This article is not directly related to charging an electric car, but it may help someone in choosing and buying a TESLA Model 3.
If you are buying a new vehicle, the seller will be happy to provide you with a lot of information. But what if you are considering buying a used vehicle of this type? In this case, this article is intended for you.
In this article you will learn:
Why the Model 3?
How should you choose a Model 3?
What is the range of the TESLA Model 3?
What affects the range of an electric car?
What should you pay special attention to?
What needs to be done after buying a vehicle?
Why is the Model 3 the right choice?
Because model 3 is suitable if you have the following requirements:
- decent interior space for 4 people, 5 people on shorter trips
- relatively less accessible luggage compartment (smaller opening)
- the possibility of folding the rear backrests and occasionally transporting longer things...
- pleasant driving characteristics
- new battery generation, ability to recharge faster (in practice up to 150kW usually on the display)
- very good in an urban environment, excellent range
- extended warranty for battery and motors (limited to 8 years or 192 thousand km)
- standard Type2 and CCS connector for charging
So how should you choose a Model 3?
In any case, I recommend answering the following questions:
- will I use all 4-wheel drive? So we are interested in the DUAL MOTOR version.
- do I need the longest possible range? In this case, the LONG RANGE version. I will discuss the details of the journey below.
- do I want autopilot? Personally, yes, although rather as a possibility for the future - it is still quite limited within EU regulations. In any case, every model 3 already has preparation for full FSD autopilot (Full Self Driving) with recognition of traffic lights, STOP signs and the like. Of course, like most things, the FSD autopilot also costs extra, and if it was purchased with the car, it's a big plus (value approx. 6500 Euro). Basic safety functions + basic autopilot are included in every model 3. Well, at least the ones I've met so far :)
- do I want to enjoy extreme dynamic parameters? So, in this case, we are interested in the PERFORMANCE version, which is combined only with the DUAL MOTOR drive... The dynamic parameters are amazing.
- Other things are more or less a matter of equipment preferences, color, wheels or accessories.
- most things in the 3 models are paid extra, so whether the Premium sound system or the heating of the rear seats is hardware in the car, activation is just a matter of software
What is the range of the Model 3?
According to official data for the Standard Range model, it is 409 km WLTP (2020 model). For the LONG RANGE model, the range value is 560 km WLTP compared to the PERFORMANCE version, which has an official range of 530 km. The value displayed in the vehicle is calculated from real driving, consumption and use of the vehicle, taking into account the effect of the wind on the route and similar details that I consider exaggerated :)) But what's really cool is that our model 3 shows me when with a full battery, the range is 485 km, and with reasonable driving modes, these are realistically achievable values, while the situation changes in "urban" conditions in favor of the car, when driving at speeds up to 60-70 km/h (districts, city), this real range increases to 550km... Of course, significant acceleration significantly reduces the range, as is the case with every electric and non-electric car with comparable performance. Compared to the S model, I perceive a significant refinement of the range counter and the reality of the data. At the same time, model 3 has significantly lower consumption, which I attribute mainly to the lower weight of the car.
The range is also affected by the size of the wheels, the width of the tires, etc., therefore the best range is achieved by cars with 18" tires... The use of air conditioning and heating also has an effect, but I can realistically drive the Model 3 for 15kWh per 100km, which makes a realistic range of 500 km on a full battery. I haven't had the Model 3 during the winter (I used the S for two winters, more details in the article dedicated to the S), so we'll see and add the details, but I assume it will be similar to the Model S, ie the range decreases by about one-third in cold weather and on short journeys. On a longer journey, the car warms up after about 40 km and the consumption also stabilizes, which is then a little higher than in summer mode, but the first 30 km can be when using the heated seats. I park the car under a shelter, not in a warm garage, which certainly does not benefit the range, but I consider it as a car, so it is used and parked in the same way as other cars. There is also a difference if the car is operated in Nitra, since we are 30 km from the Tatras and winter gives us a little more work here.
In my opinion, the TESLA Model 3 is ideal for drivers who drive up to 400-450 km a day. However, the extreme speed of charging and the presence of the CCS connector disprove my opinion a little, because from the exit to BA and back it is 800 km, which I managed to do almost at a turn with two 20-minute breaks (Supercharger Zvolen, Supercharger Demänová)... Pleasantly surprising as well for me. Of course, if there was no SC along the route, the normal chargers at LIDL charge you at a rate of 50kWh per hour, so the break will not be 20 minutes but, for example, 45 minutes, which can be a long time for some.
What should you pay special attention to when buying?
First of all, focus on the condition of the vehicle and batteries. Use the possibility of a vehicle status report, the list of cell status and the charging history of the given vehicle will tell you a lot about the battery.
