It has been offered to me as a 30-day complimentary trial that came along with a lovely software update.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Full Self-Driving (FSD) 30-Day Complimentary Trial

When I woke up a couple of days ago, Elon Musk dropped a nice surprise to perk up the weekend.

Got a message that I have been granted a Full Self-Driving (FSD) trial complimentary for 30 days.

It is available to purchase for $12,000 or $199 ++ /Month. Well, that's a lot of money for this feature which according to me should have been given either at a much cheaper price or bundled in for the expensive variant (like mine) as part of the whole package.

I will thoroughly test the FSD for the next 30 days and see if it's really worth the 12 grand.

What FSD can do more than Autopilot is automated city driving that includes:

1. Stop and go at traffic lights and signs
2. Navigation on roads without center lines
3. Navigation of traffic circles
4. Handles 4-way stops
5. Makes turns, following traffic rules and yields to other cars and pedestrians

Since we have plenty of roundabouts here, I already tested #3 and #4 and it blew me away.

Will post some videos once the testing is completed.

This came along with a lovely software update and primarily the visual update now shows all features full screen on this large beautiful screen.

Lot of other useful features as per screenshots below (Features are all self-explanatory).

Excited to fully use all features and see what is this "FSD Brouhaha" all about.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Using the 250 kWh DC supercharger, my electric vehicle went from 15 to 65% in roughly 17-18 minutes.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Super Charging Experience

Yesterday, we reached the supercharger in Surrey, Canada at 10:00 pm. Imagine my surprise, each and every stall was full. We had to wait for 10 minutes to get our turn. Battery was at 15% and I needed juice to reach home. I decided to charge the battery to 65% so it's enough to get home.

15% to 65% : 50% juice was added in roughly 17-18 mins from this 250kwh DC supercharger.

I think that's not a bad pit-stop to re-fuel… err… re-juice the battery. What say?

Overall Cost : $8 Canadian which is $6 USD. Gosh, this is a little worse than "Free".

Look at the stalls. All full.

Enjoying some music videos while we wait.

Supercharging Cost. El Cheapo

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The EV's autopilot works flawlessly and I haven't had a scary moment so far.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

15,000 Miles Completed - Brief Report

Last weekend, I completed 15,000 miles/24,000 kms in 17 months of ownership. Well, as some of you know, I work mostly from home. So, the majority of these miles have been "pleasure" miles and I have enjoyed every moment of it. It’s been an absolutely flawless run of owning this beast of a performance electric car. Touchwood, not a single issue till date that is worth losing sleep over.

15,000 Miles completed.

Let’s go ahead and dive straight into the feedback and cover a few points on things that could have been better.

Performance

This is the sole reason that I enjoy this car so much. I have driven the regular Teslas (RWD and Long-Range) and they are good in performance but, are no match to the blistering fast Model 3 Performance which performs like a rocket launched out of a launch pad. Lol!

Handling

Tesla Model 3 Performance handles like a sports car. Period!

The steering wheel feels nicely weighted in Sports and due to the lower center of gravity and no engine, this car feels totally planted and moves like an eel. A satisfactory enthusiast's car for enjoying the high speeds, handling and thrills minus the gasoline combustion engine noises which for some is a big deal. But, mature people who know what this vehicle’s purpose is will accept its traits and enjoy it for the purpose it’s built.

My route to home (Don't miss the snow-capped mountains in the background)- There are 6-roundabouts that I cross each day. It's fun to throw the car in these roundabouts.

Every single day, I have to drive through 6 of these roundabouts and I throw the Tesla into these roundabouts at higher than required speeds just to test its handling. It just slithers in and out of the roundabout like a rockstar with negligible body roll.

Range

Well, I have been mostly using the Tesla for local city driving which is usually 50-60 miles roundtrips and other errands which is about 10-20 miles a day. I charge the Tesla once in 3-days and is always up to 80% and typically plug it back in when the battery drops to 20%.

With a 60% usable charge, I get around 150-170 miles which is good for 3-4 days of usage. Tesla claims the Model 3 Performance's range is 315 Miles. I have long ago given up hopes on that range and stick to a realistic figure of 250 miles (0%-100% battery charge) which is acceptable for my usage.

Long distance- I have done just 2 trips to Vancouver, Canada till date which isn’t a long distance in any sense. Need to plan a proper long-distance trip which means driving at least 600 miles one-way. Hopefully, sometime this year. Incidentally, travelling to Vancouver again on March 23 so it will get charged again in Vancouver.

