“15 Years” With The Tesla Mannequin 3

What’s it like proudly owning a Tesla Mannequin 3? Moreover, everyone knows what’s nice a couple of Mannequin 3, however what ought to a brand new proprietor be careful for or concentrate on? It relies on who you ask — totally different house owners have totally different experiences. Some experiences are extra widespread than others, although, and a few are extra notable. On CleanTechnica, eight of our writers have a Tesla Mannequin 3 (myself included). 5 of us have written up 3-year evaluations of our vehicles. I’m utilizing all of these experiences right here (in addition to another assessment articles from these writers) for a abstract piece on Tesla Mannequin 3 possession. Therefore the “15 years” within the title.

Photograph by Zach Shahan | CleanTechnica

Particularly, I’m specializing in 7 issues to be careful for or concentrate on. First, although, I’ll present just a little extra information on the range of our vehicles when it comes to trim stage and geographic location.

Three of us have a Mannequin 3 Normal Vary Plus (SR+). We stay in Florida, Hawaii, and Australia. (So, no chilly climates for these of us who didn’t really feel a necessity for longer vary.) One in every of us has a Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary AWD. He lives in Utah within the winter and Wisconsin in the summertime, and he goes between these properties along with his Mannequin 3 and two ebikes on the again. The final considered one of us has a Mannequin 3 Lengthy Vary RWD — should you recall, this was an choice for a brief time frame 4 years in the past. He lives in Denmark. (We even have one other author who has this Lengthy Vary RWD choice as properly, however he hasn’t written a 3-year assessment of it. Additionally, he only recently get into a nasty accident with it — somebody ran a pink mild after which into the aspect of his automotive with him, his spouse, and his youngsters in it. After a lot deliberation, they did resolve to purchase one other Mannequin 3.)

7 Issues To Watch Out For (Or At Least Be Conscious Of)

New electrical automotive tires on my Tesla Mannequin 3. Photograph by Zach Shahan | CleanTechnica.

1. Your tires will get eaten up. I believe the largest shock for a lot of Mannequin 3 house owners is how rapidly tires want changed, particularly the primary set of tires. After simply two years and about 17,000 miles, I needed to have my tires changed, and that was inside the norm in accordance with Tesla Service. (It was a lot before I anticipated.) My daughters’ tennis coach, who acquired a Mannequin 3 a few years after me, simply needed to have his tires changed at about 18,000 miles and he was shocked and upset about it. In brief, it’s a part of the possession expertise, nevertheless it’s at the very least good to find out about it forward of time. (Observe that we’ve had some readers who personal Teslas who say their tires lasted for much longer. I don’t understand how that’s the case, however there could also be components equivalent to local weather, highway high quality, or driving habits at play.) One factor I’ve completed since changing that preliminary set of tires is go away pink lights at a extra “regular” tempo (not just like the Street Runner). Nonetheless, I’m now approaching 36,000 miles and I’m afraid this second set of tires may have changed quickly.

2. The 2 aero shields underneath your automotive will not be tremendous robust. One other factor that stunned that tennis coach I simply talked about additionally stunned our Utah author … a few instances. The aero protect on the underside of the automotive tore off. There are literally two aero shields down there beneath the battery — a entrance aero protect and a again aero protect — and our Utah author had them each tear off. Sadly, they aren’t essentially the most sturdy items of the automotive.

Our Utah author, a retired NASA worker who had a hand within the well-known Blue Marble footage of the Earth that we’re all conversant in, had one tear off from a steep driveway. That is seemingly what occurred with the tennis coach’s aero protect as properly — however he didn’t understand it was lacking till that they had his automotive in service to interchange the tires, so he’s not completely clear when or the place it occurred. Within the case of the Utah author, they changed the rear aero protect in 2021 with a brand new, higher model that’s presupposed to be extra sturdy. Nonetheless, he just lately drove via some fairly excessive snow and misplaced the opposite aero protect. It was once more changed with the brand new, higher model. Solely one of many aero shields got here off of the tennis coach’s automotive, however the Tesla Service technicians mentioned they wanted to interchange each. Maybe they’ve found it’s simply higher to do them each whereas doing one, or maybe there was extra injury there that warranted it.

Photograph by Zach Shahan | CleanTechnica.

3. Change the cabin air filter! As many Tesla Mannequin 3 house owners will inform you, after some time, the air in your automotive will start to stink. Particularly in my case and the case of one other considered one of our writers who lives in Southwest Florida, Florida’s notorious swampland humidity tends to result in the buildup of mildew within the air filter. After my spouse complained concerning the scent in our automotive for a bit, I realized about the issue and Tesla Service changed our air filter. I swore they informed me at the moment to try this every year, however after we had them change it final time, 5 months in the past, the service worker indicated it was fairly filthy (the dirtiest he had seen shortly) and he informed me it needs to be changed each 6 months. Sadly, most Tesla house owners don’t know about this, as there’s no reminder (past unhealthy smelling air) and Tesla doesn’t appear to inform folks about this after they choose up a brand new automotive. So, hat tip: be proactive about it and get your air filter modified each 6 months, particularly should you stay in a moist local weather.

4. Full sunshields extremely suggested in scorching climates. Talking of scorching and humid locations, the glass roof, as lovely as it’s, permits loads of warmth. As much as about 30 levels Celsius (86 levels Fahrenheit), it’s not an enormous deal. Nonetheless, once you begin climbing above that, it’s letting in loads of warmth. Round 35 levels Celsius (95 levels Fahrenheit), the glass itself is scorching scorching from the within (don’t contact it) and you’ll really feel the warmth wafting in should you put your hand close to the glass. A tip I realized from a cleantech scientist in Cocoa Seashore, Florida — Danny Parker — is to place sunshields underneath the glass roof within the hotter months of the 12 months. Fortunately, I acquired a full set of those from EVANNEX and so they work wonders. Half of the 12 months, we have now them suction-cupped underneath the glass and the consolation stage is immeasurably higher. They make a world of distinction! (Truly, I’m scripting this inside my automotive proper now, the temperature has climbed to 33 levels Celsius, and it’s clearly time to deploy the sunshields once more. It has simply began rising above 30 levels noon right here, and the distinction in consolation is dramatic in comparison with every week or two in the past — not in a great way.)

