What name would you like to appear in the review?
Joe R
What is the make and model of your EV?
Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus
What year was your EV registered?
2021
How long have you owned your EV?
0 – 1 year
What is your estimated annual mileage?
10,000 – 15,000
What is the mileage on your EV?
5,000 – 10,000 miles
How many EVs have you owned?
This is my first
What is the average mileage range you achieve from your EV when fully charged?
225
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Why did you choose this car?
I first test drove a Tesla Model S in 2014. They were very expensive and there were no finance options offered. I was traveling by train for work a lot and couldn’t really justify the cost. 7 years passed and we’d come to the end of a PCP for another car and Tesla finance options and general affordability were now much improved, so I decided to go for a Model 3 SR+.
Positives – List 3 or more reasons why you love this car.
- I love how responsive it is – it drives as fast as you can think, basically
- I love how it is regularly being improved because so much of it is software-based
- I love that Tesla is thinking afresh about how to deliver the best cars they can – they are not weighed down by brand expectations or car industry dogma.
Negatives – List 3 or more things that you really don’t like about this car.
- I wish there was a feature request process. As great as the car is, there are a number of requests I would make if this were possible
- Squeaky electric windows were an issue for a while
- It is hatchback/coupe-shaped while still being a saloon. I’m sure they had their reasons but this would improve practicality. Why not have a Model 3 hatch and a Model 3 estate?
Have you experienced any faults with the car? If so, what have they been?
Squeaky electric windows (mentioned above) and a small squeak on rear brakes but that seems to have stopped now.
What are the standout tech features of the car?
Well, there is a lot of tech. The navigation is a lot better now you can set waypoints, even if only for going a different route.
The voice recognition is not bad, assume this will improve. Supercharging – everything about it, how frictionless it is, how reliable the chargers are, the full integration with the car – a godsend on long journeys. Contrast this with other EV owners seemingly having constant issues.
Surprise us! Tell us something people wouldn’t readily know about this car.
As a Tesla Model 3, Long Range has part-time 4WD, with the front motor only spinning up when required and the Model 3 SR+ being 400kg lighter, due to 53kWh battery, it handles much better. The cornering is phenomenal actually, with the centre of gravity being so low. On motorways that are well marked, i.e. not having ‘ghost lines’ from recent maintenance/contraflows, the Autosteer included with basic Autopilot is very capable and helps on long journeys, especially when you’re tired or when there’s poor visibility.
Rate your EV out of 5.
What car are you interested in next and why?
Tesla Cybertruck – I have had a reservation in place since a couple of days after it was shown. I’ve always wanted a pickup truck but didn’t want to be belching diesel everywhere. It is a very bold piece of design.
What home charging unit do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?
I use the Tesla UMC that came with the car and a 3 pin plug. I use the off-peak charging and can add about 40 miles per night on Octopus Go 5p/kWh. It’s been bulletproof so far, would recommend if you’re doing 5-15000 miles per year.
I would get a cable bracket for the outside of the house, so you can easily wind and unwind the cable, as you would with a tethered charger. If I was regularly doing 50-80 miles a day, I would go for a Hypervolt charger 7kW/32A and could add 120 miles per night with that.
Rate your home charging unit out of 5.
What home electricity supplier & tariff do you use? Would you recommend it to others and why?
Octopus Go -I would have liked to have gotten onto ‘Go Faster’ but I was late finding out about it.
Rate your electricity supplier out of 5.
What public charging networks would you recommend to others and why?
Aldi 11kW Newmotion chargers work well and are not widely known about. Tesco Pod Points are mostly 7kW and reliable but not enough of them. Instavolt doesn’t require an app but you only get the 44-46kW ‘rapid’ speed if no one else is there; if all stalls are full, only 22kW and it’s quite expensive. Shell and bp want subscriptions and yet the reliability has not been there, not subscribed.
List your top 3 favourite public charging networks (in order of preference).
- Tesla Supercharger
- Aldi
- Pod Point (because it’s what I’ve used).
Who do you insure your EV with? Would you recommend them to others and why?
LV.
Rate your insurance provider out of 5.
Estimate how much money you save per month owning and running an EV compared to a petrol/diesel car.
£200.
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