150,000km in a Tesla Model 3. Supplied
In September the Model 3 will have been in Australia for three years, and one of the earliest owners of a Tesla Model 3 in Australia has now done 150,000km and declares he has been pleasantly surprised by its reliability and how cheap it is to run.
In a Facebook post, “Dev Raga” (not his real name) said: “I treat it like sh-t. Yes, I treat it like sh-t. It’s my daily driver. It has driven on freeways, rural roads, dirty roads, and occasional burn outs when I blitz other “normal” cars.”
Talking later to The Driven, Dev explains more about why he chose a Tesla Model 3, and what his ownership experience and costs have been like.
In a job that required 50,000-60,000km a year on the road, he says that he decided an electric car would make sense because it would be cheaper to run than an ICE (internal combustion engine) car: he would be able to charge it at home, and it wouldn’t have the same servicing requirements.
In 2019 there were only a few electric models available for under $70,000, and up against its main competitors of the time, he describes the Model 3 as “formidable.”
“It was (relatively) cheap when I bought it,” he says (he says he paid $60,000 plus GST for the Standard Range Plus.)
“I like cars, but I also like investing – I wouldn’t buy an expensive car just yet, I am in my 30s, so want to build wealth and accumulate. Cars are depreciating assets. The main reason I bought the Model 3 SR+ is for me it was cost effective, and I will save money in the long run, and it’s just easier to drive and use.”
Having extensively researched what EVs were on offer at the time, he’d decided he needed at least 180-250km range. And with the majority of his driving on freeways, he says that with Autopilot as a standard feature made sense.
He was also impressed with the basic features – even the “entry level” Standard Range Plus comes with eight cameras for security and reverse parking, electronic seats and tailgate, seat memory, touchscreen with built-in Spotify (not to mention a whole slew of fun additions like Caraoke, video games and “Emissions Testing” (fart mode), remote climate control, and a panoramic glass roof.
“Basic features of Model 3 were above standard than of comparable ICE cars like Mercedes and BMW and Audi,” he says.
Dev’s Tesla Model 3. Supplied
Now nearly three years into ownership, he says there are still plenty of things he loves about the car. In no particular order, he lists:
- Ease of use – most things just work.
- Basic features above standard for comparable cars
- Software updates – like driving a new car every month. I get almost monthly updates.
- Sat nav is excellent, with live traffic.
- Storage – I can fit 12 large pizzas, 4 drink bottles, and 3 garlic breads in the frunk. Huge storage capacity compared to almost any ICE car.
- Charge infrastructure and free supercharging have been useful for long-distance driving.
- The whole concept of a car has changed. For me it’s a digital device.
- The display – it’s clear, easy to use, and all this noise about it being off-centre – it’s no problem for me. I like the clear vision when driving (or when it’s driving).
- The reliability, I am quite surprised I only have serviced it once the entire time for $400. Its so reliable, which is a pleasant surprise.
That said, there are some things he hasn’t loved about the car.
“The autopilot has phantom braking, he says. “It can be daunting initially, but doesn’t happen too frequently.”
He’s also not a fan of the automatic high beam. “Auto high beam is the worst I have ever used. I can’t believe Tesla can’t get this basic function right,” he says, adding he feels the same way about the auto wipers, which he says are “a load of rubbish. I have never driven a car which has such bad wipers.”
While there has been much talk about Tesla’s build quality, he is neutral: “Some people complain of build quality,” he says. “I don’t mind, I think it’s ok.”
Keeping the car charged has not been difficult, he says. Charging the car most of the time at home on a daily basis to 90% (it is a Fremont-made vehicle with NCA battery), he says he also uses free public fast chargers near his workplace.
“My off peak rates are low, and it has scheduled night time charging. I plug it in every day. It keeps the battery health up.”
He adds: “I’ve only supercharged it twice ever. When I went on longer trips, I was amazed how quick it charges.” The fastest he charged was from 20-80% in 10minutes at the Geelong supercharger.
These days, with fuel prices soaring, Dev says that, “Every time I drive past a petrol station I giggle now. I did not realise how expensive fuel has been until recently. It’s not something I think about very much.”
His opinion is that anyone who is looking to spend $60,000 or so on a car “have to consider an EV. It’s a no brainer. I save around $6,000 per year in running costs.”
In 150,000km worth of driving he has done one tyre change costing $1,500 on all 4 tyres with high spec Michelins.
“They are expensive. Tyre costs are standard for all cars, and I (chose a) high end product due to my driving habits. I need good reliable all condition tyres.”
Driving as much as 1,000km a week, we also asked Dev why he hadn’t considered Tesla’s Full Self-Driving package, which currently costs an additional $10,100 in Australia.
“I think FSD is not worth it for what it is,” is his answer. “I don’t think it’s ready yet, and the (price is) so high. They need a subscription model, and provide more value otherwise for the price – it’s very expensive for what it delivers which is quite basic.”
Keyword: Reliable and cheap to run: 150,000km in a Tesla Model 3