Charging Time

I always charge at home which charges at speeds of 35 kWh (Compared to Tesla Super chargers which charge between 300 kWh- 500 kWh per hour). I normally start the charging (scheduled on phone) at 11:00pm and it charges from 20% to 80% battery in about 4 hours. When I get up in the morning, the car is fully juiced up to drive for the next 150 miles.

Charging Cost

I prefer charging during off-peak hours so the rate is $0.08 dollar per kWh.

Simple math: I spend ~ $5 for every 170 miles (275 kms) of driving which is insane cost savings.

Gas to EV Comparison : 90% savings on gas costs.

Trivia : I have used a supercharger only twice in my Tesla Ownership and both times during my trip to Vancouver. Otherwise, it’s always charged at home and is not subjected to the brutal tortures of DC supercharging.

Tires

Pirelli Summer Performance tires are like leech during summer and in rains. However, they become equally useless in snowy conditions. Tires have never been rotated, balanced nor aligned till date. There isn’t any uneven wear and tear so I am a happy puppy.

Touchwood- Zero punctures till date since I got out of the showroom.

Autopilot

Works flawlessly and never a scary moment. I experienced phantom braking just once in this entire period. Whenever we are going back home from a party, autopilot drives us safely back home.

Autopilot gets confused in a few scenarios:

• Roundabout (We have plenty of them near home)
• Peculiar lanes in some areas where the lane markers are intertwined.

Regenerative Braking

Driving with just one foot is a pleasure. I hardly use the brakes in the Tesla. In fact, I keep checking if I can stop without using a brake. 9/10 times, I am able to stop if I am in “Chill” mode.

In “Sports” mode, it’s difficult to stop the car even with full regen mode, it will not stop on time as the regen power is not enough to bring the car to a halt in time.

As an example- I step on the brake pedal, a total of 4-5 times in my one full charge of 150-170 miles. This means the brakes will last “forever”.

ICE

I covered the In-Car-Entertainment/Music System of Premium Audio in a Tesla. This has to be the best music system (at this price point) in any car be it EV or Gasoline. The audio and video experience in the Tesla is second to none.

Space

Tesla Model 3 is spacious inside and out. Due to no hump running in the back-seat, 3 tall adults can sit comfortably. The space in the boot is very good and with seats down, we have transported living room size carpets, pots, plants and other home goods with ease. The frunk (under the bonnet) is also spacious and most grocery shopping stuff can be easily accommodated here.

Tesla Annual Renewal

I pay $99 per year for Internet Connectivity each year. It’s totally worth it as this gives you access to all the goodies (Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, TikTok etc) which is important when you are waiting somewhere in the car.

Niggles/Things Could have been Better

• 17 months of Ownership- Tesla froze just once in the first 12 months. Last 5 months, it froze 4 times. What I mean by froze is the screen becomes frozen and it needs to be re-booted/re-started. Darn, just like our phones. Lol!. The reboot process is a 2-minute procedure so it’s a minor inconvenience. In my opinion, this freezing business is acceptable if it happens once or twice a year. Anytime more is not acceptable.
• Sometimes the doors won’t unlock when I approach the car and try to unlock it. I have to then fish out my phone and unlock it from the Tesla app on the phone. Same thing with the charge port. This happened a few times so again a minor niggle.
• Insurance costs- For some weird reason, the insurance costs for a Tesla are higher than a gas car. I pay about $1600/year just for insurance. Compared to about $1200/year for a gas car.
• Rattles & Squeaks- 15,000 miles up and there is no hint of any squeaks or rattles. Sometimes I hear some minor squeak from my driving seat position only when I move around in my seat a lot. This could be possible due to my 100+ kg weight.

Summary

Owning a Tesla Model 3 Performance has been a flawless experience with 90% savings in gas (if I had owned a gas car). Performance and Technology is the biggest drivers for overall satisfaction.

Here are a few favorite pictures of "Rosso Diablo". Cheers!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I told my friend that Teslas can drive for 30 miles even after reaching 0% battery so let's take a risk and drive the EV home without using a supercharger.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Experience with Tesla Model 3 Long Range: Battery & Charging

Last week, I was in New York City for some work. Post the work-related stuff, I decided to spend a day or two with some pals in New Jersey.

One of the days, we drove from Princeton, New Jersey to Soho, New York City for dinner in one of the fine-dine restaurants. We were in a friend's Tesla Model 3 Long Range which we were driving the whole day in NJ as the initial plan was to take the train to the city. But, due to getting late after meeting some friends, at the last moment we decided to take the Tesla as our reservation was for 9:00 pm and it's tough to get one.

