fall into place.
So, finally, what did I learn? Today, even with increased competition, if you want an EV that you can drive anywhere at anytime you must have access to the SuperCharger network. Nothing else comes close. I have ChargePoint, EVGO, and Electrify America memberships - none of them come close to what Tesla offers. My fear is that with everyone adapting the NACS Tesla plug demand for charging will increase rapidly. If Tesla doesn't build out there network very quickly that would be a terrible mistake. If I can buy a European EV and have access to the SC network I think a lot of people will buy a non-Tesla. That would be tragic. We'll see what happens.
It's also worth reviewing how quickly things have changed in the 10 years since I bought the Leaf. Range anxiety is far less of an issue than in the past as many cars now offer 200 mile range at a minimum, and features/options are now comparable to traditional ICE cars. Tesla still has a lot of work to do, in my opinion, in fit/finish/material quality to compete with some of the newer competition. I believe they will, but the Tesla body style hasn't been changed on the S/X since introduction many years ago. Yes, there have been updates and feature changes, but the basic body is the same. Take a ride in the new Mercedes and BMW EVs, you'll see the difference immediately. My 2014/15 BMWs listed for $50-54K for a car that never could compete with a Tesla.
Despite good intentions and massive amounts of subsidies, charging networks are unreliable and the biggest challenge to wider EV adaption. I also believe that even today not many people truly understand what Tesla EVs offer. Few people I've spoken with, or have given drives in my car, realized that the AutoPilot works everywhere, not just on Interstates. They also don't realize that the Over the Air updates are free and frequent, often offering new features at no added cost. Fewer still understand the economic benefits of EV ownership, and the recent changes in EV tax credits eludes almost everyone. Traditional ICE dealerships have no incentive to educate potential EV owners, and they continue to talk about EV issues that have been resolved years ago.
The most surprising thing I find when I speak about my car to ICE owners is the purchase price. None of them believe that I bought my car for the equivalent of less than $45K including all taxes, fees, registration and transportation costs. The majority of people still think that the Y starts above $60K.
So what now? I realize Elon is far more savvy than I, and cutting prices instead of advertising clearly works (look at the Q2 sales results), but as a long term strategy it seems to me that the owner of Twitter, a service that relies on advertising and eyeballs, would be a perfect platform to provide information to prospective buyers, especially those that have no idea of what Tesla is about.
I await my reservation for the CyberTruck to see what's next for me. But as much as I like Tesla, I admit to being a bit disappointed with my 2023 Model Y. Fit/finish issues on my 2018 M3 were well known, and I expected them. I put up with them as an early adapter, and there was no competition. I didn't expect to find similar issues on the newly built Austin made model Y. Doors don't line up, the hatch is crooked, wind/tire noise still louder than expected. I also have several annoying squeaks and rattles, which will be addressed in a service appointment in 2 weeks. That's my second service - the HVAC didn't work properly, and even though it was fixed it still trails the competition. Add to that the improvement in choice in the EV market, and Tesla may be facing a large demand shift as the NACS standard increases competition quickly as new model arrive.
I'd also suggest that Tesla needs to invest a lot more in their service/parts departments. Training is needed as well. I'm still a Tesla owner, but having to make 2 service appointments in less than 2 months of ownership isn't welcome. Adding to that, on my first service appointment the service department scraped my rear bumper badly enough that it had to be replaced. Fortunately there was a replacement in stock, and the repair was made while the HVAC was fixed. Still, in 50+ years of owning over 40 cars I never had a service department create a situation where a new bumper assembly was needed.
As production ramps up further these issues are likely to become more visible and have the potential to influence future purchase decisions. That too would be tragic.
Thank you for being patient and reading/skimming/avoiding my post. I very much appreciate this community and the friendly, helpful attitude of the members.
As a warning TL;DR - this is a long report, so feel free to skip/skim whatever you find interesting or useful.
