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.

Among major car buying countries, India showed a stupendous 26.8% growth.

BHPian amol4184 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I was browsing for my daily dose of automotive news and came across this Autocar UK article from last week.

There are some observations that I thought you guys might find interesting. I have listed a few but I am sure there are many conclusions to be drawn from the data.

• Among major car buying countries India showed a stupendous 26.8% growth. Next best is Canada at 7.7%.

• Toyota managed to sell an unbelievable, almost 1 million units of each : Corolla and RAV4. That makes Toyota the number one seller in the world, unsurprisingly. These two fit the definition of cash cow perfectly. And Toyota doesn't seem to stop finding ways to milk those names. There is now Corolla Cross in the market, a C-SUV based on Corolla. Corolla incidentally is the # 1 seller in the world narrowly beating RAV4.

• RAV4 is propelling itself to new heights every year. It is world's best-selling SUV, outselling Honda CR-V comfortably.

• Honda CR-V is global # 3. Honda Accord is not in the top 10 but Camry is, at number 4. Only other Honda is the Civic at # 6.

• 7 of the top 10 are Japanese cars. No European car in the list. Wuling HG Mini is the 10th highest selling car in the world.

• Despite slump in sales, VW managed to be global # 2. Narrowly outselling Honda. They aren't big sellers in the USA . Toyota USA outsells VW USA 5 to 1. Globally too, the difference between #1 and # 2 is eye opening. Toyota sold 2.78 million more cars than VW. Rest of the line up is close to each other. Dethroning Toyota isn't going to be easy unless they butcher their EV though process in the next decade.

• Hyundai is proving itself year on year. Last year it became world # 4 seller ahead of Ford and Nissan. Incredible feat in my opinion. Kia, India's newest darling isn't far behind either. They occupy 7th slot in the top 10 list.

• With SUVs being all the craze across the globe, 6 of the top 10 cars are still sedans or share their name with SUVs/Hatchbacks based on them. E.g. Corolla has Corolla Cross and hatch. Civic has Civic hatches.

• Jeep sold 1.22 million SUVs. Solid number for SUV specialist whose cars aren't exactly brimming with tech like Japanese or Germans. But it has a strong base across the world that keeps on buying them. The pedigree is strong. However the cutesy little Renegade isn't even in top 5 for the parent group Stellantis. As a brand though, Jeep is the biggest for Stellantis.

• Ford F150 keeps bringing incredible sales thanks to North America. It is worlds 7th largest selling vehicle ahead of Toyota Yaris and is the only truck in the top 10.

• Ford Mustang is world's top selling sports car, followed by (rather surprisingly) BMW 4 series. The top 10 list has a few other affordable fun cars in it, like Mazda Miata and Chevy Camaro. Hopefully king of fun per penny ratio cars like BRZ and GR86 will make an appearance next year.

• Corvette and even more astonishingly Porsche 911 outsold Camaro and Miata. Both of these cars are touted as easy to live with and can be used as every day cars despite offering super car like performance. These numbers seem to confirm that belief.

• Out of top 10 sports cars, only 1 is Japanese - the Miata. Rest of the list is filled with American and German cars. I remember days of JDM sports cars. Toyota is paying attention to their GR division now but I don't think we will have heydays of ICE Japanese sports cars back.

• BMW outsold MB to take lead in premium brands. It sold approximately 4 times as what Lexus sold. Clearly, outstanding reliability, maintenance, resale do not hold much importance once you move up the ladder. Hyundai is tasting success with Genesis too. Within first year of global launch, the brand is neck to neck with Porsche.

• China is world's top market for premium cars, easily outselling USA.

• Tesla, a newbie compared to everyone in top list managed to sell so many Model 3s that it is the 5th most sold car in the world. Model 3 isn't cheap and yet beat every other (and cheaper) alternative.

• Apart from Model 3 at the top of Evs, Tesla also has model Y at 4th position globally. VW and Renault have their players in the list too, while majority is filled up by Chinese vehicles.

