The video significantly understates the home charging rate capability of the Model 3. You can charge at home at 240V with the included mobile connector plugged into a NEMA 14-50 outlet (on a 50A circuit) and the battery adds 30 miles of range per hour of charging, when charging at the maximum 32A charge current in this configuration. The $500 wall connector adds 44 miles of range per hour of charging at 48A (this requires a 60A circuit). I use the mobile connector, and my Model 3 usually charges back up each night in 2-3 hours based on our typical around-town driving habits. Full charge from zero would take about ten hours at home. (edited for clarity)
@@RickDeckardMemories Sorry, the terminology I used is admittedly confusing. "mph" in this context refers to "miles of range per hour of charging". So "30 mph range increase" was intended to mean that the battery adds 30 miles of range for every hour that it is charging (at 240V / 32 A). I will edit my original comment for clarity.
I use a regular 120v and it charges at the rate of 5 miles per hour which is more than enough for my 30 miles commute. I am not sure why he gets only 2 miles per hour
$14 for a full charge? yikes! You folks must be doing this in an area of the United States where the cost of electricity is much higher than average. If I were to charge that car in my state it would cost about $8.
I had to look at my phone app I use for tracking mpg when i heard that number. I went 485 miles on my last fill up at 29 bucks on my hybrid at 3.23/gallon
@Aaon Bounds just as with gas prices, most things are more expensive is certain states. But in the case California at least Supercharging cost the same throughout that state, unlike gas prices which vary by the city.
@@Newzchspy I do. Here in Colorado we're getting more of our energy from wind, solar and natural gas; coal is on the decline. But the natural gas plants - and even the coal plants - still burn way cleaner and more efficiently than an automobile's internal combustion engine. It's also a lot cheaper, and it's all produced domestically. What's not to like?
Gregory Tabor you're the exception, not the rule. Most electricity east of you is non-solar, nuclear , gas fired or coal. Fact is, cars contribute a lot less to global warming than agricultural production, cattle and industrial production.
@@Newzchspy I have thought about it a fair bit, and I reject the arguments that we shouldn't bother migrating to electric vehicle because we still burn a lot of coal to make that electricity, or the argument that because transportation only accounts for 25% of carbon emissions we shouldn't bother addressing it. The percentage of electricity that comes from coal in Colorado has declined significantly in the past decade, and I'm amazed at the increase in electricity generation from wind power, nationwide. Heck, even Texas is rapidly switching over to wind power. Over time the Eastern US will follow as the economics of wind and solar catch up. Furthermore, it's not just about reducing carbon emissions; I frequently visit countries with terrible urban pollution problems, and advancing electric vehicle technology could help the health of people in those countries substantially - even if they're burning coal to make that electricity (more to do with localized pollution from cars, trucks and motorbikes with little or no emissions controls). On balance, this seems like a positive direction for humanity.
A couple of corrections: with a 120 V 15 Amp circuit at home we got 5 miles per hour range when charging. After we installed 240 V circuit we get 35 hours range per hour. Superchargers are only needed on long distance (> 200 mile) trips.
The key point many people don't understand is that fast chargers are generally only for very long road trips, and a large majority of people charge at home overnight, which is very convenient. It's much more convenient than going to a gas station.
@@beth.l8608 85+% of the time, EV drivers charge at home overnight. Many people do not understand this. It's totally different from going to a gas station since you "refuel" at home most of the time. Fast chargers are generally ONLY used for very long road trips. And the number of fast chargers is growing rapidly. For anyone who has electricity at home or work, charging is a non-issue for daily driving. You can plug in any time the car is parked, which is 95% of most days.
Just an FYI: You can increase max autopilot speed using the right scrolling button, and you can increase speed over the maximum limit by pressing down the acceleration pedal. Finally, you can disengage autopilot by a light tap on the breaking pedal, no need to touch the wheel at all.
What's the best location to buy a model 3? I really can only afford 25k for a car. But what about incentives and government help and possibly a 7 year loan
@@NijjarFamily TBH, it wasn't totally obvious, but it makes sense once you know it. Another tip is that you can press the right stalk down to confirm lane changes. Up = cancel out of Autopilot. Down = confirm/yes. Pressing down the right stalk also confirms you're still in control, so you don't need to put some force on the wheel to avoid nags. Scroll wheels also confirm you're still in control. Basically any steering wheel input that's not cancel (stalk up, or overpower the steering) signals you're still paying attention.
