Julian and I watched the Tesla Model 3 roll-out. I put my name on the wait list and plunked down a deposit back in May. With luck, I might have one before the deadline to sell my not-so-clean diesel Jetta back to Volkswagen.
Before the show started, I asked, “Do you think the reveal will be more Steve Jobs or standard auto show fare?” Julian didn’t know. It turned out to be a cross between a Ronco informercial and the red carpet before the Oscars. You had the salivating multitudes (mostly male Tesla employees). You had chirpy banter by Tesla engineers. To Tesla’s credit, some of the banterers were women who weren’t dressed in typical auto show garb for females (a bikini or a low-cut, high-slit dress). Finally the car drove onto the stage and Elon Musk popped out. I half expected Joan Rivers to appear and ask: “So, Elon, who are you wearing?” Musk’s talk did not go into the geeky detail that an Apple unveiling does. It was actually pretty short for one of these things.
Since the reveal, Julian has been going through all of the online car porn on the Model 3. There are a few questions that remain unanswered in my brain before I drink the Kool-Aid and purchase one:
How much money are we really talking about? To get the base model, you can have any color as long as it’s black. Any other color costs $1000 more. Some other desirable features also cost more.
Will the Federal and state tax breaks still be in force when my car comes in?
Service? Granted, there are fewer moving parts on a Tesla, but what happens if the car dies in the middle of Spuzzum, British Columbia? (Yes, Virginia, there is a Spuzzum.) Tesla doesn’t have a typical dealership model, so finding a garage to handle any repairs outside major metropolitan areas could be dicey.
Does the trunk pass the wheelchair and bike tests? The trunk should be able to accommodate a standard wheelchair, which means I can fit most of what I’d be likely to haul therein. (The wheelchair test originated with my brother, and continued with Julian’s mom.) With the rear seats down, it should be able to hold my bike without the front wheel.
One of my friends is farther up the list for a Model 3. I’ll let him be my beta-tester.
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