Tesla Model 3’s are everywhere.

tahoebum

Well-known member
Albatross 2024 Club
Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
19,306
Reaction score
13,201
Location
MN and FL
Handicap
1.8
I’m somewhat surprised at how common Tesla Model 3’s have become in the last 17 months since we moved to Minneapolis. I looked up their sales and found out that with only 3 models they sold more cars in the US than Mercedes last quarter and are also now outselling all BMW models as well. They are on pace to sell 400,000 cars this year with most of those being Models 3’s. It will be interesting to see if they remain the dominant EV car with dozens of other models being introduced in they next couple years.

Here’s a couple graphs that shows the growth in sales since Q1 2018 compared to other luxury brands. They are on pace to sell about 100,000 cars(all 3 Models) this quarter with about 80% of those being U.S sales.

They are no longer just a niche luxury brand and I’m looking forward to seeing what the competition will bring in new electric vehicles.


3A32612A-A4CB-4D3B-BC7F-2BAFB2F8A9E1.jpeg5FB808D3-32B3-418C-A54B-95730F05DC69.jpeg
 
The only thing luxury about the Model 3 is the price :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
I completely agree that they are spartan compared to Audi or BMW but the people that I know that own Model 3s bought them for performance and cost of ownership. Hard to find very many small sedans that have a 3.2 second 0-60 time.
 
I completely agree that they are spartan compared to Audi or BMW but the people that I know that own Model 3s bought them for performance and cost of ownership. Hard to find very many small sedans that have a 3.2 second 0-60 time.

I don't believe most are buying the model 3 for it's 60 time...Especially with who and wear it is being purchased. And you are at 60k to get anywhere near that time, which is also hysterical, considering this was their 30k car...:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I enjoy their cooled seats, heated steering wheels and blind spot assist lights...Oh wait :oops:
 
Have fun. Gonna pass until all the kinks are worked out.

 
I take it from those images that Mercedes don't sell the A-Class in the US? If they do, why aren't those figures included in the sales when they include the BMW 2 series and Audi A3 which are comparable sized vehicles?

From what I have seen of them, I personally think they are plain and bland(inside and out), not very comfortable and not a car that I would consider if I was looking for a new one, especially at the price they are charging - I know that other marquee brands have vehicles at similar prices once you spec them all similarly, but in terms of quality I feel there are a lot better cars than Tesla
 
I see a lot of them, for the price I will stick with my chevy volt for another few years.
 
I don't believe most are buying the model 3 for it's 60 time...Especially with who and wear it is being purchased. And you are at 60k to get anywhere near that time, which is also hysterical, considering this was their 30k car...:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I enjoy their cooled seats, heated steering wheels and blind spot assist lights...Oh wait :oops:

I certainly don't profess to know the motivations for all Tesla owners, but the dozen or so owners that I'm acquainted with all express acceleration as a major factor in their decision to buy. I wouldn't drive a Model S if it wasn't one of the fastest sports sedan on the market. BTW, a $70,000 M4 is more expensive than the performance Model 3 and still a lot slower with a 4.0 0-60mph time.

As I said in the OP, I'm surprised that Tesla is has grown so quickly and is now selling 380,000 cars when they only sold $48,000. More shockingly, they turned a decent profit last quarter and their stock is up 16% today after posting earnings. I was a little worried they might go bankrupt in the next year or two.
 
Last edited:
I certainly don't profess to know the motivations for all Tesla owners, but the dozen or so owners that I'm acquainted with all express acceleration as a major factor in their decision to buy. I wouldn't drive a Model S if it wasn't one of the fastest sports sedan on the market. BTW, a $70,000 M4 is more expensive than the performance Model 3 and still a lot slower with a 4.0 0-60mph time.

As I said in the OP, I'm surprised that Tesla is has grown so quickly and is now selling 380,000 cars when they only sold $48,000. More shockingly, they turned a decent profit last quarter and their stock is up 16% today after posting earnings. I was a little worried they might go bankrupt in the next year or two.

They still could if their “main man” gets to continue to spout absolute lies like the price tag and taking the company private. If that happened in golf, people would be shouting from the rooftops on here about the disgusting habits. Instead it’s “oh he’s eccentric”. :)
 
Couple friends have Model 3s. I find them to be overpriced and the fit & finish is worse than my 15 year old Acura.

That said, the thing rips, they all love their cars, and feel like it was money well spent so Tesla is doing something right
 
I think credit goes to how Tesla as a brand was brought to market along with the timing of EV popularity/climate change/etc.

