Tesla Model 3 rebuffed by Consumer Reports
Won’t recommend electric car because of slow braking, tricky controls
SAN FRANCISCO Consumer Reports magazine won’t give Tesla Inc.’s compact Model 3 car its recommendation because of the electric car’s long stopping distances and difficult-to-use controls.
The magazine said Monday the Model 3’s 60 miles per hour stopping distance of 152 feet was “far worse than any contemporary car we’ve tested.” It took seven feet more than Ford Motor Co.’s F-150 full-size pickup. The company told Consumer Reports that its own tests averaged a stopping distance of 133 feet and that results vary based on weather, tire temperature and other conditions.
Consumer Reports is one of the most influential sources of information for U.S. car shoppers. It once gave the larger Model S its highest rating ever, lending credibility to the upstart maker of electric-powered vehicles — and prompting Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk to declare his love for the magazine. But it went on to withhold its recommendation for that car on the basis of its belowaverage reliability.
Tesla shares dialed back from an earlier gain of as much as 5.3 per cent, and ended the day Monday up 2.8 per cent to US$284.49 in New York. The stock had been rallying after a Berenberg analyst raised his price target to US$500 based in part on the Model 3 costing significantly less to build than the Model S.
Consumer Reports praised the car’s battery range, handling and “exhilarating acceleration” that could make it a strong competitor to performance-oriented luxury makes, such as BMW AG’s 3 Series andtheAudiA4.
But the Model 3’s stiff ride, unsupportive rear seat and excessive wind noise at highway speeds hurt its road-test score. In the compact luxury sedan class, most competitors deliver a more comfortable ride and rear seat.
The Model 3 has faced repeated production delays and manufacturing bottlenecks at both its assembly plant in Fremont, California, and battery production site near Reno, Nevada, which the company says are starting to clear. Tesla delivered 8,180 of the sedans in the first quarter, making it the bestselling electric car in America, and almost a halfmillion people have put down US$1,000 deposits for Model 3s.
Tesla said in February a dual motor version would come at mid-year and a standard battery pack would be available in late 2018. In a letter to shareholders earlier this month, Musk said that the company would begin offering new options such as allwheel drive — and a base model with a standard-sized battery pack — once the company reaches a production rate of 5,000 cars a week. Reservation holders could start configuring all-wheel-drive versions over the weekend, Musk tweeted.
Musk tweeted that a dual-motor, all wheel drive performance version of the Model 3, with all options except for Autopilot, will be US$78,000. The company has yet to manufacture the base version of the car, which is supposed to start at US$35,000 before options or incentives.