Tesla Model 3... the Future is awesome!

Tesla Model 3... the Future is awesome!

So it's been a few months now and the Model 3 is amazing. Even in this long range rear wheel drive model it's incredibly quick, agile, and powerful. And now there are all wheel drive "D" versions out as well as the crazy Performance model that will spank cars 4 times it's price at a drag strip or track day.
     And of course being me I had to customize mine to make it 'mine'. So in the tradition of the eGolf touches, I added some 3M Cosmic Blue accents to The Future in the form of the Mirror caps, a strip across the dash with "TESLA" cut out on the passenger side as well as the brake calipers painted to match with the TESAL logo on them as well. Also had the full front wrapped in PPF XPEL film and then ceramic coated the entire car. A few extra touches being added are the sport aluminum pedals, blue door and footwell lights and brighter trunk lights.
        The poor eGolf hasn't been driven much, but I did get a chance to take it out for Drive Electric Week where it made a splash with the crowd as it was the only eGolf there and not many had seen one yet. There were 50 Model 3's there so I spent the whole time with the eGolf.
Anyway, here's a quick video I made for Zack and Jessie at 'Now You Know' for TESLA TIME NEWS. enjoy.

The FUTURE has arrived!

Last Tuesday was Tesla Tuesday for me. After 2 years, 2 months and 20 days from placing my reservation I finally got to drive home in my very own Tesla Model 3, aptly named "The Future".
        Since it's still somewhat early days of the Model 3, mine is the 1st available Long Range battery, with the premium upgrades. I opted for the the more sporty 19" sport alloys and the advanced Auto Pilot in Pearl White. I've only had the chance to drive it about 200 miles so far but it's absolutely amazing and a massive step up from the eGolf in terms of tech, driving feel, power, looks, range and efficiency.

       This ups my range from the eGolf's 85 miles to 310 miles! Moves the drive wheels from the front to the rear , from being on 16" alloys with 55 series low rolling resistance tires (that are terrible) to 19" alloys with 235/40/R compound tires (yay grip!) Power jumped from 110hp to 271hp(feels like WAY more with the torque) and the battery from a 23KWh to a 75KWh pack. 0-60 went from 8.9 seconds to 4.7 seconds. While the VW interior fit and finish is stellar, the design is as basic as well... a Golf. While the interior of the Model 3 is where the spaceship features start to show. The immediate lack of the driver cluster  hiding behind the steering wheel is the first clue that this is not your average car. In fact there are almost no buttons at all! Just 2 scroll wheels on the steering wheel and the 2 stalks behind the wheel. There is a (required) hazard light button above and the window switches on the doors... and that's it. No visible fussy air vents, no cluster of single function buttons, no gear lever or handbrake between the seats... no transmission tunnel because there's no transmission and the electric motor is in the back. I also now have a usable front trunk and the back trunk is pretty huge for a car it's size. I've already fit a 6 foot step ladder through it without it going between the front seats and all 3 of my kids in their various seats fit across the back as well.

    Another HUGE advantage of the Tesla over the eGolf is the over-the-air software updates. NO ONE in the auto industry does this (Yet). And it's a huge advantage for Tesla, and a major plus for me, because my car is a week old, and it's already BETTER than it was last week and can do more functions.... for free...without having to go to a dealer and wait hours for a simple software sync. Many people use the Supercharger network as Tesla main advantage, and it certainly is another massive one, but I find the ability to update cars based on user feedback and requested features as a bigger advantage than those in the long run. Because older cars are still being updated, and as long as the car was built with the needed hardware it will continue to be updated. Not like Apple which makes your new fancy phone obsolete the day you buy it.

       There are tons more advantages and upgrades over the eGolf, which I still have, but it's VW's lack of support for that car that make it more and more obsolete. Stay tuned as I will be doing some work to give the Model 3 that Voltzwagen special touch:) 

 The Future is electric, but it's finally here...now... and it's fun!! :)  

Lease ended for the Voltzwagen...

So in November 2017 the lease on my 2015 VW eGolf expired. Now I had reserved a Tesla Model 3 2 years ago hoping that by then the Model 3 would be out... well it is.. sort of. At least to those who are employees, or current Tesla owners. Only recently, end of December 2017, did non owners start getting their configuration emails. My current estimated delivery isn't until Feb-April 2018, so rather than going back to gas, or buying some secondhand EV, I decided to purchase my eGolf and have it until my Model 3 becomes available. Since then many things have happened, for starters I moved from  the San Francisco bay area to... Texas!  And so far we love it! Cool thing is the eGolf is a very rare car out here as they don't sell them in TX right now. Bad part is the dealers don't have eGolf techs to fix things. Thankfully nothing has gone wrong with mine, aside from the charge port  getting stuck for a short period during a cold snap( I was able to fix it myself). So in the process of becoming a Texan and prepping for the change to a Tesla Model 3 I got the VOLTZWAGEN new plates! FUTURE3 because soon the eGolf will change to a Model 3 and I always wanted to drive the future, now it will be in the form of the game changing automotive icon, the Model 3!
      More to come as things get closer, but lots of new exciting EV's have come to light since my last posts!!! I got to see and sit in a Model 3 in Denton TX as an early owner did a cross country tour with his very own Model 3 (You You Xue), and it's far better in person than any photos!
cheers!
-Alx

You can see I had removed the fender decals here, because I was prepping to return the car, but decided to keep it. I may put them back on soon.

Actually reserved 2 Model 3's, one for first available, and the second to hold for the dual motor performance model down the road:)

here's is You You's Model 3 at the Denton Supercharger on Christmas Day, great guy, nice car, although it was cold that night! Will add a link to his road trip soon.