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Tesla 3 series killer Model E coming to Detroit in 2015

20K views 92 replies 42 participants last post by  CALWATERBOY 
#1 ·
modele

The Model S fires haven't slowed Tesla down in the development of new models. Their Model E, should be debuted next year at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

According to Tesla's Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, this 3rd generation platform Model E, 'Leads Tesla to a new level. The car will show what we are about, to build electric cars for the masses.' The Model E be more affordable. It will also utilize the much of the same technology as the S, but wrapped up in a smaller package, to compete with the BMW 3 Series.

Given the flowing design of the Model S, I'm looking forward to seeing what the Model E will look like. One thing is for sure, going by an earlier interview with von Holzhausen, it won't look anything like BMW's i3. You can read about that here.

Source Autobild
 
#4 ·
Not for me either, unless I just needed to get to the supermarket and back. I'll take a wait and see approach until the manufacturers come up with truly viable sustainable electric power system.
 
#12 ·
When they get it down to the same time it takes to pump some gas, that's when I'll be interested.
Not sure you're taking into consideration the fact that you can just plug it in when you get home at the end of the day and not even think about going to a gas station. With a 200+ mile range, an average commuter wouldn't ever need to worry about it unless they're going on a long haul trip. And unless you're travelling long distances ALL the time, you'd actually be saving time by not having to stop into a gas station.

I get that you're completely angry and put off by the idea of an electric car, but this is entirely feasible for a majority of commuters out there. The only thing holding it back? Cost. Simple as that. Where I live, there is literally a Model S on every block. But where I live, people also make lots and lots of money.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
Not sure you're taking into consideration the fact that you can just plug it in when you get home at the end of the day and not even think about going to a gas station. With a 200+ mile range, an average commuter wouldn't ever need to worry about it unless they're going on a long haul trip. And unless you're travelling long distances ALL the time, you'd actually be saving time by not having to stop into a gas station.

I get that you're completely angry and put off by the idea of an electric car, but this is entirely feasible for a majority of commuters out there. The only thing holding it back? Cost. Simple as that. Where I live, there is literally a Model S on every block. But where I live, people also make lots and lots of money.
LMAO! I am hardly angry. In fact, I am in a great mood. Off for the holidays, my kids are home from college. Things couldn't be better.
:)

Both my kids attend colleges more than 400 miles away. A 200 mile range is a joke to me.

Bimmerfest, it cracks me up. People on here are so full of themselves and act like they know everything about everything, including the moods of other posters. It's really pathetic.
 
#17 ·
I like the Tesla approach of making appealing cars that are also electric much more than BMW and others approach of making cars that scream '' look at me, I'm electric ''.

I take too many long trips for this to be the best option for me right now. If it were more cost effective I could probably make it work by swapping cars with my wife, but I wouldn't be willing to make that sacrifice AND spend more.
 
#19 ·
I like the Tesla approach of making appealing cars that are also electric much more than BMW and others approach of making cars that scream '' look at me, I'm electric ''.

I take too many long trips for this to be the best option for me right now. If it were more cost effective I could probably make it work by swapping cars with my wife, but I wouldn't be willing to make that sacrifice AND spend more.
And this was my point that Krash apparently decided to ignore before he went off about placing cars into a place they clearly would not fit simply because I used the word "angry". And his response clearly shows that he was not. My apologies Krash. You are definitely full of holiday cheer and spirit.

Even with a 200+mile range, it won't be for everyone, especially those who have long commutes on a normal basis. And it also won't ever hit mass market appeal until it's actually affordable and not limited to people who have lots and lots of money, which clearly, I do not have as I'm not driving in one. And I probably won't ever drive one til it has that range (or better) and comes in at or under 328i prices and that's just going to be a long ways off.
 
#25 ·
Tesla's have a very loyal following. (Don't know why, since Elon Musk is an @sshole. A smart one, but still.)

The i3 is not a direct competitor to any Tesla, including this new one.

I have friends that have pretty much all the electric vehicles available (Tesla, Leaf, Volt); they all love them, and have no problems getting charged up (but then Seattle/WA has lots of charging stations.) My wife is thinking of buying an i3; not sure if it's big enough to replace the Toyota Highlander. Has enough range (although I'm not sure our new condo has a charging station in the garage.) Price is right, too.
 
