Originally Posted by
dave2010
A few things:
Getting in/out is difficult. There is a supposed Easy Entry mode - but actually for me I think it may be harder than just leaving the seats as they are.
A few things are very much driving related:
1. The indicators don't cancel "properly". This is erratic - and I'm fed up with notes on forums suggesting drivers need to change their behaviour, or learn new skills, or tap the indicator stalks gently. The fact is that in my car, and it would appear in others too, doing a turn and indicating can be a total pain trying to get the indicators to cancel. If you ever follow a Tesla and you notice that the indicators are going alternately left and right it's probably because the driver is trying to fix this issue - and just wants to cancel the indicator.
2. The windscreen wipers - a. in heavy rain they're not fast enough b. auto mode doesn't always work c. using the screen can be used to speed the wipers up, but only really works if there's a co-pilot (passenger) to set the screen - otherwise it's dangerous. I know that windscreen wiper timing can be a bit hit and miss, but most cars do better than this nowadays. Actually having a lever or knob with several positions is better than just one push button at the end of a stalk for manual operation, given that the auto operation doesn't work well enough. I don't think the cars have been user tested in places where there is a lot of rain.
3. There is no rear screen windscreen wiper. I know this is a "feature" of many cars, but it is actually not helpful.
Range - my model ought to be able to go a long way, but realistically it can only do 200 mile hops at a time. My own estimation, based on recent journeys, is that it should be able to do 240 miles - just. Admittedly my "tests" are based on journeys over quite severe terrain - with a loaded car (2 passengers + luggage) going over 3 of the highest passes in the UK, and with rain and other issues requiring wipers and heating/AC to be turned on. I think many petrol or diesel cars could do significantly greater distances before any danger of running out of fuel. People who only drive on fairly good roads which are fairly flat should be able to go considerably further.
By careful planning it is possible to reduce or minimise the range "issues", but that almost certainly does require the use of high speed charging points, which Tesla are gradually deploying (redeploying) round the UK. Many of the other chargers are less good for various reasons, and thus not really helpful for people who want to travel long distances. Many chargers have three (3) cables - typically one AC output (slow - but faster than home charging) and two DC outputs (Chademo and CCS). Usually - in my experience - it is not possible to have two cars charging from the DC source, so if a Leaf driver (Chademo) is occupying a bay, then it's not possible to use the DC CCS cable. The charging times are very significantly different for the different modes, though sometimes one might be happy with a slow charge - for example charging while going to a football match. Typically it is considered bad practice to leave a car in a charging bay if it is not charging (and sometimes there are real financial penalties for doing so), so if you want to go away for longer than (say) an hour, then that can be done by deliberately using the slower charging cables.
Some Tesla drivers have opted for the base model 3 - but that only has about 2/3 the specified range of the long distance versions - which I would suggest in practice is going to be about 160 miles. That's less of a problem if very fast charging stations are available, but that's not the case in much of the UK.
4. If fully charged, the regenerative braking doesn't work.This is a feature of all EVs, and it is surprising what a difference this makes. Normally it's not a problem, as most drivers won't charge up to near 100%, but if one is going on a long trip that is exactly what one would do, and it's also quite likely that the car will be more loaded up. Thus for the first 30 or so miles braking will be reduced. Ideally this should be avoided.
5. Cruise control. This is something I've not fully mastered, but it's associated with a lever which in some other cars might be associated with a right turn indication. Unlike other cruise controls I've used, it seems to remember the max speed , so even in a 20mph zone, inadvertently pressing the lever might cause the car to shoot forward in an attempt to go up to 60 or 70 mph. Most other cruise controls don't work at lower speeds, which would avoid that issue. Allegedly it will work even on motorways and follow other vehicles reducing speed to leave a suitable gap. So far I've not risked testing that. It is supposed to prevent collisions by taking avoiding action, but it's not something I can safely test, and indeed it looks as though in the limit Tesla put the responsibility and liability back on the driver.
I have also not found the Tesla company to be very helpful - with only really one person who put himself out more than the others. The company seems to think it has cars which are so good that users will put themselves out to get them, rather than offering a comprehensive service deal. Other manufacturers already have a service network which works over most of the UK. I might have to travel nearly 200 miles to get something fixed - though I believe there are mobile units for service.
What do I like? Actually the regenerative braking mode is generally very good, and the car can be driven mostly with only the accelerator pedal. I don't quite know how other drivers behind react, but the brake lights do come on if the accelerator pedal is released slightly. This was something I wasn't sure about until recently. So my concern that maybe other drivers wouldn't know if the car was braking in any way are not founded, but now I wonder if in fact the perception is that the car - if driven "manually" - is nearly always braking.
Overall there are a mixture of good and bad features about the car. There is a lot that is good, but the indicator and the wiper issues are killer issues for me. There is also a possible problem with the headlight controls. The things that bother me most are the ones which really interfere with my ability to drive safely. The lack of gears is a dream - as it is with most automatic cars - and the way the car accelerates/decelerates so easily is brilliant.