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| Peter Harte gets keys to his new Tesla Model 3 |
First deliveries of the new and more affordable Tesla Model 3 family saloon have begun in Ireland, writes Trish Whelan.
Two of the first Irish customers were John Burke, managing director and owner of Burke’s Hardware & DIY, who lives in Wicklow Town. A self-confessed petrol head, motor racing enthusiast who has made the shift to electric, and Peter Harte, original Roadster owner who has added a Model 3 to his EV family.
Model 3 is Tesla’s smaller, simpler, more affordable car. Designed and built as the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle, it is a critical step in Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy. Model 3 combines industry-leading powertrain efficiency, aerodynamics and chassis technology to deliver the longest range of any comparable electric saloon. The car’s powertrain technology has been designed for ultra-high endurance and Tesla has proven its technology over more than 16 billion kms of real-world driving across its global fleet of vehicles.
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| John Burke pictured with his new Tesla 3 |
Specs include Standard Range Plus (from €48,900), Long Range AWD (from €57,990) and Performance (from €61,990). Price includes destination and documentation fee of €980, VAT, Vehicle Registration Tax and SEAI grant.
Autopilot is included as standard which, under active driver supervision, enables your car to steer, accelerate and brake automatically for other vehicles and pedestrians within its lane.
A 4 year/80,000 km warranty is standard across all three specs. The battery in the Standard Range Plus has an 8 year/160,000 km warranty while the top two specs get an 8 year/192,000km warranty.
Model 3 Performance is the quickest car in its class, capable of achieving 0-100km/h in 3.4 secs.
Tesla 3 has a near perfect 50/50 weight distribution and Dual-Motor All-Wheel Drive for enhanced performance and traction in any weather. The Performance version has an increased top speed of 261 km/h along with 20-inch performance wheels, and aluminum alloy pedals for maximum handling and improved stability. The Performance also includes red performance brake calipers and the exclusive feature, Track Mode.
Model 3 has a range of up to 560km WLTP with the Long Range variant. For most owners, home charging provides plenty of range for daily travel but for long distance travel, the Supercharger network allows Tesla owners to conveniently charge on major routes across Europe. All Model 3 owners have pay-per-use access to Tesla’s Supercharger network which is reserved exclusively for Tesla owners - there are more than 430 Supercharger locations with over 3,600 Superchargers in Europe, and growing constantly. With the Designation Charging programme, Tesla owners have access to an additional network of charges at business, travel and leisure destinations. In Europe, Model 3 also comes with a built-in CCS Charge Port for compatibility with third part fast charging networks giving customers the most charging flexibility compared to any EV on the market.
There are 542 litres of luggage space divided between the front truck, rear boot and underfloor storage.
The 15-inch centre touchscreen seamlessly integrates media, navigation, communications, cabin control and vehicle data into one intuitive interface. Over-the-air software updates add functionality, enhance performance and improve the driving experience of these vehicles. Like people receive updates to their smartphone, Model 3 owners receive updates to their car remotely without visiting a service centre.
Model 3 is built for safety with standard active safety features and hardware built to provide visibility that a driver can’t access alone. Eight surround cameras allow for 360-degree vision, while twelve ultrasonic sensors provide detection of surrounding objects. Forward-facing radar see through heavy rain, fog, dust, and beyond the vehicle ahead helping to prevent accidents by providing simultaneous visibility in every direction.
Model 3 achieved 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating in every category with the highest ever score in the latest Safety Assist tests.
Electric vehicles are also less expensive to fuel than petrol powered vehicles, with the cost of electricity up to seven times lower than petrol. They also require a lot less maintenance than traditional vehicles due to their reduced mechanical complexity and fewer moving parts. With no annual service needed, owners only need to bring their cars in to check certain components at specific intervals, keeping vehicle son the road for longer and eliminating the need for annual service checkups.
With over 16 billion kms driven by Tesla vehicles, over 3.9 million tons of C02 have been saved by Tesla vehicle owners.
Tesla has delivered over 500,000 cars worldwide and with nearly 140,000 units sold, Model 3 was the best-selling premium vehicle (including SUVs) in the US for 2018 - the first time in decades an American carmaker has been able to secure the top spot.
Tesla’s executive saloon Model S and Model X SUV first came to Ireland in 2017 when Tesla opened its store and service centre in Sandyford, Dublin. There are three Supercharger locations in Ireland with further sites planned and a network of over 40 Destination Charging locations. Tesla’s charging networks allow owners to travel from Ireland to all over Europe.
Tesla has recently added a mobile service offering to Ireland which saves customers the time of travelling to and from a service centre, and help remove 80 per cent of the volume from service centres.
