Owning an electric vehicle was all the rage back in 2020 and 2021. Due to the skyrocketing petrol prices, many individuals were considering trading in their gas-guzzlers for an EV. At the time, Tesla was the forerunner in the EV sector. We bought our Model 3 in 2021 when it was at its peak, with a score of 79/100 from Consumer Reports. It was the best EV you could get at the time. But times have changed in 2023; we now have more competitors in the market who are caught up in the race and setting the bar higher than ever before.
Recently, I had a close friend ask me if they should get a Tesla Model 3. I didn't just want to come up with a bunch of numbers that they could get from the manufacturing website. I wanted to give info that was useful to them and not overcomplicate things. It's easy to get enthusiastic and only talk about specs, but with car ownership, there is so much more to that.
Before getting a Tesla, in general, there are some things you should take into consideration besides the obvious, your lifestyle, the location of where you live and even your personality. Odd points, right? But let me tell you why.
Lifestyle
Are you always on the road or do you work from home? Do you have a family where only half of you need a car? Do you take many road trips? On a technical level, why do these questions matter?
The battery is your answer. If you're always on the road, you'll need to charge your car quite a bit. Other things to note are do you have easy access to a charging station or have access to an outlet at home. Take my lifestyle for example, I work from home, and my husband works downtown so only one of us needs the car. After work, the car is back in the garage with access to an outlet. Road trips only happen 1-2 times a year, and they're always on routes that have plenty of charging stations.
A good thing to note is that you don't need to install a supercharger in your house. The 120V outlet in your garage will do just fine. If you have your battery charge set to 80% max (to prolong battery life), use it for half the day and charge it overnight, you'll have the full 80% by the morning to use during the day.
Location
Three reasons why where you live are important:
Charging Accessibility
Take for example, one of my friends ordered his Tesla and unfortunately, had to cancel his order because at the time we only had one charging station and it was outside the city and he was on the opposite end. His condo unit also didn't have accessible outlets in the underground. As with us, it made sense to get one since we lived very close to a charging station, and our house has an outlet in the garage for us to plug in overnight.
The Weather
Another thing to note is the cold weather. If you're like me and live in Canada, it gets mighty cold. Just like your phone, the cold isn't great for the car battery either. If you're out driving or just parked outside, it will deplete faster than normal. So if you do not have access to an outlet and need to park somewhere overnight with a low battery, you may risk getting stranded.
Rebates
For rebates, the Canadian federal government will give you a rebate of $5,000 for an EV that costs $55,000 or less. However, depending on which province you live in and if you fit their criteria, you can get a bigger credit. Here's a list from evfleets.electricautonomy.ca with the rebate amounts you can get depending on each province.
Personality
Your personality plays a big part in deciding whether to get an EV and I'll break it down into four parts.
Long Range Model vs Standard Range Model
If battery anxiety is real for you, this could determine whether you want the Standard Range or the Long Range model. While the LR will set you back another $10,000 CAD, it may be worth it for some individuals to get the extra mileage. The SR will get 437km for a full charge, while the LR will get you 535km. We got the SR and there have been moments where we can't help but ask ourselves, "Am I going to make it?'' This is where getting the LR will help with that mindset if you don't mind the price tag.
Maintenance
My biggest annoyance with previously owning a petrol car, was the maintenance. I hated having to call to make appointments and then worry about having to book time off work. Now I admit, I'm not sure if other brands offer the same service, but with Tesla, you book the service through the app and they come to you. I love this service especially when you need to swap tyres. Although, for any major work, you do need to bring in your car. Besides that, there's not much maintenance, you can easily swap out your own air filter or tyres (if you have the proper equipment). Remember, no oil change is needed!!
Perfectionism
Despite the sleek design of the Model 3 and being the innovator in its industry, it isn't at all perfect as all Tesla connoisseurs know. This is due to the manufacturer being overwhelmed by the demand. When we got our car, it wasn't as bad as the previous years in terms of quality. However, the panels on the exterior and interior weren't flushed, installed at odd angles and sticking out in some places. For a luxury car, you shouldn't have to look to see if there are badly installed panels and paint chips. Although it's getting better, it's something you should keep an eye out for when you pick up the car and have them fix it right away.
The Elon Musk Effect
Elon Musk was once somebody who was loved and admired by many. In recent times, that does not ring true anymore. If you're a fan of Musk still, or someone who can separate a product from the name, go for it. But if you hate anything to do with Musk, perhaps owning a Tesla isn't for you due to the stigma.
Upgrades and replacements
If you've made it this far and still want a Tesla, let's start looking at some numbers on upgrades and replacements, specifically on the Model 3.
The paint
In 2021, the colour white was free; today it's the midnight silver metallic. We did upgrade to the black, which was an extra $1,300. However, if you want the black today, it'll cost $2,000. The rest start at $1,300, so pick your poison!
Interior
Today, you can only get the black interior, which comes included. Back in 2021 and even a few months ago, you had a choice to upgrade to the white leather for an extra $1,000+. We caved and got the white interiors because they stood out, not super hard to clean, either. I really hope they bring it back as an option for the M3 since the white looks spectacular.
Self Driving Options
All Teslas come with the basic autopilot mode. Basically, you can drive without having to brake, once you set your speed it slows down and speeds up for you, keeps you in your lane, etc. If money is an issue or you’re unsure, you can download the other options at a later date if you decide to.
When we got our car, there wasn't the option of the enhanced autopilot. Now you have that option which sets you back $7,800. This option adds features like lane change, summon, auto park, etc. Personally, I would consider adding this option.
Then there's the full self-driving option which will set you back a whopping $16,000. Basically, kick back and relax, or so you hope. It's not perfect and I believe other brands out there have surpassed Tesla in this area now. If you live somewhere with snow, this could also hinder the way it operates. In my opinion, you can wait this one out until it's been perfected.
Cold Weather Feature
For an extra $400, you can get this software download where you'll have all the backseats heated and a heated steering wheel. It is only useful for people who are crazy enough to live in the cold.
Premium Connectivity
In Canada, we don't have a yearly subscription yet, unfortunately. But for $13.99/month, you can get an internet connection, live traffic visuals and satellite-view maps. The more fun features that come with premium are video/music streaming, Caraoke and internet browsing. Honestly, we just tether our phone data to the car and it works that way. Although it's worth getting for a long road trip, you can easily subscribe for just one month and cancel afterwards. It's worth it for the live traffic because it can reroute you to the nearest charging station as well if it sees there is a major detour, etc.
Battery Replacement
Currently, it costs between $5,000-20,000 USD to replace a battery in a Tesla. However, with the technology growing exponentially, the same battery may be cheaper in the future or has changed completely. It's tough to say, but if that is something you're okay with, then purchasing a Tesla is for you. Either way, your Model 3 battery should last between 300,000 to 500,000 miles, and by then, you're most likely to trade it in for a different model with newer technology.
Still want the Model 3?
Now that you're set with all this info, do you still want a Model 3? Well, that's really up to you. I'm not here to be your financial advisor or any type of advisor. The choice is completely yours since a car should be an extension of you and your lifestyle. Happy hunting!
Brilliant!