They introduced it as something bright, shiny, and expensive (exclusivity): Things the rich love. Model S was just that. Then the Model X and the cool factor of the gullwing doors. Once those two cars established Tesla as a valid car manufacturer where the rich were flocking to buy, they introduce the "budget friendly" Model 3, where now the above average consumer can afford one. This is likely why you see more Model 3's than the S or the X. When the Model Y comes out, that'll be the next new and shiny toy that everyone will want, and you'll see less Model 3's on the road. Compact SUV's are the hot item right now. The Model Y will definitely be a hot seller provided Tesla can deliver the car in time.

Personally, I like the look of Tesla Cars; specifically the Model X. Can I afford one? Nope. Do I want one? Yes. The 0-60 is a cool feature, but not a requirement.
 
Acceleration would be the number 1 reason I would buy a Tesla. Looks fun.
 
The prereq for people in ohio buying them is apparently being a terrible driver.

Not looking into the numbers, but I'd have to think the vast vast majority of those sales are to CA residents?
 
Def not something im at all going to look into investing my money in buying. I will burn fossil fuels
 
They still could if their “main man” gets to continue to spout absolute lies like the price tag and taking the company private. If that happened in golf, people would be shouting from the rooftops on here about the disgusting habits. Instead it’s “oh he’s eccentric”. :)

I still can't get over that they're allowed to include "gas savings" in their pricing on their website.
 
didn't they have major production issues the previous years? fixing those would boost current numbers with a tailoff in the near future?

regardless, I've got my eye on electrics. 30k miles a year and gas ain't cheap here
 
I rented one from Turo while in San Francisco. Drove it for 3 days and the instant torque is pretty amazing. The tech in it is a lot of fun and I did get quite used to the spartan interior. All that said, it just wasn't a fun ride. There are times when I wanted to let it out but I'm thinking about how much it will take to recharge so I ended up driving pretty conservatively. If recharging was faster and more convenient (and you'd think in a city like San Francisco, it would be - it's NOT), maybe I would have had more fun. The ride itself is ok but I still prefer my MB. In fairness, my MB is all wheel drive, this Tesla 3 was RWD.

I did try auto-pilot and that's scary as hell. It cut someone off while merging and changing lanes is NOT subtle. I will never use auto-pilot on that thing.
 
Wow it's crazy the auto pilot drives like normal drivers then haha

It was nuts. We were merging from the on ramp and I kept saying to my wife...is it going to merge, is it going to merge, am I going to have to take...BOOM, cuts in. Like HARD left. Got a honk. Not an abusive, lean on honk but an "Oh, you're driving, not driving, a Tesla", kind of honk. :rolleyes:
 
yes they everywhere. But, they are completely impractical, hideous to look at and quite frankly who needs 0-60 in 2.5 seconds anywhere? Want great cost f ownership??? Buy a honda or Toyota, max it out and save your $30k
 
I take it from those images that Mercedes don't sell the A-Class in the US? If they do, why aren't those figures included in the sales when they include the BMW 2 series and Audi A3 which are comparable sized vehicles?
They do, as a 2019 model currently as the A220. Starting price is around $33,000

As I said in the OP, I'm surprised that Tesla is has grown so quickly and is now selling 380,000 cars when they only sold $48,000. More shockingly, they turned a decent profit last quarter and their stock is up 16% today after posting earnings. I was a little worried they might go bankrupt in the next year or two.
I wonder how much of this growth is spillover from the backlog and artificial demand that was created by its initial scarcity. While quarterly sales numbers are certainly informative, I wonder how many people will be repeat Tesla buyers. Stated differently, the Q numbers do not reflect brand loyalty, which is a huge factor in the new car sales business.

I have flirted with the idea of buying a Model 3. My buddy has one and I have driven it. Its a nice car, but not for me at the out the door price.
 
I really believe my next commuter car (with four wheels) will be electric. I’m not sure which electric it will be, and Tesla is on the table, but I’m sure I’ll find something with a better value.
 
I really believe my next commuter car (with four wheels) will be electric. I’m not sure which electric it will be, and Tesla is on the table, but I’m sure I’ll find something with a better value.

It's not a particularly attractive car at all (and in my opinion neither is the model 3) but a coworker has the Chevy Bolt and it is a very solid car. Build quality feels better than the Model 3 I got a ride in.

I think Tesla's biggest issue will be when the other manufacturers start releasing cars with close to the same range.
 
The bigger challenge that will become more prevalent is that the power grid cannot deliver the energy for an all electric vehicle population.

Granted all electric across the board is a while away, but there are limits and those limits will be noticed AFTER they are exceeded.

i.e. my 20 neighbors and I all have EVs! Then #21 shows up and there isn't enough juice from the transformer that serves all of us. Oops.
 
We have local provincial (stat) & federal incentives for EVs under $40k (Canadian). The problem with the Tesla 3 is that the base model is the only one under $40k but that's ONLY the RWD model. I've had 1 RWD car here through the winter - it was the last.
 
Back
Top