As an owner I would say Autopilot on highways, especially in traffic, is life changing. You want to have to force the wheel out of auto as designed in practice, I think designed well but do have to get used to it. Most people who have test driven our car have same reaction that it's weird to break out of AP though. Normally you hold the wheel at the bottom while the car steers and it needs to know you are holding by having that resistance.
To get out of Autopilot, you don't need to force the wheel or even use the brake (although those also work). Press the right stalk up to cancel Autopilot. Assuming Model 3. Model S/X are different.
Lane centering once you double click down to autopilot also takes a bit getting used to as well. The car immediately does its own thing and can be frightening for new users. Once FSD with nav is fully implemented ( legally), it'll be a different world.
steve I am not a fan of autopilot. It works well if you need to do something briefly in the cabin on a long strait highway. The constant input is really frustrating. I love the smart Cruise control. It works fantastic for stop and go driving wile I concentrate on steering. I wish I could buy smart cruise control as a stand alone option.
fatboy19831 lots of new (er) cars have distance measuring cruise control that automatically slows the car to adjust for traffic etc. MB has had it for years with Distronic. Heck, even a new Altima has it. Toyota too. The Chevy Cruze ( now canceled) had it as well. I remember in the early 2000s Mercedes having it on their higher end cars.
@@Newzchspy True that technology is well polished. If I remember correctly most of those systems cannot come to an complete stop and then pull off. Other systems are just not very smooth. In the 3 it is flawless. Like I said I would like to have it as a stand alone option on the 3.
The model 3 is awesome. I've never been so pleased with a purchase in my entire life. It's great pulling into a parking lot and realizing that, yet again, out of the hundreds of vehicles out there you don't care to drive any other.
Regarding the home charging, we use the standard charger plugged to a 240v line in the garage and the charge is 32A and we get 30~32 miles of charge per hour. For cost of charging, we've had the Model 3 since July and have spent less than $35 on electricity to charge as of December 2018.
Original Model 3 reservation holder here back from 3/31/16...took delivery in July 2018 of my "First Production" LR RWD 3. Coming from a Hemi V8 all I can say is I'll never go back to an ICE car. The Model 3 is nothing short of amazing and EVERYONE who rides in it agees. Until you drive or ride in one it would be wise to withhold your strong judgments. Sure some ICE cars sound awesome, but you know what's better? Blowing them away at passing speeds and many off the line (if you get a P3D). The lack of noise only adds to the awesome driving experience and best-in-class Premium Sound system...best I've ever heard in an OEM setup for sure. Handles like a Porsche with the super low center of gravity and the INSTANT torque never gets old. Much like the reviewer I opted to drive my 3 and not get the EAP package, no regrets there EXCEPT fr not having TACC..wish that was a stand alone option as it's standard in a bunch of cars in lower classes. As a first year car, sure, it has it's little flaws and software glitches but that's expected and welcomed IMO to be driving the car that is changing the auto world every day!
I don't know how you got 1-2 and 14 miles/hr recharging for level 1 and 2. I consistently get 4-5 and 31 miles/hr when I charge at home. Since the large majority of people recharge at home, I feel that's a big point to gloss over. That plays directly into rate anxiety which isn't a thing with my model 3.
Just as long as you don't have the white interior, the exterior doesn't matter. The white interior gets scuffed up and dirty just looking at it. Every car on the Tesla lot (they had some New Years Eve inventory) had already marked up interiors. I don't really want black (too freaking hot in Georgia sun), but the white is a non-starter unless you dig spot cleaning frequently and living with stains/scuffs you can't get out. An off-white or tan or leather looking interior would have been smart, but they put all the smarts into the battery pack and electric motor.
@@ovp66223 I completely disagree. I have a white on white performance with performance upgrade package just like the one reviewed. Got it on July 28th 2018. The white interior is EASY to keep clean. In fact I would say easier than black. For example a week after I had the car, my son had a candy bar with his chocolate fingers all over the rear seat. Some baby wipes I keep in between the rear of the front seats easily wiped this up and you would never be able to tell. Had this been a black interior - I might not have even noticed the chocolate hands on the seats. Even my dye from jeans I wear all the time cleaned up with baby wipes after months of use.
