Thursday of last week a friend drove me from Birmingham to Atlanta to pick up the Tesla Model 3 which I had ordered back in early 2016.  I was among the 115,000 Tesla enthusiasts who plopped down a $1000 deposit to get on the waiting list for the new model which Tesla billed as first its “affordable” electric car before Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the car to the general public March 31, 2016.  At the time I placed the order I had no idea what the car would look like and only a very general understanding of what features it would possess.

All I knew at the time was that I wanted to be part of the vanguard of the movement Musk and the company he confounded were leading towards revolutionizing the car industry and in the process helping to save the earth from the perils of global warming. Tesla is my kind of company – cutting edge technology applied with a social conscious.

Tesla didn’t invent the electric automobile.  Some of the earliest cars were powered by batteries. In fact an electric car held the land speed record until 1900, but the high cost and short range of electric vehicles compared to those powered by internal combustion engines caused electric cars to go the way of the dinosaurs. However, the gas and diesel engines used for transportation today not only produce carbon dioxide, a major contributor to global warming, but are also responsible for more than half of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons emitted into our air.  Internal combustion engins also emit large quantities of benzine, sulfur dioxide, and micro particulates. All of these polluting emissions are dangerous to our health; 53,000 deaths a year in this country alone are caused by automobile emissions.

It is Tesla’s mission to not only to make cleaner electric cars practical, but also to make them sexy and desirable. From 2008 through 2011 Tesla produced a limited number (2,250) of the Tesla Roadster – the first car to be powered by lithium ion batteries.  The Roadster accomplished both of the company’s objectives.  The sports car not only had good range (200 miles) making it practical, but also looked great, was extremely fast (0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds), and handled extremely well.

In 2012 Tesla introduced its Model S, its first sedan, followed by a SUV, the Model X in 2015.  Both models  were critical successes. They are considered the safest cars every built, are endowed with the best and latest automotive technology, and are so fast that there are numerous video clips on the internet of both the sedan and the SUV racing head to head in the quarter mile with Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis and Corvettes.  However, the limited production of the lithium ion batteries and the high cost of the Model S and Model X ($70,000 to $140,000), when coupled with the need of Tesla to ramp up production limited the total number of these two models which Tesla produced.  Over the six year period ending in February of this year, Tesla produced 212,821 Model S and 71,927 Model X vehicles.  Compared these very limited production runs to the millions of cars produced each year by companies such as Ford, GM, Honda and Toyota.

Tesla solved the lithium ion battery supply problem by building their own huge “Gigafactory” in Nevada, which when in full production will more than double the previous world-wide capacity to build these batteries.  To address the affordability factor, Tesla started developed and then began producing its Model 3 in July of 2017.  This car is roughly the size of BMW 3 series and it has an advertised base price of $35,000.  Since the average price that Americans pay for a new car now tops $34,000, this makes an all-electric Tesla Model 3 affordable to many people in the market for a new car. Tesla has very recently ramped up its production to 5,000 Model 3’s per week, or 260,000 a year while continuing to manufacture the Model S and Model X.

Tesla has also revealed the prototype of the all-electric 18 wheeled tractor trailer which the maximum 80 ton load allowed on this country’s roads has a range of 600 miles between charges. Production of this truck, which will be able to far out perform existing semis currently on the road in both acceleration and cost per mile, is set to begin production in 2019.  An all-electric pickup truck is also on the Tesla drawing board.

Back to my car – in late April Tesla informed via email that they were almost ready to start manufacturing my car.  There was a catch though. In order to generate much needed cash for the company, I could either order my car right away with larger battery (which increased its range from 220 to 310 miles) and with the premium interior amenities – both pricey options – or I would have to wait until later to buy the base model for $35,000. Adding the 4 wheel drive option would also require a longer waiting time.

I was going to opt for the bigger battery anyway, so I decided to order immediately and went all in with more costly 19” sport wheels and a premium metallic silver paint scheme.  I rationalized that I had I had saved a lot of money by driving my 1997 Honda Prelude for more than 20 years and that I will also get a $7,500 federal tax rebate for buying an all-electric car.  In addition my current paper profit on the 800 shares of Tesla stock which I bought early on would pay for the car twice over.  All rationalization aside, it turned out to be an excellent decision.

