Tesla Model 3 Uber ride

[Blinker]

The Hyundai dealership provides complimentary Uber/Lyft rides for customers with vehicles in service. Got to ride in a basically new Model 3 RWD which upon my research replaced the Standard Range version in 2022. The Uber driver just got it two months ago and it had a little under 1500miles. I got to talking to him about it, it was a neat little car. We also got to talking about Elon Musk and his wild ways of thinking.

Couple of things for anyone considering to buy one:

I found the Model 3 to have more headroom in the back compared to the Model S. I’ve been in the back of a Model S and the headroom is severely limited. It had great air conditioning for our 107 degree Texas heat. However, the driver did say that the battery range gets depleted much faster when temps go 100 degrees or higher and he wasn’t thrilled about that. The rear seat cushion felt like sitting on an old lumpy pillow and I could feel the cushion bottoming out. Not an ideal long distance seat cushion. Also, I could constantly hear the interior materials shifting around, not rattling by any means. But it seemed like the fit and finish wasn’t very good, and felt fabric was used to stop squeaks and rattles but you could still hear the panels flexing and shifting.

Other than that not bad. I’m a long way away from ever considering buying an EV but just wanted share is all.

 

[JHZR2]

Disappointing to hear about the fit and finish for a vehicle that some claim competes with the 5/E class.

Hopefully the front seats are more supportive.

Of course more heat or AC will affect battery. The bigger issue to me is if they de rate the battery during high heat conditions. I mean, the cells will get hot inside under high rate discharge so they should…

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

Disappointing to hear about the fit and finish for a vehicle that some claim competes with the 5/E class.

People see what they want to see.

 

[JHZR2]

People see what they want to see.

I see a $46k+ underwhelming vehicle.

Not that fast, not that great of range.

Was hoping they would bring the range up and the price down.

 

[nthach]

I dunno, a Tesla is a waste of car for Uber - but until Toyota kills the Prius completely for a all-electric successor or if Hyundai/Kia dumps enough Ioniq 5s/EV6s into the Hertz Uber and Lyft Express Drive fleets or if GM decides to do something similar to Maven and offer the Bolt/Blazer EV, Tesla will still push the Model 3 via Hertz for Uber.

 

[nthach]

Of course more heat or AC will affect battery. The bigger issue to me is if they de rate the battery during high heat conditions. I mean, the cells will get hot inside under high rate discharge so they should…

While Tesla is using a heat pump for HVAC on the newer Model 3(as is Toyota on the RAV4 Prime and the newer Prius Prime), the batteries are liquid cooled. Tesla uses software to “define” capacity of a battery - they have unlocked lower-storage models during wildfires or natural disasters.