Tesla Model 3 - Finally.

Yesterday I got a message that the car is built, awaiting paint, and expected delivery sometime next month.
They build the car before painting it? Don't they paint the frames before the cars start assembly?
 
They build the car before painting it? Don't they paint the frames before the cars start assembly?

That was my same question. But keep in mind that this is what the dealer told me, which does not mean it's actually accurate. Maybe they have a process that includes some level of paint and then final paint after.

Don't much care, so long as it's pretty when it gets to us. :)
 
Looks like our estimated delivery got pushed back to 2/20 to 3/20. That's in line with the original March date they had predicted, but they did tease me with the possibility of a January date.

So it goes. Good things come to those who wait and all that.
 
How to be reminded you own a Tesla….

You get into the airport crew car car, step on brake pedal, nothing happens….

Takes a few moments to remember, “Oh, yeah, it’s an ICE car” and requires an actual car key instead of just your phone.
 
Was rolling down the road in the D and saw a trailer hauler full of Teslas - being hauled by a diesel engine. Tells me what I need to know.

Also did Atlanta in the fall with a single stop in the GMC. Hate to think how much longer that would have taken having to make 3 charging stops. TSRA+ prevented a trip via GA.

Which is worse at a party? Pilot, vegan or Tesla owner?
One that is all 3, plus does cross-fit.
 
How to be reminded you own a Tesla….

You get into the airport crew car car, step on brake pedal, nothing happens….

Takes a few moments to remember, “Oh, yeah, it’s an ICE car” and requires an actual car key instead of just your phone.

I have the same problem after driving a car with a manual transmission then hop into an automatic and stomp on an invisible third pedal, lol. Also had the issue when driving a truck with column shifter and then get into a car with a console shifter while reaching up for a phantom handle behind the steering wheel. Muscle memory.
 
You guys are scarin' me. I have never gotten in a car or a plane and not know where I was or what I was in.

I will admit that those first few flights as a student I would get into the plane and look to the left and right to check the rear view mirrors, but after solo even that stopped.
 
You guys are scarin' me. I have never gotten in a car or a plane and not know where I was or what I was in.
....

It took 4 trips to England before I finally got in the rental on the correct side (jet lag isn't great...)
 
Original post you quoted of mine mention that.
And my replied was about the all-electric Tesla semi trucks that are soon to be deployed.

PepsiCo has installed its first Megacharger, at one of its warehouses, in preparation for their first Tesla semi deliveries. As the Tesla semi rolls out, the number of Teslas being transported by diesel-powered trucks will rapidly shrink.
 
Now I have a craving for ribs for dinner.
And thinking the only way the electric trucks could be better is if they had a mini nuclear reactor built into them to charge the batteries.
 
I would think electric semis would be great for city delivery trucks.

Same for postal and package delivery cars/vans. Those in urban and suburban areas typically don't drive many miles each day. Mostly very slow, plus lots of start and stop (regenerative braking) on the postal cars, which works well for electric vehicles. Plus they are back at postal/UPS/FedEx/Prime/etc center every evening, where they could be recharged on 220v.
 
I would think electric semis would be great for city delivery trucks.
There is an existing sector of the RV world doing conversions and clean sheet design for just this purpose. I think there are already some in the wild out in LA and the Bay Area.
 
Had my Model 3 SR+ for 2 years now. If I had to do it over again, I would not buy one.

I would buy two. My dang wife loves it and keeps taking mine.

Seriously, been a great car, zero problems at all. Great for commuting, autopilot is very relaxing in traffic and on trips. FSD is a scam, and someone should drop a class action suit on Elon for that one.

The biggest revelation is the lack of maintenance of ANY kind. No oil changes, no plugs, no belts, no hoses, nothing. In 2 years I have had zero service. Once a year I jack it up, rotate the tires, and inspect the brake pads. That's it.

Oh, and you haven't lived til you've had 4 drunk female coworkers in your car singing Bohemian Rhapsody on Caraoke.
 
And thinking the only way the electric trucks could be better is if they had a mini nuclear reactor built into them to charge the batteries.
Look up the information on the Tesla semi. It is using the new 4680 batteries which allow significantly faster DC charging. Paired with the new Tesla Megachargers at 1.5 MW, the charging time is reasonable and the cost savings over diesel are significant. Ranges offered are 300 and 500 miles pulling a full load. The long-range semi would go 620 miles empty. Charging to 80% is targeted at 30 minutes on the long-range.

