Tesla's new Model 3

[OliverGT]

I saw a Model S in the flesh the other day, was very impressed. The stats for it very impressive. 0-60 in 5-6 seconds 155 top end, obviously the batteries don't last long driven like that .

I was also reading comments from Model S owners, one was saying he has swapped is Jaguar XJ for a Model S and is saving some £5,000 a year in fuel costs. And I would imagine the servicing is a lot cheaper too as there is very little to go wrong.

Once the infrastructure is in place for charging, battery cars will be a lot more prolific. Where I work, there are about 1,000 people in the business park, there are regularly 2 Nissan Leafs in the car park. If you could park at work and charge your car, even if you have to pay, it might take a long time to charge, but if you are at work for 7-8 hours you will get a good charge in that time, and it's actually more convenient than having to stop at a petrol station on the way home.

For me, personally, an Electric car would work 100%, given that we have to have 2 cars in the family. But they are out of my price range at the moment, maybe one day...

Oliver

[Draigflag]

I should imagine most electric cars are still a novelty for most, cost and infrastructure being the main hold backs. But in a decade or so, I think most people will be considering an electric car as cost scaling and material resourcing will bring the costs down enough, and the government will be investing heavily in extra infrastructure for more rural areas. I too would have to charge at work, would have to come to some kind of agreement with my boss

I read an ad on Autotrader for a leaf, in downtown London, an electric car can potentially save up to £9000 a year on congestion charge, fuel, parking etc (free parking for electric cars) which is why the uptake has been mostly in dense cities like this.

[benlovesgoddess]

That model S is a beautiful car, can see why it could replace a Jag! Bet it looks a lot better in black or midnight blue. I see a Renault Zoe pass me sometimes each way, on the same country roads/A roads I take, so must be doing at least a 40 mile daily commute. Seen a Leaf or two, there was even a Vauxhall Ampera for sale at a car supermarket. Most common Hybrid I see are Mitsubishi PHEVs (or the same one everywhere!)
PS - I sounded my boss out about a plug in charger at work a year ago, even as the top salesman I got a definite no!

[Draigflag]

The reason you see so many of the Mitsubishi Outlander is because it's the best selling plug in Hybrid in the UK. They priced it the same as the diesel which is clever, as usually the hybrid/plug in variant is way more expensive. At least it was anyway, now the government has cut the grants by 50% there's been a slight price hike, sales may slow a little.

[14Corolla]

I was just looking around online. Of course, here in the US there are all kinds of articles on the fastest car. Hardly anything on economy.
I ran across this article. Hope it opens to the right page. 8 cars faster than they look. The Tesla S came in. I couldn't help but laugh. It can do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. But that is with the 'ludicrous speed option'. Hehe.... reminds me of the movie: "Space Balls" when he yells out for ludicrous speed! I can imagine a Tesla S owner doing just that! hehe
8 Cars That Are Much Faster Than They Look - Part 9

[trollbait]

"Space Balls" was the inspiration for the name

[luv2spd]

Tesla 3 video and the Gigafactory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIh2...Q&spfreload=10

[Draigflag]

I wonder how ethicaly sourced the building materials/construction are? A place that big would have a massive carbon footprint, I know a fair bit about the cars, but am yet to learn about the ethics of the company. I didn't see many solar panels or wind turbines, but maybe they have not been fitted yet.

[14Corolla]

I thought this was impressive.
Tesla’s inherent safety saves five joyriding teenagers in Germany | Ars Technica

[trollbait]

Along with Tesla and Space X, Musk also owns SolarCity, PV company and installer. I'm sure Tesla will have PV on the Gigafactory, they try to install solar power to offset what the Supercharger stations use.

The issue is with the state of Nevada. They recently changed the residential incentive program for solar power to favor the big utility.
"Effective Jan. 1, the new tariffs will gradually increase until they triple monthly fees that solar users pay to use the electric grid and cut by three-quarters users’ reimbursements for feeding electricity into it."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/op...nd-switch.html

Companies like SolarCity have left the state because of it. I agree that home PV owners shouldn't get retail rates for the electricity they put into the grid; it should be the wholesale rate at the time of production. Being retroactive, this change in Nevada was just meant to kill off residents from making their own power.

Now, if said residents want to give the Nevada utility a big FU, and go off grid, Tesla sells battery units that will help them do so.