The Tesla Model 3 might be the newest vehicle in the electric automaker's lineup, the "affordable" car starting at $35,000. But as I pushed my foot down on its accelerator, I knew: Yeah, this thing's still a Tesla. There's the silent driving, the signature rapid acceleration, and the semi-autonomous Autopilot functions built right in. The company has been reminding customers that the Model S, its luxury make rolled out in 2012, will remain the flagship sedan, with the fanciest features. But if you’ve lusted after that expensive Model S, you’ll likely be satisfied with the Model 3, too.

This car feels like an automotive tipping point, a sign that electric vehicles (and hopefully, their infrastructure that supports them) have finally come into their own. Time will tell whether Musk & Co. can hit their deadlines and keep production lines humming. (Elon Musk revealed Friday that over half a million people have now plonked down $1,000 to reserve their own.) For now, it looks real nice.

Initially, Tesla is building just two configurations of the car, to keep things as simple on the production line. The base will be the $35,000 version, with a range of 220 miles and acceleration from 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. The “long range” version will go a claimed 310 miles between charges, and do the 0-60 sprint in 5.1 seconds—but it’ll set you back $44,000. Both models come with just one electric motor driving the back wheels. The twin motor, the all-wheel-drive option, will follow in a few months. (In a break from tradition, Tesla won’t talk kilowatt-hour battery sizes, saying that customers understand range in miles better.)

Then there are optional add-ons, which will quickly jack up the price. Turning on Autopilot is $5,000. A premium package, with the fancy glass roof, power adjustable front seats, and wood trim, is another $5,000. If and when Tesla actually enables full self-driving, it will set you back another $3,000.

https://www.wired.com/story/i-drove-a-tesla-model-3/

Great performance, and the range is right in there with the Tesla 3.

My only complaint would be the odd styling. I don't know why some e car designers feel they have to make them so ugly.

However before I would buy something like that I'd want to cover my roofing with solar panels.

Electricity here is horrendously expensive, and gets more costly the more you use.

C'est la vie

but career ambiguity that might send me to Europe for the foreseeable future keeps me from going through with it.

I got to take a Model S out on a closed runway a few years ago, it was an experience for sure.

Cannibalize the refineries and create Teslas out of them. Create wind and solar farms to produce the electricity to power the cars. Divest from all fossil fuels and transfer all costs to progressively-run co-ops that allow this new technology to flourish without profit.

A few years ago from a very sharp friend. Didn't pull the trigger, like a wimp idiot. Within months it was pushing $200.

I've never forgiven myself so I mostly try to ignore the company, and where the stock price is.