$35,000 Tesla Model 3 is Available to Order NOW With more interior options and battery range options, good bye every other EV in the world! JT
Well I find it easy to switch from an investor to a customer. The $3,750 tax credit is good through the end of June so the key is to place the order with enough lead time to get the car by then. The tax credit applies to the 2019 taxes filed in 2020. I ran the configuration tool: $39,500 blue paint dynamic cruise control and lane keeping Placed my order at 7:33 PM (CST). Put it on the lowest rate card. WOOOPEEEE! Bob Wilson
2019 Nissan LEAF: Hatchback MSRP range $29,990 - $36,200 (without the stupid dealer addons) but has $7500 tax rebate 150 mile range 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV: Hatchback MSRP range $36,620 - $40,905 again no dealer add ons but tax rebate is $3750 220 mile range 2018 BMW i3: Hatchback MSRP range $44,450 - $51,500 but has $7500 tax rebate with some add ons 115 mile range Tesla: Sedan $35,000-40,000+ autopilot of $3,000 but has tax rebate of $3750 220 to 320 mile range Once could make a case for Nissan Leaf based on pure cost (small hatchback as opposed to a full size sedan) but other than that why would anyone buy the other two even assuming you can get it for about $1500-2000 lower than MSRP)
Code: Model lowest$ Fed_Credit Range SuperCharger Dynamic_CC Leaf $29,990 $7,500 150 mi No Extra Bolt $36,620 $3,750 220 mi No Extra BMW i3 $44,450 $7,500 115 mi No Extra Tesla $40,700 $3,750 220 mi Yes Yes Mandatory Requirements: Must have driver assistance as part of the price - dynamic cruise control, emergency braking, lane keeping using radar to measure forward range. Optical-only systems are unreliable. Maximum single charge range in the set - to travel 700 mi from Huntsville to Stillwater with a minimum of charging stops. SuperCharger network access - maximum charging rate along the above route My Tesla includes blue paint, $1,500, an optional extra. My cars must have long legs, the ability to go cross-country. The SuperCharger network provides that with very fast, DC charging. The driver assistance technology is equally important for safety and speed. Bob Wilson
The driver assistance Technology is only available in the higher end Nissan's etc. and does not have the ability to upgrade to full self driving mode. So if we look ar range, charging network, safety (driver assistance) and comfort (a sedan is more comfortable), carrying capacity. The original Model 3 was $49,000, the latest one is $35,000 (yes with degraded capabilities such as range). However, current range (220 miles) is as good as everyone else (even the Jaguar I-pace which is at different price point is in that range). In addition you have all other benefits. It will be interesting to see the sales of the other guys in the month of March and April.
In one respect, the BMW i3-REx has been the 'gateway drug' to my future Model 3. My Huntsville-to-Nashville EV experiments converting theory into practice. In January 2009, about 50 of us Prius 'experts' were invited guests of Toyota to see the unveiling of the Gen-3 Prius, the 2010 model year. We were also offered a chance to buy the car directly from Toyota USA at attractive, fixed prices. But when I asked about the driver assistance package: +$6,000 - top of the line trim +$2,000 - adding the driver assistance package I came within 49-to-51 of not buying the 2010 Prius but the engine, 'cooled exhaust' led me to buy. Fast forward to May 2016. Toyota announced they were making their driver assistance package standard on the Prius ... except for Level 2 ECO, the highest MPG trim. The dealer tried to sell me a Level 3 with a useless "moonroof" and though I validated everything I wanted with TSS-P. Worse, I could only achieve 98 MPG which matched my mileage model, less than the ~120 MPG the Level 2 ECO could achieve. But they lowered the price to an 'end-of-lease' 2014 BMW i3-REx which I subsequently bought. The 2010 Prius was backup to the BMW i3-REx. Fast forward to December 2016. The 2014 BMW i3-REx was a first model year which means 'infantile problems.' One turned out to be a weak, motor mount bolt which broke. Down for two weeks, I soon came to detest the 2010 Prius without the driver assistance package of the BMW i3-REx. About that time, a few Prius Prime showed up and I took one for a test drive. I replaced the 2010 Prius with a 2017 Prius Prime and never looked back. Driver assistance systems are a mandatory requirement. Once you get used to it, there is a 2-3 week learning curve, you never want to drive again without 'the hand of God' on your shoulder. Bob Wilson
Very exciting news but I need a hatch. If they can produce an affordable model Y a few years down the road............. Me owning a Tesla? That's got to be the ultimate weed (legal in Canada ha ha) dream. Carry on Tesla.
