Tesla Model 3

	Tesla Model 3
	Debut: 2017 Maker: Tesla Predecessor: No

Published on 18 Jul 2018

This car got 325,000 orders in the first week, but getting the car built is another matter.

On the stage where the new Tesla Model 3 was unveiled, there was a big counter showing how many orders it had received since the online order book opened merely 24 hours ago. At first it showed 115,000 orders. By the time the event ended, the number passed 132,000. It sounds very much like the launch of a new iPhone. One week later, 325,000 orders had been recorded. We have never seen such a hot initial reception in automotive history. Admittedly, the deposit for reservation is only US$1000, and it is refundable upon cancellation. Elon Musk is so clever. He made good use of news headlines to promote the car.

However, getting orders is one thing, getting the car built is another matter. To speed up the development process from hand-built “alpha” prototypes to production cars, Elon Musk made a bold decision to skip the stage of “beta” prototypes that all conventional car makers have been adopting for decades. Beta prototypes are built by short-lived toolings to iron out all the problems before the expensive permanent toolings are made. Musk believed that his company could use superior analytical method to iron out the problems and go straight to production stage. Somehow, this didn’t work. The Model 3 was met with all kinds of production difficulties, including one you have never thought of: it had problems welding the steel body of Model 3! We thought the aluminum body of Model S should be more difficult to weld, because aluminum dissipates heat much faster than steel. While all other car makers have no problems to weld steel over the last 100 years, the most advanced car maker in the world has no clue how to weld steel correctly, God! Without employing the right guys to oversee its production, the production equipment it ordered did not work properly, thus the early production cars were practically hand-built. As a result, Tesla spent more than a year fighting with the production problems. Production ramped up slowly while the company was burning its cash reserves at alarming rate, setting record loss every quarter and frustrating Wall Street investors. By the time of writing, its production finally starts taking off, at a rate of 5000 cars per week, but this is achieved at a heavy cost: Musk installed a second assembly line at a tent beside the factory, and shifted some workers from the assembly line of Model S and X. Detroit is laughing.

Elon Musk took a big gamble by skipping Beta prototypes, and it was proved a costly mistake...

Anyway, production problems will be overcome sooner or later. What counts to the car buying public is whether the car good and affordable. It goes without saying the Model 3 is the cheapest Tesla yet. Its price starts at $35,000, about the same as the cheapest BMW 3-Series or half the price of the leanest Model S, although many people may spec. it up to $60,000. Instead of aiming at Chevrolet Volt or Camry Hybrid, it is supposed to steal sales from the most popular BMW in the premium class. If everything goes to plan, the ex-Toyota factory in California will produce 400,000 units of Model 3 annually (in addition to another 100,000 units of Model S and X, reaching the plant's maximum capacity of 500,000 units). For your reference, BMW built 409,000 units of 3-Series last year. Forget Cadillac. Tesla is the America's biggest threat to BMW.

The Model 3 is much shorter and narrower than Model S, but it is still a 3-box sedan, and it has a strong family resemblance to its bigger brother. The biggest difference, however, is the front grille, or the lack of it. I remember Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen said he gave the Model S a conventional-looking pseudo grille just to play safe. Once Tesla had been well received, the next design could be more adventurous. Now the Model 3 is that adventurous design. Its flush nose might be criticized as "faceless", but that is exactly what makes it different from conventional cars. I actually quite like it. The teardrop shape achieves a class-leading Cd of 0.23, matching Mercedes CLA and Audi A4. Moreover, unlike conventional cars, its drag does not increase with the introduction of more powerful motors.

The teardrop shape achieves a class-leading Cd of 0.23.