Most importantly the Tesla Model 3 is fully expected to be awarded 5 stars in all safety categories, making it one of the three safest cars ever made. (The other two are Tesla’s Model S and Model X.)  This is in large part because with the small size of the electric motor, the entire front of the car is one big “crumple zone”, protecting the passengers in the event of an often deadly head on collision.

I also have to agree with the comments made by Automobile Newsletter  in presenting the Model 3 with its 2018 Design of the Year award:  “For several years now I’ve said the Tesla Model S is the best sedan I’ve ever driven. That’s no longer true. It’s not that I found recent Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Rolls-Royce sedans superior. Rather, I’ve done a few miles in the Model 3, which now holds the title of best four-door I’ve ever driven. Whatever the price point, heritage, styling, reputation, or prestige of its rivals, the Model 3 is quieter and quicker, and it rides better than anything else we might have considered for our Design of the Year award. And as a plus, it’s a much handier size than the Model S, far more practical for daily use in cities and suburbs.”

With the heavy battery installed in the floorboard, the Model 3 has a very low center of gravity and a near 50%-50% front to rear wheels weight distribution. Any car aficionado will tell you those two factors are what make the best sports cars handle so well.  The result is that the Model 3 is able to take tight curves at speed like it’s mounted on rails.  While I haven’t tested Tesla’s claim of the car’s extraordinary 5.1 second 0 to 60 mph acceleration or 140 mi./hr. top speed, I can assure you that the Model 3 has far more acceleration than you will ever need from a standing start, or when punching it at 70 mph to quickly pass another vehicle,.

Slightly longer and slightly wider than a BMW 3 series, it seats 5 adults very comfortably.  The additional leg room in the rear passenger space is made possible by the fact that the electric motor is far smaller than its gas burning equivalent allowing the front driver’s compartment to be moved closer to the front of the car leaving more space in the rear compartment.

This also allows for an very ample sized trunk and even a small front trunk large enough to handle piece of piece of carry-on luggage.  A large flap in the floor of the rear trunk  can be lifted to reveal more truck space.  In addition the back seats can be folded down to extend the back trunk.  Musk has bragged that there is room in the car for several seven foot surf boards with the rear seats folded down and I don’t doubt it. (Google images of “Tesla 3 trunk space” for a better idea how all of this works.)

The Model 3 has several unusual features.  The entire top of my car is entirely tinted glass giving the interior a very roomy feel. There is no “key” in the normal sense if the word.  The car comes with a couple of credit card like “keys” which are used to unlock the car and start it.  The Tesla cell phone app can also accomplish these tasks from afar along amenities such the ability to turn on the car’s heater or AC if it is outside in a parking lot before going out into the weather yourself. The app also has other functions I haven’t explored yet such as flashing the car’s lights and/or its blowing the horn should you forget where your parked it.

There are no gears to manually shift through on an electric car or even an automatic transmission to do the shifting for you.  There a “shift lever” of sorts, but you only push it up for reverse and down to go forward. Pressing the “gas” petal than provides the shift free acceleration you desire.  Pressing a button on the end of the shift lever puts the car in park. There are absolutely no dials or gauges on the dash board. Each and every one of the car’s functions from controlling the windshield wipers and climate control system, to navigating with GPS, to making call with you synced cell phone, to controlling the fantastic sound system (which has access to a Pandora like application), to opening the back and/or front trunks is done on a 15” touch screen.  You can also use a voice command system to control many of these functions as well.

Since I have never owned a “luxury car” before, and all of other vehicles I have driven lately were at least five years old, I am not sure whether the many Model 3’s “nice to have” features are available on other new cars today or not.  I know that the built in GPS navigation system and backup camera are fairly widely available.  The same goes for the heated seats.

However, I am not sure whether some of the other Model 3 features are widely available.  They include:  Automatic windshield wipers which sense the amount of rain hitting the windshield and speed up or slow the wipers accordingly. (Manual wiper settings are also available.)  The headlights can be set to come on automatically when needed and the car will automatically lower its high beams when following another car and when another vehicle approaches from the opposite direction. The side view mirrors components can be remotely folded to the side of the car to get through tight spaces; the mirrors themselves swivel downward automatically when backing so that you will have good view of the ground on either side of the car which you are about to back over. The side mirrors also fold in to the side of the vehicle when the car is put in park and you open the driver’s door. They fold out again when you enter the car.

