My first ride in a Tesla
The other day, my neighbor gave me a ride in his new Tesla.
There are now three garaged on my street.
I haven’t been in a unique ride like this since President Kennedy’s dentist let me drive his Avanti back in 1963.
My friend’s car is the touted Model 3.
The first thing I noticed is that entering the vehicle can be difficult. I ducked my head way down to avoid hitting the roof and slanted A pillar.
The second standout is its rather large TV-like screen located in the center of the dash. It seems irritatingly too big until you realize there are no gauges in front of the driver. All functions, from the speedometer to the radio controls, take place on this master computer display.
My friend offered to let me drive his futuristic machine, but I respectfully declined since I’m still living in the age of flip phone technology.
We soon began our short journey. There was no sound of a starter motor — only UFO silence, as he backed the
car down the driveway. I noticed just four shift positions also displayed on the touch screen. They were: forward, neutral, reverse and park.
As we cruised down the street, there was a muffled sound of air resistance and the mild hum of tires. A gardener with a leaf blower almost walked into us, as he could not hear the Tesla coming.
“That must be a problem with pedestrians and bicyclists,” I commented.
“It can be,” he replied. We headed down Turner Road, and my neighbor called out, “Play Sinatra.” However, voice technology at this point in development does not always give what you ask. Instead of Sinatra, we got “Drop Kick Me Jesus,” (no kidding) by Bobby Bare. (I Don’t think Old Blue Eyes ever did that one.) However, another vocal try with a request for Johnny Cash was successful. The country singer was serenading about someone serving time in Folsom Prison.
The ride was not the smoothest, but certainly not bad considering Turner Road could probably be rented out as a rattle tester for new car manufacturers. By the way, the Tesla had none.
Leather seats were comfortable, and interior room was adequately spacious for a compact car.
Next, my friend called out a nearby destination, which immediately appeared on the screen. It also included step by step vocal directions. Now that feature was simple and pretty cool. (In contrast, I’m still trying to figure out how to use the GPS in my new Lexus.)
The basic Tesla Model 3 can hit 0-60 in a little more than five seconds, making it faster than a ‘94 Corvette I once owned. With an optional additional motor, this EV can do 3.3 seconds, making it competitive with the best of modern exotic muscle cars.
Drawbacks are few, but important to consider. First of all, the car is a technological marvel, which can be intimidating to older generations. My friend’s wife prefers her Audi, which has more traditional operating procedures. As a matter of fact, my wife prefers her 2006 Lexus in place of driving our high tech new one. Secondly, repairs are only performed by Tesla service centers. The closest I believe is in Rocklin. An extensive specialized tow would be necessary for any operational problems.
Thirdly, and perhaps the most important drawback, is charging. This car is equipped with the optional long-lasting battery, which has about a 300-mile range. Around a 10-hour charge is usually required to bring the sedan from a low battery to full capacity — and that’s with the big 240-volt charger.
There are “super” stations found in various public locations. But even these require a 40-minute wait to bring the car up to 80% capacity. If a location is already occupied, the delay could be much longer. This issue can make extensive trips quite inconvenient.
So, is an all-electric vehicle in my future? As much as I enjoyed my friend’s ride, I’d have to say at this point, the answer is no. I hate wasting time energizing a vehicle.
Five minutes at the Chevron certainly beat what could be hours at a charging station — especially during inclement weather or perhaps while marooned in an undesirable area.