At Tesla’s Autonomy Investor Day, Elon Musk had a show-stopping moment when he proclaimed that by the end of 2020, there would be one million Tesla “robotaxis” in service, providing owners with the potential to make $30,000 a year. Was it realistic? That truly doesn’t matter. Here’s what the robotaxi does for Tesla: [Read more…] about Is It Financially Insane to Buy Any Car Besides a Tesla?
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Tesla Model 3 Delays Could Lead Buyers to Other Automakers
Freezing air has descended upon my city. Those leisurely mornings of heading out to the car in shorts and a T-shirt have been replaced by scraping windshields free of frost.
I love my electric Nissan Leaf, because I can start and warm it up using an app on my phone while I stay toasty warm inside the house. My Subaru Legacy actually requires me to go outside and start the motor with a key.
This week I needed the Legacy, because my errands required more range than the Leaf could provide. That meant I had to brave the cold, trek outside, and start the Subaru so it would be warm for my family.
When I got back inside, my wife, who was getting ready in the upstairs bathroom, asked why the car was so loud.
“Because it has a gas motor,” I said.
Needless to say, we have become accustomed to driving electric.
We’ve been hoping the next electric car might be a Tesla Model 3, but with production problems pushing back availability of the car, we, like thousands of other drivers, may have to look elsewhere. Continue reading >>>
Will the Tesla Model 3 Kill Off the BMW 3 Series?
Tesla has very high hopes for its midsize Model 3 sedan.
It doesn’t just hope to survive and sell enough copies to make the investment worth it—the electric carmaker plans to revolutionize the auto business by selling a hundred thousand or so every year.
That’s a lofty goal. All of those sales would have to come from somewhere… and the BMW 3 Series could be the sacrificial lamb. In fact, one investor believes sales of the 3 Series could “go to zero.” Continue reading >>>
New Teslas Could Last 1,000,000 Miles
We’ve all known people who sell their cars before they turn past 100,000 miles.
That was probably a wise move back in the 1980s, but today’s vehicles can live well past that mark, even doubling or tripling it with proper care.
Diesel engines can go even farther, routinely cruising past 500,000 miles.
The longevity of gasoline and diesel motors are ultimately limited by all the moving parts and heat generated by the process of turning liquid fuel into energy. Pistons, valves, injectors, gaskets, and more are subject to eventual failure, thereby limiting how long a motor can last.
Electric cars don’t have those parts and are sometimes advertised as needing less maintenance. But just how many miles can an EV go? Continue reading >>>
Tesla Faces Growing Pains While Planning European Expansion
There are some perks to Tesla ownership that customers believe are vital to the experience of owning one of the premium electric vehicles.
One of those perks is free access to the company’s network of superchargers. Another is quick and responsive maintenance and repairs.
Both of those perks seem to be fading away as Tesla grows. Customers are beginning to complain of long wait times for service and, at the same time, Tesla has announced that unlimited free charging access will soon be a thing of the past.
Is the novelty of Tesla ownership wearing off?