My EV journey began with a 2013 Nissan Leaf, followed by 2 BMW i3s, one a 2014 BEV (battery electric vehicle), the other a 2015 i3Rex (which also included a 2 cylinder ICE that powered the EV when the battery was depleted). Following that my first Tesla, a 2018 M3 RWD LR, a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, and now a 2023 MY AWD. We also own a 2021 BMW 330e, a plug-in hybrid with a 23 mile range, powered by 12KwH battery and a rather slow onboard charger.
When I bought the Leaf EVs were considered impractical, limited by range, lack of chargers and the ever present range anxiety. And those concerns were valid. The Leaf advertised a 75 mile range had a 24KwH battery, and "state of the art" EV changing was a 50KwH "fast charger". The car didn't come standard with that feature, it was an upgrade. In reality the car got 70 mile range, at best, and fell to 50 or so in cooler winter weather. The car was built on a modified Versa body, an inexpensive econobox, and it showed. Everything was built to a budget price, and the car felt cheap. Still the hatchback design was functional, and the car was unique. I had an electrician install a 40AMP Clipper Creek charger, hard wired to my home power box, including the standard J1772 plug. It worked well, and still powers my Tesla, and has powered everything else as well. Believe it or not the car was totaled in a flash flood following almost 5 inches of rain in less than 90 minutes. It literally floated out of the parking space, and water rose as high as the lower portion of the dash! When I called Nissan they told me "don't drive it, don't even touch it, just have it towed". Good advice.
The 2014 BMW i3 was next, a valiant attempt to "revision" the EV into a smaller city car dimension, easy to park, easy to maneuver. The construction was carbon fiber, a big deal at the time. The stated range of 84 miles was optimistic, and rarely did it go that far. It had a quirky vibe (the interior turned blue like the TV Jetson Mobile when turned on), but it was surprisingly roomy inside, at least up front. The hatch again was useful, and a 0-60 run took about 7 seconds - nearly 4 seconds faster than the Nissan. The downfall was cold weather, where the range fell to 50-55 miles, nearly useless as a business commuter car. Up to that point I'd owned 8 BMW cars, along with 2 BMW motorcycles. I complained that the range was not as advertised and requested a buy-back. They didn't accommodate that request, but did allow me to roll the lease into a 2015 BMW i3 ReX, with the thought that the ICE would take over when the battery no longer had a charge. The downside of the setup was that to comply with the federal tax credit the ICE range had to be lower than the battery range. So BMW incorporated a 2 gallon gas tank, enough to get 80 miles of range in ideal conditions. I quickly grew tired of having to charge/gas up nearly daily. I had it for the 2 year lease, and had no interest in getting another.
My next EV was the 2018 Tesla Model 3 RWD LR. Compared to the other EVs this car was a revelation, and a taste of what was possible. Yes, I had some build issues, but I didn't care. The 310 mile advertised range was closer to 280 or so, but fine for my needs. Back then the SuperCharger network was still far from what it is today, and even though Tesla continued to expand the network there were areas where taking a long trip was challenging. I brought the car back to the BMW dealership and had the executive, sales and service teams drive it. The M3 as I ordered it was essentially the same price as the i3Rex, and clearly they realized that the i3 couldn't compete. When they tired the autopilot (not standard at the time) they couldn't believe it. The cherry on top is when I took my game controller out of the glovebox and had them play games inside the car. The look on their faces was beyond hysterical.
I sold the M3 a bit over two years after buying it. Nothing really wrong with it, but I bought my wife's 2021 BMW 330e, the plug in hybrid. Compared to my M3 the BMW was, and is, a better ride in every way. It's quieter, more comfortable, has a far better suspension, and the build quality is far better than the Tesla. It's also much quieter and rides far like a sports sedan should. I admit to being a BMW fan, having owned 11 of them and being a BMWCCA member for decades. If you've not driven the new BMW EVs give them a try - they are strong competition for the Teslas, and if they adapt the Tesla charging standard with access to the SuperCharger network I may be tempted to get one.