Naturally, you can too attempt tinting the glass roof greater than it’s tinted from the manufacturing facility. I do know that may assist, however I’m undecided it’s nearly as good of an answer because the sunshields. I’ve been informed it’s useful however not completely efficient in very popular climates like Southwest Florida.

5. Tesla Full Self Driving (FSD) is, properly, a wildcard. I used to be fortunate sufficient to get FSD on the “low value” of $6,000. These days, it prices $15,000. Sadly, by now, based mostly on what Elon Musk was saying on the time I purchased my automotive, my Tesla Mannequin 3 was presupposed to be robotaxi-capable … and it’s not. I actually loved a number of the progress the tech was making for a few years, doing issues like Sensible Summon races to get pleasure from and take a look at out new capabilities. Nonetheless, like many, I’ve been fairly disenchanted with FSD (Beta) and its progress (or lack thereof) up to now 12 months and a half. I was extraordinarily bullish on Tesla FSD, however I’ve shifted to extra bearish than bullish. There are numerous like me, whereas there are nonetheless many who’re very bullish on Tesla’s strategy. Whether or not you might be bearish or bullish at this level, although, it’s a clear undeniable fact that the capabilities are years behind what Elon Musk was predicting in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and even 2020. The underside line is: FSD is a wildcard. Whether or not you’re impressed to get it or not, simply don’t count on an excessive amount of from it. Expectations are the basis of most of our unhappiness! For the time being, a handful of our Mannequin 3 house owners have FSD (Beta) however seldom or virtually by no means use it. One in every of our group members makes use of it loads and may be very enthusiastic about it, however even he has in the reduction of his utilization of it in comparison with final 12 months. We’ll see if issues change a lot for our group with Model 11, and we’ll you’ll want to actually doc issues!

6. In case your digital camera feed and trunk popper get glitchy … you might be eligible for a legit recall. Tesla has had quite a few “recollects” up to now few years, however there was just one precise bodily recall for Mannequin 3 house owners that I keep in mind. The wiring harness contained in the trunk was not constructed to final and wanted changed. Curiously, signs of this drawback popped up for me a number of months earlier than the recall was issued. Once I looked for different folks having issues I used to be having, I discovered no outcomes. My points included the backup digital camera feed not exhibiting on my touchscreen and the trunk not opening — not from the app, the touchscreen, the skin deal with, or something apart from the guide security latch contained in the trunk. These options and others are linked to wires that stretch into the trunk of the automotive. Though they mounted my automotive months earlier than the recall, the problems was apparently new sufficient again then that they hadn’t but labored out a greater system, so I needed to have the wiring harness changed a second time as soon as the recall was issued. When you have a Tesla that faces such issues, maybe the recall service was by no means carried out in your automotive or maybe your automobile was not within the recall window however wants the repair anyway. Additionally, frankly, we don’t know for certain if the improved wiring harness received’t run into issues of its personal over time and result in such options failing. We’ll see what occurs as our Tesla Mannequin 3s grow to be 4, 5, 6, and seven+ years previous, and we’ll you’ll want to nonetheless be reviewing a few of these vehicles to let you recognize. Keep tuned!

7. Battery vary will drop, after which maintain. That is one thing I virtually neglected, and it’s once more one thing that I believe is just not properly understood by most Tesla patrons nowadays. A lot of the speak concerning electrical automobile driving vary issues the estimated vary scores of recent vehicles. As everybody is aware of, although, batteries degrade over time — which implies that driving vary on a full cost drops. Fortunately, the lots are at the very least conscious of this fundamental idea due to having smartphones, laptops, and many others. Nonetheless, a number of the essential particulars of how batteries degrade are seldom defined and never that broadly understood, particularly with reference to how this results an EV over time. The way it works is a battery tends to lose a bit of its capability fairly rapidly, however then tends to be secure for a number of years (doubtlessly greater than a decade with Tesla’s batteries). In my case, my Mannequin 3 SR+ began with round 240 miles of vary after which dropped to about 200 miles of vary inside a 12 months. Since then, although, for the previous 3 years or so, it appears to have held regular. Different Tesla house owners who learn CleanTechnica have reported related experiences. The purpose with this one is: should you discover your comparatively younger Tesla has misplaced a bit of vary, don’t fear, it’s not a linear degradation sample and after an preliminary hit to vary, your battery is prone to maintain regular for a few years thereafter. For 15 years? Nicely, we’ll see — examine again with us in 11 years!

Total, although, I believe most Tesla house owners study that house charging and/or office charging is very easy, we drive so little every day (relative to how far our vehicles can drive), and Supercharging is so handy that there’s not a lot to suppose or fear about with reference to the battery and vary. Vary is a priority for many individuals earlier than shopping for an EV, after which fades for many of us as we get used to EV possession. A number of years in the past, we had a visitor author on CleanTechnica who wrote an article about “vary anxiousness anxiousness.” His level was that there’s not that a lot precise vary anxiousness amongst house owners, however that non-owners can have loads of anxiousness about getting vary anxiousness in the event that they ever get an electrical automotive. Don’t fear, be completely happy, and drive electrical.

Initially revealed on EVANNEX.