#26 ·
Depending on price, I'd certainly look at a Tesla when it comes time to replace the 328i. Selfishly, it'd just be a financial decision, assuming it's as fun to drive as the competition, not an environmental decision. They look good, they are supposedly fun to drive, and their running costs are cheap. (Especially since I pay under 8 cents per kWh.) It's just that the initial purchase price is so high, they're way more expensive than what I want to spend on a utility car. The 200 mile range on a single charge doesn't bother me.

The Tesla lineup:
Model S
Model E
Model X
:D
 
#29 ·
Depending on price, I'd certainly look at a Tesla when it comes time to replace the 328i. Selfishly, it'd just be a financial decision, assuming it's as fun to drive as the competition, not an environmental decision. They look good, they are supposedly fun to drive, and their running costs are cheap. (Especially since I pay under 8 cents per kWh.)
:D
From a financial perspective:

- I hope there will still be plenty of Federal and State incentives by the time the Model E is out on the market.

- Another thing to consider is the $600 annual routine maintenance which is not included in the car's price.

It's just that the initial purchase price is so high, they're way more expensive than what I want to spend on a utility car. The 200 mile range on a single charge doesn't bother me.
:D
Did you factor in the 'what's your time worth' to lower the effective cost? ;):D
 
#43 · (Edited)
As for the national network of charging stations; well, thats as laughable as cheap health insurance through obamacare. Our national power grid is already operating at the outer limits of capacity and it has been estimated that the cost to improve it would register in the
hundreds of billions.
This is not true. Look it up... The energy market is becoming increasing deregulated. There is money to be made there and private companies are getting more and more involved. Not to mention, charging a few thousand Tesla's wouldnt even register on the national scale of energy usages.

I think we will have personal flying cars like the Jetsons, but powered by recycled table scraps before electric powered cars become mainstream.
My guess is that within 15 years they will be commonplace, if not the norm. (maybe 20 to be conservative)
 
#44 ·
This is not true. Look it up... The energy market is becoming increasing deregulated. There is money to be made there and private companies are getting more and more involved. Not to mention, charging a few thousand Tesla's wouldnt even register on the national scale of energy usages.

My guess is that within 15 years they will be commonplace, if not the norm. (maybe 20 to be conservative)
I think much will depend on which political party is in control in the coming years as to whether or not electric powered cars stand any real chance of surviving. They may get regulated out of the market.

I have an electric golf cart coupe parked in my garage in Florida. It has running lights, horn, windshield wipers, Cragar mag wheels, cooler, full Eisenglass enclosure, six battery banks, fishing rod holders, and enough storage space to hold two full sized golf bags. I've done some tweaking so it hits 30MPH on a straightaway and it's had enough reserve power to complete 27 holes of golf, run to the 19th hole, and get me back to my house without dying. It takes about an hour for a full recharge.
 
#45 ·
In the LA/Orange curtain area, there are tons of Telsas, plug in Prius's, Volts and Leafs. Charging stations at various malls, super markets, city hall parking lots, and I see many charging in driveways. Considering they weren't even around 5 years ago, the pace is moving pretty rapid. Electric cars are not for every one at this time, but it's funny how some on this board get so angry about anything that isn't oil burning and don't mention government investments or assistance in conjunction with moving the industry along. Out of subject, read how the Korean government has helped Samsung and other companies become the giants they are becoming.


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#46 ·
In the LA/Orange curtain area, there are tons of Telsas, plug in Prius's, Volts and Leafs. Charging stations at various malls, super markets, city hall parking lots, and I see many charging in driveways. Considering they weren't even around 5 years ago, the pace is moving pretty rapid. Electric cars are not for every one at this time, but it's funny how some on this board get so angry about anything that isn't oil burning and don't mention government investments or assistance in conjunction with moving the industry along. Out of subject, read how the Korean government has helped Samsung and other companies become the giants they are becoming.

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Most of the alternative energy companies, if not all, that our government invested in went bankrupt.
 
#48 ·
My Director has a model S -- they are absolutely impressive. If Tesla can introduce a cheaper version of the car, they will gain mass appeal. Right now the selection of electric cars is "boring" and uninspiring to drive -- Tesla can up the ante with an inspiring & hopefully awesome design and gain more mass appeal.

And I realize for some "200 miles? that's ridiculous!" --- maybe for you, but for the vast majority of public (90%?) it would work perfectly most of the time (90%?). Your average person drives to work and back, and shops/malls on weekends -- that's not a lot of mileage. You plug in every night, and every day you start with 200 miles. For the masses... that far exceeds needs.

