MODEL 3 POWERS THROUGH THE HYPE
Amid Tesla’s woes, company’s entry level ride ‘sweet introduction’ to the EV crowd
I’m quite possibly the first person to “Autopilot” a Tesla Model 3 along Hamilton’s Nikola Tesla Boulevard.
As the car steers, obediently follows traffic and changes lanes on request, many questions pop up. Will this “affordable” massmarket, compact electric sedan from the house of Elon Musk finally bring profitability to Tesla Motors? How long do I have to wait if I order a Tesla Model 3 tomorrow? And why does Hamilton have a Nikola Tesla Boulevard?
Answers: 1) Tesla needs to produce 5,000 Model 3s per week. Currently it’s less than half that. 2) There’s a four- to sixmonth wait in Ontario as of June 2018. 3) Hamilton was the first Canadian city to adopt alternating current, which was invented by Nikola Tesla. The boulevard was named in his honour (helped along with money raised by Tesla car owners) in June 2016. There have been reports of quality issues with the Model 3, but I don’t see any evidence of that in this car we rented from a private owner through Turo. The body panel gaps look consistent, and while the interior is a remarkably minimalist affair with no complex angles or panel fits, it looks and feels well screwed together. And it sure feels like the future in here. A huge 15-inch central touch screen hovers over the horizontal dash architecture, and that’s it. There are no traditional gauges, buttons, knobs or even HVAC vents. The vents are incorporated into a broad slit that runs from one door panel to the other. Air direction is controlled by finger swipes on the touch screen, and it’s a wonderfully effective system, distributing air evenly and quietly.
With its huge glass roof, the cabin is remarkably airy and outward visibility is generally good, although the thick A-pillars impede your view into left-hand corners.
What of the promise of an affordable Tesla for the masses? The base price of a 2018 Model 3 in Canada is $45,600, but that trim level isn’t available yet. To streamline production, Tesla is only producing cars with the $11,900 Long Range battery and $6,600 Premium Upgrade package that adds such goodies as heated power front seats, leatherette upholstery, panoramic glass roof, and an excellent premium audio system.
This car also has the $6,600 Enhanced Autopilot, which is the best semi-autonomous system I’ve experienced. The Model 3 follows traffic in a natural, seamless manner; there’s no wandering within the lane and no sudden acceleration spurts from the adaptive cruise. Still, don’t defy Elon by not putting your hands back on the wheel when told. I got shut out, scolded by a alert that said, “Autosteer unavailable for the rest of the drive — hold steering wheel warning has been ignored.” Uh, sorry, eh.
The batteries are located under the floor, and the rear-mounted electric motor that drives the rear wheels makes 221 horsepower and an estimated 302 pound-feet of torque. For those who haven’t driven an electric car, the Model 3 would be a sweet introduction. While not as blisteringly fast as the big brother Model S, the 3 is still quick, and unlike most turbocharged and multi-geared gas drivetrains that require a few beats to wake up when the throttle is pressed, this little Tesla surges ahead on an instant and silent wave of torque from any speed. You want throttle response? This writes the book. Handling is sharp, too, thanks to a centre of gravity similar to that of a Mazda MX-5 Miata, rear-wheel drive and quick, direct steering. It’s fun to carve the corners and feel the torque push you along, but ultimate roadholding is limited by the eco Michelin Primacy tires. Unlike the German players in this premium compact segment, the Tesla’s ride gets noisy over less-than-perfect surfaces and a bit too much vibration reaches the cabin. However, ride quality is said to improve if you reduce the tire’s air pressure from the optimally efficient 42 psi to a more forgiving 36 psi.
With the regenerative braking in the more aggressive setting, you can zip around town without having to touch the brake pedal much at all — only when coming to a full stop.
A Tesla Model 3 with the long-range battery is pegged to travel almost 500 kilometres on a charge, although the strategy with EVs is to keep topping them up. Few cars in history have been burdened with so much hype, expectation and controversy, yet despite all this baggage, the Tesla Model 3 bursts through as an exceptionally well-engineered, easy and fun-to-drive day-to-day EV that excites with its future vision. Yes, there are a few ergonomic niggles; buyers in this bracket expect blind-spot detection, and the car could use an extra layer of chassis refinement. However, the big question is whether Musk can keep his boat afloat. I hope so, because the Model 3 deserves to survive.