by Carlos Lago, Manager, Feature Content
Where Did We Drive It?
September marked an important milestone for our long-term 2017 Tesla Model 3: It reached 10,000 miles on the odometer. While we neglected to commemorate this accomplishment, we are happy to report the passing of another month without a mechanical or technical fault. Now that's cause for celebration.
Our Model 3 spent the month commuting to and from the office. Dan Edmunds commented on the difficulty of achieving the electricity consumption needed to meet the rated range in comparison to other electric vehicles, and surmised the car's true value rests in the scale of Tesla's Supercharger network.
What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get?
We put almost exactly 1,000 miles on our Model 3 in September, and little changed with regard to "fuel" economy. We traveled between 50 and 145 miles between charges and our most efficient journey on a single charge came in at 28.0 kWh/100 miles (120.4 miles per gallon equivalent). That didn't affect our average electricity consumption too much, though; it remains at 31.1 kWh/100 miles.
Average lifetime consumption: 31.1 kWh/100 miles (108.5 mpge)
EPA consumption rating: 27 kWh/100 combined miles (126 mpge)
Best fill consumption: 25.6 kWh/100 miles (131.5 mpge)
Best range: 204.7 miles
Current odometer: 10,307 miles
Other fun facts:
Best onboard consumption meter reading (aka "The Featherfoot Award"): 177 Wh/mi
Worst reading (aka "The Leadfoot Award"): 570 Wh/mi
Average meter reading: 247.0 Wh/mi
Maintenance and Upkeep
None.
Logbook Highlights
MPG
"Unlike other electric cars in our fleet, I feel like I have to pedal the Model 3 especially softly to approach its rated electricity consumption and range ratings. Approach is the key word here, because I never quite reach them. Meanwhile, I find it very easy to meet and exceed range and consumption bogeys for the Bolt and the Leaf. What gives, Tesla?" — Dan Edmunds
Interior
"I hate the lack of straight-ahead gauges in a Prius, and I would be remiss if I didn't echo that complaint here. Center-mounted instruments and readouts pull the driver's eyes away from looking forward with eyes on the road. Sure, it looks cool, but any conceptual artist can do that if they ignore day-to-day human interaction. I'll take more function and less form any day of the week." — Dan Edmunds
Technology
"You know what the best part of any Tesla is? It's not the car — it's the Supercharger network. Fast charging is something most competing EVs can support, but that capability is largely theoretical because vast SAE Combo and CHAdeMO networks do not exist. Such chargers are sprinkled around seemingly at random, and each location can only support one car at a time, maybe two if you're lucky.
"Meanwhile, I'm sitting here charging at a 12-bay Supercharger, and from here I could drive to the corners of the country on a whim — Seattle, New York, Key West, even. The promise of decent range isn't enough. Quick charging capability doesn't do it either. No, the key here is the network of charge points with the promise of little or no waiting when you arrive. The Supercharger network is what makes Tesla stand apart — not the cars or Elon Musk." — Dan Edmunds, director, vehicle testing
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