@@NJturtlePower U.S. sales will probably take a (temporary) hit since the expiring tax credit pulled sales forward into 2018 -- in fact, InsideEVs estimates the Model 3's January sales were about a third of that they'd averaged in Q3 and Q4 last year -- but the new European and Chinese sales should more than make up for it starting in February or March.
To disengage the AAP you can simply up shift on the right lever and it will disengage. It’s not very safe to force the steering wheel the opposite direction.
As an "electric vehicle skeptic", I have to admit I was impressed with the technology. That semi-autonomous view of the road ahead is incredibly impressive. I'm not a fan of the styling, and I live in too small of a town to do away with electric range anxiety, but this is the first Tesla review I'm seen that actually had me thinking twice about never wanting one.
Why does your town being small give you range anxiety? With as many superchargers as there are now in the U.S., when you're on a road trip, you should be able to get to the nearest one along your route with no problems (unless you're in North Dakota).
Very informative and to the point review; the best Model 3 review yet. Thank you v. much! Ps: Is the highly desirable Performance version too much $$ at $65k? Hmm, maybe not...
DrgnFlys Trust me as a model 3 owner the amount of TIME you save with this car will pay for itself over the years. Here’s an experiment for you: next time you have to go get gas in your car start a timer from the time you get up to the time you get back home and note how long it takes. Then compare it to the 15-20 seconds it takes to “fill up” with an electric car. You’ll be quite surprised :)
The performance model is great, but not worth the extra cost for me, anyway. I have the RWD LR with EAP (Enhanced Auto Pilot). I get 310 miles of range, and 0-60 is sub 4.5 seconds. The thing is a silent, tight rocket. The performance model will improve on that by almost a second, but will cost you a lot more. My Model 3 was $56,000 all in. Best $$ I ever spent on a car, and it's not even close. I was a day 1 reservation holder and waited 2 years and 2 months for mine. It was one of the first ones delivered to New Hampshire. Multi-Coat Red with a black interior. I also went for the high speed charger, so I charge up at 48Amps which nets around 44-45 miles of range gained per hour.
One thing that drives me nuts is when a car reviewer talks about electric car charging times. Of course the small chargers will take a very long time to charge a completely dead battery but the vast majority of the time you are not charging a completely dead battery. You’re only topping off a mostly full battery from the 40 or so miles you used. Edit: Other than that tiny annoyance, this is a great review. I don't want to sound all negative.
The problem is that most reviewers probably have not actually lived with an EV. People with daily EV experience understand how to charge them. Just like most people would never drive their fossil fuel car to empty most of the time, most EV drivers recharge before the battery is empty. In fact it's so easy and convenient to charge by plugging in at home, that most people just plug in when they get home and forget about it. Most people use a timer to charge after midnight when the electric costs are lowest and the grid has the most excess capacity. That way the battery is full every morning, and it's also best for battery life to charge daily. Set it and forget it is much more convenient than ever going to a gas station. Also since most people in the U.S. and EU drive 35 miles (56 km) or less per day, they can easily recharge that at home overnight. Fast chargers are generally only only used on very long road trips. Most of the time, your "gas station" is your electric service at home.
jorge guzman yeah is a different system to get use too and if you drive a lot that’s when things get more complicated. If you drive a typical daily commute I would argue it’s more convenient than going to a fuel station being that you have access to a garage with electricity. It’s as easy as charging your phone when you go to bed.
yeah it sounds like for the average user, the net amount of work is actually lower than that of a gas station, because at a gas station, you're pulling out a card and sitting around sniffing gas fumes for a few minutes and protecting your belongings from theft.
Plus 110V * 15A is 1.65kW so you're charging your LR model 3 at a rate of 6.5 mi/hr. As americans drive less than 40 mi per day this can easily be recuperated over night even on the lowliest outlet.
I think this is a very fair review. As a model S owner for 3 years (and X owner for 1 year), I think you did a good job describing the build quality/luxury (which is very good and I have no issues, but could be better) vs fun of driving. And that uncontrolled giggling/smiling when you hit the accelerator in a Tesla....as you said - converting electrons to happiness. They call it the Tesla smile and still going strong after 3 years for me. Would be great to have more info on charging ie time to charge at home vs supercharger, V3 supercharging. Looks like youtube commenters took care of that though.