List of battery cell status: List of battery parameters and related technology:
Each TESLA records the number of charge and discharge cycles in the computer memory, but mainly the amount of kWh charged on superchargers (fast TESLA chargers) and on regular chargers/recovered energy. Of course, faster charging has a more significant effect on battery degradation, so we prefer to look at a car that has been charged more on a standard home charger than on a supercharger. The given statement can be obtained from the vehicle diagnostics, where the data is recorded in relatively great detail. If we weren't so concerned about battery degradation, cars that were mostly charged at Superchargers usually drive like taxis (quick and mainly cheap charging for the operator) or were operated on long routes. This usually goes hand in hand with a higher average annual mileage. For taxi services in big cities, two-year-old Teslas usually have 160-200 thousand km. I don't want to say that these cars are a write-off, they are not, but personally I would think twice about buying them precisely because of the operating conditions and mostly fast charging.
Rough listing of charging records: Detailed listing of charging parameters and history:
In the next part, I would focus on the condition of the vehicle and the possible guarantee that the vehicle was not seriously damaged. This can be checked from the service history statement and by a possible inspection/check of the originality of the vehicle, where all insurance payments registered by insurance companies are part of the statement. TESLA "sees" its cars online, so it is difficult to hide an accident from them. By default, the car is limited and blocks some functions online after an accident, and only after repair at the TESLA service is the car "unblocked" for normal use. The same basically applies to the state of mileage, where everything is recorded in the online system, so any "winding up" here is basically not even realistically possible.
Display of mileage, data is transferred to TESLA online records:
*I will add a photo
It is important that no error message lights up in the car, for example, regarding the malfunction of some part of the electronics, with which there may subsequently be bigger problems. It is ideal to have a valid warranty on the car, which for the model 3 is valid for 4 years from the first registration or 80,000 km, the warranty ends when one of the conditions is met.
But last but not least, it is necessary to check the required equipment, so that the car has everything we want :)
What needs to be done after buying a vehicle?
One of the advantages of TESLA vehicles is the possibility of remote access to the vehicle from your phone. Through this, you can view the vehicle's charging status, interrupt charging, or remotely ventilate or unlock the car. You can also warm up the car before driving, or see where the car is currently located... All this very simply and elegantly with a few clicks. Both Android and iOS operating systems are supported.
You might think that this is not at all necessary for me to have, but beware. TESLA solves absolutely everything through this remote access, i.e. also ordering a service, possibly recall service actions or online inspection of the car if something is not right. Therefore, the "online" transfer of ownership in the TESLA system is indeed an important step after the purchase, and sometimes it is not a quick or easy process (if the online transfer is blocked by the previous owner, leasing company, etc.). Therefore, request the seller's cooperation in this operation in advance. Even before this process, it is necessary to create your own TESLA account on the webwww.tesla.com, where you subsequently have your vehicle assigned to you and only then do you pair this account in the mobile application, where your vehicle will appear.
Display of vehicle status in online applications via smartphone - parking, driving (location can be displayed on the map by clicking)...
Last but not least, the installation of a home charger, a so-called wallbox, should be considered. Model 3 has an on-board charger with a power of 11kW, which allows you to charge with a current of 3*16A, which, after calculation, means approx. 70km/h. If you would like to use a single-phase 220V charger, it will charge you at a speed of approx. 22 km/h. Compared to a classic three-phase socket, charging through a wallbox has the following advantages:
- easier connection and disconnection of the vehicle
- much higher process safety, control of leakage of AC/DC currents and stopping of charging in the event of a dangerous phenomenon
- temperature monitoring during charging
- control and measurement of charged kWh into the vehicle
- access control to the socket (RFID card), impossible to abuse the socket and at the same time higher safety for children than the classic 380V socket in front of the house
Displaying TESLA in applications while charging on the wallbox:
LONG RANGE versus STANDARD RANGE and PERFORMANCE of model 3
I will try to write down the differences in the form of bullet points, the list may not be complete, I may have missed something:
- LONG RANGE IS ALWAYS AN AWD VERSION, I.E. WITH TWO ENGINES (FRONT AND REAR)
- Model 3 always has a powerful motor with permanent magnets at the back
- PERFORMANCE is actually an improved LONG RANGE, it has higher performance (software), bigger brakes, bigger discs, a carbon spoiler at the back and a 1cm lower chassis
- THE HIGHEST RANGE IS LONG RANGE ON 18" WHEELS (PERFORMANCE IS LOWER DESPITE THE SAME BATTERIES)
- The fastest is PERFORMANCE, the massacre 0-100km/h in 3.3 seconds is a very pleasant surprise
- LONG RANGE with an acceleration of 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds is also not a bad thing, and this parameter also puts a big smile on your face in practice
- For the LONG RANGE model, a BOOST upgrade is available, which accelerates the car by 1 second (0-100 km/h), it is already solved by other companies outside the warranty, etc.
- FSD autopilot was very often purchased with the car in the western markets, so there is a good chance that it will be there in a used model 3
- Tesla is constantly improving the car software, so from 09/2022 the on-board computer is completely in the Czech language even in cars manufactured in 2019
- The autopilot system is also being improved, so even if you don't fully use FSD yet (legislation, etc.), they will keep improving it