On the Road to Electric with Tesla

Real-world use case

You're hesitant to switch to electric: here's my feedback after 4000 km behind the wheel of my first Tesla.

On the road to electric with Tesla

An enthusiast of the Tesla brand ever since my chance encounter with a Model S in 2012, back then a young driver just starting out in the professional world, that type of vehicle wasn't yet within my reach. With time and perseverance, in 2018 I was lucky enough to be able to pre-order the Tesla Model 3 SR+. However, an unfortunate event occurred: the premature end of my assignment at Thales Service. I had to carefully postpone my transition to electric. Even more determined to keep growing individually and socially in the world of employment, this ultimately led me to start my own business in August 2020 to move forward more effectively. Here I am again in May 2021, fully capable of reaching my second life goal: buying, with no constraints, my first vehicle, a Tesla Long Range (LR), right as I turn 30.

Months of deliberation

As I planned to acquire my new means of transportation, I started thinking it over with my limited automotive knowledge, comparing a new gas-powered Honda Civic 10 against a new electric Tesla Model 3 LR:

• Vehicle reliability rating:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: Top 3 in Europe, JD Power score: 145.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: JD Power score: 176.

• Nearest garage:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: Less than 10 km away.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: More than 150 km away, but the technician comes to you.

• Manufacturer warranty:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: 10 years on the engine.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 8 years on the motors + battery, or 160,000 km.

• Maintenance frequency:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: Once a year, between €100 and €200.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: Once every two years (not mandatory).

• Cost of a tire:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: Between €80 and €120.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: Between €120 and €190.

• Cost of comprehensive insurance with the 3-year new-for-old replacement option:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: €50-90/month.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: €60-100/month.

• NCAP rating:
  • Honda Civic 10 5P Sport Plus: 4 stars.
  • Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 5 stars.

Dealership visits

My take on Honda

In December 2020, I got to check out the fully loaded Honda Civic 10 Sport Plus. The sedan is spacious and visually pleasant. Honda's sporty feel and its (gas) engine reliability have always appealed to me a lot. I liked the rear of the vehicle less, with its somewhat unusual shape. As for the interior, it's just perfect, the fit and finish, the dashboard, and the upholstery really deliver. The same goes for the exterior, with a beautiful, high-quality paint job on top. The offer to buy the Honda Civic was around €33,000 for a fully loaded, sporty, solid, and convincing car.

The Honda salesperson also explained Honda's engine strategy starting in 2021: hybrid. To me, that meant I had to decide within a few days, since these were the last gas-only models. So I also had to think about the reliability of hybrid engines. The problem is I'm not convinced by hybrid technology. To me it looks like a marketing move claiming it gives a bit more range and a better environmental impact on the planet. I think it simply benefits the gas-powered industry so it can keep going a little longer in this ecological disaster. Obviously, I don't want to rush into buying my car, and Honda's outlook on large-scale ecological transition became frankly disappointing.

My take on Tesla

I visited a Tesla dealership in February 2021. The goal was to check out the Model 3 Long Range that my best friend was purchasing. A few years earlier, in October 2019, I'd had the chance to test a developer's Model 3 SR+. More recently, I'd also gotten to see one of my clients' 2020 long-range Model 3. The exterior finish is nearly perfect; sometimes certain body panel alignments aren't perfectly straight, which is disappointing on a vehicle costing more than €50,000. Looking at the car's aerodynamic shape and its wheel covers sitting above the rims, you notice a superb, half-sporty, half-sedan silhouette that allows for longer trips. The colors are also all very pleasant and surprising. Having historically disliked Tesla's red, I actually find it really well done on the Model 3.

The interior finish is also much better done than in previous years, with fewer flaws and better assembly precision. The dashboard, which only has a tablet, delights me, as do the very comfortable steering wheel and upholstery. The many accessories available on the market let the vehicle stand out a bit more. For example, the key fob accessory, available on the Tesla store, seems essential to me.

On top of that, I looked into the reliability of the dual-motor setup and the battery pack. The data seems almost unbelievable, but demanding drivers have shown, under not always easy weather conditions, that it matches the manufacturer's and founder Elon Musk's claims. The value/price/power ratio is simply unbeatable.

The Tesla purchase and delivery process

Buying a Tesla is the polar opposite of traditional automakers, since it all happens online. In my case, I'd already test-driven the Model 3, so all I had to do was configure my order on the manufacturer's website. After that, I had to pay €100 to reserve it, then wait for Tesla's response. Then it was up to me to provide a few administrative documents on my account in order to pay the invoice before delivery. I was lucky enough to receive my vehicle one month after my pre-order.

Delivery takes place at the nearest dealership, in my case, at the Dardilly Service Center. However, Tesla's sales are booming (at the time of writing this article), and the dealership was no longer able to deliver vehicles at its main site. Previously, when my friend received his vehicle in February, there were so many Teslas that they were parked around the dealership, in the street, and in nearby stores' parking lots. It was really crazy, I'd never seen anything like it. So the Dardilly dealership opened a temporary delivery site in Saint Priest to meet demand, which is where I went on June 12, 2021, to pick up my vehicle:

First impressions at 4000 kilometers

The pros

Incredible, insane, blazing fast, magical, words fail me. I no longer hear any noise, I barely brake anymore, and I feel safe with the autopilot's AI. I now favor country roads over highways for my daily commutes. The handling (all-wheel drive) and the vehicle's comfort let me feel more at ease, especially since the regenerative engine braking is impressive and saves a lot of range. What can I say about the outrageous acceleration, 4.4s from 0 to 100 by default, or 3.9s with the "boost" option, pure adrenaline. Braking is also remarkably effective if you ever need to use it. I was lucky enough to receive the Model 3 with a battery pack rated at 614 km WLTP range, compared to my friend's, which was rated at 580 km WLTP in February.