@The Slow Lane The car is very intuitive to drive. The user interface is excellent. The screen is not distracting at all. In fact it's so clear and easy to use that it's much less distracting than a conventional dashboard. Drive one for a while. It took me about 20 seconds to get used to it. About the only thing the screen is used for while driving is the speedometer, which is high up and clear, and the map occasionally. The map is huge and clear; much larger, higher and clearer than other cars. All the commonly used driving controls are on the steering wheel stalks or scroll wheels or voice commands.
It's hard to get used to how bland the interior is, but for younger drivers that have grown up addicted to smart phones, it will seem nice. I will get used to it, just will take time, it just looks...blah/boring. It looks like a budget car, though obviously doesn't drive like it and is 3 x more expensive.
I like the way you describe the acceleration not just as instantaneous, but relentless. That is what differentiates the Tesla vehicles from many other EV's. It just keeps on accelerating at the same insane rate.
Great review and love my Tesla, I wake up to a car that heats itself up or cooling with enough charge for my daily driving. Recently did a 2500 mile trip through Colorado and Utah, you only need to charge enough to get to the next supercharger so its typically the same amount of time for a bathroom break.
Very good review! One note. He low-balled the 120/240V charging speeds. Real world, I get about twice what he stated. The charging speed ramps up over a few minutes, so perhaps he did not wait long enough before noting the speed. I agree with him that 110v may only be useful in emergencies (~4mph), but a few hours at 240v (~28mph) can add quite a few miles, and it is more than enough for overnight home charging. He's correct, supercharging is really fast and can take you from 20% to 60% charge in about the time of a restroom stop.
And now, the standard range model RWD is available for $36k after destination charge and such. This now makes the Leaf, Kona Electric, and i3 all so overpriced and underwhelming compared with this, and the i-PACE is so much more expensive. Well done Tesla! Just wish they'd fix all the panel gaps and quality control issues...
I'm really confused with all of the race-based/rich people comments about the Tesla. Yes it's expensive, but we traded in a base model Honda Fit for the Dual-Motor Model 3. You have to look at the monthly payments and electricity costs for ownership of the Model 3. For instance, we took out a 4-year loan, and after trade-in + 5K downpayment, the cost of it came out to about $800 a month. Our electric bill came out to about $10 more per month (we schedule charge off-peak starting at 12am). Normally, we'd be paying $180 in gas + maintenance each month, so really, equivalent cost is about $650ish/month. That's about what we would pay for a nicer Honda Accord.
3:57 nope, all you have to do is gently push up on your right stalk and it'll disable autopilot (and cruise control). You don't have to yank at the wheel. Also just very lightly tap the brakes.
You can disengage autopilot with a light shift up on the drive stalk. You don’t have to steer out of it :) Great review as always. I absolutely love my model 3!
Articles released proving that this car with standard range plus will be cheaper than a Honda Accord after 5 years use, so if you commute to work and keep your car for about 10 years average you could have a 45000 dollar car for 10000 or less after 10 years. Incredible.
my Mod 3 just completed the latest firmware update. No taking it in, no additional charge, no scheduling (except to give it a time to start). After a year, I am still amazed and delighted.
Was thinking of getting a Model 3 until I called my insurance company. right now I have a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 which is $950 a year to insure. Dropping that and adding a Tesla Model 3 would ADD $850. So The yearly total is about $1800. This eliminates completely any savings by not using gas.
You must not drive a lot. Assuming a $40 fill up every week you would still save roughly $1000 by driving the Model 3, and that is just in not paying for gas (this not counting the cost of electricity). Add in other gas vehicle maintenance like oil changes and I think you would be saving money. Is it enough to justify buying one of these? Eh, maybe not
Electric cars are overpriced junk anyway. Less moving parts, lack of places to charge them/too long to charge makes gas vehicles better. Oh also in cold temps EVs are junk. Anyone driving an EV doesn't care about the problems or the cost because if their EV won't run they still have their gas vehicle or Uber. For the rest of us daily commuters we need a cheap gas vehicle to get us to point A to B. Buy a Honda or Toyota with minimal maintence for 30 years will cost less than an EV when you need to call a tow because the battery failed.