Depending on when the car is built, finish and finish ranges from poor to acceptable. However, if you place order now, by the time you get the car delivered (probably sometime in 2020), I would expect the build quality to be closer to perfect. The use of steel to construct the body is one of the main reasons why Model 3 is cheaper to build than Model S. Like the rest of the motor industry, Tesla uses a lot of high and ultra-high strength steel at critical locations to enhance the rigidity of safety cell, hence achieving 5-star crash rating. However, the car’s body-in-white is not entirely steel. Aluminum is employed at locations subjected to less stress, especially the rear wheel wells and trunk floor, or at crumple zones like the front bumper supports. Outside, aluminum panels are used for the front bonnet, trunk lid, door skins and roof, whereas fenders are steel. Mind you, the aluminum roof is not available yet because all the cars being built are pricier ones equipped with panoramic glass roof.

The double-wishbone front suspensions and multi-link rear axle are similar to those of the Model S, but it skips adaptive dampers and air springs to save money. The battery is again placed inside the floorpan, allowing the car to achieve a center of gravity as low as sports cars. There are 2 battery capacities for selection: 50kWh for the base car or 75kWh for long-range model. They are good for 220 or 310 miles, respectively, according to EPA. The long-range model easily trumps Chevrolet Bolt (238 miles), if not the Model S (up to 335 miles). The battery of Tesla is built at its own Gigafactory, whose production capacity is enough to supply 500,000 cars a year. Not only this economy of scale gives Tesla a cost advantage, the unique battery chemistry offers higher energy density than rival LG and Samsung etc. Researchers also disassembled a Model 3 and found its power electronics are more advanced than other current EVs, taking less space and weight. Tesla might be a novice in volume car production, but it is definitely a maestro in electronics.

To lower cost, the majority of its chassis is made of steel.

All Model 3 built up to now have the same permanent magnet motor driving the rear wheels. However, different batteries supply different power to the motor thus enable different output and performance. Annoyingly, Tesla once again refuses to quote the power output (these days even Rolls-Royce finds “Adequate power” no longer adequate), so we can just gather information from all sources and provide a guesstimation as far as possible: the base model should offer about 258 horsepower, while the long-range model should be closer to 271 hp and 307 lbft of torque. If so, it will be more powerful than a BMW 330i (now a four-cylinder turbo, remember) but less so than a 340i.

The power characteristic of electric motor is different, of course. It offers a hell lot of torque right from spinning with zero hesitation, so low-speed acceleration is stronger than conventional cars. On the negative side, no EVs are lightweight. The Model 3 with long-range battery weighs as much as 1740 kg. That might be 300kg less than the lightest Model S, but a BMW 330i is lighter by nearly the same margin. Still, that instant low-down torque allows the Tesla to win 0-60 mph sprint by 5.1 seconds to 5.5 seconds. Stretch further, and the gas-powered BMW starts overtaking. The EV refuses to go any faster than 140mph, whereas the BMW will hit its speed limiter at 155mph. Moreover, at such a high speed, the battery level of Tesla drops so quickly that you will immediately lose determination to challenge the German car.

A stiff ride aside, the Model 3 is good to drive... just don't push it as hard as you would in a 3-Series.

Powertrain refinement is outstanding. Not only smooth, it is free of the whine associated with many EV motors. In fact, even quieter than the Model S.

Weight is the enemy to handling. However, by placing the motor at the rear axle and the battery – by far the heaviest element of the car – at the floorpan within the wheelbase, the damage is kept to the minimum. Its 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution will make any cars this side of Ferrari and Maserati envy. It changes direction eagerly, and body roll is remarkably limited. The steering is hardly feelsome but at least it is quick and can be set quite heavy if you switch to Sport mode. In normal driving, the Model 3 feels agile and holds on well, but push it harder as you would in a 3-Series, it will run out of grip and understeer earlier, an implication of its excessive weight. Meanwhile, the ride is always surprisingly stiff, transferring too much harshness and noise into the otherwise refined cabin. It seems that Tesla deliberately stiffened its springs and shortened its suspension travel to deal with that extra weight. Overall, this is a fine car to drive under normal conditions, just don’t see it as an alternative to German executive cars.

The Model 3 runs less regenerative braking than, say, Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf, so one-foot driving is not possible. On the plus side, it is easier for conventional car drivers to get used to.

Cabin is spacious, and there are 2 trunks.