Post dinner, we continued partying in a different location in New York City and around midnight, I got myself a lovely Gyro from the street vendor (Mandatory whenever I am in NYC). We started driving back to Princeton which was about 60 miles away. After crossing New York, my friend said let's stop at the supercharger and bump up the battery a bit before we head home.

I thought of an adventure and told him that Tesla can drive for 30 miles even after reaching 0% battery (which he was not aware of even after owning the car for 2.5 years) and told him, let's take a risk and drive home without using a supercharger. He initially agreed but, as he saw the battery % dropping (it was bloody cold, -3 Degrees Celsius), he panicked and backed off and said let's not take the risk.

I cajoled and convinced him to go the furthest and not take the first supercharger that came our way. So, we drove to Woodbridge, New Jersey and battery % dropped to 3%. We stayed exactly for 6 minutes and the battery was juiced up from 3% to 24 % and we enjoyed the drive back home in "Standard" mode. (He was driving in Chill to save up on the juice).

It was a wonderful experiment that involved all the ingredients of a thriller movie- Excitement, Fear, Panic, Anxiousness and finally the wonderful moment of Elation once the Tesla was juiced up.

Summary: After this experience, I am now not scared to drive the car until 0% battery.

Quintessential New York City Gyros--Delicious.

Battery was just going to be 3% when we reached the supercharger. It was showing, that it would be -4% battery to reach home (Princeton, NJ).

6- Minutes Supercharging Break.

Added the battery from 3% to 24% or 61 Miles (We were just 20-odd miles away from home).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

I have started getting notifications on my smartphone and smartwatch to charge my EV.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I come back from a trip over the weekend and see a "candy" waiting for me.

Yup, it's none other than yet another software update from Tesla.

Some minor yet significant updates.

Reminder to plug in the car to charge. This is a good update as many folks forget to charge and they realize with a "Gosh, I forgot expression in the morning"

Already getting notifications on my phone and watch.

More statistics added to the battery information. Lovely!

As you may have read the news, Tesla took a lot of flak for losing range during winters. I reckon this update is to improve that situation and the battery not dropping range drastically.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Is it because the EV has no gears or the P function is not enough to hold the car in a slightly uphill position?

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Couple of days ago a crazy incident happened.

It's snowing a bit here (not much) and roads have become dangerously icy with a lot of black sleet.

I came home and parked the car in the driveway. After an hour, I just happened to glance outside and I was shocked to see the Tesla had slid back quite a bit and almost into the community roadway.

Immediately, I parked the car inside the garage.

In the evening, I came back home and stopped in the driveway. Car was in Park (P) mode. And, with me inside, the car kept sliding back.

Is it because of no gears or P function is not enough to hold the car in a slightly uphill position?

Any Tesla owners faced this situation?

Late afternoon it was sunny and beautiful sun rays fell on mountains behind home.

Within a few hours, the weather changes to snow/hail/rain and the same roads become absolutely treacherous. That's Seattle weather for you.

I had parked close to the garage door (2 inches away- I always test the parking sensors) and look how far it slid back. Phew!

Same situation in the evening...

Here's what BHPian ex-innova-guy had to say about the matter:

Interesting that you hadn’t faced this yet. Had seen a couple of instances- 1, 2 sometime back on Reddit and had also seen a YouTube video in which the car rolled down into a parked car. Luckily yours wasn’t charging or could have been worse too. Looks like you will need to do the traditional jugaad of putting stones under the tyres.

Here's what BHPian pratik1992 had to say about the matter:

Those look like the P Zero summer tires that came with the car, right? They do warn about not using them below 45F.

Mine started sliding in turns on a cold Dec 1 in NJ. Was enough to get me to purchase a winter wheels + snow-rated tires (19s) set. Now it drives like a champ no matter what surface. I had to manually put it in drift mode to make them break traction in a parking lot when I wanted to try doing donuts. Quite fun.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

For gaming in the car, new arcade games have been added and Cybertruck can be seen as one of them.

BHPian mobike008 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Elon Musk is like Salman Khan or Aamir Khan movie producer, he drops a major update just before Christmas to ring in the festivities and also to usher in the new year.

Last weekend, Musk dropped a comprehensive & amazing software update that brings in some nice, unique and good-to-have features to the car.

This is what makes the ownership of a Tesla interesting as every few weeks tons of new features keep getting added making you feel like driving a new car each month.

What are these new features? Let's take a look at them.

Firstly, Rosso Diablo crossed 12,000 miles last week.