• Bucking the trend, Tesla Model X which is a massive SUV, is the least selling model in the line up. Outsold by Model S sedan by a vast margin.

• Most of Tesla's growth came from China. The country seems smitten by Tesla.

Here's what BHPian CarNerd had to say on the matter:

India is the top market for Suzuki cars infact Suzuki is surviving because of India! About 50% of Suzuki's global sales come from India.

Read BHPian comments to get more insights and information.

He wants advice whether buying this car makes sense and considerations that would influence the decision.

BHPian earthian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am posting this on behalf of my son who stays and works in New Jersey. He has a Wrangler and is looking for buying another car for his daily commute of about 50 miles and has been looking at the Tesla Model Y.

He wants advice whether buying this car makes sense and considerations that would influence the decision. The car would cost US$ 60,000/- on road. The second point he would like advice is whether he should buy it on lease or pay for the full amount upfront.

Thank you in advance for your advice and help.

Here's what BHPian Mclaren Rulz had to say on the matter:

Without more context on what he wants, it's a bit hard to say.

Any vehicle will do a 50 mile commute, even the most basic electric cars have enough range for that.

Here's what BHPian carthick1000 had to say on the matter:

For his use case of 50 mile commute (and occasional long trips if needed), he is well served by a Tesla model 3 which starts from 45,000USD on road for standard range. If he needs better range he can choose a long range model 3 at 51,000USD. A premium of 7,000USD for model Y according to me is absolutely not necessary, unless your son wants a tall boy design with hatch opening for loading big things. Model Y (LR) will be inherently less efficient than model 3 (LR) due to a bit increased air drag.

New Jersey has adequate amount of superchargers and if he has a home with driveway, it would be even more comfortable as he can daily charge at home. If he lives in an apartment which does not promote EV charging or any place where he could not have a home charger, I would sincerely recommend him to stick to his current ride or buy an ICE car.

Btw, why does he want to change and what are his requirements? A bit more input means a lot of BHPians living in USA can provide suggestions on the thread.

Regarding purchasing/leasing, it might be worth checking out Ford mach E or polestar 2 as options as they qualify for Federal tax credits (Unfortunately Tesla is discriminated by US politics due to lobbying I guess). But still when it comes to charging infrastructure, technology on offer and the battery longevity, Tesla is much ahead of Ford or polestar. In this day and age in USA, an EV is the way to go unless he is living in a certain states where the charging infrastructure still did not catch up.

Here's what BHPian landcruiser123 had to say on the matter:

If it is only commute (with a predictable route) with some luggage, why not the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt? Californians use these two or an e-Golf.

Folding the backseat can open up a lot of room (unless he carries humongous gear).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Tesla is expected to make its debut in the Indian market with the Model 3.

The chief minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa has stated that Tesla will set up an electric car manufacturing plant in the state.

Last month, the US-based EV maker set up its Indian subsidiary called Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt. Ltd. The registered office is located at Lavelle Road, Bangalore. Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram, and David Feinstein have been appointed as the directors of the company. Tesla also plans to set up an R&D centre in Bangalore.

Tesla is expected to make its debut in the Indian market with the Model 3. The electric car could be launched by the end of the first quarter of FY2021-22. 

The Model 3 has a range of 354-523 km depending on the variant and a 0-97 km/h time between 3.1-5.6 seconds. The car is offered in single and dual motor configurations.

Tesla's actual profitability has been around 1% for the past year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that he is open to the idea of merging Tesla with a rival brand. Musk told Reuters that if somebody said it would be a good idea to merge with Tesla, they would be willing to discuss. However, he did clarify that Tesla wouldn’t launch a hostile takeover of a rival brand.

Tesla is worth over US$ 500 billion and the company’s stock price has tripled in the past 6 months. It has been reported that Musk believes that the company is overvalued and wants to focus on cost-cutting and profits to prevent Tesla’s stock price from crashing.