One advantage the EV has over its German rivals is packaging. Thanks to the long, 2875mm wheelbase and the lack of an engine up front, the cabin can be stretched forward. On the one hand it offers excellent forward visibility, on the other hand the cabin is spacious – and this perception is amplified further by the full-length panoramic glass roof. The flat floorpan means it can seat 5 six-footers, although 4 will be more enjoyable. Rear passengers will find legroom more generous than the cases of 3-Series or C-class. Despite the slopping roof line, rear headroom is good, too. However, this is achieved by mounting the rear seat closer to the floor. As the floor has to contain the battery, it is slightly higher than that of a conventional car. Consequently, the rear passengers have their knees up, not a comfortable sitting position for long journeys.

Up front, the driver enjoys plenty of room and expansive view. The driver seat is a bit flat and lacking lateral support. Rear view is poor, blame to the tiny rear window and a high parcel shelf.

With one boot at each end, the Tesla is unbeatable for luggage carrying. The front boot (“Frunk”) can accommodate a standard hand-carried airliner suitcase. It also has hooks to fix shopping bags. The rear boot is not very deep or wide but it is quite tall (at the expense of rear view). Between them, 525 liters of luggage can be stored.

IT addicts will love the desktop monitor, while Elon Musk loves its low cost.

Given the track record of Tesla, you won’t expect its budget model to match German premium cars for build quality. Yes, if you look for a classy interior, go straight to the German brands, especially Mercedes and Audi. If you are addicted to Silicon Valley technology, you might be happy to accept the compromises here. The Model 3’s cabin is designed out of the school of minimalist. It is not quite as tasteful as Volvo or BMW i3, but nonetheless puts first priority to simplicity and functionality. To go one step beyond even the Model S in this direction, it simply ditches the instrument pod ahead of the driver, relying on solely a centrally-mounted 15-inch LCD screen to display all the driving information and infotainment simultaneously. IT addicts will feel at home because it looks just like a desktop monitor – Elon Musk likes it, too, because China-built desktop monitors are extremely cheap these days. It looks flimsy, but it is actually quite sturdy. The large screen enables clear graphics, large icons and well organized menus. The lack of physical buttons might be annoying to older drivers but the new smartphone generations don’t care at all, because they are able to click through multiple menus faster than you can using your fat fingers to adjust a rotary knob.

The rest of the cabin consists of a simple dashboard decorated with a large wooden panel, above which hides a full-width air vents – the direction of air flow and the air-con setting are again controlled through the touchscreen. It feels high-tech and suitably tasteful in style, but in general the materials and fit and finish are workman-grade, especially the uninspiring door panels. Never mind, Model S has the same weaknesses but it still outsells Audi A8 by 2-to1 globally.

As for software tech, fans of Tesla would be proud of free over-the-air download and the possibility to upgrade to full autonomous driving in the future. Currently, the Autopilot 2 system is no more advanced that what you get in German cars, which includes adaptive cruise control, auto lane change, collision warning etc. The driving assistance system doesn’t work as smoothly as some rivals. However, since it is already equipped with 8 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a radar, it can be upgraded to full autonomous driving once Tesla has developed a reliable software, although that may be still a few years away.

All these optional techs mean the Model 3 can easily top $60,000. It is not as affordable as Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt, obviously, but it is undeniably the most advanced yet the most practical mass production EV on the market, one that eclipses our beloved BMW i3. Moreover, it is the first EV you can consider buying instead of the very best BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Not quite as versatile or as good to drive, but it has its own character and strength. Most important, it proves that EV can finally take the center stage of mass production cars, just like what Toyota Prius proved for hybrids some 15 years ago.

Verdict:

Published on 28 Aug 2018

Model 3 Performance

Its 0-60mph time might be headline-grabbing, but to build a great performance saloon demands far more than that.

Is this the M3 of electric cars? Tesla thinks yes. I doubt.

In terms of pricing, yes, it is right on the same level. A base Model 3 Performance starts at $65K at its home market, but after all the essential options (both for performance and comfort) it becomes at least $75K. That’s about the same price as an M3 or Giulia Quadrifoglio, not far off the Mercedes-AMG C63 S.