On top of that, Tesla added a wood trim extension on the doors that gives it a more dressed-up style. Three additional changes were also noted: the boombox to customize the horn, a reverse warning sound resembling a flying saucer's noise, and a change to the plastic at the bottom of the doors, which is no longer soft but hard. The seal finishes are also more precise than on the previous 2019, 2020, and Q1 2021 models. Now it's clean, precise, and there's no play. The visibility from inside the cabin is very comfortable, and I really like the minimalist design.

I'd also note that being able to manage your car via the app is nice, most people today use and love their phone every day. On top of that, service requests are made from the app, which is simple and effective overall. Of course, safety features, DashCam, sentry mode, and PIN code, let you drive, park, and start the car with more peace of mind. Finally, being able to upgrade your car helps keep your investment relevant over time.

The cons

Delivery conditions weren't ideal. It took place in a huge but fairly dark hangar, with hundreds of Teslas parked so close to each other that it's impossible to get your car out if it's at the end of a row, which was my case. When inspecting the car, you sometimes find fit gaps in places that normally require great precision (e.g., door handle, rear or front trunk, door seal trim, etc…). In my case, I had the following issues at delivery:

1. A small dent on the body panel on the driver's side door.
2. A poorly cut door seal trim on the passenger door.

My best friend explained that during the first 15 days, you shouldn't let anything slide and should report every issue via the app, since the buyer has the legal right to withdraw. Later, I also noticed an issue in the right corner of the touchscreen, a slight defect that wasn't visible in the too-dark hangar. On top of that, my right rear light, which wasn't watertight, let in water in the days following delivery of the Model 3. I also noticed a slight misalignment on the front trunk when standing in front of the hood, viewed from above.

The biggest problem I noticed, and for me a major, worrying issue, is the body paint. The everyday small gravel chips lift the paint at a lightning pace. A big disappointment regarding the paint's durability.

We should also mention the alarm's high sensitivity. Indeed, whenever a fly is inside the cabin, the alarm goes off every time. So I check for flying insects to avoid unwanted triggers. There is, however, a solution by disabling the lift and intrusion alarm, but I don't want to lower the everyday security level.

Software updates can break or regress certain features. In my case, I noticed a bug during a particularly tricky parking maneuver between a car and a fence during my seaside vacation. I had to fold in the mirrors to park, and I had trouble getting out of the car. It wouldn't turn off its lights. Maybe the spot didn't suit it, some rose bushes were touching the rear body panel. To fix the issue, I manually switched the lights to "off" then back to "auto". My best friend had his radar detection disabled after the last update, fortunately, I didn't have that problem.

Conclusion on my choice

I'll start my conclusion by focusing specifically on the issues found at delivery. In my opinion, this is possibly due to order volumes being too high for Tesla. One can imagine that quality control on manufactured parts isn't as strict on certain elements anymore, in order to boost productivity. Tesla is therefore exposed to more or less significant issues and must redouble its efforts to ensure quality after-sales service. When bringing the car in for service, it's clear that the manufacturer replaces and adjusts the defective parts after delivery. I myself went to the Tesla Dardilly service center. When dropping off the vehicle, you can enjoy a desk with Guest wifi access, and to me that's also part of the customer service I strongly recommend.

Since the manufacturer is young in the auto industry, innovation also comes with defects. What matters most is fixing the issues so everyone is satisfied. However, there are things I don't accept, particularly the very poor quality of the paint on the vehicle's aluminum, that may explain it, but what a disappointment! Model 3 owners have two choices: accept the situation and wait for the complaints in the USA to lead to paint recalls possibly arriving in Europe one day. Or repaint it themselves once it's too damaged and apply a PPF film. The fragility of the body panel is hard for me to accept.

On a more positive note, the Superchargers are really efficient and well distributed; the network isn't undersized, quite the opposite. There are always chargers available, especially since unjustified occupancy fees are in place to discourage inconsiderate drivers. The cost is reasonable for a charge covering about 300 km, around €14. The best option would obviously be to charge at home, but I don't yet have a charging station in my apartment. Based on the current cost per kWh, the bill could be cut by at least half, about €7 for 300 km. Not bad!

For my part, I'm happy to no longer stop at gas stations. I feel like I'm starting something new by consuming differently and using cleaner energy. Going forward, a possible evolution in a few years would be to own my own solar panel array, my own battery storage kit, and a fast charger to produce my own energy autonomously and cleanly.

I remain, of course, very satisfied with my Model 3; I'll likely forget its few flaws very quickly, since they were all addressed by the manufacturer. I'll indeed have paint issues again, it'll chip off with gravel impacts. For now, if I had to do it again, I'd buy a Tesla again without hesitation.