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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.
It's not just the Germans who do that. Go configure a Ford F-150 and see how much the price spikes when you check all the option boxes.
The one thing that really sets Tesla apart is their heavy use of bundling. When you break down the performance vehicle cost - subtracting the cost of the known options, and making reasonable guesses for the new ones - it only works out to roughly a ~$15k premium. But of course they bundle it together with everything but the kitchen sink (more accurately, everything but autopilot). Kind of annoying, but of course it's a big encouragement for people to spend more on options. Which of course they'll justify to themselves later ;)
I don't think $5k for the dual motor is expensive at all, given that in addition to giving you all wheel drive and a spare motor it drops the 0-60 by 0,6 seconds. You know how much you usually have to pay in an ICE vehicle to drop its 0-60 by 0,6 seconds? Doesn't come cheap. We had a poll on the Model 3 forum recently, and the average expectation was that this option would come in at around $4,5k. So pretty much spot on.
The real question is why the performance version and the basic dual motor version are coming in at the same range. Performance will be heavier, and more importantly, is swapping out the aero wheels with efficient tires for 20" sports wheels with sports tires. Should be a significant range hit by comparison. But of course since Tesla deliberately sandbagged the EPA range numbers from 318 to 310mi, they have some room to play around with the figures. E.g. maybe performance goes down to an EPA 310 while the basic dual goes up to ~330 or so, and they just call them both 310. I guess we'll know for sure once deliveries happen and people start doing tests.
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.
So the same proportional numbers give $62K income needed to afford the base $35K model, which is spot on. The performance model isn't designed to be affordable. It's designed to be profitable.
Of course, you know that, but you want to attack. Too bad your own facts show that the base Model 3 is affordable, just as promised. And that's without taking into account the reduced total cost of ownership for an electric car. And wait three years until you can buy one used for $20K that still drives just like new.
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.
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...