What you get is similar level of power and performance. The Model 3 Performance employs dual-motors, one at each axle, to produce a total of 450 horsepower and 471 pound-foot of torque (note: Tesla used to ignore our requests for disclosing output figures, but this time it realizes the buyers of performance cars do care about figures.) That’s right in the ballpark of its rivals, if not the best (the Alfa does 510hp and 442lbft, AMG offers 510hp and 516lbft). Since the electric motors reach maximum torque right from the start, and the Tesla is the only one in its class (save Audi RS4) benefiting from the total traction of 4WD, it does 0-60 mph faster than anybody else. Road & Track timed an eye-popping 3.3 seconds after subtracting the time for 1-foot rollout. However, as speed increases, the traction and torque advantage fades out. By the time the car reaches 100mph, it is already overtaken by Alfa Romeo by half a second (if we compare with the test conducted by Car and Driver). From 60-100mph the Tesla takes 5.3 seconds while the Alfa manages in merely 4.5 seconds. The Alfa continues to pass 160 mph in 24 seconds while the Tesla slows gradually to a terminal velocity of 155 mph. BTW, the Alfa will storm pass 190 mph eventually if you find a place to test it. Which one is the Performance car you want?

While no one has yet to test the Model 3 Performance seriously on track, putting timing gears and g-force meter to measure its handling performance, I am quite sure the electric car will lose further ground to the very best European sports sedans. My rationale comes from not only the history of Tesla – the Model S P90D and P100D, for example, are known to be supercar-quick on straight but lukewarm in corners – but also the technical specifications of this car. First of all, at 1850 kg it is 200 kg heavier than its rivals. Although the Tesla has its weight positioned low and optimally within the wheelbase for 50:50 balance, weight is still weight on a track. Moreover, this car simply lacks the chassis upgrade necessary to warrant the claim as a Performance car. Even if you have opted for the performance package, which includes a tiny rear spoiler (made of carbon-fiber), bigger aluminum-hub Brembo front brakes (with 355mm discs and 4-piston calipers) and 20-inch wheels, the list of modifications is remarkably lean. The suspension is lowered by only 10mm. Springs and dampers are virtually unchanged. Adaptive dampers are omitted. Worse still, all four tires keep a modest width of 235mm, compared with 265-285mm of its rivals, although the rubbers have been upgraded to Michelin Pilot Sport 4S. More weight, soft suspension and less rubber, it goes without saying cornering limit should be lower than its rivals.

Admittedly, the weight distribution advantage makes the Tesla feel agile at lower speeds. If you don’t push it to the limit, it feels reasonably sporty. If you do push, Road & Track, whose tester obviously has an especially good relationship with Tesla, claims that it is as tossable as a hot hatch at the newly added Track mode, as it oversteers at throttle lift-off and straightens once back on power. Hey, if you are comparing with some of the greatest rear-drive sports sedans in the world, hot-hatch handling is not enough, and lift-off oversteering is always our second choice to power slide. BTW, the greatest hot hatch handling can be yours for $35K, and that car is called Honda Civic Type R. More hurting, that $35K purchase includes adaptive dampers.

If you really believe the Track mode, you might be disappointed by the overheating issue as well. All road cars overheat on lap after lap of track abuse, but electric cars suffer more, since their batteries and electric motors are not designed for sustaining high current applications. The Model 3 Performance won’t shut down its systems, but it will reduce power gradually to keep temperatures manageable.

One last thing preventing the Tesla from being an acceptable performance car is the lack of engine noise and smell of gas. Even at committed driving its two motors are remarkably silent, emitting nothing other than a distant, high-pitch whine. I have never been excited to watch my washing machine spinning, so I suppose won’t be gel with Tesla either. When you buy a performance car, especially for this much money and at this performance level, you want not only straight line acceleration, not only cornering efficiency, but also all the right noises, smell, vibration and feel that rock straight to your soul. Silicon Valley entrepreneurs will never understand. They enjoy only haptic feedback.

Verdict: