Comments on: Tesla’s More-Affordable 4th Production Model To Be Released By 2017

By: Matt Farkas

Matt Farkas — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 21:25:00 +0000

2017!!!!????!!!! i’d emailed them in 2004 (when the fisker fella was still there) and they kept saying “next year, we’ll produce a 20k car… wtf? now i’d settle for a 40k ev… WHERE IS MY CAR?!!!!! and yes, i’d install PVs to power the thing to avoid using coal

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 20:31:00 +0000

Hummm…..

You must have not bought your tires at McTires R Us Mart.

By: mn_test347

mn_test347 — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 20:24:00 +0000

Silly analogy – tires don’t leak every time you drive.

By: mn_test347

mn_test347 — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 20:21:00 +0000

” If you’re really that terrified of running out of juice, buy a small
propane powered generator and keep it in the back of the car.”

It’s not that simple – it would have to meet the DOT regulations for transporting propane.

By: mn_test347

mn_test347 — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 20:18:00 +0000

You can never drive the car from LA to Vegas. Or SF to Tahoe, or…

What you’ve described is an alternative to taking the bus to work.

btw – I saw a Tesla by the side of the freeway this morning. SB 280 just past Magdalena.

By: gjm

gjm — Thu, 29 May 2014 19:08:00 +0000

How can you “for those who cant necessarily “Afford” the S ? did It ever Dawn on u That some people Don’t Necessarily Like a car That Big. I Bet U never seen one ! Its a BIG car Too BIG for Me !

By: $40,000, 200-Mile Electric Car From Tesla? | CleanTechnica

$40,000, 200-Mile Electric Car From Tesla? | CleanTechnica — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:06:22 +0000

[…] in early April, we wrote about Elon Musk’s statement that Tesla would manufacture an affordable electric car about half the price of the Tesla Model S by 2017. At the time, questions that popped up were: Which Model S (i.e. how much, exactly)? What kind of […]

By: San Diego Loves Green – Tesla Model S sales exceeed those of similar models from Mercedes, Audi & BMW

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:36:55 +0000

[…] With the release of its SUV — the Model X — next year and the release of its more-affordable 4th production model sometime around 2017, the future looks very bright for the […]

By: Tesla Model S Sales Much Higher Than Similarly Priced Cars From Mercedes, BMW, & Audi | CleanTechnica

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:02:22 +0000

[…] the release of its SUV — the Model X — next year and the release of its more-affordable 4th production model sometime around 2017, the future looks very bright for the […]

By: Zachary Shahan

Zachary Shahan — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:46:00 +0000

ha, well put!

By: jeffhre

jeffhre — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:17:00 +0000

That’s all true Zach, and in the planning stages that was very important. But at this point you can toss all that out the window with a loud and surly, WHO CARES!!

All I need to know now is that Tesla is an American car company that consistently puts out hardware that is to lust after. Put the posters on the wall and start tossing your pennies in a future car jar, it’s on an cracking man!!!

By: jeffhre

jeffhre — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:07:00 +0000

You go Bob, LOL!!! EV drivers unfortunately need to do quite a bit more planning than conventional ICE vehicles. Clearly that propensity for planning makes random horrible incidents (like running out of gas on a busy highway or explosions at gas stations from the transfer static from car interiors) much less likely. Gotta thank the trolling haters for bring up that difference

By: jeffhre

jeffhre — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:01:00 +0000

petero, I recall reading that the Leaf is built on a separate platform and not based on the Versa at all. In fact now that I consider it. It would be impossible to build batteries into the floor of a Versa and construct a usable car over it like the Leaf.

I have had it in the back of my mind that I would really like to be a Tesla customer when their third gen. vehicle comes out. 2017 is a bit farther out then I had hoped, since my Volt lease will end in 2015.

By: petero

petero — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 20:43:00 +0000

I stand corrected on “never.” I believe Daimler Benz has the first option to buy.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:46:00 +0000

“Bottom line, Tesla will never be a low cost, high volume, price,leader like Honda, Toyota, etc. It will remain a premium marque.”

Making absolute predictions is a risky business.

I’ll agree that it’s not very likely that Tesla will become a manufacturer on the scale of the major car companies. My guess is that a few years from now Elon will have proved his point, making world class EVs and showing everyone else how to do it. At that point I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tesla bought out by Toyota as their upscale EV brand. And then Toyota would build the Camry/Corolla EVs.

After all, Tesla has a close relationship with Toyota. They’re building their cars in a plant co-owned by Tesla and Toyota. Tesla is doing the electrical design for Toyota’s RAV EVs.

Perhaps Toyota will want to use the Tesla label to boost the reputation of their lowest priced EVs. Things could spin out that way and your prediction could bite you in the hindquarters….

By: petero

petero — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 16:04:00 +0000

Affordable or comparable? IMO Tesla Motors emulates the BMW
model structure. Comparing a Model S (MS) and a BMW 5 Series (5) you find
pricing, features, quality very similar. Tesla wants to build high quality, more luxury oriented cars…like BMW. When Tesla comes out with their Gen III EV in a few years it will be comparable to a BMW 3 Series in price, features, quality etc. Gen III will be more expensive than Volts, Leaf(s), small Ford EVs and similar sized, volume ICE vehicles (ie. Camry, Accord, Altima). Keep in mind a Leaf is twice the price of Versa, from which it is based.

Bottom line, Tesla will never be a low cost, high volume, price,
leader like Honda, Toyota, etc. It will remain a premium marque. Personally, I would never use the words‘affordable and Tesla’ in the same sentence unless I am comparing the cost ofrecharging versus gasoline. Approximate cost to fill a 5 with gasoline is $80,to fully charge a MS approx. $15 – both will get you 200-300 miles. BTW, I can drive my 60kWh MS from Thousand Oaks ( So. CA) to San Francisco using the Tesla/Solar City supercharging network. Granted it takes 30-40 minutes (at each station) to supercharge versus 5 minutes at the pump but then again supercharging is free and last I checked Exxon, Shell, Chevron, 76, Mobile isn’t.

I will be the first to admit that a battery electric vehicle
(BEV) at this time and with the current infrastructure, is not the ideal
vehicle for long distance travelling. However, mine has been flawless for
travelling 150 miles a day. “Most” people commute 50 miles or less a day, Toyota did extensive researchand found the average for Prius drivers was 30 miles or less.

By: Michael Schimaneck

Michael Schimaneck — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:08:00 +0000

That’s not how the English language works, Rhod. Further, today’s S model is “affordable” because it’s in the luxury class and priced according to similar models from other companies. Not many people would buy an inferior product at that price tag just because it’s electric.

By: Michael Schimaneck

Michael Schimaneck — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:02:00 +0000

What was so difficult to read here? Zach breaks it down nicely, but if you want a very specific number, then the conservative estimate is about 40k base. If you have the good fortune of living in California and the rebates are still around by the time this new model is released, it’s 30k.

By: agelbert

agelbert — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Give em’ hell, Zach!
:>)

By: agelbert

agelbert — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:11:00 +0000

Well said! :>)