My First Experience Riding In A Tesla Model 3

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I have never been a car person. In fact, I never was interested in owning a car and always thought I never would.

Having grown up without a car (we used public transit), driving was something I never thought I really needed to learn. So I didn’t.

I had zero interest in cars. Until Tesla.

I have been a fan of Tesla for a little over a year now and have interacted with many wonderful people: fans, shareholders, and owners. Elon Musk has changed the way many people, including myself, think about the way we interact with cars and driving.

Wade Anderson is one of those awesome Tesla owners. Wade is embarking on a journey that will take him all across North America — from Mexico into the US and then Canada.

This journey is so huge that he is even holding a contest to see who can guess how many miles the trip is. And it could set a record for the Model 3 when it comes to the most miles accumulated on a road trip.

Many Tesla owners, business owners, as well as friends and supporters have sponsored prizes for those who guess close to the right number. This is a two-month-long journey that has a lot of stops.

Stopping In Baton Rouge

Wade had never been to Baton Rouge before and I had never ridden in a Model 3 before. I sat in one back in November when TesLatino came through. (It was 1:00 AM and I saw Summon for the first time in person!)

Eve, Wade’s Tesla, is a Performance Model 3, which accelerates from 0–60 mph in just three seconds.

The Baton Rouge Adventure

Meeting another Tesla friend in person is always exciting, and seeing a Tesla in my driveway was a thrilling experience. Our journey started in my driveway as we took a video and selfies with Elon Musk. Well, it wasn’t actually the real Elon, but rather a cardboard cutout that is Wade’s traveling partner.

After selfies under my neighbor’s banana tree, Wade demonstrated just how fast his Tesla could go, and it was a thrill. Then we went to the Tesla Supercharger on Perkins.

At the Supercharger, Wade showed me how to use the charger. I’ve pumped gas once or twice for a friend’s car, and in comparison, charging a Tesla is quicker and has no overwhelming smell. In fact, the charger was lightweight.

While Eve got her “food,” we had lunch at Acme Oyster House. Fried crawfish tails, jambalaya, and gumbo along with a lively conversation with our server about Wade’s trip and Tesla made the time seem to fly.

After the meal, I learned how to operate the Tesla door handle. (Wade opened it for me earlier.) We also went down to the pier and the levee.

We parked by the Louisiana Science and Art Museum, which is across from the old state capitol. Down by the river was an idyllic scene. The Mississippi was a bit high, but there was a riverboat docked at the pier.

After we left the riverfront, Wade and I went back to my neighborhood. On the way there, he showed me Autopilot. I was completely amazed at how smooth the computer was as it drove and took control. We made a left turn and Wade quickly took over again.

Hanging with @WadeAndersonPT in Baton Rouge and Tesla's Autopilot takes an easy left turn on to the Acadian Thrwy #BatonRouge pic.twitter.com/X1BfaiFAbb

— Johnna (@JohnnaCrider1) June 20, 2019

In my neighborhood, Wade demonstrated the insane speed: 0–60 in less than 3 seconds and the whole neighborhood was curious. The folks (my neighbors and friends) over at Owen’s Deli, a local hole-in-the-wall type of soul food place, got to experience the Model 3 for the first time as well.

Mr. Green, one of the owners of Owens, got to sit in the driver’s seat and see the whole dash setup. The main question everyone was asking was, “Does every Tesla come with that big computer?”

Joanna Ballard, my other neighbor, who met Raphael (TesLatino), reminded us about the frunk while Mr. Green got a chuckle out of Fart Mode — which is one feature I didn’t get to experience (we forgot!).

I got to see Sentry Mode in action also when it alerted Wade to some events. One of those events was me — I got busted checking out his Model 3.

All in all, it was a pretty fun day. Both Wade and I shared our perspectives of the journey and you can watch his video below for more on that.

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My Thoughts On The Model 3

It is a beautiful car. Seeing it in my driveway that day gave me a head rush. Later on when we returned from the riverfront, seeing the looks of curiosity and awe on the faces of my neighbors was also a bit of a rush.

I was highly impressed with the Autopilot as it navigated through Louisiana traffic with ease. As someone who hasn’t driven, the idea of traffic kind of terrifies me — but I am pretty confident in Tesla’s Autopilot and the tech behind it.

I think one of the coolest things is Summon simply because it’s fun to watch the expressions on people’s faces as the car slowly follows behind. Wade happily explained the tech and how it worked to several of my neighbors who have never had a Tesla experience.

When I do learn to drive, my first car will be a Tesla.