Featured Model 3 has 310 mile range

Grid tied power backup is often more complicated than being off grid.
That said, I would far rather Tesla get it done right, than done right now

 

It looks from the linked article the grid will be used as more of a backup, & solar, wind, & battery be the primary source eventually.

don't know, but that makes for mighty good fud.

From the examples they've set in Kauai as well as Puerto Rico recently, their products can definitely do more than shave & time shift .

 

Which says the grid wasn't expected to be a problem in supplying the factory.

Is there enough slack in Powerwall production that they could speed up the eventually without constraints to meeting other obligations?

There is a major difference between grid side backup and on site back up for grid outages. The on site supply needs to be isolated from the grid during outages, or maintenance personal can be injured or killed. Without that, even if the grid is just back up, the factory lights goes off with the grid.

Grid tied, on site renewables are an effective way of increasing their use and portion of the power supply. Many who do it don't go the next step of having it as an emergency power supply because of the addition cost for the equipment.

How exactly so? Peak shaving and time shifting is putting electricity into a storage medium when the electric rates are low or the renewable source plentiful, and then using the storage medium for power when rates are high or the renewable unavailable. Isn't that exactly what their products are doing in Kauai and Puerto Rico?

 

Regarding M3 Deliveries:
I am a reservationist ..... so I read the Tesla Forum site often. But certainly not an authority on the subject.

It is my understanding .... that Tesla has exclusively sold the early production run to employees, SpaceX employees and owners of the Model S and X living in and around Northern California. The speculation was that they were kept close in order to facilitate adjustments and corrections.

But Tesla is now reported to be shipping vehicles to non-employees. A number of transporters loaded with M3 have been seen and reported leaving Fremont.

Several writers have reported that Tesla has recently invited them to configure their vehicles.
The long range model is currently being built, but the shorter range one is scheduled to begin production early next year. The AWD version in 2019.

Reports were that the early vehicles were mostly hand built... but the latest reports are that the current products are robot assembled. Fit and finish are reportedly much improved. (that had been a problem with the very early production run).

 

thanks felt, great news!

 

Interesting testing by motortrend
Tesla Model 3: 2018 Motor Trend Car of the Year Finalist - Motor Trend

They have 2 numbers that beat what tesla has been saying - the long range battery accelerates the vehicle 0-60 in 4.8 seconds. They also exceeded highway fuel economy 128.2 mpge versus 120 mpge epa, despite the fact that the vehicle tested had the less efficient 19" wheel upgrade. This should give a range of over 340 miles on the highway in good weather conditions, the important number for long trips. YMMV. The only bad news from the new motortrend data is city mpg was far below epa, making combined range 274 miles on the bigger tire. Of course in bad weather range will be worse.

 

The other bad news was the $57k price of the tested car. I doubt that is typical. I do wish the mags would list the options and their cost so we could see exactly what they were testing.

I was in my local tire shop to see what tires would cost me ($300 less than the dealer for the same 4 tires, every line item on the dealers "bid" was significantly more) and he mentioned he had had a Model S in the week before and was impressed. He commented that his 12 location stores were not being serviced well by the big tire companies, that in the S he saw a future where shops such as his could no longer get customers in to do oil changes, so a year ago he sold to a bigger chain.

 

I enjoyed your comments. I am not defending the Tesla (re the above quote) ... I think my comment will apply to any car that Motor Trend (or Consumer Reports) test.
I am a conservative driver, having been taught how to drive conservatively over years of driving a Prius.
I am certain I would better their city efficiency estimates.
OTOH .... I do drive 78 on the highway (the speed limit in Utah is 80), so I might do quite as well on the highway.

 

My sister's house is 500 miles away.

 

there must be a supercharger between her and you.

 

I prefer to do the trip in one sitting.

 

yep, we're like that too. boston to virginia, virginia to georgia, georgia to florida. we do make a few pit stops.

 

Then the answer is simple .... an EV is not the right vehicle for you.
I would point out, however, I don't see any 500 miles EV's on the market anytime soon in the price range of the M3.

We all have our wants and needs. I for example, a previously dedicated and faithful Prius owner, decreed I would not own another Prius until they change the exterior design .... regardless of how good it is mechanically, and fuel efficient it is.
Unreasonable, I know. But that is my position. And, I am comfortable with that decision.

 

They definitely changed the design in 2016 for the Prius and 2017 for the Prime.

 

Black is the new "Musk".............LoL

 

So what's the new patchouli?

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Recently, on the two longer trips that my wife and I take in the year, when we stopped for gasoline, or to eat, or take a coffee break, there often just happened to be a Tesla Supercharger there. Well, not completely just coincidently; I had entered a few Tesla Supercharger stations into the navi beforehand, so that they were marked (with a coffee cup symbol to avoid suspicion) on the navi map.

Whenever it was nearly time for coffee, snacks, or gasoline, there was often a Supercharger a short distance ahead right on the way, so I touched the marker and let the navi guide us to the next good “coffee place”. When we got there, I was “surprised” to find a bunch of Superchargers right next to where we happened to park. I casually made subtle remarks like “If we had a Tesla we could charge up here for free.” or “In the time it took us for our coffee break, a Tesla would have been nearly recharged.”

Judging by the orbital trajectory of her pupils, by the third supercharger station, I think she began to suspect that it wasn’t pure coincidence. And I was also a little surprised at how convenient it would have been to do the trips in a Tesla, with probably waiting only an extra ten minutes here and there for a little extra range.

I haven’t heard my wife’s usual arguments against electric cars since then, but now she has come up with a new one: “Sure, now we wouldn’t have to wait for a free supercharger, but what about when everyone has a Tesla?” Oh well …

 

by then, there will be lots more chargers.

 

Like the beautiful new 40 stall chargers in Cali.