After selling the M3 I bought a Mustang GT, six speed manual ICE "pony car". Nothing "green" about it, but it was fun and I enjoyed it. I've owned literally dozens of sports cars in over 50 years of driving, and I enjoy all of them. Eventually I tired of the car, and the gas bills. There was a Miata and Audi A4 after the Mustang, but I then bought a 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, a very fine car, and an unbeatable bargain. Chevy had a problem with the 2022 battery pack, redesigned it and lowered the car's price by $6,500. Along with that the $7,500 tax credit applies, on a car with a list price near $30K. If you don't need the space of a Y I strongly recommend the BOLT EUV. It has almost all the features that the Y has, including the option for FSD, but at much lower price points. It also comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Controls are buttons/screens and everything is well thought out and easily accessible. If it sounds as if I like this car a lot, I do. Highly recommended.
So why did I move to the Model Y? Price cuts and federal tax credits is the answer. When I ordered the EUV in mid 2022 there was a long wait for the car and the price was $36K for the base model. At the time the Model Y was $62K. I didn't think it was worth the higher price for my needs - the EUV was my "city car" and the BMW was the "road warrior". Shortly after placing a deposit the Chevy dealer told me that the price for the 2023 car was cut $6,500 and he would change my order to the 2023, if I wanted to. That's pretty amazing customer service (Hendrick Chevrolet, Cary, NC) and I took him up on his offer. Later that year the new tax rebate program was announced and the dealer agreed to not place my order until the very end of 2022 so that I'd get the car in 2023 and be able to claim the full tax credit. Outstanding customer service. Remember, this is a $30K car, not a Corvette (even though my EUV was the same silver color as the Vette!).
My car arrived at the end of January; I took possession and was very surprised and pleased. The car has a dual regen system, one pedal driving can be turned on or off as desired, and a second heavier regen on a separate stalk on the steering column. Using both I easily got 280 miles of usable range on a car with 249 mile EPA estimates. The ride is "soft", meaning comfortable, doesn't have some of the sharp movements that the Y occasionally has, and has less road/tire noise in many driving situations. The downside, and the killer for me, is the 50KwH maximum charging speed, taking 30 minutes for 90 miles of range in perfect conditions. Add to that Chevy gives you the option of having a 40AMP circuit installed in your home, or $500 EV charging credit on the EVGO network. I took the credit, which was a big mistake (I still have the 40AMP charger at home, and it powers both the BMW and the Tesla with the adapter). The mistake is that the EVGO network is fatally flawed. High speed chargers are often broken, slow to charge, or have connection/billing issues. I found only 1 useable high speed charger within 50 miles of my home. My 150 mile trips to the beach can't be done with the current charging networks, and even if they could, the charging time would be hard to accept.
About this time Tesla started cutting prices on their EV lines. I watched the Model Y continue to fall in price, and could no longer resist it when the price fell to $46,990 plus fees/shipping/etc. I went to the local Tesla store, where I've remained very friendly with the entire staff, and placed an order at home after checking out the various battery packs. I decided to buy the 2023 AWD Austin built Y, as I reasoned that the new GigaPress construction would have the potential to produce a car with more precision, and the new 4680 battery pack looked to be the basis for all the new cars coming out in the coming years. When I placed my order I sold my EUV to CarMax for more than I paid for it after the tax rebate - they didn't seem to care. "Our customers don't typically qualify for the tax credit, they buy on absolute price" was their reply.
I was very fortunate that after placing my order a person had placed an exact same order a few days ahead of me. It was already in production and a VIN was issued. The local Tesla team called me and said that the person ordering that car couldn't get financing, and since I ordered the exact same spec I could take the reservation and it would be delivered in about a week! I love it when things fall into place.