I would think electric semis would be great for city delivery trucks.
I don't think semis are great for city driving. They're too bad. There are a number of EV delivery vehicles under development and just now starting to be deployed. Amazon has the order for 100,000 EV delivery vans from Rivian. The USPS will use EV postal delivery trucks from Oshkosh. UPS is getting EV delivery trucks from Arrival. FedEx will be using EV delivery vans from GM's BrightDrop.

I think PepsiCo is the first commercial customer for the Tesla semi though Tesla has had them out of the road for testing and pulling some of their own freight.
 
Oh, and you haven't lived til you've had 4 drunk female coworkers in your car singing Bohemian Rhapsody on Caraoke.
Does your Tesla make fart noises? :D A friend's son gave me a ride home. My first ride in a Tesla. He said he had it programmed to do that when he used the turn signal. Had the car full of us cracking up. What? Really? Sounded pretty realistic too.
 
The biggest revelation is the lack of maintenance of ANY kind. No oil changes, no plugs, no belts, no hoses, nothing. In 2 years I have had zero service. Once a year I jack it up, rotate the tires, and inspect the brake pads. That's it.

I hear this as a frequent praise from Tesla owners, but if you buy a brand new car, that's basically the norm. On my Ram, the maintenance on it is a once a year oil change and once every 18 months or so fuel filters. Air filter somewhere in there. I only open the hood on it once or twice a year and the maintenance takes me under half an hour each time I do it. I can do an oil change in 10 minutes. No plugs, no belts, no hoses... etc. Maybe it's still a little higher, but like I said, on a new car you're basically not expecting to touch much at all. When cars age (and I have no doubt Teslas are/will be similar), that's when stuff starts to wear out.

Now, my wife's new car that's supposed to show up next month? Yeah, I'm expecting more time at the dealership for warranty repairs. It's also Italian.
 
Kent has been asked earlier in this thread (or maybe another thread) when he's going to turn vegan so he'll have one more thing to tell everyone about at parties.
While he is munching on a well grilled brat
 
Oh, and you haven't lived til you've had 4 drunk female coworkers in your car singing Bohemian Rhapsody on Caraoke.
More fun when it’s in an AMC Pacer.

Party On, Garth!!
 
Well, I would’ve liked to have joined the Model 3 crowd but they’re a little outside my budget. The $35K Model 3 days are long gone. Horrible time to buy a vehicle right now.

Anyway, today I went with a used S instead. I know, battery failures and drive unit failures are $$$. I like to live dangerously. :D

382E9F0A-00F0-4135-AEBF-1EC3D135324D.jpeg
 
Well, you don’t have to worry about driving something dull. The S is the bomb!

Well, I would’ve liked to have joined the Model 3 crowd but they’re a little outside my budget. The $35K Model 3 days are long gone. Horrible time to buy a vehicle right now.

Anyway, today I went with a used S instead. I know, battery failures and drive unit failures are $$$. I like to live dangerously. :D

View attachment 103822
 
Well, you don’t have to worry about driving something dull. The S is the bomb!

Yeah they’re a blast to drive. Driven a new 3 as well and I enjoyed that but like I said, just can’t afford a new one. Even the used 3s have held their value. I actually prefer the looks of the S and don’t need the added auto pilot, so it meets my needs…until the batt fails and I cough out $20K. :eek:
 
Guess I got this to look forward to. Only I won’t have sentry mode to catch the perps.

 
My wife has a shirt that echoes that sentiment.
This isn't it, but it is similar.

Cats-Because-People-Suck-Graphics-21595620-1-1-580x386.jpg
 
Good to be realistic! Hopefully, the growing market for EV and hybrid battery replacements will gradually drive down prices.
From what I understand, battery supply (the raw materials more specifically) will lag demand for quite some time. If true, I'm thinking higher prices more likely. Fingers crossed, my 2007 hybrid batteries are still humming along just fine.
 
Guess I got this to look forward to. Only I won’t have sentry mode to catch the perps.

I was in San Diego in December and twice in January. While this is absolutely no excuse for keying a random car of any type, it seemed during those visits that annoying drivers (running red lights, passing on the right when the number of lanes decreased, cutting people off to make an exit at the last minute) tended to drive more expensive cars, including Teslas. It isn't even an excuse for keying the car that just cut you off- my opinion is karma catches up to them.
People suck
They do.
 
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