Slashdot Mirror
Tesla Unveils Dual Motor and Performance Specs For Model 3
Rei writes: Yesterday evening, Elon Musk announced the pricing and specs for two of the Model 3's most in-demand options -- dual motor and performance versions. The base dual motor configuration adds an AC induction front motor to the current partial-PM reluctance rear motor for $5,000; in addition to AWD and allowing the car to drive with either motor out, this cuts the 0 to 60 mph acceleration time from 5.1 seconds to 4.5 seconds. The performance package is available as a bundle, including the long-range pack, premium interior, 20" wheels, carbon fiber spoiler, and a new black-and-white interior. The vehicle will cost $78,000; 0 to 60 mph times are further cut to 3.5 seconds and the top speed increases from 140 mph to 155 mph.
While these options have consistently polled as the most in-demand options not yet available, several still remain and are variously due late this year/early next year: cream interior, non-PUP, tow hitch, SR battery, and air suspension. EU-spec and China-spec are also due early next year. Production is currently over 3,500 per week, rumored to be 4,300 per week, and will be undergoing a shutdown from May 26-31 to raise production to the Q2 target of 5000-6000.
While these options have consistently polled as the most in-demand options not yet available, several still remain and are variously due late this year/early next year: cream interior, non-PUP, tow hitch, SR battery, and air suspension. EU-spec and China-spec are also due early next year. Production is currently over 3,500 per week, rumored to be 4,300 per week, and will be undergoing a shutdown from May 26-31 to raise production to the Q2 target of 5000-6000.
Mr. Musk might realize that the vast majority of folks aren't going to spend nearly $80k on a vehicle that does nothing but depreciate the instant you drive it off the lot. When his vehicles can financially compete with an ICE flavor, we'll talk about it. Until then, no.
Applying the typical 20/4/10 rule of thumb on an $80k car:
20% Down Payment: $16k
Finance Length: $64k for four years @ ~3% = ~$1400 / month
Gross Income Required for 10% rule: > $140,000 / year*
* > because I'm not taking interest and insurance amounts into account.
US Median Income 2015-2016: $57-59k. Relevant because his Model 3 is supposed to
be the affordable model for the masses.
If he doesn't realize it sooner rather than later, his little car project may implode.
It's hilarious just how out of touch with reality the super rich really are . . . . . . :|
And? Toyota didn't build their first large factory over the past year and a half. Toyota's production levels are the results of decades of investment.
(It's also worth mentioning, as a lesser point, that Toyota's average vehicle sale price isn't $45k)
Give a boy a gun and you arm him for a day. Teach him how to make a gun, and the whole metaphor breaks down.
It was not a "fully functional factory", it's been entirely retooled for Tesla's vehicles. And greatly expanded as well. And furthermore, Tesla has been scaling up by orders of magnitude, at one of the fastest rates of any automaker in history. Talking about "10 years ago" when they were handmaking Roadsters on bodies sent over from Lotus is pretty meaningless relative to what they're doing today.
I love how you proudly state that, as though it somehow contributes to your point, rather than pointing out that their revenue per vehicle is half of Tesla's.
Wow, a company that is not pouring everything it gets and then some into expansion is paying dividends? You don't say!
Hey, the 10-year-old "Tesla Deathwatch" called, they want you to write a column for them.
Give a boy a gun and you arm him for a day. Teach him how to make a gun, and the whole metaphor breaks down.
"Premium" interior (in any color I want as long as it is black) that gives me open pore wood trim and two more USB ports? For 5K? If any ICE car dealer pushed that option I would laugh at him so derisively he would cringe. Here I forked over the cash for obviously over priced profit center knowingly and willingly. That is my bit for the 35K for the masses.
AWD at 78K is outrageous in some sense. Electric dual motor AWD is so much simpler than the transfer case, locking differential, dual drive axle ICE AWD trans. ICE AWD is just 3 or 4 K more, and they make a good profit on that. Electric is just one more motor and all the rest is software. It should not cost more than 600$, and it would sell for 1000$ more in normal circumstances, if there are enough electric cars on the market giving competitive pressure. But... as it stands now, Tesla can bundle it with mauve interior and pink wheels and a unicorn hood ornament and price it at 78K. And there are lots of people willing pay. I see it as a good thing. Make as much profit as possible, amortize the factory, pay off the fixed costs, so that some day we can have a really affordable electric car for the people.
sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
Electric cars (and bikes) just confirm what I always knew.
Nobody's actually interested in the speed, or the acceleration. What they want to do is make a noise and be loud and "sound" cool.
Seriously, Harley Davidson could make an electric motorbike that out-accelerates all their other models (they are actually doing that). All the bike enthusiasts I talk to laugh at that idea - they don't even mention "range" or "battery life" (I think they have a hard time saying "battery" to be honest, if it's not full of some environment-destroying fuel, they can't play Mad Max). They just think the idea of something near-silent is counter to why they buy the bike.
They don't really admit that, but that's all it's ever been about. Not "Hey, I have the faster car". Not "I love the speed". Nope.. .it's how I can get everyone's attention and who's looking at me?
The cars are the same. Line up a dozen sports cars and nobody will look at the electric model. Even though it will out-accelerate the $200,000 supercar (and let's be honest, any race where you're just at top-speed all the time is boring... an electric car would win in a drag-race, in a rally, on a track, etc.).
Look at the motor-sports and electric cars don't really figure. Even the "electric formula one" kind of things get zero attention. But hey, put regenerative braking into something and use that to boost the performance, that's okay because it makes a lot of noise still.
Racing is literally about "who can be noisiest, messiest, cause the most disruption, and nearly trash their car" not "who wins".
For years, consumer cars have gotten faster and faster, but nobody really notices or thinks it matters, because they've also become quieter and quieter. Everyone drives what would have been a Formula One car back in the sixties, but now those kinds of cars are "granny cars", because they don't make lots of noise.
Sorry, but all those "car enthusiasts" that I know spend more time polishing and waxing, and bolting on ridiculous addons to their car than they ever do tweaking performance. Hey, unless you get a modchip that makes the car noisier and smokier...
So your contention is that if you aren't instantly Toyota, you may as well close your doors and give up?
BMW and Mercedes apparently never got that memo, and they're doing just fine.
Don't be a god damn idiot.
Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
It's hilarious that you keep arguing with these idiots using facts.
They clearly don't care about facts, or they wouldn't make the ridiculous arguments to begin with. What do you mean that you need to completely change an assembly line and all of it's tools when you start making a completely different vehicle that doesn't reuse any of the parts, and all the assembly machinery was sold?
Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
Nice non sequitur. And beyond that, I doubt you've ever even seen a Model 3. Or talked to anyone who owns one.
Anyone who keeps up with the automotive press knows that the Model 3 fit-and-finish has been very poor to date. Tesla is working out their manufacturing processes, and it's not surprising that they've having problems. Let's not pretend they're not having them. Every teardown of the vehicle so far has quantified their panel gaps as being far below average consistency, for example.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Electric cars do not yet make financial sense in the US, though if you include the tax benefits they are getting close. Especially the lower priced models like the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt, and someday the base version of the Model 3. The purchase price is higher, but recharging is cheaper than gasoline and maintenance costs are lower. Oil prices continue to rise and the cost of making lithium-ion batteries continues to fall. Eventually the lines will cross and full-electric cars will be cost-effective even without tax subsidies.
Meanwhile, some Americans continue to buy them. Not to save money, but to help improve the environment or for the superior driving experience.