And let's all be honest, long-term trends are at play here. You may not like it, you may not prefer it... but over the next few decades gas cars will phase out to a niche and electric will become mainstream.
*Demographics: 40s/50s/etc may love their gas guzzlers; but spend some time with teens/20s (ie: the future) --- they are incredibly more interested in energy efficiency and saving the environment
*Gas fuel: it is much more expensive than buying electricity for a car; the big negative of electric is upfront purchase cost -- but this gap will close as the reach economies of scale
*Prevalence/acceptance: Think 10 years (2003/2004).... there was NO available electric car to purchase for the masses. If you asked anyone if they'd drive or buy an electric car, most would probably find it amusing but unrealistic. Look at where we are today --- Prius everywhere, Leafs, Volts, etc. As more manufacturers and models become available in price ranges that the masses pay (ie: $20k-$30k cars) -- you will see a massive shift to electric.
*Keep in mind this being a BMW forum, by default this is a niche of the overall market. Most consumers (think Honda, Toyota, etc) are more interested in MPG, price, and creature comforts than performance or power. (although it can be noted that electric motors can be quite equipped for performance anyways, assuming you buy something more like a Tesla and not a Prius)
 
#49 ·
Hmm.... if everyone drove electric cars, there would be more gasoline for those "dinosaurs" who hang on to the old way of getting there.
More supply = lower cost.... I THINK ELECTRIC CARS ARE THE BEST THING EVER AND EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE ONE!

I know, grossly oversimplified, but really, this (or something similar) will eventually be everyone's future. No, I'm not going out tomorrow and buying one, but I would be very surprised if I don't own an electric car before my driving days are over.
 
#50 ·
Most of the green industries the government have gone bankrupt? Really? Wrong! The department of Energy has a $34 billion portfolio, 2% of which had gone out of business. Solyndra is among those. Anyone that knows about startups, is that the rate of failure can be high, it's not 100% for every business. Telsa is a good example of making it.


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#52 ·
Most of the green industries the government have gone bankrupt? Really? Wrong! The department of Energy has a $34 billion portfolio, 2% of which had gone out of business. Solyndra is among those. Anyone that knows about startups, is that the rate of failure can be high, it's not 100% for every business. Telsa is a good example of making it.

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33 companies or over 10% of the companies have gone bankrupt, so far.

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/18/president-obamas-taxpayer-backed-green-energy-failures/
 
#53 ·
Doesn't really matter what the government's success rate is, its not a private equity or a private company. 99% could go bust, it just needs to help find the one winning technology and make sure we have that technology here in the good old USA.

If you could reliably make money on speculative technologies and investments, private companies or equity could just fill that role.

Of course, whether government involvement is really necessary is another question, but I think other governments have answered that question for us.
 
#55 ·
Yea a blog post from the Heritage foundation shows that rate of failure? What a surprise? Maybe I should get some figures from the MSNBC blog to counter? But on the other hand we can not help new energy start up and just let the rest of the world take a lead.


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#58 ·
Weight is the big issue with any electric car. It's a given that batteries are heavy. Weight savings have to come elsewhere. The new i3 is a preview of the future of semi-practical electric cars. BMW saved weight(it weighs about 2750 pounds vs 3700 for the Volt) through the use of carbon fiber, natural materials and new technology. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of this in future generations of more mainstream BMW's.
 
#64 ·
I am looking forward to Tesla's new offering. I sat with a sales associate last week and discussed the Model S at length. I like everything about it except the price. I'm not saying it's not worth it, I just can't afford it.

That being said the idea of spending $70k on an F10 diesel for $50+ on a 328d sport wagon may not be a wise, long-term choice for me either as much as I like them both. My commute is 35 mi round trip, mix highway and streets. A safe, fun EV would be a great addition to our garage.

Long trips I can use my wife's X5 35d or my 12 YO crew cab for bigger jobs. I think electric/hybrid cars like this will be weaving their way into our lives both for commute and sport.
 
#67 ·
Yes, as I indicated, there are many differences between the two cars. :) They are not directly comparable - precisely why I stated one cannot compare the two on a single parameter as was being done.

Please keep in mind I am not advocating a Volt over an i3. I have, however, driven a Volt and appreciate that others may want an electric car.
 
#69 ·
Not a fan...
 
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