Tesla has achieved profits in the last five consecutive quarters. However, actual profitability has been around 1% for the past year. For the moment, investors are betting on future profits and the day they think the company will be unable to meet their expectations, Tesla’s stocks will tumble.

Source

The government of Maharashtra is in talks with Tesla for potential investment in the state.

The state tourism minister confirmed through a tweet that he along with the minister for Industries had discussions with the Tesla team over video call to invite them to Maharashtra.

Last month, it was reported that discussions had taken place between the government of Karnataka and Tesla to set up a research centre in Bangalore. If the talks are successful, India will become the second country outside the USA where Tesla will have a research centre.

Elon Musk - CEO of Tesla, has already stated that the company is hoping to enter the Indian market. In 2016, the carmaker had opened bookings for the Model 3 in India but has not delivered the cars yet. The order configurator for India is likely to be released in January 2021.

India could become the second country outside the USA to have a Tesla research centre.

According to a media report, US-based EV maker Tesla could set up a research centre in Bangalore.

Tesla is said to have had discussions with the Karnataka government with regards to a possible investment. A follow-up meeting is reportedly scheduled to take place later this month, when state officials are expected to present a detailed proposal to the EV maker.

If the talks are successful, India will become the second country outside the USA where Tesla will have a research centre.

Earlier this year, Elon Musk - CEO of Tesla, had stated that the company was hoping to enter the Indian market. In 2016, the carmaker had opened bookings for the Model 3 in India but has not delivered the cars yet.

Musk had also revealed his plans to set up a second Gigafactory in Asia. At present, the only Tesla Gigafactory in Asia is located in Shanghai, China. Giga Berlin which is currently under construction will serve the European market.

Source

Tesla could soon surpass Toyota to become the world's most valuable carmaker. The EV maker's market cap rose to US$ 190 billion, whereas Toyota's market value is around US$ 216 billion.

Earlier this week, Tesla Inc's stock price rose by 8.97% to US$ 1,025.05 after Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO, shared his plan to start production of the all-electric Semi Truck. The truck's batteries and powertrain will be made at the company's Nevada battery factory.

The Tesla Semi was unveiled in November 2017. It comes in two configurations with a maximum range of either 480 km or 800 km with a full load.

The truck is powered by 4 independent motors that are located between the rear axles of the truck. Tesla claims a 5 second 0-60 mph time without any load and 20 seconds when fully loaded at over 36,000 kg. The truck is also claimed to maintain a speed of 105 km/h on a 5% grade under full load.

Elon Musk's statement comes just days after Nikola Corp. announced plans to open bookings for the Badger electric truck.

Source

Tesla has started deliveries of its cars made at its Gigafactory in China. 15 Model 3 units were delivered to Tesla employees.

It is said that the company wanted to start deliveries before the Lunar New Year, which begins on 25 January 2020. The company plans to increase production from the beginning of 2020.

Tesla used to import cars to China and faced high tariffs. The cars made in China will be sold in China and will not be exported to the US. At present, goods made in China and exported to the US face high tariffs, forcing manufacturers to move production out of China to the US.

Tesla has revealed its first electric pickup truck called the Cybertruck.

The Tesla Cybertruck features a design with angular surfaces and a wedge shaped side profile. Tesla claims that the exterior is dent-resistant and scratch-resistant. It is also said to be bulletproof to 9 mm shells.

The Cybertruck comes with a single-motor with rear wheel drive, dual-motor with all-wheel drive or triple motor all-wheel drive setup. It has adaptive air suspension and the approach and departure angles are 35 degree and 28 degrees respectively. The truck has a 6.5 foot bed that has a capacity of 1,588 kg. It can tow up to 6,350 kg.

According to Tesla, the top-spec Cybertruck can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds. Depending on the variant, it offers a maximum range of 402-805 km on a single charge.

In the US, prices for the Tesla Cybertruck will start at US$ 39,900 for the single-motor RWD model and US$ 69,900 for the top-spec tri-motor AWD version.