This is the most useful and awesome update- Now the surroundings can be fully viewed in 3D. This update is available only to 2023 cars which have Tesla Vision.

Apple Podcasts come to Tesla as a NATIVE APP.

New Arcade games have been added and CYBERTRUCK can be seen as one of them. Now connect PS5 or Xbox Controller to get the real feel of console gaming in the car.

Important Update- In the event of an accident, an automatic call goes to 911.

More cameras added for increased viewing of the car via the Cellphone App.

Important Update and Long Due- Now Traffic Signals and Speed Camera warnings on the Tesla MAP UI.

On the fly Navigation route change options.

New LIGHTSHOW added.

This is crazy- Customize the lock sound with 10-15 different sounds inbuilt.

Here is the list of sounds that can be used to customize the lock sound of the car.

This is super useful- Red Shading on the screen to warn blindspot when changing lanes.

Trip Planner on Cellphone app. Super Useful.

One of the recall features- Suspension for 1 week if the driver doesn't pay attention to the road when in Autopilot after 5-Warnings. Stringent, huh?

Minor Updates.

Single Pull to enable Autopilot (Previously, it was double pull).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tesla claims to have updated over 50% of the Model 3's parts.

Tesla has taken the wraps off the updated Model 3. The electric sedan has been given a slight makeover based on customer inputs.

Tesla claims to have updated over 50% of the Model 3's parts. Also, the design changes aren't merely cosmetic. They are said to reduce drag, which results in a slightly higher overall range. According to the company, the new Model 3 has a drag coefficient of 0.21.

The Model 3 gets a redesigned bumper and sleeker-looking LED headlights up front and C-shaped tail lights at the back. The car also gets aero-optimized wheels that are said to generate 5% less drag than the previous design.

Tesla claims to have improved the NVH on the Model 3. The car gets double-glazed windows, new rubber seals and tweaked suspension. The interior of the car has also been updated. The EV features a 15.4-inch touchscreen that is said to be more responsive than before. The turn indicator stalks have been replaced with buttons on the steering wheel, while the drive selector has been integrated into the touchscreen. Other additions include two wireless phone chargers, three USB-C ports and an 8-inch rear display for climate control and infotainment functions.

The Tesla Model 3 is available in two variants - the rear-wheel drive version is powered by a 228 BHP electric motor and has a range of 554 km, while the Long Range version uses a 335 BHP electric motor and can cover 677 km on a single charge. The EV is also available with a dual-motor setup.

Apart from the federal tax credits, the Model 3 sedan also benefits from state incentives.

There have been multiple reports for a while now of Tesla working on a new entry-level EV to be priced under $30,000. Now though, thanks to government subsidies Tesla's Model 3 RWD variant could be one of the few EVs to be offered at that price range.

Tesla recently announced that all versions of its Model 3 EV qualify for the full federal EV tax credit of $7,5000. As per the federal tax credit, 40% of the critical minerals must be extracted in the US or from a country with a free trade agreement, while 50% of the value of the battery components must be either manufactured or assembled in North America.

With the inclusion of the full federal EV tax credits, the price of the Tesla Model 3 RWD comes down to $32,740, provided the buyers meet certain criteria like income restrictions & MSRP caps.

However, apart from the federal tax credits, the Model 3 sedan also benefits from state incentives. New York offers up to $2000 off on EVs via its 'Drive Clean' Rebate. In Southern California though, post the federal tax credits and the state incentives, prices for the Model 3 RWD fall down to as low as $22,830 - provided buyers meet all eligibility requirements.

Source: Autoblog

The image also provides a glimpse of the interior via the front windshield which reveals what seems to be a new infotainment unit angled towards the driver.

The refreshed version of the Tesla Model 3 is said to be in the works for quite a while now. There have been many camouflaged images of the upcoming car spotted on multiple occasions.

Now, an image showcasing the new Model 3 has been doing the rounds on social media. The image showcases the front fascia of the Model 3 featuring significant design updates. The new Tesla Model 3, codenamed 'Highland' can be seen with redesigned front headlamps, new alloy wheels and a new front bumper. While the car's rear can't be seen, it is also expected to get a major update, including a newly-designed rear bumper and updates to the taillights.

The image also provides a glimpse of the interior via the front windshield which reveals what seems to be a new infotainment unit angled towards the driver. Other updates to the interiors are also expected and could take inspiration from the Model S.

Tesla is yet to officially confirm the launch timeline of the Model 3 refresh. However, considering the leaked image showcases a near production-ready version, its launch could be expected soon.

Source: Reddit