So, finally, what did I learn? Today, even with increased competition, if you want an EV that you can drive anywhere at anytime you must have access to the SuperCharger network. Nothing else comes close. I have ChargePoint, EVGO, and Electrify America memberships - none of them come close to what Tesla offers. My fear is that with everyone adapting the NACS Tesla plug demand for charging will increase rapidly. If Tesla doesn't build out there network very quickly that would be a terrible mistake. If I can buy a European EV and have access to the SC network I think a lot of people will buy a non-Tesla. That would be tragic. We'll see what happens.
It's also worth reviewing how quickly things have changed in the 10 years since I bought the Leaf. Range anxiety is far less of an issue than in the past as many cars now offer 200 mile range at a minimum, and features/options are now comparable to traditional ICE cars. Tesla still has a lot of work to do, in my opinion, in fit/finish/material quality to compete with some of the newer competition. I believe they will, but the Tesla body style hasn't been changed on the S/X since introduction many years ago. Yes, there have been updates and feature changes, but the basic body is the same. Take a ride in the new Mercedes and BMW EVs, you'll see the difference immediately. My 2014/15 BMWs listed for $50-54K for a car that never could compete with a Tesla.
Despite good intentions and massive amounts of subsidies, charging networks are unreliable and the biggest challenge to wider EV adaption. I also believe that even today not many people truly understand what Tesla EVs offer. Few people I've spoken with, or have given drives in my car, realized that the AutoPilot works everywhere, not just on Interstates. They also don't realize that the Over the Air updates are free and frequent, often offering new features at no added cost. Fewer still understand the economic benefits of EV ownership, and the recent changes in EV tax credits eludes almost everyone. Traditional ICE dealerships have no incentive to educate potential EV owners, and they continue to talk about EV issues that have been resolved years ago.
The most surprising thing I find when I speak about my car to ICE owners is the purchase price. None of them believe that I bought my car for the equivalent of less than $45K including all taxes, fees, registration and transportation costs. The majority of people still think that the Y starts above $60K.
So what now? I realize Elon is far more savvy than I, and cutting prices instead of advertising clearly works (look at the Q2 sales results), but as a long term strategy it seems to me that the owner of Twitter, a service that relies on advertising and eyeballs, would be a perfect platform to provide information to prospective buyers, especially those that have no idea of what Tesla is about.
I await my reservation for the CyberTruck to see what's next for me. But as much as I like Tesla, I admit to being a bit disappointed with my 2023 Model Y. Fit/finish issues on my 2018 M3 were well known, and I expected them. I put up with them as an early adapter, and there was no competition. I didn't expect to find similar issues on the newly built Austin made model Y. Doors don't line up, the hatch is crooked, wind/tire noise still louder than expected. I also have several annoying squeaks and rattles, which will be addressed in a service appointment in 2 weeks. That's my second service - the HVAC didn't work properly, and even though it was fixed it still trails the competition. Add to that the improvement in choice in the EV market, and Tesla may be facing a large demand shift as the NACS standard increases competition quickly as new model arrive.
I'd also suggest that Tesla needs to invest a lot more in their service/parts departments. Training is needed as well. I'm still a Tesla owner, but having to make 2 service appointments in less than 2 months of ownership isn't welcome. Adding to that, on my first service appointment the service department scraped my rear bumper badly enough that it had to be replaced. Fortunately there was a replacement in stock, and the repair was made while the HVAC was fixed. Still, in 50+ years of owning over 40 cars I never had a service department create a situation where a new bumper assembly was needed.
As production ramps up further these issues are likely to become more visible and have the potential to influence future purchase decisions. That too would be tragic.
Thank you for being patient and reading/skimming/avoiding my post. I very much appreciate this community and the friendly, helpful attitude of the members.
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I’ve owned an MYP for a while, but if I see the new 2024 M3 dual motor AWD under $40K in January, I’m getting it, plus I do need that $7500 tax credit too. 
But completely enjoying every mile since day one…