Like cell phones, all Tesla vehicles are connected to the internet, though there is no monthly charge for that connection.  Since Tesla vehicles are controlled almost completely by computers, this internet connection allows Tesla to send software updates to their cars.  This connection allows them to remotely fix any bugs which might show up in the car’s software after it is sold.  Also, when Tesla finds ways to improve their vehicles via software updates, they don’t only install the improvements on their new vehicles. They also send those software updates over the internet to every car they have ever sold. I can recall one software update that improved the range and acceleration of the Model S which was sent out o every Model S already on the road.

While I didn’t buy the auto pilot feature for my car, it is fully equipped with the autopilot hardware which includes eight surround cameras, twelve ultrasonic sensors, and a forward-facing radar.  If I decide to buy this feature later, Tesla will send out a software update to my car to enable it.

Autopilot provides the Model 3 with semi-autonomous driving, with an emphasis on the “semi”;  you still have to pay attention and keep your hands on the wheel, but on autopilot the car will maintain itself in its lane and compensate its speed to maintain safe following distances from the cars in front of it.  It will also break automatically as necessary.  Lane changing with the auto pilot on is as simple as clicking the turn signal and the car will take it from there, safely changing lanes by itself even in heavy traffic.  Autopilot also has a “come to me” feature.  When activated from the Tesla app on a cell phone, the car will drive safely to owner’s location and stop in front of him/her.

Tesla is in the process of develop is fully autonomous driving system which will use the same cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and radar.  If I decide to buy it when it is made available, Tesla will send it to my car the required software update.  With the fully autonomous driving feature we should be able to simply set our destination on the vehicle’s navigation system and the car will do the rest, providing a truly “hands off” driving experience.

But that’s in the future. Right now I’m driving what I believe is one of the best cars on the planet while feeling good about being green in the process.  Eventually I plan to install solar panels on the roof of my home – maybe those new ones made by Solar City (a fully owned subsidiary of Tesla) which are indistinguishable from my regular roofing tiles,  With the electricity generated, along with the Tesla battery wall, I should be able not only run my home cleanly, but also to completely remove my transportation carbon front print.

In the meantime I can travel anywhere in the US using Tesla’s supercharging and destination charging system which eventually will all be powered by solar cells.  Tesla advertises that a Model C using that system can travel from NYC to Los Angles at the cost of $120.  I calculated that is the equivalent to about $1.05 mi./gal. when compared to a gas burning vehicle which gets 28 miles per gallon.

Also for the time being, the Alabama Power Co. electricity I will use to charge the car in my garage isn’t carbon free, but it is produced in a manner which is far greener than burning gasoline to get around. The sources of the Alabama Power electric are as follows: 40.2% natural gas, 26.6% Nuclear, 7.8% Hydroelectric, 2.9% renewable (solar and wind), and 22.5% coal. Thanks to the pre-Trump and Pre-Scott Pruett EPA, Alabama Power was forced to shut down its dirtiest coal plants, convert several others to use natural gas, and install the latest emission reduction equipment on the few remaining..

Electricity in Alabama is relatively inexpensive. I calculated I can totally charge my car’s battery (from 0 to a 310 mile range) at home  for about $6.00.  Again compared to a car which gets 28 mi./gal., I calculated that would be about equivalent to paying about $0.35 per gallon of gas to drive my car.

I apologize for gushing on and on about my Tesla Model 3, but to me it is more than a mode of transportation.  It is a symbol that the company which is transforming the world’s vehicle industry for the better is now for the first time able to mass produce cars that are among the best available.  For Elon Musk it is about more than just creating a great company, it is about saving our planet.  For this reason he has made all of the many Tesla advanced electric vehicle patents available to any company that wants to use them, free of charge.  Who else does that?

Musk doesn’t view the all-electric BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Focus Electric, Volkswagen e-Golf, Kia Soul EV, or even the sleek and powerful BMW i8 Roadster and Jaguar I-PACE as competition for his company’s products. They are instead proof positive that that the road Tesla paved into the future is now being driven by the worlds largest automobile manufacturing companies. That is the beginning of the fulfillment of a dream of a greener tomorrow.

Cajun   7/4/2018