Photo: Tesla
It’s been a hell of a week for electric carmaker Tesla, as one of its products became the center of a dispute seldom seen in the industry. At the same time, Tesla Model 3 customers were in for a roller-coaster ride these days as, lacking better topics, various media outlets engaged in a raging battle over the most talked-about electric car of our time.
1. The whole squabble started after Elon Musk announced earlier this week the rather affordable Model 3 will get a much more expensive, high-performance version, featuring a faster dual motor and all-wheel drive. How much more expensive? Double and then some expensive.
Depending on your favorite media outlet, the $78,000 price Elon Musk announced for this variant is either a bargain, or hugely overpriced. In his own words, Musk compared the upgraded Model 3 price with the BMW M3, but added his car is "15% quicker & with better handling.”
Regardless of the contradictory views, what remains is a car allegedly capable of hitting 60 mph from a standstill in 3.5 seconds (slower than the Model S, to be fair), a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a maximum range of 310 miles (500) km.
2. Separately, Consumer Reports (CR) slammed on Monday Tesla Model 3, “the electric automaker’s first attempt at a more affordable mass-market car,” saying it will not recommend the vehicle for purchase. The reasons? Issues with braking, controls, and ride quality.
When testing the car on CR’s 327-acre test facility, braking was found to be “far worse than any contemporary car we’ve tested.” The required stopping distance from 60 mph was found to be 152 feet, longer than the 133 feet Tesla itself says the Model 3 is capable of.
The lack of gauges on the dash and the few buttons in the car was the reason why the organization said the Model 3 failed controls scrutiny, while the stiff ride, unsupportive rear seat, and excessive wind noise at highway speeds did the same for ride quality.
For the record, Consumer Reports seems to have had it in for Tesla for some time now. The two organizations never really saw eye to eye, ever since the Model S was handed a “worse-than-average overall problem rate” back in 2015. Even so, Musk admitted at least the braking problems in the 3 and said the car would get better by means of an over-the-air update.
3. Just before Consumer Reports’ evaluation, an analyst from a German financial institution called Berenberg predicted that Tesla’s shares would jump significantly in the weeks ahead, based on the company’s ability to generate profits on the Model 3.
The Model 3 has never been a car to meet deadlines or expectations. Tesla has been fighting with production issues ever since the car hit the assembly lines. Currently, the company estimates for the Model 3 a delivery time of between six to nine months.
That interval is significantly lower than the one on the table until recently, and production of the car does seem to be on a rebound.
4. Most recently, as in on Friday, Musk registered a website called pravduh.com. He will use it to rate media reports and editors based on their accuracy in reporting Tesla-related news.
So, will CR’s rating make people withdraw their deposits on the Model 3? Will it make them turn to other, less glamorous electric vehicles?
Will the overpriced/bargain $78,000 Model 3 scare people away? Or will it make them have even more confidence in a carmaker capable of offering high-performance versions of its models as well, just like BMW or AMG?
Phineas T. Barnum, a 19th-century American showman and circus owner, is the man who allegedly first ushered the words “there's no such thing as bad publicity.” Or, as Oscar Wilde put it, “the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”
Elon Musk loves to be the talk of the day. The guy even launched a car into space to achieve that. And contradiction works even better for him.
Who’s to say that, not knowing what or who to believe, those in the market for an electric car would not end up buying the 3, just to make up their own minds?
Depending on your favorite media outlet, the $78,000 price Elon Musk announced for this variant is either a bargain, or hugely overpriced. In his own words, Musk compared the upgraded Model 3 price with the BMW M3, but added his car is "15% quicker & with better handling.”
Regardless of the contradictory views, what remains is a car allegedly capable of hitting 60 mph from a standstill in 3.5 seconds (slower than the Model S, to be fair), a top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h) and a maximum range of 310 miles (500) km.
2. Separately, Consumer Reports (CR) slammed on Monday Tesla Model 3, “the electric automaker’s first attempt at a more affordable mass-market car,” saying it will not recommend the vehicle for purchase. The reasons? Issues with braking, controls, and ride quality.
When testing the car on CR’s 327-acre test facility, braking was found to be “far worse than any contemporary car we’ve tested.” The required stopping distance from 60 mph was found to be 152 feet, longer than the 133 feet Tesla itself says the Model 3 is capable of.
The lack of gauges on the dash and the few buttons in the car was the reason why the organization said the Model 3 failed controls scrutiny, while the stiff ride, unsupportive rear seat, and excessive wind noise at highway speeds did the same for ride quality.
For the record, Consumer Reports seems to have had it in for Tesla for some time now. The two organizations never really saw eye to eye, ever since the Model S was handed a “worse-than-average overall problem rate” back in 2015. Even so, Musk admitted at least the braking problems in the 3 and said the car would get better by means of an over-the-air update.
3. Just before Consumer Reports’ evaluation, an analyst from a German financial institution called Berenberg predicted that Tesla’s shares would jump significantly in the weeks ahead, based on the company’s ability to generate profits on the Model 3.
The Model 3 has never been a car to meet deadlines or expectations. Tesla has been fighting with production issues ever since the car hit the assembly lines. Currently, the company estimates for the Model 3 a delivery time of between six to nine months.
That interval is significantly lower than the one on the table until recently, and production of the car does seem to be on a rebound.
4. Most recently, as in on Friday, Musk registered a website called pravduh.com. He will use it to rate media reports and editors based on their accuracy in reporting Tesla-related news.
So, will CR’s rating make people withdraw their deposits on the Model 3? Will it make them turn to other, less glamorous electric vehicles?
Will the overpriced/bargain $78,000 Model 3 scare people away? Or will it make them have even more confidence in a carmaker capable of offering high-performance versions of its models as well, just like BMW or AMG?
Phineas T. Barnum, a 19th-century American showman and circus owner, is the man who allegedly first ushered the words “there's no such thing as bad publicity.” Or, as Oscar Wilde put it, “the only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.”
Elon Musk loves to be the talk of the day. The guy even launched a car into space to achieve that. And contradiction works even better for him.
Who’s to say that, not knowing what or who to believe, those in the market for an electric car would not end up buying the 3, just to make up their own minds?
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