Whispered Metsutan the only problem with that is all my friends with Tesla’s say it’s the best car they have ever had. Some owning 3+ years with zero problems. So I’m on the fence. If you have solar on your house it really makes sense. Why let pg&e take all your extra power and give you nothing for it.
Cool video Micah, you and your team always put together a great video. I would personally like to see more and more of these Electric and Hybrid vehicle videos
I’d think I’ve become obsessed with this vehicle. I’m definitely planning to but this car in the future or other Tesla’s vehicles. This was a nice and entertaining review
My friend has had his dual motor long range Model 3 for over a year now and charges only on regular 120v wall outlet averaging 5 miles per hour. As long as he plugs it in at night he has enough charge for his daily driving. I'll be using 240v for mine but wanted to mention this because the video said much lower stats and called using 120v dumb. It depends how much charge you need and how quickly. I would also assume charging slower may be better for the battery in the long run.
great review! a couple comments: You can exit autopilot by pulling the right stalk down instead of having to turn the wheel to overwrite it. Also by pressing the brakes. If you want to stay in autopilot and accelerate faster you can push the accelerator but be warned that it autopilot will steer but won't apply the brakes while you have the accelerator pressed. The charge rates you were getting seemed slow. When I charge with a regular outlet I will get 5 miles per hour and I get 30 miles per hour using a 240v outlet
The video also showed it charging at 200V. Not sure where that would have been - maybe a third party charging station or something. My house reliably provides 238V.
120V and 240V in the USA/Canada since ~1948. Europe uses 230V. The "200V" shown in the video is because it's 3 phase commercial service and it's 208V phase to phase in Y shaped power source minus some voltage drop.
It's always best to charge your vehicle up to 75% at a supercharger, since the charging rate will slow down significantly after that. So about 220 miles is the highest I'd recommend unless you really need the full range to your next stop.
Great review of the Tesla Model 3! We need more Micah reviews, especially for Tesla products, could watch him all day with his daughter in the back, just adorable!
Just a heads up for anyone watching a real easy way to disengage Autopilot is a quick flick up on the right stalk. Much easier than having to steer out of it. :)
Charging from a regular 110v outlet is *not* "2 to 3 miles per hour". The car ramps up the charge rate, so at first, it shows a slower miles added per hour. When using regular 110v, the correct rate is 5 miles per hour. Depending on driving needs, this can be enough. If you need more, install a 240v circuit for faster charging, as much at 44 miles added per hour.
Timothy L I was specific. M3=BMW, Model 3=Tesla. Can't get any more specific. Those goof balls calling a Model 3 an M3 don't know squat about cars then. M3/5 will always be BMW monikers. Regardless, the Model 3 I drove, PDM, will dust my M3. Oh, and for camera aficionados, MK3 will always be a Canon......
Steven Han Biggest downside to Model 3: Insurance is more than the M3 by far. Though, in fairness to Model 3, zero maintenance , few issues and more tire wear on those Pilot Sports ;). Off the dig, it's not even a contest between the two. Only BMW currently capable of beating a Model 3 is M5 , but an S P100D will dust an AWD M5 too.
@@Newzchspy If you're a Tesla owner, you'd know... So many Tesla owners refer to the Model 3 as the M3, making things extremely confusing. Not that I approve of it... For them, EAP = Enhanced AutoPilot MS = Model S M3 = Model 3
Strange, I get 4mph on my 110 outlet, not 2mph, which covers my daily driving overnight, after longer trips I top up at a supercharger tho. (Edit: I see +0mi, you had just started charging on 110, I think it has to condition the battery for a few mins before it ramps up to 4-5mph, and also the interior climate might have still been on which takes some juice)
Brant Wedel yeah his numbers were off for both 110 and 240. I bet he was warming the cabin while testing that. He’s right though with his message. It would be a struggle for me to use 110 and sometimes a major inconvenience. If you drive 40 or more miles a day round trip then you are gonna need more juice imo.
Yep, I work from home so I don't drive everyday so can catch up easily. I can't imagine it working for anyone with a commute, or family activities, so his point was valid!
@@davidsigglekow5823 ??? An hour for a 250 mile charge at a super charge station, or overnight at home. Or a full tank of gas in 2min. What aren't you getting here?
@@birderjohn3396 He's "not getting" to stop in the middle of his day to have to stand outside while pumping gas into his car. It's WAY more convenient to just plug your car in at home. No contest. Long road trips...that's still a weak spot, but for normal operations, plug-in beats gas stations by a long shot.
I'm 13 months into the ownership of my Model 3 and it now has 23,000 miles on it. I love this car and cannot imagine going back to a traditional internal combustion engine or one with lower tech than Tesla.
very well done review. one point though where you're numbers were over 50% off the mark: charging. a 110 will due 5 miles per hour, and a 240 will do 30 miles per hour. to be fair, sometimes when you initially start charging, the screen may say lower numbers for a little while. If I remember correctly, the couple of times I encountered this, the car was actually charging at normal rates despite initially showing those lower numbers. again, rest of the review seemed very on point, thanks!
And fair. Way too much FUD and hate is being unfairly directed at Tesla. The cars are excellent, and the mission to accelerate the transition to renewable energy is noble.
You can over the autopilot. When in autopilot just press on the gas to increase your speed pass the set limit and then take your foot of the pedal to decrease you speed back to the set autopilot speed. You can also cancel autopilot just by touching the brake or a hard steer on the steering wheel.
Both Jason of Engineering Explained & Sofyan of Redline Reviews both reported issues on their cars. Best of all is Rich of Rich Rebuilds whom got practically scammed by Tesla from a CPO Model X purchase. The cars are not great, but the company behind them is beyond awful. Stay clear until they find someone who actually knows how to run an automaker as a CEO & not a narcissist who spend more time blowing smoke & calling other Pedos on Twitter.
Well, going on RU-vid to see reviews of a car from RU-vid reviewers isn't really my idea of typical people, they make money on their videos and point out every detail of the car. As far as Rich Rebuilds, I love his videos, his experience was not mine, probably I got my car about the same time the model 3s were released to standard customers, and I agree the customer service has degraded (but it is beginning to rebound, though the CPO program has taken the brunt of the degradation) .
You forgot the most important fact when compare the model 3 with other electric cars. Interstate driving is not practical or near impossible if you don’t have a Tesla.
@@sully9427 unlike ice vehicles, electric vehicles get better city mileage and lower interstate mileage because more speed requires more battery. They need to implement a gear box to elevate the issue a bit.
Let them figure it out on their own... if they are blind enough to jump on an emblem without understanding how many steps ahead Tesla already is in the EV game.
Thanks for the review. White looks great however we have "BLUE". No one can compete with Tesla! They may try but are years behind, and when they catch up Tesla will be even more refined.
8:00 nope, a 15-30 outlet (regular household one) will give any model 3 about 4 miles per hour, on average, not 1-2. Still, it's inefficient, at about 75% at best, so you're better off spending a few hundred bucks (or less if DIY) and get a NEMA 14-50. Note, Tesla ceased including these adapters with their cars as of this summer, so you'll have to buy one separately.
I'm moving from CA coast cold climate (typical range just about all year is 40F to 65F) where I drive a Volt to Phoenix, AZ where I'm considering a Tesla 3. What is the AC performance like in very hot conditions?
@No scat Financially that would make way more sense anyway (buying a used car). However, you don't get a Tesla because it competes with a Honda Accord or Camry. Tesla is a luxury brand. They're not going to get to people who want to spend $20,000 or under on a car.
@@saadqureshi7127 They'll keep expanding their Supercharger Network as they keep selling more cars. Additionally, if you own a house or have EV Chargers in your apartment building, you'd never actually have to use Superchargers for your daily commute. Charging your car becomes as easy as charging your phone (sort of) (plug it in at night and it's fully charged the next morning).
@No scat It's not a push at all. The Model S/ X cost in upwards of $75K, and the entry level Model 3 starts at $35K (all current models >40K). That's luxury car pricing.
Just imagine the lithium needed for all cars in the world to be electric!! The amount of battery production is mind blowing. Hardly good for the environment.
@@Dumbledore6969x, I'm not so sure. Electric cars are largely coal powered. It takes much more resources to produce these massive batteries than an engine. Not to mention that these huge batteries may not last the life of the car and need a new one.
